Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-09
AN ITALIAN MARKET
STRANGE WARES TO BE HAD IN
LOWER MANHATTAN,
Finnochi, Broccoli and Dandelions Some
of the Many Foreign Delica-
cies on Sale.
From the New York Evening Post

from the New York Evening Post.
l don short skirt heavy boots and
small hat. securely pinned on. Over my
arm take a stout round basket, and thus
equipped start for the Italian market.
walk slowly along the street. exchanging
friendly greeting with the little Jew who
keeps the tailor shop half way down the
block. His wife is very well. he says, bust
ness is good. and the fourth oldest of his
blessedly large family of red-headed chill
dren has just started to go to school, where
she will soon learn all things worth know
ing. such is her cleverness. 1 meet Soeur
Catharine. a comfortable looking French
sister of charity. who mods cheerfully and
children has been more OF a success than
ever this year. and that the roses have In
two weeks bloomed- in the white cheeks of
the children like a holy miracle.
Ooh. Ooh! ragman, ragman!' I am
jostled by number of children, who push
by me in quick pursuit of an old man
nearly bent double under a heavy and I'M
savory load of rags. Still screaming, the
youngsters approach him closely as they
dare. haunting him. with fine disregard of
their own clothing, which to an unpreju-
diced mind suggests an imminent intimacy
with this man or with his brother in the
trade. The old man goes his way I'M
troubled by their unflattering personalities.
and the children lag behind. no trace of
malice in their young faces They have no
feeling against this particular man, no, in
deed. but a ragman is born to be chased
as surely as garlic is made to be eaten.
Saturday as Market Day.
1 hurry on. This is Saturday, and a good
market day. l must not be late or the
freshest salad and the soundest fruit will
all be gone. Three blocks south, two west
here l am. The street is crowded with loud
speaking Italian men and women. Laugh
ter and vituperation fill the air My APP
pearanCe has ceased to make the stir 1t did
when l first began to come here, but a
pleasant thrill still goes through few of
the nearest merchants, for am not | an
American. and therefore the instrument of
a benef1cent Providence to enrich the
worthy Italian? l stand still moment try
ing to decide on which side of the street l
Shall walk, and as | stand l watch two wo-
men near me who gesticulate vehemently
and shake stout fists in each others faces.
l am alarmed until a few sentences spoken
at concert pitch show me that they are but
expressing to each other their approval of
the lovely autumn weather are having.
Like the noted diplomat VINO watched two
excited Frenchmen exchanging compli-
ments, [ tremble to think what would hap
pen should the parties disagree
A toothless stern old man. his forehead
thoroughly protected from the bright sun
by heavy wooden cap well pulled down. Of
fers me lemons and young boy with a
dull, handsome face beseecnes me to buy
garlic two cent-a, two cent-a. On every
corner and at several places along the block
are rude stalls built out from the wall, and
the street itself is lined with push carts
Some of these market men have their own
gardens on the west slope of the Palisades
gardens so small that it is hardly worth
while to sell their vegetab les to a commits
sion merchant, so they load them on a cart
cross the ferry. and tramp cheerfully sew
eral miles to this open air market
The Produce
Fish, or meat, eggs and butter one is not
tempted to buy here. in spite of the entic-
ingly low prices and the apparent rude
health of those who do buy: but the vege-
tables are fine and the salads fresh and
great in variety. Lettuce and Romano
chicory. endive and escarole are here be-
sides many others less palatable to an
American taste. Here one can buy great
white heads of that highly priced Italian
delicacy "finnochi." which suggests celery.
but has so strong flavor of anise seed that
1t is apt to be an acquired taste 1t is eaten
at dessert with little red Wine Here one
can buy greenS-Spinach, dandelions car
rot or finnochi tops, broccoli, which is a
kind of small cabbage, and caulifioWer not
IN hrm heads as We know it. but with young
leaves and a great cluster of little yellow
howers-to be cooked whole. The dande-
lions. now that the blossoms are gone. are
as delicate in flavor as in early spring and
are sold mostly by eager old women who
have dug them themselves. I have a par
tlcular friend among these old women and
l seek her out Her joy at seeing me is
genuine. and she proudly displays her
wares. explaining in voluble Italian how
fresh they are. and adding with an almost
too expressive gesture that they are null
to buono' for 10 stomaco" I part with
1our coppers, she piles my basket high. and
we separate with protestations of mutual
affection.
An Extravagant Purchase.
come to row of carts piled with fruit
and now the excitement really begins, for it
Is whispered down the row that the signora
is going to buy a whole basket of peaches
today. This is entirely contrary to the
custom of the market. which is to sell
frult a penny a piece, two for three mr.