The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-03

From ~ Nsp Yak Jssgnal Of epeures.
The Rag-Pickexs and Bons-eathSrers OF
Few York.
The deeper one de6cends In tho gradations Of So
cal position in this city, the more apparent does
! become that Hsns-hsf e the worldd 0ht know
[erers-answering to tie "chifonienss Of Rsris-
are almost erelusiusly Germans, and sro nsoSfly
|congregated on the eastern side IL the city, and
from their ciennsh disposition. pecuiarity Of Lam
goage and habits, form communities or escolonies'
g distinct as though no Others surrounds1 them.
Withdrawn from intercourse with their fellow
men, they only emerge With their books and po-
i xers 70 add to their filthy accommodations. Under
the escort OF Captain Sqnres, Of the eleventh DO
nee district we were favored with glimpse OF
real life" among these degraded creatures
Tor dwellings, they generally select such as are
ss..;;s Ior the accommodation Of numerous
amihes under single roof. These are ont 90 yery
sngnty, at q comparatively small expense, and the
revenues accruing to the owners froa, rents form
strueoI per eeTtsgs on the capital invested One
Senator, is calculated to yield monthly incoms IF
$ioo, equal to $2,0l6 per annum It is separated
IN the rear by court from another building Of the
of revenue. Each floor forms twelve ana rs,ara
niled BY az many families, each of which n. vs
So so, 81. 81 so. or 8 per month, ACCORDING to
location. Inere 10 no pecuniary motive for nut.
ting up buildings of any other description in this
locality. Though they are often filthy in the ex.
treme, new buildings of better quality would he
hlled by the Same occupants, with the same habits
There are many other houses of much the came
character, similarly occupied. On Sheriff street
is large rear building containing about ftv M,
lies. The habitations of the rag pickers NAV
orally be recognised BY the long rows rags SWING
ing from lines to dry; and looking something like
the brown wetted leaves in tobacco shed
About daylight the colonies are in motion and
the able-bodied, equipped with baskets and No.
kers. sally forth, each emulous to anticipate the
rest in reaching the field of gain. Sometimes the
city is paritioned off into districts and il is "a
much trespass to overstep the boundaries as.
signed as for ireengine to run out of its oisrict
few, more favored than the rest, have carts with
winch 70 collect the refuse and oal of kitchens and
butcher shops; and the wife and good dor. we'll
harnessed, exert themselves in concert in 1roino
it forward. At the close of the day. when the cir
cult has been completed, the baskets baos and
carts are emptied, and pile formed of their con.
tents The latter are then carefully sorted and oen
orally afford, aside from the rags and bones. both
food and fuel. The rags sold to shops adiacent
Tor two centsa pound for cotton and linen and some
snlng less ior woolen, suitable The bones
are sold for thirty cents a bushel, after having
been well scraped and boiled, to secure the nrtr;
tious portions for food. The bones from the pnt-
ter after being washed, suffice to provide for ne
cessles OF the family proper including the canine
dependencies. The food and fuel thus scored are
the emoiuments received over and above the In
come from bones and rags, and are incidental 10
the main purpose The processes rendered neces-
al
conducted in the apartment used as kitchen bed
room, sitting, and store room-imparts a peculiar
odor to the atmosphere, discernible at some dis
lance lance u can easily be imagined that the un-
cieanly mode of living thus described, with nm
suitable food, and contracted and i'll ventilated
apartments, are not promotive of health. The
cholera, accordingly, in past years, made fearful
havoc among these people.
Notwithstanding the extreme degradation of The
German rag pickers, they appear happy, and ex
nlblt no signs of discomfort. With many the
estern States is the promised land, and every
effort is made to accumulate sufficient funds to
enable them to emigrate. colony of three hun
dred persons is mentioned which occupi ed a single
basement last year, living promiscuously together
win common bone heap, to which all contribut-
ed, and from which was derived portion of their
sustenance Though seeming to be in utter desti.
tuition, they all started for the West last spring 10
settle on farms.
Snow storms are among the worst calamitiee
that can befa the rag picker as his means ofliue
hbood are placed beyond his reach In such emer-
gencles, the girls turn out naasse to sween he
street asking each passenger f5r ga
often thus realized per head. A mild winter like
the present is blessing they can easily appre-
The youth, both males and females, are marked
by an unnatural precocity, resulting partly from
the early age at which they are compelled to assist
IN gaming livelihood, and partly from their ad-
dlctedness to vice. Though young in years, MANY
d them are adopts in vice. Destitution gives
earn to yield to it.
It is gratifying to know that some benevolent and
phiianthropic individuals are interesting them
selves in behalf of this wretched and long neglected
population. mission, established by the Mercer
street Presbyterian Church, has been for some time
N operation in Avenue d, and other plans are on
loot having in view the intellectual and moral hem
eht OF these people, and others like them. Amonp
other things, Sabbath school for BOYS has been
established (which from 100 to 200 boys have been
IN attendance. Judge Mason superintends it per-
'onaily, and there is much in the enterprise Of an
nature.
Captain Squires is one of the few police officers
who have interested themselves in movements az
his kind, though their peculiar duties eminentlv
luanfy them, In many respects, to co operate in
MISSIONARY efforts. 1t is now contemplated to es
ablish kind of workhouse, in which boys NAV be
Kept from idleness, and healthful instruction and
discipline administered.
The lMMiGRATIoN FOR JANUARY at the nort of
New York, the journal Of Commerce says, was I'M
usually smal-smaller than for any previous
month since February, 1850. The comparison
with former years is as follows:
,oe1 '...' '..-.. .......... 1S154
.t ioea 49,. .. l4,709