New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-02

/ thu ibLsLauls, ~ W. have Laeg assured ~ an rJe
hllita hat 10 cellars. which afe r"innrn ~ All ani
Intended lDf storage ~ VOID rDhl, 80 ~" sometimes
Two nel deep 10 human osapsai Ani tl''s nni9f
hapfes containing 10 all nighiy foo'ns aud s0mstnrs
occupied vi hn iiinr w. as many 40 onf hundred
Itfsons During hn ast lrafini visitation ~ chDlrn
20 New,iofk that dread dlf.are committed Tho most
lfnfu IhfiCrr ia Ills structure bat those beat ac'
duainicd with tho dwellings nsd habits Of living Of the
poof onj wonder that pcsiilcaco a not over present
about u cir hab niDns. Tie rooms IN lolsOm'> Bar
facls age routed nj from - ~ 10 - per month ae-
cofainp 10 locality but Averaging them at 80, they
would produce, Ike thciI noigEbor, nearly S!DJj n
year.
II should be borne IN mind too that the laallonls Of
there two places, well OF all those We shall de-
scribe, suffer deduction from their income IN the
shape Of bad debts, prepay ment Vigorously though
we must admit neccssafily, enforced
The proprietor of Que o these human saughterhOases
occupied the eminent position OF representative OF
the United States European Court and doubtless Ia
Il lat cbpastv frequently had occasion 20 expatate IN
glowing coor the advantages held out by our coun-
try 10 al the needy and oppressed sons OF toll
few streets distant Is another settlement CONSIST
nc, unlike the two aforementioned, exclusively oil
Dutch" inhabitants. II is situated in the rear OF
Wiilet-st. and consists of eight wooden cottages,
containing three apartments only, with a small
closet attached to each. Tie rent OF room varies
from "a to Sc per month. Two years rental would
about cover the cost OF their erection.
But the most Ges0late and MISUNDERSTANDING
places al this part of the town Boyles Buildings,
in the rear If No 81 Sherlst These, too are oceu-
pied b. German families only one OF which can speak
English They consist in that respect alone like the
aforementioned (Which were as clean and comiorta
bic in their interiors Ss such places could possibly be
made and neatly furnished with chairs, tables and bed)
Of eight cottages each with a basement and two sto
res and all let at from 80 90 TO 80 room, producing
an income which in about year would doubly pay the
value of the entire block if pulled down and sold a.
old materials To look at them it would appear as
the laws OF grayitation had been suspended III their
favor and that they were supported by some super
natural agency.
Without fatguing our readers with the particulars
of each inspection personally made, II 10 sufficient
TO saw in general terms, that those just Indicated may
be taken as samples OF the dwellings OF the rdgpck-
ers in that part Of the town, where they are more
numerous (and we may add, in more prosperous cir
urneancee) than in any other quarter, and correct
immersion may lie formed Of the niqutous imposition
they labor under in regard to rent as compared 20 the
cost OF outlay and maintenance on the part vi tue land
Lord some producing an annual rent equal u their
value exclusive of the ground ON which they are bd
aud all paying interest on capital expend-
ed To tie landlords VINO I1act such hign rents may
be fairly attributed many oi he wees winch disgrace
not the poor only, but in tor persons human nature
generally az this eXt0rt0n Dc ying them oil the power
al liypa in decent rooms, cOpels them TO hudde To-
aether by the dozen in one common apartment, breed
inc disease and filth, and provoking the frequent com
mission of such deadly crimes as incest aud adultery,
and developing the sensual propensues al an hereui-
ID
account too for the revolving nature OF their food,
hundreds OF ragpckers never expendlng anything Tor
articles Of daily consumption IRON one years end 10
another unless il be occasional loai or little hour
AS their food as well much OF their clothing anu
fuel is gathered out of the ashbarrels. All the re-
ected putrd meat the Jumps OF TAT, the rottng irut
and vegetables and the potato Parngs, are care
fully hHsbandod TOR the family meal, 20 thas, with the
exception OF rent 10 call Is made on 1heir earnings,
and only one solace do they habituay allow themselves
the national pipe to which lager beer Is added on
festive occasions and then rarely mboed ia mOdeFa-
ton Hence il is that III spite Oh Mucn seeming P'a-
tion, many German ragplcAers, propa1iy aaou oy oc
casiopsl showers Of unexpected good fortune put
mainly by their habits of industry, penury AMI thrift
contriye 10 amass sufficient TO purchase themselves
Mot of land in the country, TO which tbey hnaly
move leaving their miserable occupation TO pursue
more natural and honorable one.
Tho earnings of these gatherers vary very mucn ac-
corcng TO some having The favor OF GER
tain storekeeIers, others bouncing upon wealth
producing depss others again being assisted by the
small members OF their family. An experienced col
ector aided by his children, will earn some days from
seventy or eighty cents TO dollar or even dollar and
half while On other occasions he VIII not make more
than hfsy cents aud many return nome win articles
saleable for not than twenty-five cents ana "ha
ever NAV be their success they have 10 walk many
miles spending ten twelve hours upon the streets
exposed TO all kinds of weather, as no lncemency per-
mits them to remain at home The prices Pald them Tor
the staple articles OF their trade, purchased exclusively
Ly the middleman, are-BOnes, 80 cents per busheI;
RAGS whether linen or wooden, 81 per hundred weight;
narer. 81 per hundred weight; aud these sell them
aoain 10 the downtown consumer the rags from - oO
10 So so the paper at 81 % TO 81 %, with proper
torate advance on bones aud all the articles IN the
iupkr business The work OF the rag-plcAers Is not
confined 10 the mere collecting as alter thatIs accom-
heJ fresh abOrs commence In the nrst place. the
articles have 10 be thoroughly sorted from each o1her
then the paper is collected into clean ana dfty whe
and eolored the rags into wO0en linen, or other lab
rio which have again to be assorted, Ike the paper
into drty or Otherwise the former to be washed ana
some such corresponding toll with the entire contents OF
their davis carnerhg SO that the middeman, capt
tast among the ragPchers gers 'ne ialses' p'on.s
Win H. least trouble while those OF whom he pur-
ebases deal with him for three reasons-nrs because
tbev reouire money and the merchant VIII only Duy III
certain couparatyey large quanlitles seeonai! oe-
cause but few OF those whose means would ehaoe tneh
To accumulate stock sufficiently large 10 meet the
merchants regulations, Ano" "heie 70 ni q uI. Ae''
even n they could afford pay sufficient rent for prem
ises Tor slowing purposes; and thirdly because they
do nor know and cannot any other buyer Aan the
uiddlemsn whose profits are almost entirely made OUT
Of the industry Of those from whom be buys
Yet the dwelling places above dePc1ed' "Ie'cheu a
they NAV SEEM and productive as Iney are III Tue PVP
ention oi vice are palaces compared to some other
deceive cannot write homes"-cccupied By the
nearest and most abject Of the ragPckers 10 estao-
b This truth il viii be necessary 10 take VISIT 70
the Five Points before the horrible realities Oh WHICH,
we nav say for the Information OF our foreign readers
Al, the Vice and misery OF the Seven Dsls aud Saffron
Hi as depicted BY English writer's iade into common
olaee Proceeding up a naITO" court IA one Vi us
most dsreputable localities we al length came 10
l,ar building composed Of basement aud hrst and
econd noor the latter entered by mounting some
iilspidated wooden stairs before THIS pace anu
cen that and the front building is small yard in
,bich two women are engaged IN puglllsts encoun-
- ,L subieet beng the alleged axity OF morals OF one