Evening star., 1901-02-27
ITALIAN FRUGALITY.
illustrated I'm the Experience of q
louisiana Family.


louisiana Family.
From the New Orleans Times Democrat.
"J know an Italian out in Iberville par
isb." said a planter from that section last
evening, "who is going to commit murder
one of these fine days, and when he does l,
for one will be disqualified from jury duty,
because 1 would certainly vote to acquit.
It's a singular case'' the planter went on,
land couldn't occur among any people ex-
cent Italian laborers The man l have in
mind is typical South-of-Italy peasant,
and was one of a ship load of immigrants
who came across and landed at New Or
leans about four years ago. He had wife
and four small children, and as soon as he
arrived he got a job on plantation ad-
Joining my own. The family took possession
of one of the vacant cabins on the place
and then settled down to steady, system
attic grind Of work and frugality that have
never seen equaled in my life. Ben-tho
mans name is Benvenuto, but everybody
cuts it short-soon developed into first
class sugar hand, and l suppose his pay
would average about 80 cents day, year In
and year out. That is considerably above
the general run of plantation laborers, but,
at the same time it isn't very prodisal
sum on which to support wife and family
Of four especially If one wants to do any
saving. Ben saved from the very outset,
and although 1t seems incredible, he had
nearly $50 laid away by the end of his first
year What he wanted to do was to bring
over his father and mother. 1t seemed that
some debts in the old country had TO De
paid first and, altogether, about $225 was
needed. The money, as fast as accumulated,
was hidden in an old chest in the cabin,
and one day somebody slipped In and stole
the entire hoard. 1t was terrible blow,
Of course, and would have disheartened any
other breed Of people; but the family sim
ply started all over again, and this time
the cash was given for safe keeping to a
plump greasy, palavering Italian who ran
small crossroads country store ~-,',. g.
1.-The oily rascal claimed to have some
mysterious scheme for investing money so
as to realize enormous interest, and actual
ly induced some fifteen or twenty OF his
Woodworking fellow countrymen to make
him their banker. Ben used to carry his
little deposit to the store every Saturday
night and when asked why he didn't put
his money in regular savings oank shook
his head and said they were too risky. Last
summer the oily storekeeper disappeared
as you have, of course, foreseen all along,
and with him disappeared our friends Sec
ond crop of savings, amounting to more
than 5000. saw Ben when he received the
news, and, while he said little, there was q
peculiar look in his eye that made my blood
quietly run cold. About two months later
on he was in my stable lot. mending some
harness, when a boy came past and said
he had seen BIB Pete as the storekeeper
was called, skulking around the station.
Ben very quietly hung up neckyoke he
was examining. opened the gate and started
down the road, all without a word. but he
again had that peculiar look in his eye, and
I knew the climate was about to prove very
unhealthy for Bib Pete IL he was really
on the ground. 1t turned out a false alarm,
but 1 am convinced the rascal will come
back sooner or later, and whenever he does
the coroner is going to have a greasy job
But repeat that my sympathies are with
Benvenuto In order'to understand exactly
how he feels,a one ,HAst save nearly $4OO IN
three years on 80 centsfa day; and, Incident
ally, keep up a big familyn Nobody-but an
Italian peasant couldsDerfoem that miracle,
and nobody but an italian peasant would
intrust such savingSs to an irresponsible
crossroads storekeepers Those simpie-mind-
ed, hard-working folks are certainly the
strangest combinations of rank credulity and
ferocious prudence. on the face of the
EARTH