The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-03-01
ITALIANS IN NEW YORK.
About Four-Fifths of All in This
Country Are in the Metropolis.

Within the limits of New York City,
says the New York Tribune, about
100000 Italians, approximately four
fifths of the total number in the Unit
ed States, are gathered. There is a
Little Italy in Harlem and several
scattered colonies in Brooklyn, but the
largest and Oldest Italian quarter is
on the lower East Side, in Manhattan.
It's general boundary might be drawn
south of Houston street, north of Ca
nal street, east of Broadway and west
of the Bowery. The largest Jewish
quarter. commonly called the Ghetto,
lies in parallel part of the city. east
of the Bowery. At the present time
the number of Jews in Greater New
York approaches 100000, about three
ffths Of whom live in the Ghetto. The
! Bowery, which is the dividing line be-
tween these two quarters, is monde
script, neither Italian nor Jewish, a
class rather than a national thorough
fare. 1t contains cheap shops, is and
25-cent lodging houses. garish faker
shows and barrooms of ugly reputa-
ton, frequented by seafaring men,
tramps and outcasts. the flotsam and
jetsam Of q great city.
As a rule the Italians are more
transitory element in our population
than the Jews, says a writer in the
University Settlement Studies Quar-
terly. Very many Of them look for
ward to returning to their native coun-
try in the afternoon of life, whereas
all Of the Jews come to these shores to
stay, bringing with them their fam
lilies and transplanting 80 far as they
may, their traditions and their Gus
toms. the very roots of their race, and
look forward to generations of de-
scendants in the New World. The
Italian comes to America to make and
save money. Where there is work
there he goes. He is little trammeled
by the encumbrances which accom-
rany more complicated standards of
life. He moves easily, and lightly
from place to place. Life to the Ital-
ians is reduced to simple forms. Thus
1t Is common to find that houses oc-
cupied by one set of Italians two years
ege are occupied by an entirely diff
ferent set Of Italians today. But SO
long as certain houses or certain
blocks are looked upon as Italian
properties their shops and places of
business will flourish, and some in
dication of the number of Italians in
that section may be gained from the
humber of stores along the streets.
A true Indication of the number of
Italians in the community should be
found in canvass of the school pop
ulation were it not for the fact that
Italian children are great truants.
The Italian parent is entirely salts
fed If the child can read or write his
Iame, and he is anxious that the child
should become a wage-earner at the
earliest possible moment The Italian
child is rarely keen scholar.
The italian laborer will make from
81 to $1.25 a day. OF the total num-
Der of Italian immigrants coming to
this country each year fully two-thirds
are unskilled laborers, and about one
half of them are illiterate and ex-
tremely poor. Most of this class go
at once to manual labor. The other
portion take to various city occupa-
tons. They become dealers in rags
end junk. They are willing to take
the more mental work and perform it
faithfully. More than 1000 Italians
are now sweeping the streets Of New
York. The thrift Of these people is
shown by the statement of the Amer
lean agent of the Bank Of Naples that
the Italians of the United States an
nually send back to Italy sum in ex-
cess of Sic, 900 900.