The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-09-25

- Or centuries it has been the
custom of certain old world
V governments to contine the
Jewish population to definite
section of the cities where the
Jewish population has been large,
These Jewish confines have been
known as Ghettos. When the exodus
of Jews from Russia, from Poland,
from Roumania, and Hungary was at
its height these old world Hebrews
took unto themselves that section Of
the lower East side of New York
which lies east of the Bowery clear
down to the East river and in the
course of time this district became so
wellnigh universally Jewish that the
word Ghetto came to be applied to it..
1t was in reality veritable Ghetto,
comparable to the greatest Ghettos
of the old world, only vaster. 1t is
still today a greater city of Jews than
the world has ever known. Accus-
toned through the centuries which
have gone to be forcibly confined
within given area, transplanted to
the new world, where no such re-
strictions have ever existed, these
people have yet adhered very large
ly to their traditional habits Held
together not only by the bonds of
orthodoxy, but by the scars of ancient
political bondage, they have brought
with them not only their religion,
their racial traits and customs, but
the forms of life and habits which
their previous existence had imposed
upon them. 1t would seem a mis-.
nomer, perhaps, to characterize any
section Of this wonderful city as "un'
changing" but the Ghetto represents
more nearly unchanging New York
than any other
Street Merchants.
In the perspective of 80 years, OF
even 20 years, the lower East side
has completely altered. Immigrants
from Great Britain and Ireland and
from Germany who at that time prac
t.cally possessed this section, have
departed. Their exodus began with
the advent Of the Jewish population
Certain streets were. however, re
tained by these nationalities unit
very recently, but now even this ole
guard has given up and the section
is altogether Jewish, with a sligh
fringe of Italians. In other words
the great orthodox Ghetto of ter
years ago is the self-same Ghetto to
day, only more so. Here and there
towering office building has takel
the place of a tenement house or ;
ramshackle business building; Ger
tain magnificent schoolhouses, tht
largest in the world, have been erect
ed, but the drift of life through al
the old streets is just the same. Push
carts line the streets to the incon
venience and decentralization of trai
fic, whole blocks of them. solid, II
certain streets. and on these cart
are displayed every conceivable al
ticle Of necessity to human existence
At the corner Of Essex and Heste
streets is the same old Jewish labo
market, where loiter the workmel
waiting to be employed, carpenter
with their saws and hammers, loci
smiths with their huge rings of keys
plasterers, bricklayers, men Of ever
grade. representatives of every trade
standing hour after hour, and fror
time to time bargaining, with pro!
pective employer over the price &C
their time and their labor. The pc;
nut stands. the old women peddlin
strings of garlic and bags of onions
the fruit venders end the pickle me-
chants with their pals of lusciou