New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
STREET PEDLERS SWARM
RICH FRUIT HARvESTS THEIR oPpop-
TUNITY.
A TRADE THAT HAS ITS UPS AND rouv.
OCCUPATIONS FOR NEWLY AKRIvrn

season than ever before The increas. :.
largely attributed to the great influx OF inn,
grants. especially from Italy In the last twe,,.
months. In the year ending June 80, the nu,
Der Of immigrants who arrived at this n,
alone, exclusive Of those from Canada ard NJ,
leo, 1853. 100. against 2l9O)G the prey,or.
year OF the total number landed, i6izJ VA.
Italians, including 1926 who had been h..
before. Among the g. Az Italian immigran.
there were 30, 72s who could neither read n.
write.
The great hegira of Italians IL generau,
ascribed TO their desire TO avoid heng eo,
scripted for the between Italy and Abv.
sinia. On arriving here, there being no exts,
sive railroad building to be done. formerly
the immigrant laborers Of all nations remalnsd
in this city largely and drifted into various %.
equations Many Italians naturally sought IN.
vocation Of fruit-vender. Another factor In Tia
increase Of pedlers ard stand-keepers is thu
superabundance Of fruit OF all kinds and thu
enlarged demand for IT,
LICENSES ISSUED TO THOUSANDS
The number OF licenses issued by the city "a
pedlers and stand-keepers Of all kinds was q.
tmated few days ago by Mayors Marshal Ed.
ward H. Healey to be 'soms whore between
5000 and 1900" but Mr.. Healey unable
to tell Tribune reporter the precise number
or how 1t was divided Mr. Healey explained
that the fee for a license for each "pedlsr
hawker, vendor or huckster of any kind a NET.
chandise using horse and wagon. pushcart or
other vehicle Is 50 for the first year and 20
cents for the annual renewal Of the license
thereafter. while the fee for all Others includ.
ing keepers of stands. is 81 each for the first
wear and % cents for each annual renewal
Each applicant for license must have lived six
months in this city 70 be eligible. must present
q letter of reference as 10 his moral character
from some known and reputable citizen and
must make oath 10 the truth Of the statements
set forth in his application. Licei sees who have
not stationary stands are not allowed to re-
main with their carts. baskets or packs mora
than ten minutes In one place at one time, and
then only when they are actually engaged IN
selling or Offering to sell their goods. Then
are several other restrictive conditions, and th.
penalty for violating any OF the provisions Of
the license ordinance is a fine Of not more than
SO. or imprisonment for not less than five nor
more than ten days for each offence.
An officer Of an Italian frut-dealers' organi-
cation who has for many years supplied large
numbers Of standkeepers and pushcart pedlers
with fruit. said
1T is no exaggeration 10 say that there arr
fully four thousand fruit stands in this city. AMI
more than two thousand fruit pushcart pedlers
They are of great convenience to the pubic IN
affordng opportunities TO buy fruit readily ana
at low prices. They are also beneficial to trade
as they are of great assistance in enabling
wholesale dealers 70 dispose OF surplus stock
and fruit which, though sound is so ripe thatH
must be sold at once This is particularly tus
regarding the pushcart peders. who IN me
weather quickly sell large quantities OF frut
that would otherwise be lost through cecay
before it could be marketed. The outdoor stand'
can be licensed only by resolution OF the Eo@i
Of Aldermen. approved by the Ma ~ ounars
keepers must have permission OF the owners
or occupants of the premises in 'front.' Oh NnIoi
their stands situated TO ihalh'ali' ~
there. They are supposed 10 pa! 10 ~ - a. 90,
sidewalks public property pul uls ), q
around by the renting of halfway Vi paw
cellar for round price. s.,,o
"Manv of these stands are very pron'aoie.
know OF one that IS kept by two ltalans' VIM
have families They pay $500 year rent TOT
little room partitioned off from the coihri i,ta
store in front of which their stand Is sl.u" ~,
They work both day and night, and nave w.
helpers but they prosperous. SMOKE, ST.
cigars, eat good food. and their wives al'u oS,.
dren are happy, well-fed and well-cloth.pu. hus'
is of course an exceptional case. FOR the pusr
ties Of fruit being spoiled before they can De SUN
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS.
THE pushcart peders are mostly Italians ana
Greeks. but there are a good many Hebrews
Those who come from italy are mainly set OF
simple mountaineers. who are illiterate ana un'
acquainted with business methods. Some ha"
money enough when they arrive here 70 buy OF
hire a pushcart and stock it with fruit. Most
nd -
Those Of the latter who can furnish good refer
euces can buy pushcarts on the instalment plan
and go into business at The price OF new
pushcarts ranges from so to SD apiece. but Sec
ond-hani ones may he bought for from - to -
or NAV be hired for from IL to - cents a day
There are some men who own several push
carts and employ others to operate them for
wages ranging from SD - SD month eaca
and hoard and lodging. OF course. the loutIns
Is poor and the board Of the Simplest KIM ~
places where they live are scattered All ..,,Hu
Elizabeth Mulberry. Baxter. Crosby, sum- an
Tbonnnson and other downtown streets anu ny
town in Little Italy. on the East Slde IRON s
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. t. one-hundrea-an D'a
afteenth-st in the neiShoorhoou OF
NIorv ~ the poor fellows are glad 20 steep y"
q bare floor with ten or n dozen others N
s,nqla room while those a tribe more prosPeiV-s
are we'll contented with the eo,n''ome' s,ored in
a cot. Their pushcarts at night are s'o TOT bays
calIars or backwards and Il one happens 70 . 'a
y stock If fruit left over from the DAY o''''
- ., &c not molested by his fellows. -
The food Of the Italian pushcart pediers - st
n,e but nutritious A box containing WEN ,y
bounds OF macaroni and costing onE osvs
make a meal for fifty men. provided uet $40 .,
a. f~, tomatoes or onions and little cheese =.
stale beer to go with it, The Italians are hssn
customed in their own country 70 urn r,,s'rri,
wine with their meals. and they se, a. ~.
wine here that satisfies them for onlE = 80
y aalIon A loaf OF stale bread with Jew onion.
or some garlic or peppers and niue VIZ na,n
REGARDED as n good meal. Soup made from 'ns ICY
vegetahes highly Favored with garlic ana en- s
tanning the merest suggestion of meat Oh Wv
rheapest kind is in great favor. -
sometimes the pedlers nave strokes .. Inn
Incl, know of a case in which one OF thsa
bought eight barrels OF specked pineapples Ia
only 81 a barrel. and after slicing them up an ,
placing the slices on ice sold the entire qua"SiA
~ a Single day and part of the night for >lv
q barrel The owners of pushcarts wnen -
"a - Al H.. .llh