New-York tribune., 1912-02-04
COLLECTING BIG RENTALS.

! twenty-four, thus making the most OF the
/ big rental that he pays,
COLLECTING BIG RENTALS.
The rentals which accrue to owners OF
property from street stand, pushcaft ana
street cellar spaces frequently amount TO
as much as the rental of the store inside.
/ One man in Rivington street received 30
q month for the rental of a soda water
stand s35 a month from pickle stand
SIS q month from an egg vender' S-o d
month from a bootblack and $40 eacn d
month from four pushcart men. For the
rental Of the store itself this man paid So!
Later when the owner Of the property
learned Of the amount that this tenant was
getting he Immediately raised the rent TO
5000 a month. Thus by allowing free use
~ its streets is the city enriching its citi-
zens.
Most of the street pedlers look poor dress
poorly, live poorly, yet II an investigator
were made and the truth could be got al
It would be astonishing 10 find the millions
that men have amassed who began life by
taking advantage Of the use Of New YORK
streets. 4 few years ago one OF these
pedlers was arrested for not having
license. He pleaded with the judge that he
was very poor and struggling TO make a
livelihood honestly The fine which he said
he could not pay amounted to 81. and the
Judge, moved by the mans pleading, DIS
charged him with a reprimand. After he
left the courtroom an officer Of the license
SQUAD searched his pockets. He found
$3.50 in cash, two rings worth Sl2, three gold
watches worth sl35 and pair OF diamond
earrings worth $50!
In the busy sections Of the East Side II Is
a regular custom for shopkeepers TO eXtort
monthly rentals from the pushcart men
who stand before their doors in the city
streets The amount OF any Of these rent
ais a month Is more than the pedler license
from the city costs for the year. Bent on
getting his moneys worth for the rental
he pays the pedler strews his wares over
the street as well Gs on his cart Some
OF the dealers maintain their own pushcarts
in front Of their stores. either paying man
a salary for tending the cart or leaving 1t
I'm charge Of a member Of the family.
In a sidewalk niche near Grand street
stands a Turk in fez and breeches with
a great brass urn strapped over his shoui-
der. Within this is a decoction Of his own
manufacture which he sells 10 thirsty pas
sersby. meanwhile keeping furtve eye out
for the brass and blue Of the law. A tall
stool serves for resting the urn until ne
sight policeman when he gathers up his
belongings and disappears down side
street
In some Of the sidewalk cellars OF the
tenement house section the janitors assist
ant sleeps in quarters that are furnished
with a single bunk, a table and chair.
over some OF the sidewalks Of Chatham
Souare one walks above silks and worries
and the riches of the Orient which are
stored there by the Chinese merchants. In
upper Wall street is a salesman from Bag
dad who uses the sidewalk as showroom
for a marvellous silk carpet, which he Of
fers at a price so low that 1t startles you
until YOU realize that he is getting his rent
free from the city. In season one sees
wild ducks spread out on the sidewalks
downtown TO tempt the man with taste
for gamy havors. Near City Hall Square
is a cart pusher who vends hot tranhurters
and cold lemonade and who does thriving
business with the newsboys OF Park Row.
On a busy morning the curb of lower
Broadway looks like the edge OF a county
fair; Second avenue, with its summer gar
dens. has a European atmosphere; Nesey
street sells its surplus space to Venders or
fruit the demand OF West street Is ap-
parent in the pistols and postaIs Whlcn
cover the sidewalk stands. Few indeed. are
the mortal needs which cannot be supplied
from the street stand statesmen, street cell
lar venders, basket, box and pushcart ped
lers. who in turn receive their support
from the surface and depths Of the side
n.alks of Now York.