The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-10

ever, that the proprietor of the ridic-
ulous little business has dropped to
the last price notch and, is secretly
fretting over the departure of the Gus
Sidewalk stores.
When the combined efforts of hus-
band and wife will permit they rent
"A corner store further uptown and
stock at gaudily. They selet a corner
stand, because the old outdoor in
stinct is strong within them, and
what the shelves inside contain is
nothing compared with the stock dis
played on the sidewalk. A stout avn
ing provides protection from the
weather, and nothing short of a bliz-
zard or a deluge will drive them in
doors.
The stock of such a store includes
everything in housefurnishings and
dry goods, and piled high on the side
walk, in what is apparently hopeless
confusion, are ready-to-wear suits,
lace curtains, wool underwear, and
stamped oilcloth. And out of that con-
fusion the sidewalk clerk can instant
ly select the desired article.
The women chosen to help the own
ers are rather younger than those who
preside over the push-carts in the real
Ghetto. Quite generally they are of the
new, .AmericaniZed generation. They
dress their hair with great care, al
ways adding bit of. decoration in the
way of bow or an artificial flower.
They never wear hats, no matter how
keen the weather. A shawl, if the
weather is severe, and for ordinary
wear a knitted fascinator, is all they
require.
The Division street body snatchers'
are perhaps the most notorious of the
sidewalk saleswoman. In truth they
are not saleswomen at all. They sim
ply lead the lambs inside the shops to
be fieeced, but their hours are long,
and they never know what it is to sit
down. They are stationed outside the
millinery shops which line this East
Side thoroughfare.
In summer they wear neither wrap
nor hat, but in winter they don both,
the latter of type which presumably
will advertise the establishment. Dur
ing cold weather their hours are
short, as they are expected to stamp
up and down before the store only
during such time as unwary women
are abroad. During the summer they
work far into the night.
A NewsgirI in a Near-SeaI Coat.
Newswomen are becoming so COM
mon in New York that they excite no
comment, but a case on the upper
West Side has aroused some curios-
ity. During all sorts of weather a
woman of perhaps % years presides
over a small newsstand in what is
known as the Central Park West dis
trict, where many Wall street men re-
side. She opens up her stock about
1880 O'Clock in the morning and re-
mains perhaps two hours. Then she
disappears, returning to duty for an
hour or so about o'clock in the aft
ernoon.
Last, summer she wore neat Shirt
waist suits and a trim sailor hat. but
when she appeared this winter in q
stylish pedestrian skirt, a near-seal
Jacket, a picture hat trimmed with
plumes and a muff to match the coat
her patrons were fairly dazzled. gin
stormy-Neather she defed-the- picture
hat for a wide-brimmed Fedora, but
the coat she wore through fair wealth
eF and foul, She is exceedingly re-
served and even her best customers
"good-morning. At last one be-
thought himself to inquire at the
newsstand on the corner below. The
proprietor, a bright-faced Irishman,
replied with a. frank laugh:
Sure, that's me own sister; an it's
a corner in stands we have hereabouts.
Me cousin has the one on the corner
beyant hers, an it's no interference
we have from any one. Mary-that's
me sister-just works while the rush
is on, for you see the men hereabouts
is not early risers, bein' thath it's a
fashionable neighborhood. an Denny
an me can look after things when
trade is light. While Mary gets the
breakfast for us, we gets her papers
ready. Whin her trade drops off, she
goes back to the fiat an makes the
dinner, an we all have supper to-
gether. It's great paper trust we
have. Mary wouldn't work 'cept to
keep out the Others"
Women Fruit PeddIers.
1t is also in New Yorks better resi-
dental sections that one sees scores
of women running fruit and vegetable
stands, having leased sidewalk space
in front of successful markets or gro
Gerry stores. Husband and wife usual
ly manage the stand jointly, but it is
the wife who does most of the selling.
Her husband buys in the wholesale
markets and delivers the purchases.
Many of these women can barely
speak English, but they know values
and are shrewd traders.
They wear nothing on their heads
and shawl over the shoulders, and
this is all sufficient in the way of
wraps. Ever in severe weather. when
it is necessary to keep the bulk of
their stock indoors, they never wear
gloves, and seem immune to cold. AS
a rule, these women occupy a few
rooms close to their stand, and are
relieved by their husband or children
for a sufficient time to hurry home
and prepare the meals.
No more proficient fakirs are to be
found in Network than the women
who sell laces and shoulder shawls in
the fashionable shopping streets.
These women usually work in groups
of two or three, and cry their wares
in a low, monotonous voice, which
sounds as if they were talking among
themselves. They represent the Ro-