The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-04-27
mysteries ana Miseries of Great cite.

Mysteries and Miseries of Great Cities,
1t is marvel to many people how multitudes of
human beings exist in large cities. not to say live.
for in all great cities there are thousands who
list brute-like, and nothing more. The scenes of
wretehedness, vice and crime on large scale are
scarcely credible, even nthis country of industry
and plenty. During the winter the Philadelphia
Bulletin described come of the scenes Witnessed IN
that Quaker City. city that appears remarkably
clean, comfortable and sswell to do in the world
to the passer on its principal thoroughares ftrade
fashion, and private residences. And yet in Phil
adelphia thousands of human beings OF both sexes
throng the infected quarters prow about streets
and sunk in the lowest depths of brutality and
crime eviuce how much of misery and degradation
humanity is capable. The Bulletin states that the
infected quarter is not confined to few streets
and alleys, but occupies an area of many acres,
and comprises in its bounds many streets, scores
of alleys, and courts almost without number. The
wliter visited many Of the dens of misery in COM
pany with competent guide, and saw the inmates
in their haunts, in the enjoyment of their peculiar
pleasures and in the everyday routine of their
terrible lives. We quote:
names of the course and alleys through which we
passed, all of which are crowded with wretched
dens Of misery. Among these places are Gillis'
alley, Mary's alley, Nanny Goat alley, Ram Cat
! alley, Rams Horn alley, Shirkers alley Yeager's
court, McClusky's court, Stewards court, Dough-
ertys court, and Baker. Bedford, Small, Hurst
and st. Mary's streets. In these squallid lanes
and thoroughfares. there are immense numbers Of
low groggeries whichare certainly the foundation
of the misery among which they rankle. Some o
these taverns, although occupying tumble dowr
ricketty novels, have been dubbed by the same
names as the most fashionable hotels. We accor
dinghy 6nd the Astor House, the Girard, the Uni
ted States, the Columbia, &c., &c. There are
others which bear titles more consistent with the
patos of the quarter in which the establishments
are located. In the addition to the high soundin,
names just enumerated, we also find the Break o
Day House, The Moonlight House, The Mornin
Glory, The Rising Sun, The Haven of Rest, Th,
Weary Travellers Home, and great variety O
titles equally fanciful and quite inappropriate
To describe one of these dens is to describe then
all. We visited several, and explored them from
the cellar to the loft, and found them alike in a
essential particulars. As these novels are in realit
lodging houses, and ostensi5ly designed for the
and entertainment of human beings, our reader
will doubtless expect to read of accommodations il
the way of beds and other furniture but he wi
not of course expect to find such princey arrange
ments as distinguish some of our first class hotels
in the latter respect the surmse of the reader wi
be realized but if he expects to hear of furntur
OF some description, he will be doomed 10 disap
poIntment, for we declare without The slightest ex
ageration, or distortion of the naked TRUTH that i
scores OF lodging rooms which visited, ther
= was not single article of furniture, neither be
Il nor oeodlng-not crazy table, nor even ricket
stooi. The walls and floors were invariably bar
OF every thing but filth and few dirty rags. Th
glass was generally broken out of the SASH and tn
aperture filed to exclude the biting frost. No OIL
|, ticle but broken stove or cracked furnace we
in the rooms in whicn human beings are night