New-York tribune., 1903-04-10
OLD FLOWER MARKET.
It's Busiest Season Just Noar-
Curbstone TENDERS.

A halo Of romance fingers around the old markets
II great citv, despite their commercial atmos-
phere. The centre Of large interests. the Of
loNly nfework- the meeting place for generations
Of town and country industries, every foot of
these old stamping grounds is alive with the
associations that make up the intimate history of
he ciry's whole. About those of New-York IN
particular innumerable memories gather. and rich
Of them all, perhaps, in these is the old flower
market at the foot of Canal-st. a part OF what
was once the Clinton homestead. bounded by the
triangle Of rag warehouses; low wooden buildings
along the rivers front and a maze Of tail ship
rnasts that make odd cross lines against the gray
of the river rsts
Hours before dawn when the long streets OF the
lower city lie deserted the uneven pavements
gray II the ghostly half-ight, faint fragrance
comes htfuly on the air with the gusting winds
and distant rumble Of wheels breaks the still
ness Of West-st
For over third Of century this traff1ce in
natures treasures has gone in this spot, hun
dreds Of wagons coming daily from Staten Island,
Long Island and New Jersey. laden with potted
plants and shrubs OF every description
OPENS AT O'CLOCK
from the middle Of March TO the last of June
day after day the broad sidewalks about the little
green triangle of a park that snuggles almost at
the rivers edge fash into color and the air grows
heavy with perfume a the work of unloading
the great country wagons goes on in that twilight
AS early as 8 O'clock in the morning they begin TO
arrive the more distant growers having started
fast after the evening meal the night before on
the mornings Immediately preceding Easter and
Memorial Day from TO three thousand peo-
PIE congrega1e there at the foot OF Canal-st--the
growers themselves peddiers and small stand keep
ers even a few rank outsiders, who fondly hope
they viii not be known as such, and think to
get the advantage Of wholesale prices their
small purchases
The wagons, overrunnins with color, back UP
to the sidewalks The city venders bargain and
haggle from their cart ends. their feet dangling
IL from. cT16 N n
of the long swaths of bloom, singing out this
and that plant and bearing off their purchases
under their
The flower wagons that now go from street to
street in the upper parts OF the city, hawking their
nodding fragrant burdens from door TO door. come
for their loads and are on thelr way east"aro
eTpend their scaut capital in a single wagonloao
ana travel the city t9gether atpeaIhs n s4lT
% every PEDESTRIAN customer who happens to glance
their way
NosBGAYs OF LOOSE PETALS
The growers sell ont as soon as possible OF course.
and 20 home TO bed. but the purchasers are some
times long in getting their from the Sidewalk
% their carts and it is then, about sunrise tha1
The children os the neighborhood begin 70 swarm
.n-o +a square for .'leavings"-a broken blossom,
fallen leaf. even a bare tWis. HAND In manu- 'lies
% ~ and ont among the wheels and drivers ana
horses. hoofs with the feaTlessness OF ignorance
~ long experience, and not petal ssCdPeS - -
.ee7 ewes Many q bud or branch Is ieII III t4io
q
rosegavs Of bruised geranium leaves single fose
metals mounted on pins splinters OF "oou' VI
srirelled carnation bud are clasped IN grlhS @ ltl
lists and borne off in triumph TO sIa0oeh Hi U''e'
quarters Of -'woodchoppers' Row -
Woodchoppers Row is a cohs1esd'ioI =. - - -
c,,se on rhe south side Of Canal-st, wherein one
upon q time some forty years ago perhaps -.
MANY who eEed out scanty ilVelhooo - So So
ing he rivers driftwood ana choppIne - - eircs
zetable lengths. 1t has been many 90 r 80
r4,vood fgured as commercial item S Dut SA4e tss
VINO i've in Woodcnoppers no" arc SIN
~9oocnPpl old Maggie O'shea. is well Known Known
agure about The maTnet oii s;3e does not know now
I'D she is toothess, weather @ on 10 ninety
CARED she Els Is ,ste EnoWn her longest Her % cher
support 10 be the ga groSeTs bring their
~o9oee I'D potted plants. When town n peJte prskes
ouys q 1aTer he often finds that ms potS 6odit nj
more snugly together with Gig . 70 old Maggies
ot These She gathers and seIs asa three cents
ers eor one two, and. on rare occ0Si0
apeo 6av7 she repeated in answer 10 ,s;cb as r.
= e g oe1ts she said zone cay ,I II ,e EaS thorough
shs went t..5 on .nT her bToKen TSs up trays r1
urrps RIGHT on. RAIN OR SHINE
..-,-,-..., ,,,,r, about her affairs. volunteereo
-A oo5nat,,red night watchHan' Ine ma m 80,
.,oi,-g ssniUs sor the last t1irty -. her 60
knov much about her for an -, beIn. inst
org 9ne 'ya raIn or shine looking for those oiD
wooden trays ,-,,ousters who come over 70
~ among Ie market in the dark ,oi,s oI 'i Not even
ne ne @ -er,en Maggie and Melao .rov them
,be,r faesf business associates s-a &c old Mis-
- xi1o keeps flower stan SoSrn 10 the flower
s. Erthoryss Church and comes N nationaIities
- ~ her daily supplies A 1tpe and they
-,s a. the venders at thls anca one an
relfesenCeo I've ~ over trying to instead OF
49,. ~ 80 resorting 10 nich.1.nt yThitey''
gtaef names -, fmposing assortment cognomen)
80 -errnan with jaw ofeehIiifS fonp n has
sn 9a SerIlTn T1s1sn With name SO O1E s eon and
1900 a. tUo instalrnents on -. nobody
pe5-i came by this soDaI vyhatever
knows how except that ms eiIntIJtored tongues,
There are .-Garo'' and tters whose origin
hss long since been forgotten 80? however has
.+r,r.-e 70 use rhern. One. oloo: 80 na has been
name Of such convenient lent 11no always does
fha Iorors OF the market men h,n0ffsitive seek
tbTonisfs interested strangers 81 risce of barter;
-s after Information invade sb Ih floral gifts and
q &c Ottn Who presents them Witn eIfogether in
rnakes tSen feI that they are MOI
t@rloperE. ~ TT
= -. ,-,.,ole of sod and green -
tbaf hicks the wide mouth of canai-st. IS pnow
nsraed The Farm" none of the nia, h.v. been