Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-28
Monday, January q, 1907.
The Worlds Chief Jewish City.

In the latest issue Of McClures Their,
Is an article by Burton ]. Hendricl
which gives US interesting sidelights OF
New York as the leading Jewish city
Of the world. In a classification O.
immigrants according to the countrie:
from which they come we find that the
chief sources of supply for severa
years have been Italy, Austria Hun.
gary and Russia. Except in the case
Of Italy, however, the country does not
indicate the race, and the leading
racial elements are the Italian, Jewish
and Polish. During the fiscal veal
ending June 30, 1905, the Jews alone
numbered 10000. There are enough
of them every year to make a good.
sized city.
OF these newcomers it is said that
10000 are added to the population OF
New York annually. The fact is un-
doubtedly that the recent growth of
that city is largely explained by an
enormous immigration and the inclina-
ton Of many of the immigrants to re-
main where they land. Mr.. Hendricks
declares that New York now contains
some 100000 Jewish people. most of
them from Russia. He says that they
make up one-fifth Of the population of
4 l,n tar ,if 49, 80 ha
population Of Manhattan. The change
in twenty-five years has been remark
able. In 1881 the Jewish residents
numbered but $4,000, and they were
mostly German and Austrian Jews.
Between them and the late arrivals
there is little association. Inter
marriages have been about as infre-
quent and as much frowned upon as
between Professionals and Catholics.
The German element is probably not
one-sixth of the whole Jewish pOpula-
ton"
Interesting stories are told Of the
rise of the Russian Jews from poverty
to riches. They have been engaged
largely in the manufacture of clothing
and in the building trades, and the
man in the ranks soon becomes a small
capitalist and an Employer. They are
distinguished by extraordinary indus
try, economy and self-denial, and by a
very strong individualism which sets
them against our American methods of
organization. Labor unions have few
Gates for investments are but tempo
rary agencies, out of which the individ
uai energies with his division Of the
profits separately applied.
Starting with clothing manufacturing
as business. they put their surplus
into real estate, steering clear of Wall
street. When they speculate it is in
land. and they are now the largest in
vestors in city property. At the pres
ent time about IS per cent. of the buy
ers belong to this race. They hold 20
per cent of all the land in the section
south of Houston street, north of
Oliver and eat of Broadway. Even
the Astors, most tenacious of land
owners, have felt compelled to retire
in their facor. The Jews also own the
larger part of Harlem. In the section
bounded by One Hundred and Tenth
and One Hundred and Twenty-fifth
streets, Seventh and Lenox avenues,
are some sixty blocks. containing
about 5000 parcels of property. aggre-
eating In value not far from SEC, 900. 900.
Five years ago, when the last census
was taken, there We're very few Jewish
here; now they control al
most every parcel"
The writer says that the enthusiasm
OF the Russian Jews for America
knows no bounds. that they adopt
American manners and customs rapid
ly. and even change or entirely discard
their Russian or German mar es for
common English ones. Some of them
name themselves after the old East
Side streets. There are many Lud-
lows. Delanceys, Rutgers. Rivingtons
and Clintons among recently arrived
Hebrews" In politics they are indie
pendents. and they cannot be con-
trolled as a unit by party leaders.
the city, and it speaks well for the in
telligence of the Jewish voters.