The Catskill Peddler

ULSTER HEIGHTS, N.Y., -- The kosher sock guy is here, the kosher sock guy is here," the children shouted, at the arrival of Murray Goldwag and his black knee-highs, Despite the words on his apron - "Murray's Kosher Socks" - Mr. Goldwag is not just a purveyor of hosiery, nearly everything that can be for $3 or less.
Like Izzy the Knishman, Sy the Shoe Guy and the parade of men and women who deal in manicures, religious books and kosher ice cream, Mr. Goldwag travels between the 200 or so Catskill bungalow colonies that enliven the mountains here like so many Polish shtetls, Lower East Side pushcart culture transferred to the country.
He and his shlepping brethren deal in dry goods, helping to relieve the ennui of a long summer day while providing refreshments or a desperately needed replacement for the skullcap that ended up at the bottom of the lake.
At the Satmar-dominated camps, where women do not drive, the traveling salesmen are cherished even more.
"When you have eight children who are constantly losing their socks, you look forward to Murray's arrival," said someone who was stocking up on hosiery for six boys.