The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-04-27

rass but there was not shred OF clothing upon It.
The damp gathered in drops, and trickling down
formed puddles on the floor. Close to the wall, on
the bare damp floor, sick man lay wrapped up III
piece of old rag carpet. "Crazy Nancy takes
in lodgers besides reading the planets. She also
errets out thieves for the police and traces stolen
property. Besides all this Marcy drives brisk
trade in charms aud makes good many sixpen-
ces BY making lucky bags" for the supers ti,ious
and credulous negroes 10 wear around their necks.
Nancy fills the bags with herbs, and after pow
wowing them, she is firm in her faith of their eff
cacy.
1t has been estimatd that there are from four TO
five thousand of these miserable wretches who
haunt the localities we are describing, and who
live mostly by begging and stealing. Babies are
hired for begging purposes. and sicily infants are
at premium. The mother is always entitled to
one-half of the proceeds of such expeditions
"Ragging and boneing" is another popular VOCATION
The capital invested i this business varies from
diapidated butter kettle to push cart; and the
field of operations is extended from circuit of half
dozen squares to as many miles. Some gather
merely enough TO buy meal. glass OF wliskey'
and nights lodg ng; others enterprzing, will
hire push cart, and extend their researches far
into the country; after abs sence of eight or ten
days the collector leturns to his old haunts, and
dsposes of his stock in trade for five ten dollars
Then comes time of high revelry; the dance
houses visited, and the old black ider b; b nG
the stove reaps ripe harvest of sixpences. The
policy venders are not forgotten, and good portion
of the hard earned money is invested IN efforts to
viii he ia f,rtu Ruf fha InY-
ury of all in which the flush 'Ragger and Boner'
INDUCES, is litigation: the law must be brought
bear somebody; actions and cross actions for de-
famation and assault and battery-the suits often
encouraged by INSCRIPTIONS magistrates, are freely
entered into, until, between the rumsellers and
the aldermen, and the dance houses. the poor
shorn dupe starts forth another collecting tour
without cent of capital in his pocket.
Policy dealers relieve the poor wretches of a
large portion of their funds; these vlainous swim
ding devices can be purchased prices from three
cents upwards. Dreams are construed to prophe-
cy certain lucky numbers, and this delusion is en-
couraged by interested parties.
There eating shops in this district where q
meal may be bought for a cent. The contents OF
the baskets Of the beggars for cold vieiuals, VIII,
haunt the back gates OF dwellings, are sold at these
eating establishments, or traded for rum. The vi.
lest garbage is gathered in the markets, and stews
and fries are got up at remarkably low prices.
The junk shops form an important feature of the
subject we describing. These are The great
receptacles for stolen goods. and they are generally
the first places searched by police officers who are
10 quest of missing silver spoons or mantle orna
ments.
We have given our readers idea of the
great plague spot of our city-a district of narrow
Streets courts and alleys, crowded with the victims
poverty and vice. The problem of how all th.
misery is to be remedied is worthy Reconsideration
Poverty and infamy blended together, exist in al
great cities, and have been considered by many al
} the unavoidable results ofthe present organization
of society. These wretches are a curse to tn.
, community and TO themselves. The Aims -Hous,
is overfowing, and the county prison is crowded
r The gifts of the charitable are traded away fo
rum, and made a curse rather than a blessing
punishment fails of its object, and persuasion an,
remonstrance useless. We can conceive
3 but efectual plan to check the evil and lha
is the total abolition ofthe groggeries Rum is a
the of the troubles; strike there and the bat
is half won.