The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-19
EARN LIVING BY
TELLING STORIES.
Peculiar Occupation of Residents of
Jewish District on East side.

W va
Jewish District on East side.
From the New York Times.
In New York there are at least three
people who earn their bread and but
ter by telling stories. They live in the
Jewish district in the teeming east
side, where they are known as mar
shalliks, or testers. Their services are
especially in request in Hebrew cir
cles when there is a birth, a marriage,
or confirmation at the synagogue.
On such eventful occasions the teller
of tales is all conspicuous by his pleas
antry and entertaining ability He
takes what he can get in the way of
remuneration, which varies according
to the wealth of his audience On some
occasions he will manage to collect as
much as IS. and on others not more
than 50 cents for an hour or more's
entertaining.
The profession of the marshallik is
three fold in character. He can tell
frst-rate story, sing good song, ana
compose verses and put them to mel
ody to suit the particular festivity at
which he presents himself. Dancing
however, is not one of his accomplish
| ments. During Hebrew marriage
feast he will enter on his own invita-
ton. On such occasions he is always
welcome, and win be asked by either
| the bride or bridegroom to entertain
the guests present.
His faVorite instrument may be a
| cornet, harp, or violin. Being a Jewish
audience he will play on his particular
instrument the weird old Hebrew
I,,I. 49, ,fa serS,v
lists, and conclude by adding some
congratulatory rhymes and notices
suitable for the occasion, not a few of
his often clever sayings being created
on the spur of the moment. Story tell
ing however, is his forte, and his ale
gories are listened to with the greatest
interest BY the assembled guests. The
story he recites is usually of the fairy
tale nature-of the traditional couple,
for instance, who welded under Orien-
tai skies and lived in peace and happi
ness thereafter, adding at the same
time some apt reference to the newly
married couple sitting before him, and
so keep in touch with the sympathetic
| side of his listeners.
When finished telling the story the
wandering entertainer proceeds to pass
| around his hat, which soon becomes
| weighty with the pennies, nickels, and
dimes poured into it, every one in the
room contributing something. After
| the collection the marshallik will in
variable be asked TO tell another story
or sing a song, and at it's conclusion
| he is sure of an invitation to share in
the wedding feast. Following the re-
past he will give a farewell song, after
which he takes his leave and proceeds
to some other house in the neighbor-
hood where he knows a festivity OF a
| like nature is in progress
When things are dull in the matri-
| monial line the itnerant story-teIer
| will visit the Jewish workshops In the
| district where he will make quite II
rich haul in pennies by reciting his fas-
cinatng yarns to the Yiddish workmen.
who always readily appreciate a good
joke or a well-told tale. Some bosses, .
however, object to the Jester intruding
on their premises except at the lunch
| hour, but in many places he Is well
come to enter at any time of the work.
ing day.
One of these marshalliks told the
writer that he can frequently earn as
much as S. and Sc a week out of the
workshops alone among his own peo-
| pie. The said marshallik, as is also the
| case with his two competitors in his
! profession, is entirely without the lit
| erary gift, but he has, nevertheless, a
marvelously fertile Imagination, and
can rattle off yarn with the equal fla
| cility of his fac smile on the stage
| Sometimes he sells his most original
| ideas to the Jewish newspapers and
| thus augments his income. This par
| ticular story-teller, who has now been
| plying his odd profession in the Jew
| ish quarters for the last year and a
! half, received an offer the other day to
! go on the stage from the management
of one of the principal Jewish theaters
| on the Bowery. He intends accepting
the offer, as it is his ambition, he says,
to make enough money to enable him
to embark in the theatrical business
| himself.