New-York tribune., 1899-12-17
THE ESANDWICH MANS WOES
"a TT ILLEGAL TO WALK THE STREETS
WEARING SIGNS?-SOME FEAT
URES OF THE TRADE.

rrA Christmas shall be we'll over there are signs
that trouble Is brewing for the perambulating sign
man. Some utra-lawabiding citizen who wanted to
advertise his business with perambulatory signs
went to the police authorities for special permit.
and there the trouble began. The police OF the
ordinance squad, unaccustomed to being asked for
special permits for peran, bulatory signs, looked
into the ordinances. wherein. as one high authority
remarked last week there is enough law TO bring
the whole business Of this city to a standstill
and they found that they. as police, were not
empowered TO grant any such permit. The ordi-
nance on signs is dead against sign men; so, at
least that ordinance has been interpreted by the
head OF the ordinance squad at the City Hail.
whose special function Is TO enforce city ordi-
nances Chief Devery's view. that the ordinance
s not against the sign Will IT is to be hoped.
make all the difference In their favor
This ordinance first presoribes ways in which
signs may be exhibited emitting all mention Of
wagons grotesquely dressed up freaks and such
other modern advertising schemes. and then after
this enumeration and these omissions II prohibits
the exhibition OF signs I'm any way not specified.
Now the ordinance squad is n kind hearted
squad It sympathizes with eny who is forced
m "carry the banner of the enterprising adver-
tiser in order TO escape starvation And SO 1t has
given the sign men and their employers plenty OF
warning before proceeding to the extremity or
making arrests. Still that extremity was reached
last week when several arrests were made. What
evor the Offenders may get from the Magistrate
and however the opinion OF the Chief Of Police
NAV affect them II Is certain that they will get
only sympathy from the public. II there is one
thing that the average American admires, almost
10 the point OF reverence It is the spectacle OF
man IN hard luck going to unpleasant expedents
TO earn a living.
zone of the most striking traits OF American
character exhibited in New-York lfe, said
European looker-on in this city, rs the patience
with which busy men treat such nuisances as oook
agents. pedlers, and the raucous persistent news
boy who will even invade the restaurants and
shove his dirty papers between the dinner and the
d,ner,s fnce In London | have no hesitation in
saving that a man who should enter say, law
yers office and try TO sell him illustrated history
his neck. and his assaant would be applauded by
public opinion - , -, .
lcve in the strikingly American phrase; which
have heard spoken OF even organ grinders The
man is trying 10 earn a living Even the worst
OF street fakirs l. excused because ne !; tryins TO
are more highly esteemed and better treated In
this country than the bum for 'bumming' is an
nPHniAS There can be no doubt that carrying signs
strapped TO ones shoulders upon iron uprghts is
a pentential expedient for earning money SO is
boards are hung before and behind by straps over
the shoulders. These physically distressing; TO
walk all over New-York. dressed in Jersey with
the name OF a cigar or a soap embroidered fore and
Aft on IT, or to get ones self living caricature
OF dude" with profusely beri6boned cane ana
a monstrous hat, is humiliatlng The freak ad,
yertislng perambulators OF the sidewalks said
10 be paid at higher rates than the physical labor
ers and they may perhaps, claim a higher wage
@ But one and ali proclaim their own dsad broke
condition rust as plainly as they advertise their
smpioyers WarsA No ambitious boy works AArd