The times., 1899-03-12
THE PASSING OF THE
HUCKSTER'S WAGON
Decline of a Once Prosperous
Business Enterprise.
lellS of Produce Vendors Gradually
Becoming Less Irrita ing.
Costermongcrs of OIdcn Times Civ
ing Way to Modern Advances and
Corner Grocery Shops.

The palmest days of huckstering, one
of the old institutions of Washington,
have passed and no longer can be heard
on the streets the one-time medley Of
yells advertising the wares of the timer
ant merchant.
For the past two or three years there
has been a noticeable decrease in the
number of produce and provision dealers
who gain living by going through the
street selling their goods from wagons or
carts and advertising them more or less
musically by shouting their excellence in
the ears Of the hungry public. The first
thing upon rising in the morning the
thrifty housewife in the good old times
was called to the door to inspect food
varying in character from fish to water
melons, or from bakers bread to straw
berries. The products of the tropics and
the sunny South were to be had right at
the door as well as the fruits and vegeta-
bies of the northern and more temperate
parts OF the country. Rain or shine the
streets were filled with these merchants
| or hucksters, as they are called. They con-
tinued their rounds until the buying pub
lie had retired for the night, seeming never
to tire. As soon as the days work was
J done the huckster went to his home TO
snatch few hours OF rest before starting
out on his rounds again, but he was su c
to be on hand early in the MOI ming.
IN many instances the huckster lived a
snort distance out in the country, owning
or renting his farm upon which he raised
the products which he offered for sale IN
the city. At the present time there are nu-
meroGs truck farms in the vicinity OF
Washington, but the produce, instead OF
being carted around the street as formerly,
is taken to the small grocery stores or to
stalls in various markethouses and there
! disposed of The old time huckster for
merly relied much upon the commission
| houses especially for the spring products
consisting of early vegetables and fruits
from the South, but these places were
sources of supply only until the products
OF the surrounding rural districts were
ready for market.
The business had its origin in Washing
ton long before the Civil War and for the
| first twenty-five years it was highly lu-
/ crative business and men of eminent re-
spectability were engaged in it. Until
/ within the past ten years it was consid-
cred as respectable a calling as the busi-
/ ness OF conducting a grocery store or COM
I mission house is at the present day. Like
all other successful business ventures the
occupation attracted other persons who
crowded the ranks of the profession, 81
making competition sharp and the profits
considerably less. All sorts of men launch
( ed forth their horses and wagons supplied
with an alluring stock Of eatabes and with
iron throats and lusty lungs made the day
and many times part of the night hideou.
with their fresh feesh,' "cantaloupe'
.'watermillion. ''bananio" and numerou.
other yeils suited to the character and
quality OF the produce which the hucksteI
! tried to sell.
| After a time the competition became Sc
! sharp that in order to make any money
! from the business it became necessary 10
sell inferior produce. The dishonest ones
/ did this with impunity. but those who were
/ inclined to fair dealing began TO look about
| for q new opening. Many of this class pur-
chased small stores or set up stands in the
| various markethOuses.
( In some sections OF the city, notably in
the poorer localities the cheap huckster
/ fOurisheS, but he has nearly disappeared
/ from the parts Of town where the prosper
/ Gus reside. In the suburbs there are nu-
meTous yenders of produce and domestic
I fruits, but these are farmers who cultivate
/ the stuff which they sell and engage in the
/ business only during the summer months.
| They ere not considered professionals. -
| What is becoming of the hucksJers?''
| asked a Times reporter OF well-knOwn
! commission merchant of Louisiana Avenue
| who has been engaged in the business in
| Washington for the last twenty-five years.
We'll was The reply If you have ref
! erence TO the first-class hucksters of a
! few years ago / must say that they have
! nearly all got out of the business. There
j are still a great many. but they are dif-
: ferent class Of men from what they were
4 when / first went into the business. Back
( in the good old days huckster was a re-
7 spectacle business man. He supplied mis-
patrons with the best and freshest stuff
/ the market afforded, and took some pride
/ In building up reputation for honest deal
/ ing and the handling of good stuff There
/ was money in the business in those days
| but like everything else. the occupation
| became oyercrowded.
| "All sorts OF people commenced to en-
| gage in it, and naturally unfair dealing.
short measure. and inferior goods were
sold by the newcomers. In the meantime
small groceries sprang up in every section
! of the city, nd these handled all kinds OF
/ produce and fresh meats.
The wholesale houses quoted them the
same prices as those extended to the huck-
sters, and, having no tax to pay, they
were able to supply the trade at smaller
! figure than we were able to compete with
Instead of being the mainstay of the con-
| suming public, hucksters became a nui-
sance and bore, and many basement doors
| were labeled with warnings to them to
| keep away. There is no more money to be
made at it and the best men are getting
| out of the business Quite a number oi
! the old-timers are now proprietors of mar
| ket stalls or small groceries throughout
the city. While some have gone into eth
| er business.
| There are few good hucksters who
| still make a fair living, but many of them
are men who own small farms and pro-
duce their own goods. As a rule these
men have a regular clientele, and are not
much in evidence on the city streets max
ing their trips early in the morning A
majority of the hucksters of today sell
! only the refuse of the commission houses
and it is the uninitiated who buy of them
There is a pile of stuff, he said, point
| ing to some dressed rabbits in front of a
| Louisiana Avenue commission house
which should be condemned, yet some OF
the hucksters now engaged in the business
will buy those rabbits for a song and of
| fer them to the poor people at such ridicu-
ously low prices that they will buy them
and thus diseases of every description
spring up as a result of eating such meat
| The huckster's occupation is almost gone
and the good people are getting out as fast
as possible.
| There is simply no more money to be
made at it, he concluded. "and that is the
best reason can give you for the decline
OF the huckster."
4 Outside the Pale of Kindness.
(From the Cleveland Plain Dealer)
| 1t the annual meeting of the Back Bay