Final answer:
The text excerpts provided do not furnish enough information to answer the question about the number of garbage cans in the alley behind the restaurant. The passages are descriptive in nature, aiming to set the scene and evoke the atmosphere. Specific details like the quantity of garbage cans are not mentioned.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "How many garbage cans were in the short, narrow alley on the back side of the restaurant?" does not provide directly quantifiable information from the given text excerpts and thus cannot be answered definitively. The detailed descriptions provided in the text excerpts paint a vivid image of the vicinity around the restaurant, mentioning various urban elements like alleyways, rag-pickers, and the odorous Bubbly Creek, but specific details on the number of garbage cans are not stated. These narrative passages are more focused on setting the scene and establishing atmosphere rather than cataloging mundane objects like garbage cans.
Decision regarding disposal of garbage when space runs out and the logistics of waste management are environmental and societal issues subtly woven into the excerpts. The references to places such as an iron foundry, gas-works, and the mud flats illustrate different aspects of urban industrial life and its impact on the environment, rather than explicitly detailing the logistical concerns of waste management.