The sun., 1903-10-18
AN EAST SIDE FAkIR.
With Ways All Familiar, but Speaking In
=, an Unfamiliar Tongue.

His methods were those of the street
fakir everywhere, as likewise were his
voice and intonation: but his tongue was
strange indeed. He was selling prepara-
ton for removing paint, stains and grease,
| on the lower East Side, in the heart Of the
Hebrew quarter. He spoke in the Yiddish
dialect Of the region, his speech interspersed
now and then with words in English for
which there is no equivalent in the Yiddish.
He had set up his stand by the curb in
busy street-people living outside Of this
district can have but faint conception
OF the wonderful swarming life and inces-
SAINT activity of many Of the streets within
it-and he never lacked for auditors, old
and young, from among the throngs con-
stantly passing on the sidewalk and along
the asphalt-paved roadway.
His outfit was the usual valise opened
up on the top of o tripod; his stock con-
sisting of thick square sticks of the grease
remover done up in tinfoil, and little scrub
bling brushes to use with it; and there were
circulars of directions printed in English
and Hebrew.
When he sold cake OF the preparation
he wrapped that up with one of the brushes
in one Of the English and Hebrew circulars
and handed the bunch over to the purchaser
and took his money. But his speech was
the thing and he talked necessarily and
gave many demonstrations upon the gar
ments of those standing about
He was a good talker and tireless, and
he knew how to put snap and vigor into
his work without firing himself out; and
he was truly an expert demonstration.
He rubbed out stains in marvellous
manner in a minute; and he never
lacked for garments TO work on, for old
and young seemed ready to help him in
this way; perhaps they were glad OF the
opportunity to have the grease spots thus
removed
A little girl who had crowded into the
front rank of the surrounding crowd
had some grease stains down the front Of
one corner OF the pocket to show the grease,
and talked about it in his speech,
tongue unknown, undreamed Of by those
not familiar with it,. He did not say:
Ladies and gentlemen, will now pro-
ceed to show to you by actual demonstra-
alleled preparation have here to offer you.
before whose magic touch all stains and
grease spots fee away like fog before the
rising sum" but:
"Br-wixelum-br-n bivelum-br
--wixtum bixtish wirroc snibitick-br-
tar-br-"
But long before he had got SO far he
had begun removing the grease. He had
scraped the spot little first and then he
rubbed with the end of stick OF the grease
remover, after which he scrubbed the grease
spot with one of those little brushes dipped
in water. This scrubbing through, he took
the cloth about the grease spot in his two
hands and doubled 1t up and rubbed the
| two parts together as one might do In
| rubbing clothes in the wash, talking on in
his strange language all the time.
And then ne rubbed the spot with brush
| a little more, and then rubbed it with
| handkerchief and the place was clean. And
then as he turned to his valise and rolled
| up a cake OF the marvellous preparation
| with one Of those neat small brushes in one
| of those English and Hebrew circulars, he
| kept right on not saying
"Now, who wants the next cake OF the
wonderful grease defer and peerless stain
| eradicstor, which has no equal in the known
| universe and sells for only but:
Br-brah--blinx gwink; gizzleum big
| gletum paints, axle grease, tar, grixeter
| bif br--woozerloo br---" and so on inter-
mnably, and doing very well on sales, for
these people seem to be very good buyers
| when a thing is presented to them right.
| And then he cleaned the grease spots on
boys jacket sleeve and then one of the
| sleeve OF mans overcoat, and so on and
| so on; working and talking all the time,
and selling goods. And an hour later, when
that spot was passed again, he was still
there and still hard at it with his
| "Br-nickorero blizzum blix--paints, tar
| and grease --br--niffletum glosXultum gobil-
tig niverinktus gloxbil OSHKOSH snooverim
| optingtoe--'
Still talking tirelessly; an East Side fakir
whose methods were those OF all the brother
hood, but who spoke in an unfamiliar
| tongue