The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15
Mortgages, Stores, Busi.
nesses and Real Estate
Bought and Sold by
Spectacular Traders
Who Make Their OF.
fees on Subway Steam.
pipes Along Graveyard

Wall street Is not lHe OILY HiurNct
nat has a curb. Though not 90 we'll
L,own and not so spectacular. real
...O,s has n curb market In which are
many interesting characters. While
real estate is the principal commodity
:, which curb brokers trade one can
,,rcbose there n variety OF things. in
..,d,rg mortgages. delicatessen and
grocery shops. saloons and all kinds Of
manufacturing businesses. one desiring
"a tuv along any Of these lines will ind
variety OF offers on the real estate
curb ard tie traders are not averse TO
Aea,,nr either for cash or for other
properties in trade for their own so
,ops ms they can see profits In the trans
actions.
MANY people passing the Broadway
add Nesey street corner of ~. Paurs
,hurchyard between the hours OF IL
,nd 2 o'clock each day have wondered
6, the group of men standing there.
generally all talking at once. and every
an, emphasizing his words by mos.
animated gestures. Those who have
baused to hear some OF the talk have
caught value" thousands, bargain"
an,oat." until the thought might arise
ma, the board OF directors of some
hank was holding an open air meeting.
The appearance OF some OF the traders
vould hcighten the belief. for In their
far lined coats and with diamonds
flashing from their fingers some of the
more prosperous element look like sub
s,an.,al bankers.
This. however. 10 tho real estate curb.
rs members are recruited from the
lower East Side, from Harlem and from
Brownsville with a sprinltl!ng OF old
time real estate operators and brokers
whose fortunes have passed with their
Days Of activity, who seek the crumbs
TIA, may fall to them on the curb. The
writer has had no experience with curb
dealers. but he IL informed that for
shrewdness they are unequalled. II Is
said that, given the information neces-
ury 10 make them competitors, and
turned loose on the Wall Street curb,
they would In a short time not only pre-
anpt the market there but they would
b making proflts out Of the street
spAca renting Il at 90 much foot.
There - no knowledge Of his own
busnass In which the real estate curb
tfeke- Is lacking. He knows every
no. OF property IN the sections In
which re 10 Interested. He knows what
owners paid for buildings. what mort
0Ges are on various properties and.
What tho incomes are. He knows every
Nore and can make pretty good guess
vAAk income the proprietor enjoys. and
hlaG chiefly graduates from some man
ufnoturing line. they know how much
a. oAp makers, or that pants makers
establishment n worth, and they are
NV 70 deal IN anything at any time
= 0ng as they can turn a profit.
ons who knows these people well
Ml4matsd one day that the combined
0elN Of group of about Atty Of
6em would total not less than $4,000
on There were two men whose pos
aeGLons are estimated at more than a
hAf million each. The financial worth
descended then through lesser amounts
70 eoms OF the old time brokers and
OPERATORS whose standing Is figured
as minus quantity. who borrow from
ten cents 10 quarter daily on the
Prospects OF deal which Is always
about TO close. Probably half Of the
members Of the curb cannot speak Eng
.hh fuen0y, while even IL smaller pro-
portion can write It. But even So
handicapped, they have been able to
understtnd the lntricacies of the real
estate market and by timely and care
III! Investment TO build up fortunes
which make them cnvied among their
fellows
The real estate curb first was formed
"Aeh, IN 1904. the real estate market
'egan 10 take on the activity which
resulted IN the boom Of 1905 and 1906.
~ mat time properties on the East
sue, IN Harlem and in Brownsville
We're in great demand. The city sud
uehly started to expand after Il period
" puAqlng inactivity. and every one
"ho had money took fling at real
estate ButtOnhOle makers. groCers,
"Q1of dealers and the like took their
savings from the banks and invested
men IN real estate These buyers often
we're successful fl turning over proper
res W'th "a I"W hours. making small
WoHl9 ana IN the days Of the boom
'"''e lihd was so,d and re:Old several
n,"cs u dd}, each m" at an advance.
'"eh inc curb market held out in
'ia''thi' nut alcr, when properties in
VIM" O." members Were Interested
"e'e uu'iri ia the Ncsey street sales
room they moved down there.
~ - "curE each day the band would
. round ? lady 10 pick up any bargains
'.1.' Appeared on thc auction block, and
a.'' IN cling they would gather on
we s.'"N''n outside, whore they would
pup" anything they owned or had a
'.e"' To- s... About year ago the con-
r''''f building the subway through
'tS"N street forced tho h,n1 nuoy fran