The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-12
FINANCING PUSHCARTS
4 DOLLAR OR TWO ENOUGH TO
START A BUSINESS.

Win That an hStaIment Plan watch Ii
Bought and PaWned-PuShcaFts Rented
by the Neek-sOmetimes the stock
IL worth SlSO-An Itlnerant store,
More than 5000 ~pushcart licenses were
taken out last year at the City Hall, and
after a stroll through the lower East Side
II might easily be imagined that most OF
the 5000 we're represented In the streets
near the Bowery and the Williamsburg
Bridge. As a matter Of fact since the
opening Of the new bridge the pushcart
fraternity has increased remarkably.
'Never before In the city's history have
there been so many down here said a
policeman who remembers the time when
Hester street only was open to pushcart
men. As the foreign population grew
and continued 10 grow one street after
another was put at the service Of the push
carts until now there are few in which they
may not camp on one side Of the curb any
way. In Orchard street extending from
Delaney TO Houston p%ushcarts are allowed
10 line up against both curbs.
The East Side pushcart ia generally as
stationary as a shop for twelve hours a
day, and the cart Is often quite like a shop,
piled as II Is with assorted merchandise,
including often everything from a shoe
string 10 a top hat and representing a cash
value big enough 20 make a recent visitor
new 10 the Ghetto demand: where on
earth do these people get the cash to start
them In businessf'
The visitor was scrutinlzing as he spoke
a pushcart from which hoated streamers
Of lace. At either end Of the cart we're
tall wooden sticks between which we're
stretched stout cords 70 form a back support
for pieces Of woollen and cotton dress goods
piled three feet high. From a canopy Of
cords dangled laces, trimming braids,
ribbons, belts. &C. In the bottom Of the
cart were bdttons, spool cotton, needles.
pins and other notions, and the lowest
valuation Of the stock in the opinion Of the
onlooker was 500.
The next pushcart. in itself a small shoe
and hosiery shop, was ever more valuable,
he thought. Then there were pushcarts
loaded with china and glassware, including
g~orgeously decorated varieties, with hard
ware and tinware. with mems and boys
clothing, with women's cotton dress goods
only, the value Of which might be appraised
roughly from SO to $3.50 q cart.
One energetic merchant who knew scarcely
more than half a dozen words of
English was offering with much success a
load Of slightly damaged underwear got at
a fire sale. The next pushcart contained
nothing but small remnants Of silk Of every
shape and shade Of color-a strip Of bright
green large enough to make a stock collar,
three odd shaped pieces Of pink in a bunch,
enough to trim a waist; a yard long bit Of
brown, good for a hat %garniture. and so on.
Oilcloth table covers, a big assortment.
comprised the stock Of a cart sandwiched
between one piled high with fruit and one
loaded with vegetables,
Nothing but second hand kitchen ware,
crookery and pictures was in the stock Of a
Russian who was next neighbor to a Greek
who sold picked vegetables only, his humble
cart touching elbows with the two story
cart Of an Italian stocked solely with white