Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-12-09
lconRrsroxDrScr or THE rRrr PRESS.
Broadway.

lCOHRESPONDENCE OF THE fREE PRESS
Broadway.
New YORK, Nov. 49, 1853.
What would New York be without Broadway
What would New Workers do, if Broadway were
uddcnly blotted cut They would be think very
much in the condition Of man who had lost his
backbone unawares. Every thing is referred to
Broadway. 1t is the great landmark. Every body
goes there. If any one wants to promenade merely,
lie goes to Broadway Of course, and if he goes on
business, be goes out Of his direct way to
lass through the great thorough fare, and every
,arman who carries load ~ far up town as Canal
Street, turns into Broadway to make one more
lmong the crowded and impatient throng which fill
it to overlooking all day long.
1t is wild place, broadway is. Take 1t any
time, and the rush there is such to give it that
The crowd of people the sidewalks
is 50 immense and the press of vehicles 50 over
powering that it acts like a strong excitement to
pass through it, and if one ha: to cross it, the per-
S )nal danger which comes in as an element, raises
the excitement at once, in fact makes it rather too
exciting to bc pleasant The man who crosses it
and finds himself safe ON the other side, has cause
for special Thanksgiving But wild enough though
=
solutcy fierce, and when can compare walk in it
to nothing but stormy night ride the Express
train Of the Hudson River Railroad, which is little
the widest ride in my experience. Take it at the
close of day, just alt,r dark, when North Easter
is blowing, bowling round the of the streets
and dashng the rain against you if the wind had
lived long among the hardening influences Of the
City, and grown more and more bitter and piilcss, if
you would feel its full influence. The crowd of bust
ness going up town is just in the thickcst All
the stages full, and dash along the smooth pave
ment in harmony with the storm. The carriages
drive furiousy as if they carried news Of life and
death. The pedestrians hurry on under their UNI
brcllas utterly reckless Of each other and meeting
the stoim with as hard and determined face as its
own, and you look down the streets, either
hand, the long lines of street lamps only make the
blackncss more visible, while their Vulnerable
glare reflected upon the clouds the scmblancc
of furious contlagmtions all over the City, and
brings up the image of hOusclcss families turned out
into the stormy night. And then if there is actual
y fire, and the heavy boom of the City Hall bell
swings the City, and with hoarsc cries and rat
Ting wheels and coorcd lights the fire engines rush
through Broadway, clearing the track before them
as if they were SO many locomotives, then indeed
Broadway is a wild, wild place.
1t is a sad place too. Que cannot walk through
its whole length without having his heart wrung
more than once, unless his hcart-Strings are very
tough, or his eyes not very sharp. Among such myr-
lads of human beings as throns its pavements,
there must Of be many unfortunate
beings But this very throng nllurcs them there in
Z 4 al al.
and nirm all press thithcr aud appeal to sympathy
for assistance. Those WHO simply beg are numerous
but not so numerous those who have some little
thing to sell, yet of whom buys only because
their appearance shows that it is a charity The
children, the little boys and girls who sell nows-
papers apples or sweep the crossings, are enough
to sad1cn any one. They look 80 little like chill
dren. They are so far removed from the idea Of
children which steals over u, when we read that
OF such is the kingdom of Ilcaven,' Truly a
kingdom Of them, they are, would have little that
is heavenly in it, And when We wandering
along among the crowds, those who plainly
fore hadowcd by such a childhood, those pooI
wrctches who wear woman's form, but have little
else about them that is wumanly, who while yet in
the body lead life Of torment like that Of another
world,and when VIC think Oi what they are and what
they were, and what they must be, broadway then
shares in the feelings with which We view them, and
it is sad, sad place. Fallen humanity is such q
sad sight and there i. so much of it in Broadway.
Bu. these are not its only aspects, 1t can be
bright and gay and cheerful if there were no sucL
thing storm and sin and wrctchcdncss. Wah
through it on bright pleasant afternoon, and you
see little but smiles and happiness, and YOU can Z,
home thinking that Broadway is pleasant place
after all. All is full Of life the buildings s.
noble, the shop windows varicgatod and nj.
Turing, and the people all seem to enjoy thcmsclyc
so much, and the brain swims almost with the pre-
fusion Of gay colors, and happy faces and bright
eyes. IT'S this gay surface which is most frequently
called to the mind when We speak Of Broadway
but the Other side is often there, though the unthuk
ing discover it not with all It's tcrrors.
Iours ALPHA.