New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-16
THE GREEK PEDLER'S WOES
WHAT HE HAS To CONTEND WITH IN pr,,,
NESS AND HOW HE LIVES

WHAT HE HAS To CONTEND WITH IN nm,
NESS AND HOW HE LIVES.
The Greek pedIers who fringe the uavene,-.
over the business district of the city with -.
wheeled push carts heavily laden with frui, 80
little sympathy When people want fruit tbs,,
tronize the pedler without thinking Of the dlacrI
he has to at hand when wanted. When y,
don't want fruit they look upon him as an ,,,.,.
gated nuisance. Jolt into his cart or scowl AZ ~.
as If he were the deep dark villain OF So,
melodrama. The small army OF messenger ~
bOotblacks and newsbOys which this big civ -
ports makes the fruit pedler Objsct Of uilava -
attack him the year round lie not only has ~ -
on guard against them. but against men VIM 60,
from him much the principle thar -
good people will attempt to smugsle goods who.
feeling the least pang Of conscience.
Even the Tammany policemen are said to h.
been robbing the pedler under a regular and ore.
tied system of extOrtion They make his life r,,s
able even after he has paid the monthly tax IT,
too, ne has be careful drop the man,,
in which his fruit is wrapped the street cleans
man Will get after him RE turns the wheels =
his cart into waste basket by poking the paDer,
between the SpOkeS-
1t is in his little settlement on the East Side ma.
north of Brooklyn Bridge that The Greek peiis+r
most interesting Only about half Of the poortr
scattered about the tenement quarters OF the ri,v
resemble in appearance. The largest Greek ssfriSs
ment is in the neigh0orhod OF Washington Cherrv
typical Greek stree There is ulistaking re
Greek district The signs The windows crT -.
the fact and send the mind whirriug back 10 -
AnabaSIS, which NenOphOn wrote 20 torture voS-e
students Aside from the curious letters psintsS
on the windows Greek name IS UumistaEabis
They usually run 10 a certain letter and use I,
seemingly often possible Some OF them :.
most 60 down the alphabet from Alpha to Omsgs
one would expect to lind q great many -.
shops In the Greek quarter, but they nor tSa-e'
The pedeTs load up at the WharVes in order -
get fresh fruit and get il cheaper A ~
banana stores are IN RoOsevelt-st, There srs
many wholesale peanut stores, which are ,brsS
places In the early morning when the pedlers %
to stock up During the day sleepy lookiSs
quartet Of Greeks gather round a big bale -
peanuts and play cards The Wholesale fruiy msS
those who send out five or ten pUshCar1s sVs-r
morning and pay the peGeTs a commission on ~
days sales have club in this street. Il Is 6,rsS
up with tables and chairs, and every table haS ;
big Turkish pipe
The pedIers live like hogs in sordid little epb.
Five or six OF them so together reduce IiriS-
expenses and TWO rooms in a d.
tenement house. Practically none or them a,
married and the few that nave left their v4vss
On the members of the club in turn. The one VS.
week il Is to cook comes home before his f5s-is
and has supper ready for them. BreaHfas- 49,,
eat in q hurry and the day is spent in the st-ss
a lazy pipe Two or strong tireCian or Tursis5
tobacco is the only luxury they allow themsev-
wine Their fare is OF the platnest sort and rnosfr
American because they cannot afford 10 paw for
imported food They like everything rich and Hss
OIL and seasoning like the Italians.
There are several thousand Greek pedlers IN fb.
CITY most OF whom have come here within the isV3
lions about returning home. nor is there any 81