The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-30
WAR ONTHEKOSHER BUTCHERS
EAST SIDE HOUSEWIVES AROUSED
OVER RISE IN PRICE.
women ca About ExhOrtins Them. TO Buy
Fish Instead OF Meat-One OF the Agi-
tatOrs Gets q Punch in the Eye-Many
Shops Forced 10 Close Wireless Zeltner

Fast Side. Meat has gone up In price In
that section recently, and some OF the house
wives said they wouldn't put up with the
conditions. One butcher was punched and
beaten by women and several other re-
tailers Of meat were roughly handled.
some so-called meat riots occurred on
the East Side five years ago. Owing to the
fact that they had women to handle. the
police had a most difficult time. The
butchers are now greatly frightened, and
a meeting will be held by their association
to-day to decide just what they shall do in
the event of the clamor for cheaper meat
becoming serious. Many butchers said
yesterday that they would close up shop,
as they fear the consequences Of the women's
wrath.
About fvedays ag o the East Side butchers
began gradually to raise prices. Fore
quarter and chuck beef that had been selling
at from 50 to 10 cents a pound now costs
from 10 to II cents. This grade of meat
has a laYge call on the East Side. The
women grumbled, and it only needed some
one to step forw ard and take the lead in
getting the housewives worked up to few err
pitch.
This leader was found in Mrs. Esther
Dolbofsky, wife of a tailor at 4O2 East Fourth
street. Mrs. Dolbofsky is we'll known as
an a~gitator among the East Side women.
She is a forcible speaker and a hard cam
~paigner. She started out oil Friday morn
ing, and the effect Of her speeches was evil
dent yesterday morning when groups OF
women gathered before the shops and
began 10 say harsh things about butchers,
the meat trust and merchants in general.
Mrs. Dolbofsky found an aid in Mrs.
Rebecca Reznivck, who lives in the same
house. They toured the East Sid ex-
horting the women. There are over 1000
kosher butcher shops in that section of the
city bounded by Chrystie. Fourteenth,
the Bowery and the East River.
After many speeches the two leaders
went to Lewis street. Mrs. Dolbofsky
took a stand in front of the store of William
Ehrenfeld, at 100, and Mrs. Reznivck did
picket duty at the door of Abraham Braech-
ner's butcher shop, at 1876. Both women
called on prospective buyers not to pat
ronize the ~-robbing' butchers. They had
the housewives with them in a short time.
Butcher Braechner got nettled over the
presence Of Mrs. Reznivck at his door
and punched her. She retaliated and, as
sisted by the other women, drove Braech-
ner back into his store. Then he locked
the doors and practically went out Of bust
ness for the day.
Ehrenteld, across the street, ALSO snut up
shop. He opened again when the women
had gone and placed a big sign in Yiddish
over the door announcing that forequarter
and chuck beef could be had for IA cents a
pound. Mrs. Dolbofsky visited him again
and he promised that he would sell at even
a lower price. The sign was altered to
announce that his meat had been reduced
to II cents. Ehrenfeld did a big business
and his stock was soon wiped out. He
says he didn't make any money and that he
won't omen again if he has TO sell at that
low figure. He says he will let bis entire
stock go for nothing before he VIII take a
chance on being pummelled as was his
neighbor, Braechner.
Mrs. Reznivck, with a bruised eye, APP
peared in the Essex Market police court
yesterday and got a summons for Braech-
ner, who will he before the Magistrate this
morning.
two anti high priced meat agitators UNI
earthed a female whirlwind in the person
of Mrs. Rebecca Menzen Of $40 Madison
street. As a spellbinder she is said 70 be a
wonder. Perhaps Mrs. Dolbofsky and Mrs.
Reznivck knew this before they went TO the
Menzen apartments and told their tales OF
pIunderbund outrages. Anyway, Mrs. Men
zen hustled over to the door OF Louis Jusoi
lavtz's meat shop at $40 Madison street and
did Vicket duty. Every woman with a
market basket that attempted to cross the
Jusclavtz threshold got an anti-beef speech
without the asking. In a short time the
butcher saw that business had fallen of
Glarringly. 1t didn't take long for MRS:
MenYon 70 gather an enormous crowd OF
women and this, augmented by n OF
children. filed tine street 80 that several
rolicemen from the Madison street station
were called. They did nothing other than
crccr all hands 70 move on; MIS-. MehZen
led Ter followers to Sam Goldbergs meat
shop across the street at 3l5, and there she
maze a speech in Yiddish in which she
said.
Look. what fools we are. Fish is cheaper
and better T. eat. 1t is more nourishing
than meat. Come up 70 me and L VIII snow
you how to make many dishes with fish,
Both Jusolavtz and Goldberg closed their
shops and with Mrs. Menzen in the lead,
the mob followed, shouting:
"Wir essen klein feisch, wir essen nur
fisch'"
II became a full fedged East Side parade
by this time, for Louis Marconi Zeltner
had Joined il. No parade or agitation on
the East Side is complete without Louis,
who il the chief of the East Side wireless
News Association. He interprets the battle
cry of the housewives TO be: W eat no
meat, we eat fish"
Al Mrs Menzen's home the women, or
as many as could crowd into the place,
listened to a talk on how to COOK nsh py
the new leader. She did not, however
tell them how to catch them. Mrs. DOL.
bofsky and Mrs. Reznivck then adjourned
20 their own and other northerly localities
and spread the spirit OF domestic discon-
tent.
All Gay IutTb WCIc OubDl CoNo At
butcher shops. h police OF the Union
Market, Delaney street, Eldridge street
and Madison street stations found 1t neces-
sary to send men out in front OF the shops
In various parts of the precincts until the
closing time came. The fish pedlers under
the arches OF the Williamsburg Bridge did
a big business and expressed the opinion
that Mrs. Dolbofsky and her compatriots
we're all right.
Many of the butchers became so alarmed
that they made for the home Of LOUIS klrscn.
at 2ai Rivington street. kirsch IL the
president OF the Hebrew Retail hosner
kntchers' Association. The situation was
discussed at great length and Kirsch has
called a meeting of executive officers OF
the organization, to be held this morning.
his place Yesterday afternoon and explained
their predicament. They said that 1t was
impossible for them to sell meat lower
than 10 cents.
The trusts; the wholesalers, have ralseo
aho - % Is > snid Kirsch .and there