The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
NEW ORLEANS PULLERS-IN.
Baxter Street Outdone In the Effort to
Make Negroes spend Their Money.

Bnxter street Outdone In the Effort to
Mako Negroes spend Their Money.
New ORLEANS. Jan. la.-Thc puller-in meth
ods Of Baxter street have reached New Orleans.
and the police arc having a great deal of trouble
with the clothing merchants and dealers in
secondhand goods who have lately blossomed
out on Rampant street, in this city. This new
trade is the development of the last few years.
and dates back only to the building of the IL
linois Central and Iazoo and Mississippi Valley
station at the corner of Iampart street and How.
ard avenue. By these roads the country people
from Mississippi came to the city for the most
part, and thousands of negroes come from
work on the sugar plantations provided with
big wads Of money. To reach the street cars
or to get 10 tho business centre of the city,
these visitors have to walk some distance on
Rampant street. An enterprising merchant
from Baxter street established himself there a
few years ago. and others have followed until
the street for half a dozen blocks is lined with
cheap clothing and secondhand stores.
1t is probable that the pulling-in method OF
obtaining customers has prevailed for some
time. but II is only recently that public atten-
ton has been called to 1t. The victims are
mainly negroes returning from the country.
where they have made money on the planta-
tions, and being of a patient and uncomplain-
ing disposition they have accepted ltampart
street methods. A week ago IA negro was
locked up for assault and battery on a Ram
part street merchant. He spent the night in
jail. but when the case came up the next
day he was able to provo that he was
simply walking to his homo via liampart
street, having arrived on the Illinois Central
Railroad. when he was pulled in by a liampart
street clothing man rs a possible patron. The
money. and the rullcr-in. finally losing his
temper. Knocked him down. whistled for the
c"rder W" Very prop"TIy fiirHcS the napro u loose ~
and fined the shopkeepcr. This case called at
%tention to the puliing-in system. and probably
explained the large number of cases of assault
and battery reported from Rampant street.
A few days aiterward a new and original va
ration of the pulling in business was dcvol-
oped, resulting from a com petition between
the shopkeepers themselves. Mayor Flemer
part street clothing men. COMPLAINING that a
large number of negroes We're locked up and
dep j, rdst of The, fFeir rd IIiiEertE si in s I've rt0o stores com in
PEELED the doors to be opened and discovered
the charge to b. true; Several hundred ne
who wanted to sell them goods; The fact de-
yeloped that they had been ed to. these stores
doors were, then locked on them. and, they
were told that they could not leave until they
need S%f"' s a5I tee OF the hh9n nes Hna Ph2 %H bs@ an b 5Esy
oners several hours. They had protested
mildly that they wanted to go out and enjoy
them. When they grew hungry the merchants
offered them food tor sale. and they even had
BARRIERS present to shave them. After spend
ing the greater Part of the day and night in
thu stores and being squeezed quite dry. they
were finally released by the Interrogation Of
the police. but not until they had voluntarily
or involuntarilX got rid of the money they had.
The other pulIers-in complained to the Mayor
OF these new methods as totally revolutionary
and against the ethics of Rampant street. The
negroes made no complaint, and, the dealers
ness to the fact that they threw in a drink and
a show with every purchase OF a suit. A $ for
they said, to protect the innocent country
darkies from the gamblers. ropers-in and
bunco steerers who were on the outside wait
The matter is under investigation. but it is
doubtful if the practice can be broken up. as
would much rather. be tieeced than have the
police after him. II he appears as a witness he
knows it means being detained in the parish
prison until the case comes UP. As between
the pullers-in ana the lockers-up the police say
In the petition to the Mayor the pullers-in
objected most Strenuously to what they call
the cappers of the opposition. These are ex-
who wait at the railroad station for the sugar
tation itself to steer negroes. into the right
stores; When q sugar plantation, closes, work.
$3.50 each. come to New Orleans to have a good
time or lay in supplies. and it pays well to get
their trade. The chppGr or gets 10
hard Tor II. The appearance Of negro drum
mers Is Il great novelty and a source of great
disturbance.
When the dealers who we're shut out by this
new combination found that the police would
not take their side they determined TO resort
to the law. and IA few days ago arrested one Of
the most active drummers. John Brown.
whom the remarkable charges were
made Of Gaping. leading, men, around the
street without II license. and enticing strangers
and other persons. The case is now before tho
will probably determine what can be
done to suppress the nuisance and protect the
innocent country negroes from being fieeced.
But even II they be protected from the pullers-
In they will certainly fall victims to some other
Of the many pitfalls of the city. Their only
protection would be- in preventing them from
coming TO town. As for the secondhand stores.
the police and city authorities generally would
be only too, glad of some excuse for closing