New-York tribune., 1906-08-17
A RELIGIOUS FIESTA.
Statues of San Rocco COUered sOith
Honey Carried Through Streets.

Next TO a religious fiesta, there is nothing
7AttIe Italy so enjoys as a redhot quarrel. Yes
1erday &c had both TO the top Of its bent It
was Szn Rocco's day. and the Societa and the
Confraterrita OF San Rocco were at swords
points over the good saints statue. What more
could a throbbing Italian heart, remembering
sunid the thunders Of the elevated trains the
feuds and the festivals of sunbaked Sicily, ask
For in this alien land?
In the low browed basement Of the Church Of
e Est. James. IN James street. under a blue and
crimson canopy, with life size cherubs pointing
.n ecstasy 10 his impassive face, his figure out
lined with S5 and 81 bills, rested the genuine
Iapier mache image Of San Rocco, the cause
OF all the bitterness: and in the Church OF St.
Joachim. only a block or two away, in Roose-
welt street. his head disappearing under festoons
Of gold and crimson, his feet lost in a maze of
i've bouquets and ma1e-believe angels. stood his
successor. the plaster San Rocco And in
their name mass after mass went on with clouds
Of incense and waving Of banners, while the
members Of the Societa and OF the Confraternita
glared at each other and talked society politics
darkly.
Outside in the narrow. i'll smelling streets,
under the towering tenements where green ba-
nanas by the hundred punches grow golden in
the August suns. and strings Of pink onions and
scarlet peppers hang Imply out Of fifth story
windows tiny booths for the sale of religious
goods sprang up as if by magic.
Here gnarled old woman. there beardless
olive skinned boy. with eyes like splendid black
heart cherries, sold gaudy pink and white frost
ed cakes. tiny sugared doughnuts and chips Of
yellow gingerbread.
The cakes are religious cakes We eat .oro
out Of love for San Rocco" says a little girl as
she planbs down four greasy pennies.
Then up comes an urchin who exchanges a
clean dime for string of Italian hazelnu+s
strung like so many pearl onions on a string
eighteen inches long
"A candle my lady? San Rocco he been good
70 you?" And hobbling to the spectators side
with magnificent gesture the wthered crone
makes him free Of her table of votive candles,
blsom the Iour-root beauties yellow and covered
iWith madonnas and sacred hearts and cherllbs IN
oecalcomania, and costing as much as So to the
tiny. unobtrUsiye white candles which are yours
for a quarter
You have a batl leg or hand, or perhaps your
stomach hurts you? Then if San Rocco he cure
you you make him a present to-day-see?' and
she points invitingly to a weird collection of
candles IN the shape Of hands, feet, legs and
heads. the latter with the flush OF youth on their
4audy ribbons.
Inside the packed church the sweltering padre
IA his pulpit just over the glare Of fifty votive
scandles, mops his patient brow, hangs his hand
31erchief TO dry over the pulpit rail, and proceeds
with the virtues Of San Rocco.
Bang-ptz-ptz-sss! For forty feet in front
OF st. JanleSS they have stretched a rome Of
.nrecrackers, punctuated copiousIy with great
beads OF cannon crackers. At noon off they go,
lwith such ripping. laundering report that the
choir falters IN the middle Of the 0Iiserere and
:locks Of tatteTed youngsters who infest the rear
Of the basement surge out to see the fun and
then surge back to their devotions
And everywhere one walks under arches OF red
and green jelly glasses, suspended by wires and
clothesliEes from across the narrow canyons Of
streets. each glass with a wick floating In olive
oil American flags fly richly from many a
window. In the afternoon the air is rent with
the crash Of rival bands and the tread Of rival
parades, for not only do the Societa and the
ffPi nd c1oil
dren. wend their way. headed by their revered
statues, to the Brooklyn terminal en- route for
Coney 1slan1s but they Joined by third
from the old cathedral in Mott street bearing a