The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
PROGRESS OF THE ITALIAN.
uARING HIMsFIF AN IMPORTANT
EhCToR ~ the CITY'S LIFE.


Politician Italian Girls ms Servants
The Italian In New York Is growing rapidly
into an important, part of the population and hi
IL forcing himself into recognition not only as a
rood citizen but asD ms a material element In the
babltunl and commercial life Of the metropolis
He la n very different person from the hguro oi
him which hns grown up In the popular mind.
formed during the earlier yeats 81 Italian immi
grafton Then tho Italian could get none but
the poorest cmpuymcnts and, keeping In colonies
called the attention of Americans ~ him only
when the interference ot the criminal authorities
rns necessary lie has n hot temper which,
particularly when reused by jealousy OF ut the
gaming tnblc Is tow apt 10 vent itself with the
,sc. Of knife OF pistol bands Of Italians In this
country have earned uncnviablc regulations as
PERSISTENT countcteitcts while others vic with the
Jews and liungntians ms Illicit dlsucts
with tales Of these dongs, mixed with mystic
y,ous hints Of dark MnHn conspiraclrs and murders
forming the principal knowledge that Americans
had of tho Italian immigrants. II was no wonder
that they soon acquired n reputation M being
feroclnus and blood thirsty When the police
tried 10 &c, Information about ltalien crimes they
found II almost impossible. and this gave rise IN
the Impression that all II the people were banded
together To protect the cyildocrs The fact was
that the Italians had learned oi our House OF de
trntIon Tor witnesses. In which II Is not uncom-
mon To keep witness locked up Tor year or more,
while the accused person In out on nail "heh
persons not connected with the authorities, such
a. newspaper reporters. went among them Tor
information they fairly bubblcd over with IT, as
soon AS they were satisfied 81 their safety from
detention
The public heard frequently also OF Italian
bankers failing and absconding and of the crowds
of angry dcrositors who a, once gathered about
hV.a pf Yer
ecancc which they were all too ready To make
good Dishonesty was added 10 the list Of bad
Italian qualities
Asa matter Of fact the Italian is in many ways
the opposite of the popular conception Of him In
this country. lie In generally good naturcd.
industrious. sober frugal and honest II Is The
very reputation Tor honesty. established perhaps
by generations of respected ancestors, which
Inns led up Ia The disnst, RS which - frcqut ntly
ovcrtakc the little Italian bankers, and one can
only understand this by getting glimpse
of some of the conditions which surround the
Italian peasant in his home There is hardly
one Of these failures In which II does not appear
that the banker had been either Mayor Of his
native town. had held some other civil once
was relative " such officials. lie or his relatives
were also probably nntarics store keepers or local
merchants ~ some sort, who had grown To BE-
respected by all their ncighhors and honor,d by
government appointment because of their high
character The peasant in Italy has nothing to
do with regular banks Wh,n L. has savings
hc takes them Ia the great man Of the village and
places them with him. They take receipt
and keep no account hut when they want money
go and gctt orif their banker is also storckccpcr
they draw against 1; in supplies, and In all CASES
trust entirely To his accounting
When they come here strangers and speaking
q strange language. they seek at once people Of
their own nation and also of their own ncghbor
hood Here also they find men who stood high
In their home community and now have cstab
lished labor agencies. banking houses and stores.
and what more natural than that they should 60
10 them for aid or advice? Those who are saving
money put 1t into the hands Of the banker either
W keep to send To Italy to help the folks home
The banker uses this money. with the deposi,ors'
consent for many purposes other than incor-
porated bank could Use 1t for When immigrants
arrive looking for work he frequently advances
sums IL send men 10 distant fields of labor lie
must and does trust entirely to their honesty
not only TO pay back what he advanced but also his
profit on it. The banker also advances money
u enable his customers To- perform contracts and
for other purposes and this is done almost entirely
Oh personal trust lie also frequently invests IN
real estate. taking TUE or possession with but n
small equity holding and expecting TO make
money ny administering tlt properties
II Is when some of these Investments fail that
disaster comes to the Italian banker, and when
he finds tina, he cant pay there is nothing for him
10 do but get under cover II his creditors augh,
him within the first icw hours they would make a
pin cushion Of him with daggcrs or riddle him
with bullets \ week or so later, II II is ascrr-
,alned that he has lost the money and not stolen
it, and this is almost invariably the case the
creditors have lost their anger, and If one asks
about the banker they will say, oh yes poor
fellow, he lost It all" and then he may back.
The Italians irugality is evidenced by the
enormous sums which they save and send home
10 Italy, which Is estimate to amount something
like $500 yearfo each Of the 4OO. OOO Italian
laborers here
II You would see some evidences of the Italians
ioyial nature, his home loving qualities and good
care Of his family. so into that great colony be
tween Broadway and the Bowery below Houston
street, especially IN Elizabeth. Mott and Mul.
berry streets, and down 10 Mulberry bend Park
There You will see scores Of well clothed chubby
children. women who show that there is no lack
Of money in their house and men happy and jolly.
On feast days and holidays neighbor joins
with neighbor 10 celebrate, whole blocks are deco
rated. music hired and fireworks bought and the
whole community gives itself over to innocent
amusements In an Italian district in Brooklyn,
not long ago on one Of these holidays the street
Itself was fes,ooned with decorations. its asphalt
pavement made spotlessly clean and then il was
barred off and turned into public ballroom, and
II was crowd II with dancers and mcrrymakcrs
When the Italian immigration began there
was little that the newcomers could find To do ex.
ccpt heavy laborlng work building railroads.
or working In mines In a country like ours
where everything stimulates men TO their best
endcavors, II is but natural that the laboring