Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-04-28
Correspondence Of he National Intellgencer.
MISERY IN CITIES,
THE FIVE POINTS.
NEw YoRK, March Is. 1913

AS presume you are interested in the
one portion Of New York made classic by
foreign pen, let me jot you down a mem
or two from my first visit to Dickens Hole !
at the Eve Points, made one evening last
week wit distinguished party under charge
of the Boz officer.
had an idea that this celebrated spot
was on the eastern limit Of this city, al the |
end Of one Of the omnibus routes, and was
surprised to find that il was not more than
three minutes walk from Broadway, and
in full view from one Of the fashionable |
quarters. II lies, indeed, in lap between
Broadway and the Bowery, in what was
once secluded valley Of the island of Man
haitian, though to believe il ever TO have
been green or clean. requires powerful ef-
fort Of Imagination. We turned into An
thony street at half past ten, passed "ihe
Tombs," and then took the downward road,
as did Orpheus and Dickens before u.s.
IL was cold night, but women stood at
every door with bear heads and shoulders.
most of them with something to say, and,
by their attitudes, showing a complete in
sensibility TO cold. In every thing they
said, they contriyed to bring in the word
shilling" There were few men to be
seen, aud those whom we met skulked pas,
as if avoiding observation--possibly ashamed
to be there, possibly shrinking from any
further acquaintance with officer Stevens,
though neither of these feelings seemed TO
be shared by the females Of the community.
A little turn TO the left brought Us up against
what looked to be a blind, tumble-down
board fence; but the officer pulled latch
and opened door, and flight Of steps was
disclosed. He went down first and threw
open a door at the bottom, letting up blaze
of light, and we followed into the grand
subterranean Amack's OF the Five Points
And ii really looked very clean and cheer
| full IL was spacious room with low
ceiling, excessively whilewashed, nicely
sanded, and well lit, and the black proprie-
tor and his ''mins,ering spirits LITERALLY
| fulfilling their vocation behind tidy bar
we're well dressed and well-mannered peo-
with the politeness Of grand chamberlains.
We were little early for the fashionable
hour, the "ladies not having arrived from the
Theatres !" and, proposing TO look in again
after making the round Of the other resorts,
we crept up again to the street
! Our next drive was iIto cellar crowded
with negroes, cato, drinking, and dancing,
one very well-made mulatto girl playing the
castanets, and initiating Ellsler in what she
called the crao0per again. In their way
these people seemed cheerful, dirty and
comfortable. We looked in afterwards at
several drinking places, thronged with
creatures who looked over their shoulders
very significantly at the officer found one
or two bar-rooms kept by women who had
preserved the one virtue of neainess, Though
in every clean place the hostess seemed a
terrible virago,) and j, was then proposed
that we should see some Of the dormtories
Of the Alsatia. And at this point must end
all the cheerfulness Of my description
This is called "murdering alley" said our
guide. We entered between two high
brick walls, with barely room TO pass, and
by the police lantern made our way up a
broken and filthy staircase TO the frs,
floor of large building Under its rool
the officer thought there usually slept thou.
sand of these wretched outcasts. He
Knocked at the door on the left. Ii was
opened unwillingly by woman who held
dirty horse-blanket over her breast, but al
the sight OF polce-lantern she stepped
back aud let us pass in. The floor was
covered with human beings asleep in theiI
rags, aud when called by the officer to look
in at a low closet beyond, we could hardl,
put our feet to the ground, they lay so close
; together, black and white, men, women and
children. The doorless apartment beyond
! Of the size Of kennel, was occupied by
woman and her daughter, and the daughter:
child, lying together on the floor, and GOV
cred by rags and clothes of no distinguish
able color, the rubbish and bones aud dir
only displayed by their emaciated limbs
The sight was too sickening TO endure, bu
there was no egress without following Close
TO the lantern. Another door was opened
to the right. 1t disclosed low and gloom,
apartment, perhaps eight feet square. 81,
or seven black women lay in heap, al
sleeping except the one who opened tn,
door. Something stirred in a heap of rags
and one Of the party removing dirty piec,
of carpet with his cane, discovered new
born child. 1t belonged to one of the sleep
ers in the rags, and had had an hours ex
perience of the tender mercies OF this world
nut 'hese uetdiis are disgusting, anu nave
gone far enough when they have shown
! those who have the common comforts Of lii'
how inestimably, by comparison they arr
blessed For one, had never, before, an,
f adequate idea Of poverty in cities. die
not dream that human beings, within th'
reach Of human aid could be abandoned Il
the Indebtedness which there saw--and
have not described the half of it, for the del
{ icacy Of your readers would not hear il
: even in description. And all these horror
Of want and abandonment lie almost within