New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-20
GREEK MEETS GREEK
At WOMEN'S MARKET
Feminine Genius at Trouble
Making Puts Damper on
Trial Vegetable Sale.
STARTED AT FEVER HEAT
But Crowd at greensboro
Bridge Gradually Wanes-
Housewives Campaign
Against High Prices.

Against High Prices.
The trial vegetable market held yestcr-
lay under the arches Of Greensboro
Bridge left two settled convictions in the
breast Of DR.. \. J. J. BuXbaum, the
lentist-farmer Of Spring Valley, Long Isl
and, who brought the first load OF gar
Zen truck into New York to be sold under
the auspices of the Housewives League.
one conviction was that East Siders don't
know d good vegetable when they see 1t.
The other was that the East Side is long
On criticism and short on gratitude.
The East Side didn't fail TO turn out in
arge numbers for what Mrs. Julian
Heath, president of the league. calls the
first attempt to bring producer and con-
sumner face to face" 1t had been widely
advertised that the vegetables would ar
rive at $50 o'clock, and long before that
time scores upon scores Of women trooped
INTO the space between the cathedral-like
columns of the bridge, near Avenue A
women with baskets. bags and boxes:
women with babies in their arms and chill
dren clinging TO their skirts. women in
Tapping ltimonos and women in trim
shirt waist suits-came and waited pa
tiently till the delayed vegetables arrived,
TT 1880 a. m.
Bargain Counter Crowd.
Some bought fish at the fresh fish stalls
Al one side of the market, but mostly
they struggled to be near the tables
where the vegetables were displayed, and
when the auto truck drove in and DR..
Buxbaum and his helpers started to I'M
load the punches OF beets and carrots
and bags OF beans and new potatoes he
faced q bargain counter crowd that made
him shout for the police to clear way.
The police, however, merely shrugged
their shoulders and left Or. Buxbaum 20
deal with the crowd alone.
For Just about three minutes It was
delighted, eager and appreciative crowd.
Mrs. Heath wedged her way in and sol1
the first bunch Of beets TO a bridge en-
ploye in overalls, who said that gin
rally his wife done the buyin', but them
beets looked so nice he guessed he'd take
some home" Numbers Of the crowdin5
women remarked on how nice and fresh
the things looked
IT came over from Brooklyn" said one
thin woman in mourning. my man seen
in the paper about this an ] says, I'm
tired eatin' the wilted veg tables we get;
guess I'll so over there An I'm glad
7 cid"
Then suddenly dissenting voice arose.
1t came from a lean and hatless woman
on the edge OF the crowd.
call them things cheap she shrilled
why, you kin buy vegetables cheaper
right here on Second avenue This amt
the way to help poor folks"
The lean woman was seconded by a
red-faced man with a Cockney accent
This ere is a put-up game" he de-
clared. Hits steal, this is. A-charg-
in five cents for height little carrots!
HI can buy 'em for three around my
ouse. Good thing HI says TO my wife.
You shan't leave the 'ouse for that mar
ket till Hive took look at it."
Maybe you keep a vegetable stand
yourself" suggested a member OF the
Housewives League. who stood near.
Hi don't. Him 'ouseolder an this
is the kind of folks Hive dealt with"
He proudly displayed a letter signed
20. II. p. Belmont"
But Hi don't old with them suftrag-
cites Mrs. Belmont's a 'eadln'," h. added
Genius In pisaffeetion.
While the red-faced man GRATED against
the suffragettes the lean woman spread
dissffection against the vegetable market
She was wonder, that woman. Mrs.
Heath said afterward that she probably
represented come Of the small dealers in
the neighborhood, but whatever her mo
Aer ta "A
women who asserted IN loud tones that
they could buy beets a cent a bunch
cheaper and potatoes two cents a quart
less at the stores ION tn avnJe" was
perfectly appalling.
The crowd around the vegetables wav-
cred, grew smaller, and those who re-
manned tried to beat DR.. Buxbaum down
I'm his prices That energetic altruist lost
T his temper at last.
Talk about getting potatoes cheaper"
no shouted. You can't get potatoes Ike
these IN New York for the price. These
are quick lunch potatoes, and defy you
10 find spot on one Of them. / sell
you four good pounds for 10 cents, too.
These French carrots are the same that
John u. Rockefeller raises on his estate,
and ] give you bunch OF eight Tor ~
cents. The dealers around here are sell
ing you horse carrots, with piths in them
that give your children indigestion. I'm
losing money by coming here; could get
more for my stun at wholesale at Wall
about Market but I'm going TO educate
YOU people TO know good vegetables"
All you're q first class bluf!' sneered
Tho rcd faced man
IT'S Hard to Educate.
Later Or. Buxbaum, who says he docs
scientific farming as relief from the
practice OF dentistry, admitted that "edu-
eating the people" might prove a hard
Job.
~ 70 o'clock the string beans. which