The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1900-11-17
BEGGING UNIVERSAL IN
ITALY.
Naples Holds the Palm for the Variety
and UblQultOuSneSS OfltS "GrafterS."

If you can forget the degradation
OF these Italian people; if you can
crowd out OF your mind the pictures
you have seen OF poverty; it you can
get the filth of their streets off your
shoes; if you can shake the traces OF
the foul atmosphere in which they
live from your garments, as you
would shake the dust from them; il
you could go among them even tor a
few minutes without being held up
by them,-ii you could do all these
things, it would be good, because
you would find them an exceedingly
picturesque and entertaining pee pie,
and your emotions would be pleas
ureable instead of filling you with
unutterable pain. For instance the
methods of the Neapolitan dairyman
are unique. | have seen dozens of
him, this dairyman, usually stout :,
healthy, barefooted youngster of 20
whereabouts, driving along the man
thoroughfares of the city his flock of
Nanny goats, from four to seven or
eight in number, and delivering to
his regular customers their morning
or evening milk, as the case may be,
milking it fresh from the goats at
their very doors. There are dairy
men who have cows instead of
goats, and ifthese have young calves,
why the youngsters parade the
streets with their dams. You would
mt think it, you whose knowledge OF
the goat is confined to the specimen
so popular with the American small
boy, but the degree of obedience to
the wishes of their masters exhibited
bythese Italian goats is something as
tonishing. Beyond stopping, or going
forward, or standing still to be milk
ed, at the call of the young rufian
who has them in charge, they are
much as other goats, their stomachs,
like those of their masters, being
equal to almost any marvel of diges-
ton. | have seen them walking Sc
dately along the sidewalks thread
ing their way in and out among the
pedestrians, picking up odd bits OF
paper, or orange rinds, or wisps of
hay that had fallen from passing
carts, or scraps of Watermelon
making milk, as it were, OF varying
flayors, as they proceeded upon their
way. i'll understood single word
of what the street specimens say, |
could convey to your minds, in some
degree, a faint picture of life as | see
it here. There is an old man, for in
stance, 80 years of age perhaps, -
certainly he is not less than 49,
with a basket of very small hsh on
his arm, crying out at the top of his
voice and glancing up at the win
dows of the houses he passes, in
search of a possible customer. Near
him is stout young villain, with
nothing to cover his body but a SIN
gle inadequate shirt, driving dimin-
utive donkey to a small cart upon
which are arrayed on small trays,
layers of plums, peaches, apricots,
pears, while over his shoulder is
thrown a queer looking scale for
weighing his sales, for fruit is sold by
weight in Italy, his deep voice Justify
calling out the nature ofhis business,
and adding, l must believe, a few
words in praise of the excellence of
his wares. A bit behind him is an
other street merchant, an old wo-
man, bareheaded, barelooted, foul
with the odors of her dirty home,
with a small box, suspended from
straps that go around her neck, in
which are carefully arranged rows
OF colored spectacles for the protect
ion of the eyes from the glare of the
sun, and the energy with which she
presses you to buy is one of the un-
pleasantest things l have ever exper-
fenced. A more pretentious street
merchant is a fairly well-dressed fell
low with a stock of tortoise shell
goods. HIS is an insinuating man
ner. He deferentially lifts his hat,
calls the lady madame" and en-
deavors to arrest her attention by
holding before her eyes the very
handsomest thing he has, usually an
deliberately carved lorgnette holder,
or handle, which he declares is vera
chep." If the intended customer is a
young person of the gentle sex he Sc
lects a diminutiye guitar, which he
offers at "fore tollar," but will sell
her for one il she offers it. This fell
low seems to do more business than
any of the others of whom have
spoken, for he follows people upon
boats and tackles them when they