The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
BR0WNSvILLE'S BUSY LIFE.
THE STRINGE SIGHTS IN BRooK
LrN'S QUEER COLONE.

thing About II seems Old, Including
the children aud the Food They Eat.
Ten years ago tho Thatford farm in the
Twenty-sixth ward Of Brooklyn was raising
corn. cabbages. and potatoes. Now 1t is occu-
pied by Brownsville. containing 10000 inhab-
itants. n city within n city, populated very
largely by Polish and Russian Hebrews, but In
which the Italians are beginning TO cut .
figure. Brownsville, though 30 very young.
seems old in some respects. Standing in the
middle OF the market n visitor might imagine
himself to be in one OF the most ancient capi-
tails Of the Orient-Moscow for instance. II has
what Shakespeare calls an ancient and fish
like smell"
The Italians. however. have imported some
odors from Naples which, while combining with
those of the Russians and Poles. prove very
confusing to investigators. Hero are rows OF
verandas, and every post and foot OF shading
board Is In n state of decay. They had been
doing duty elsewhere for fifty years or so be-
fore they came to Brownsville. Then the shop
windows are covered with old smears and acct
dental frcscoes; the cutters are filled with
water so old that it has turned green. Hero 10
an old clothes store. here n store whore old iron
is sold-old hinges, old nails. that have oil been
used before for many. many years. The fruit
on the stands is old. and tho chickens might
have belonged to the dark ages. They are patri-
archs without any doubt.
There Is n teeminE, crowding population or
men, women and children. and they all wear
old, old clothes, while some OF them preserve
old fashions. For instance, the elder married
women have their heads shaved and wear plain
reddish wigs of coarse hemp, giving them q =
very odd appearance. The Americanized wo-
mon have discarded this custom. Young marat
ried men whose first child has just been born
wear black straps down the sides of their faces.
which certainly make them look quite unlike
other young men anywhere.
The Brownsville market extends for three
blocks on each side Of Belmont avenue. 1t in
held in the stores that limo the street. and in
doorways. coal boxes. &c, but not in wagons to
any extent. Wednesdays and Sundays are the
great market days. The people get up at 4
o'clock and start in to tire each other out by
haGgling. Buying the meat and vegetables
makes n busy half days work for q woman.
The jam In the market place is terrific. the
noise Of clashing voices can be heard two blocks
away. every article of barter is pulled about by
half a dozen people at once. and a stranger
would expect a riot to start VI. But in
spite of the furious gesticulating there is not a
great deal Of violence. Assaults arc quite
frequent, but. they are. not often serious and
very seldom deadly; The police say that there
nothing, much beyond that. There Is no in
~ finder. and ought to &C, like the Bowery ab
oH Taken hSi@ ON the WI Whole. 18th the s'I police say that
Brownsville folks are good people" but they
In every case that comes to court there are
legions OF witnesses on each side. an
has a diffenify in UNDERSTANDING how
side can haye seen absolutely contradictory
sets of facts II the The same sam case; It is the fault q
He'd In this way. The Brownsville people had
their. Gym Judge. David NJ Berger, known! as
large. middle-Sgod. active. shirewd man. Who
wears more American clothes than any Of those
place and hear the disputes and give Judgment.
which was binding. He understood all about
say that he is still the original fountain head Of
brownsville Justice. and that the English:
from him. But this he won't admit.
Iwo months age the health authorities Of
Brownsville slaughter house because Of VIOLA
ton OF city ordinances and unsanitary condi.
h frp"si met et" VIOLENT lent e d ttHit sn by scor nau a fndI'Rh ene
dreds n Br9wnsylllc, but where? The butch
not done %i's any Siyl k~IliinsHsth aev s sss t inaf ' meat hSanHaS
chickens from New York. and SO forth. Intel-
t assn' bhr me M aao9 sag T thSt are tho 1e s e}F4 s s5-
th9rities made q great, error in closing the
Gow fb5s ein & lifted aous Sp P ts Took tHs ns sTeo o@s
t Tss J READY Of for tha business n6 n oEt,!y say thae
to o be heard H'S s ins at HG midnigS Sn' from b ts @1%
windows, aud that the man who has a permit
to slaughter beet on two days in the week
COWS without examination for disease. and that
much OF his meat is put on sale without having
The city health authorities are responsible
Tor another unsatisfactory condition. Browns
I'M manufacturing milk in the sight Of
everybody every S%S S out of 4 Ersss III that was more or less
TO buy milk went to the woman who owned the
COW Tor a pint, and the latter applied to the cow
daTeft; with the buyer Watching TO prevent do
The Health Board interfsred. and now the
f 3S5 u 81 tst9 10 be- sMY that is not grass and is
'n ALMOST 70 sV We sTt1d in Brownsville /, in hus,-
Roodi very SHg much unS RRg af5er S tSe m 1S 9a5r Of 5hf the I smaIi
with each other. supplies Tor the Belmont
avenue stores are obtained from ,Wallabout
brownsville markctmen 90 to WaiIabout in
their wagons late in the afternoon and catch
them their rs@ai3inSS Vegetabdlenss,' So Duy c irSiP
Sfaa1iSI t the S Gsa af Srlde to os ssll s fKrin m at less than
profit. Potatoes MOI, much bigseir" than mar mar
Tssy are are On boi I'LL ana IN the sst Bel mon AYE avenue store,
30 Their. is no loss on them.
m oH T 81 is t the G aSiidr slghtf T6 of the are Br row NdS
and Of all ages from the crawling infant up,
ward They handle everything In sight and are
brought up on q diet that would drive an Amer
keeping fruit stands give babies a year old the
most uecayed Ifuit ana the Rreenest apples,
The youngsters eat them and seem TO thrive.
5000 health Is the rule among them and some
footed and happy.
Little girls who had set up shop on a doorstep
that sort at a penny a plate. Their GUS
tomers were other little girls. who practiced
pakes visitors laugh heartily is AFFORDED by the
brownsville charioteers. The horses ara Amer
their owners don't, know about horses would
nll several books, II a horse does something
after usually PUSHES TO his head, and. standing
IN front, gives short. sharp Jerks upon tie
ecompanying this bywild gestures, dancing and
expressions OF iiddish that would make eVon
the most placid Of animals eXcited. Whe horse