Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-23
PUSH CART MARKET
Under New Williamsburg
Bridge in New York.
ONE OF THE QUEEREST
IT IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF
THE GHETTO.
Nearly Every Frequenter is an Immi-
grant Jew-Only Men Licensed as
Peddlers Can Sell.
ONE OF THE QUEEREST
Written for The Star.


Friday, under the Manhattan approach of
the great Williamsburg suspension bridge.
lately thrown across the East river by the
city of New York. at total cost Of some
fifteen million dollars.
In the first place, this market is unique in
being surrounded by the most crowded city
blocks in all the world. These blocks and
scores bordering are inhabited almost en-
tirely by immigrant Jews, and SO in the Sec
ond place this is a market almost every
freQuenter of which is a Jew, and whose
every seller is also Of the same race. More
over, 1t Is a market of peddlers, strictly.
Again. about everything under the sun, ex-
cept building lots and machinery, can be
bought over it's push carts And yet again.
1t Is a market where a few cents will go
mighty long way.
The Markets Origin.
1t is market whose origin was peculiar
Shortly after the present commissioner OF
street cleaning came into office during the
Low administration he set about to corral
the push-cart fish peddlers in one spot, in
order to prevent them from promiscuously
littering the streets Of the East Side with
the entrails of fish. There was much de-
termined opposition to the plan. the ped
dlers and their political supporters declar-
ing that such concentration would drive
them out of business the people would
not go any great distance to get their fish,
and would resort to the shops instead,
though their prices were higher.
But Mr.. Woodbury. persisted, and one
morning he got the peddlers together in the
shadow of the Williamsburg approach and
by lot apportioned stalls to them. This
was at dawn of Thursday; at noon the
crowd about the carts numbered several
thousand, for the people, finding that they
could no longer step out of their tenements
and buy fish from the carts in front, per
force flocked to the new market for the
only meat which it is permitted an orthodox
Jew to eat on Friday
The fish market was success from the
start and the East Side streets took on a
cleaner aspect immedia tely. Soon peddlerS
of miscellaneous foods and wares. seeing
the great crush about the fish carts on
Thursdays and Fridays began to take their
stand on these days upon the unoccupied
ground under the beginning of the bridge
approach, deserving the streets where they
had stood ever since they began peddling
In a short time the number of carts in
creased prodigiously, until now. on the two
market days favored of the East Side Jews,
nearly one thousand of the nine thousand
push carts licensed by the city are crowded
around and under the approach for the first
two blocks of its length. The approach
runs only seven blocks and all the space
under it would undoubtedly be jammed
with carts did not the city persist in keep
ing five blocks clear as Fairgrounds for
temporary public schools. erected upon
ground which cleared of tenements
that the bridge might be built.
On the Way to the Market.
Unlike the fish peddlers. those of the gen.
eral market have no space allotted to them.
They who are first on hand get the choice
positions. AS a result long before midnight
of Wednesday has come hundreds of "early
H.
wares have made their way to the bridge,
and as Thursday is ushered in with the
tolling of the citys bells there is borne
from the dark space under the approach the
excited voices of men contendng for good
places for their carts, and the rumble and
clash of wheels as the carts are hurriedly
pushed about. Dawn is still some hours
away when the last peddler has taken up
the last vacant space; then the men and
women squat by their carts, to doze lightly
until, 1t is time for the early housewives to
put in an appearance. This they do about
O'Clock, for at and half after the hour
many of them must be bending over ma
chimes in the sweat shops, or rude benches
in the artificial flower lofts
At noon the bargaining is at It's height.
Then the jam about the carts has become
SO great that 1t is almost impossible for
any one not expert in elboWing his way
OF one of the narrow passageways running
between the rows of carts. The market is
a mass of jostling, shouting men and wom-
en-; the noise of shopping rising to the ears
of the travellers on the bridge overhead and
causing them to look down in curiosity on
the animated scene below them. And all
the while the streets leading to the market
are overlooking with those who are return
ing from the carts with bullying baskets
and other hundreds who are making for
them, that their baskets, in turn may be
filed against the return of ever per-
sistent appetite.
Friday the Biggest Day.
The crowds continue until after nightfall.
Then the peddlers hasten homeward for a
bite to eat and an hour or two OF sleep.
after which they fill their carts at the
wholesale markets for peddlers, and before
midnight are off again for the bridge, in
order to be advantageously placed for the
buying and selling of Friday, which wit
nesses scenes like those of the day before,
with, perhaps, bigger crowds, for all the
Ghetto orthodox and heterodox, turns out
of a Friday TO buy supplies to last over the
morrow the Jewish Sabbath. But not
every Jew, much to the sorrow of the gray
boards, religiously eats fish and no other
meat on Friday
The marketing of Friday over, late that
night the peddlers YEARLY roll their carts
to the cart barns and fasten down the dilap-
idated oilcloth covers over the wares Still
unsold. Homeward, then, shuttle the ped
Saturday morning dawns not a cart of any
description is to be seen in the neighbor-
hood of or under the approach of the great
bridge. But overhead many a man who the
day before was engaged in turmoil of trade
some fifty feet below may be seen strolling
leisurely along with his wife and their nu-
merous brood In tow.
The Gentle Sunday sees trade resumed
under the bridge, but the carts are few In
number and the shoppers equally scattered
This condition holds until the next Thurs
day for not until then are the peddlers
drawn thither from Hester and Canal and
Grand and Essex and other famous East
Side streets by reason OF the knowledge
that a great part of the East Side will flock
to this spot to secure the coveted fish.
Everything Edible for Sale.
The range of things which may be pur-
chased in this ma rket scarcely be
equaled by that of any other OF the worlds
outdoor markets.
Fruits of all sorts are piled high upon the
carts-oranges, apples. peaches pears, april
cots, pineapples. whatever is in season
Sometimes many six apples, such al
they are. may be purchased for cent O,
two. Potatoes are sold by the pound: nuts
at so many for penny, peanuts, which are
offered in bags graded in price from one t