Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1843-05-10
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE PIvE POINTS.
sY &. r. WILLIS

~
one portion OF New York made classic by
foreign pen, let me jot you down men,
or two from my FIRST visi. To Dickens Ho-
tel al Five Points, made one evening !asi
week with a distinguished parry, under
charge oflhc Box officer.
had had au idea ,ha, this celebrated
spo, was on the eastern limi: of the city.
n, the end Of the omnibus routes, and was
surprised TO find tha, !, was no, more than
three minutes walk from Broadway. aud
ia full view from one Of The fashionable
corners. Il, lies, indeed, in lap between
'Rroadway. and the Bowery, in what was
onc,, a secluded valley Of the island OF
SaIanha,icp, though 10 believe il ever to
have been green or clear, requires pow.
erful efior; OF tie Imagination. We turned
into Auihouy street at half-Pasl en.passed
a,Yhe Tornbs," and took the downward
road, as did orpheus and Dickens before
Esll itwas cold night, bn, women stood
at every door with bare heads and bare
shoulders, most Of them with something
q, say, aud, by their attitudes. showing q
complete iasensibility 10 cold. In every
thing they said, they eop,rived 70 bring in
tho word !. shilling" There were few
men 10 be seen, and those whom va me,
sku!ked psss Us if avoiding observation
possibly ashamed TO be there, possibly
shrinking from, any further acquaintance
with officer Stevens, though neither OF
these feeling seemed 10 be shared by the
females Of The company. A fiuie turu TO
tho lcfi brought Us up against wha, looked
90 ne blind, tumble-down board fence
bu, tie officer pulled q latch and opened
door, ana fliabt OF steps was disclosed.
sie went down Grss and threw open door
at the bottom, letting up blaze Of light,
and we followed iu,o the grand spbierra-
ncau Almack's Of the Five Points. And
really il looked very clean and cheerful.
III was spacious rcoru, with low ceiling,
excessively whiiewaslied, nicely santled,
and well lit, aud The black proprietor and
his "uiinis,eripg spirits" literally fulfilling
their vocation, behind q very tidy bar)
were well dressed and well hammered peo-
ple, and received Mr.. Stevens and bis
friends with the politeness Of grand cham
beriains. We were q Iiule eariy for the
fashionable hour. the ladies' not heviag
arrived from tic theatres )" and. pEppos-
iny 10 look in again after making the mund
ofihe other resorts, we crepl up again TO
the street. -
Our next dive vas into cellar crowded
viii, negsres, eating, bringing. and dane
ing, one very u ell made muia,,o girl play.
ing the eas,anets, and imila,ins Elssier iu
what she called tho craeoyer-agein. In
their way these people seemed cheerful.
djny and comfortable. We looked IN af.
tcrwards at several drinking places,
thrpnged with creatures who looked over
their shoulders very significantly 1T The Of.
ficcr; found one or iwo bar goums KEEP, BY
women who had preserved the one virtue
OF fneainess, llhough 10 every clean place
the hostess seemed aierrible Yirago,) and
il was then proposed that we should see
some Of The dorni,ories OF this Aisstia.
And nj this point must end all the cheer.
falnsss Of NV description. "This is called
numbering alley" said oor guide. We
entered between ,wo high brick walls,
with barely room 10 pass. and byihc light
OF police lantern we managed to make
onr way up broken and filthy staircase
10 The asa floor of a large building. Under
i,s one roof The officer ihoaghs there usuni.
ly siep, thousand Of these wrc,ched out
casts. He knocked nj n door on tho left.
Iswas opened nnwi.lingly BY women
who held a dirty horse blanasi over her
hreast. hut at ;bs sight os the police Ian
tern she sieppei bark and .et Us pass in.
The Hoor was covered With aaman beings
asieep 10 their rags, and wbcn called 6y
the officer iolook in ar a low closet he
you'd, we could hardly put tour fret 10 the
ground, lbey iay so closely together, black
end While. men and children. The dopr.
less apsrtlnens beyond, of the size Of Q
keasef, was occupied by woman and hel
daugsFer and tho daughters child, lyipa
iogeihsr on ihc i1oor. and covered byrag,
and eiots OF no dis,isguishable color. the
rubbish e bones and .dirf only dispiacet
by their ehaciated limbs. The sigh, va.
coo sickcuirA 10 crinrc, but thcra wns M