Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1852-04-24

sup STAIRS" was his reply; and up stairs
we went accordingly. The stairs were
broad, and the passages on each floor long
and narrow, with doors every ten feet. All
around us was the hum of human voices
but the aspect of the place was indescriba
bly, forlorn, not to say, revolving. We
wandered about, from story 10 story, with
out meeting with any indication of monk
ey's presence, and it was not till we reach
ed the top of the house, that we ascertain
ed by marked change in the flavor of the
atmosphere, that we were on the right
scent. Knocking at one of the doors, a
woman, not Unlocking, with rather pret-
ty and not very dirty infant in her arms,
presented herself. Sure of our game, we
merely asked "Where are the monkeys?
She seemed surprised at this question but
pointed to door at the other extremity of
the passage, 10 which we at once repaired.
We knocked, and the door was opened by
an Italian youth. That was enough-the
mere opening Of the door. The game was
our own. The youth could not understand
US, nor we him; and we took the liberty
to enter. will describe the apartment in
which we now found ourselves. You will
know its size when tell you, that it con-
taiued three double bedsteadS, and that they
exactly filled it, except very narrow pas
sage between each. Other articles of fur
nlture there were and could be none. The
ceiling could be easily reached by the hand.
The walls were of yelIowish black, ard
oh how reeking filthy. The beds were
"unmade," and covered with a mass of ex-
ecrable bed-clothes. l judged from their
| appearance that three persons slept in
each making nine occupants for room
about as large as humane man appropri-
ates TO the use of dog. One small win
dow-closed although the day was warm
plastered with dirt, admitted sickly light
into the apartment An odor of condensed
menagarie pervaded the room, which was
almost too much for US. On shelf, over
one of the beds there was an organ, cover
ed with green baze; but excepting the un-
human smell, there was no sign Of the pre-
Sence of monkeys.
BY the time we had completed our sur
vey, young man, with sunny Italian
countenance, entered, followed by wom-
an, who, with ourselves, quite filled UP the
room. This sunny Italian, we proceeded
without delay to pump with vigor. "Do
you live here ?" / asked. eyes, this is my
ROOM" ''Is that your organ" eyes, that
is mine" "Have you monkey also 9"-
81 have a monkey, but l cannot sell him
under thirty.fve dollars; he is worth thlr-
ty-fve." "Where are the monkeys kept %
"There they are" he replied, pointing to
half dozen boxes, about foot high and
eight inches broad, with hole in the top,
about the size of dollar, which stood in
the Fireplace. These boxes had escaped
our attention in the darkness of the room.
To convince US that they really contained
something alive, he kicked few of the
boxes, and a subdued pitiful squeal issuing
from them, confirmed his assertion. "Here
are some more," he said, opening little
door, which formed half of the fire place
into closet. Two monkeys Immediately
jumped out, but were ordered back by the
man, and they obeyed the order at once.
care they any more monkeys in the house
now % my friend asked. "Oh yes, plenty
some in that room, some in that, and some
: down stairs" How many altogether-a
hundred 2" "No, not a hundred; perhaps
fifty; there will be more next week, for
the men are coming back from the South.'
"What do you give the monkeys to eat %
"Oh, they eat most anything" Sand they
are worth thirty five dollars apiece ?"-
"Mine is worth that, he is very good and
strong; he can climb up to the top of a
house by the water pipe; he can open the
door, and do everything" "Where DO the
monkeys come from?" "Well, dom
f know where they come from at first, bu
some one told me they get them at Boston
or somewhere around there" SHOW much
do you earn in day 2" AT this question
r his face frightened, and he answered will
great animation. yesterday, got dol
lar by four O'Clock in the aiternoon."-
S "Do you get dollar every day 2" "No
= not every days sometimes a half, some
$ times three-quarterS, a dollar sometimes
g sometimes it is very cold, and then ] don
\ get much. "ls the organ your own ?"-
: "YeS." SIS there not some one who hire
| out organs and monkeys by the day 2" &c
q believe not all of US here have our own.
"How many persons sleep in this room
: 'SometmeS five or six, sometimes more.
: "How much do you pay for your share ?
h "Three dollars and half" ga week
f "No, month";" "How long have yo
d been in America!" "About year." sd
: you like the country 2" "Oh yes, frs
r rate, it is very fine country" "WheI
n did you come from?" 81 came from Italy
but speak French too"
d BY this fine we had borne the atmo
'e phere OF the place as we could, and | opeI
ID ed the door. My companion offered II
n man piece of money, which he refuse
v nor could We prevail upon him to accept
ID He appeared to consider US in the light
in guests, and seemed very desirous to ente
n tain us Hospitality. As we were going
r, said, "There is monkey in the next roo
g, worth hundred dollars, a very fine fellow
E. would you like to see him~ Witho
IS waiting for an answer he opened the do
be to which he referred, and in moment v
n found ourselves spectators of another stran
he scene.
re The apartment which we now enter
" was lust double the size of the noisome a.