New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-16
GLOOM IN VESEY STREET.
"lf Only We Had Votes!" Cry
Despairing Market Women.
THEIR STANDS HAVE TO GO
Some Have Been There Thirty
and Others Forty Years-All
Are Angry with McAneny.

Know'n thou the street where tho seranium'
Where the gold orange gIows in the cellar
Where wind ever soft from the North River
And the stands are Of 'sparrowgrass, pansS
and rose?
Thus sang the bard OF vesey street In
tho DAYS that are gone.
Now they are singing Votes for Women
beside the deserted walks.
The change Is the direct result OF Bor-
ough President McAnenys action In re-
moving the market womens stands In
Vesey street There are men. OF course
who received the same blow. but the men
don't count in these feministic DAYS on
Vesey street any more than anywhere else
II is the women who suffer most, ana the
women who took the lead in protesting 10
the citv fathers. They had expected 10
call on the Mayor yesterday, but the inter-
view could not be arranged.
The tongues are wagging however ana
plots are thickening. II they weren't there
would be tears all the time In the eyes OF
tbo Vesev street women for the MOVERS
that will bloom no more.
There Is the gentle little woman with the
soft white hair. Mrs. Winifred Mitchell, at
No -. who has been at the same stano
e,.or since 1858. and her mother was there
before her
"Ah." she 5ays. with an ominous snake
uf hor head, II got seven votes l"r MI
Aneny when ne was elected. III get lout
teen next year. and he'll g" down
Women are in everything lately since
the suffrag ettes took 10 marching IN me
streets" This was contributed by nila-
tory commuter who has sense OF humor
Sure" flashes Mrs. Mitchell. well AL
have 20 he suffragettes II this keeps on.
"Ah. it's terrible TO deprive honest folks
Of their only way 10 earn living. Forty
wear I've been a market woman. what can
7 turn nv hand 70 now? ! can't learn a
new business. like a young person.
SAYS Market was Beautiful.
And it's too had 10 spoil the beautiful
market. II uaed to he a grand sight down
hero with the flowers and tine red straw
berries and the green salads and the vel
low oranges. You wouldn't ask TO see
prettier picture than tho market on
sunshiny day when there WAS lots OF no"
ers There we're no sidewalks at all In the
old days. and the people walked In thf
middle Of the road. They didn't complain
then. Now, they want great wide side
walk and won't let us have even a narrow
stand. Why. Ia be content with three fee
Just enough TO show my produce
Further down toward the ferry Ia Bridget
NcGinness. the lettuce lady" who says
her business is ruined ov the abolition OF
the sidewalk stand
Thirty wears | have been down here,
she says. and 7 know YOU can't do busl'
ness indoors. People going along see somf
fine lettuce and strawberries fixed MP pretty
and they Just buy 'em TO take home. They
den, want em. but they buy en- when
they see en- They won't come into the
STORE They can do that at home. why
even in the coolest days of the winter you
have 10 stand out on the street. Many q
time when my hands almost froze. I've
stood there with four or five lettuces unt
some one came along and bought them
Then I'd rush in. warm my hands over the
gas stove and hurry out again with foui
more lettuces.
NO. there IL no business at all this way
don't know what can do 'Tisn't any usf
10 have place on the side streets. They re
going to drive us OF them. too.
NO. We don't save up much Of a fortune
IN this business. We make living. that's
all. We haven't anything TO retire on"
We'll" interrupted Ed. the strawberry