My great grandfather, Francisco Antonio (Frank) Palermo was born in Sicily in 1884 and came to the United States in 1897. By 1900, he had settled in St. Louis, Missouri. His 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses all indicate he worked in the fruit sales industry. Frank's 1917 naturalization document further indicates that he was a 'fruit dealer.' On the 1920 census, another relative - Frank's uncle, Giuseppe (Joseph) Palermo - who was also living in the St. Louis area, reported that he was a fruit peddler.
If I had given any thought to this profession, I probably would have envisioned men arguing good-naturedly as they attempted to persuade customers to peruse their wares. I might also have assumed there was camaraderie but also some friendly competition amongst the vendors. However, I hadn't ever given it any thought until I stumbled across an article while searching for information on Frank's father. I didn't find the information for which I was searching (of course), but the article I did discover revealed what fruit vending was like in early 1900s St. Louis. This profession, which seems to have been specific to Italian immigrants, had very particular ideas about when fruit vending was acceptable.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 24 Jun. 1896, p. 8.
I will admit, the article made me giggle more than a little bit. It amused me that such a dispute found its way into the newspaper. I found it even funnier that Mr. Pamsina felt a recent tornado was a judgment from God concerning the unholy sale of fruit on Sundays. However, it makes sense that a God-fearing individual, doing his best to earn a living for himself and his family, would be frustrated by those sacrilegious enough to do business on the Sabbath. Intrigued, I decided to see what else the local newspapers had to offer. Another newspaper article, with a similar title but a distinctly different complaint, was published about 4 months later.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 30 Oct. 1896, p. 10
Honestly, it had never occurred to me to wonder about how or where the vendors sold their wares, but as you can see, it was a bone of contention! I also don't know whose side to take, as I don't know if Frank and Joseph had stationary or mobile fruit carts! In any case, the issue with Sabbath sales and methods of vending would eventually be resolved.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 17 Feb. 1899, p. 5
On the 1910 census, Great Grandpa Frank had indicated he was part of the fruit commission. I can only assume that such an organization would dictate rules like the ones mentioned above. Regardless, it seems the compromise was as follows. Fruit push-carts were allowed on all days but Sunday - probably with the rationalization that pushing a cart constituted work on what was supposed to be a day of rest. Those who who manned a stationary cart could continue to sell their fruit on Sundays without fear of upsetting their rivals...or angering God.
All good-natured ribbing aside, there was unfortunate evidence that these confrontations could become dangerous. The article below tells the story of an ill-fated man who sold his fruit to the wrong person.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 13 Sep. 1910, p. 14.
I haven't unearthed anything that would suggest that Frank or Joseph ever found themselves in such a threatening situation, but earning a living at the fruit stand was far more contentious and perilous than I ever could have imagined!
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