Litchfield enquirer., 1855-01-25
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE.
New YoRK, Jan. 90. 1855.

Washington is still fresh in our rememb-
rance. Six buildings Were burned Thurs
day night in the Bowery, and the night be-
! fore the flames laid hold of one of the old
landmarks of Brooklyn The heavy clang
of that new bell on the New Y ork City Hall
wakes up all the inhabitants of the three
cities with its first stroke. If one lives near
an engine house he is strongly tempted to
jump out of bed and rush after the " ma
chne,' as it is whirled away over the stones
by fifty vigorous arms. A fire in the night
time, especially when there is little fight
ing episode, is quite an exciting occasion.
Travelling home after the FIRE at one or
two o'clock. you have a chance to see who
else wrests the small hours from sleep, and
for what purpose. White-kidded fops are
helping languid ladies into carriages before
the steps OF some brilliantly lighted man.
sion where the music.a nd the dance still 90
on with flying feet. You may step into
house of quiet and respectable appearance,
by the back-door, if you choose. You will
find long room filled with jovial compan-
ions gathered around social tables, smoking
and l4nblbing to their hearts content These
are the quiet family men who love the
social glass, but don't want to be seen in a
! bar-room common drinking saloon. They
I chat costly about the war, hard times, and
| sporting matters, without getting violent Or
excited. Go down into the common 80 sa-
looms below the level OF the street, and You
will find different set. They are swallow
ing brandy smashes." and "gin cock
tails" and their reckless swagger and loud
speech proclaims them to be of the g Nose
and Sykesy" order, and proud of the name
at that. They have been running with the
machine, have stopped several times before
to take " something" and are now red hot
for a quarrel on the slightest occasion A
word of dispasagement to the favorite " ma
chine" would be provocation enough for a
melee. Then rushes in the Star and calm
ing down the furious combatants with few
blows of his short oak club he seizes the
one who bears the blacklist eye and blood
lest nose, and hauls off his prize TO the sta.
tion-house, followed by tue whole bc.S.iEg
crowd. This is a specimen Of the lowest
class of the midnight resorts. If you want
to find where the promising young men of
| New York, the heirs at law of our merchant
princes, keep themselves, at this time Of
night, we will introduce you to sSt Clalr's''
or some other of the magnificently furnished
drinking establishments that line Bread
way. Or step into Fields billiard
saloon, where you will see in what pursuits
the students of our city colleges and medl-
cal schools waste their midnight OIL Or,
again, turn off Broadway, stop at house
where inmates appear to have " shut up and
gone to bed - give double knock and you
are admitted cautiously. If your appear
ance is not suspicious, you will be admitted
further into brilliantly lighted apartment
where the revolving fortune of the faro Ia
bic fascinates crowd Of foplings and DASH
! ing roues. These establishments are liable
to visits from the police, and are therefore
Obliged to be careful in the admission Of
company But we must not attempt to in
itiate your virtuous readers any further in
to the midnight amusements of our citizens.
The rest were better imagined than desert
bed. SO we will walk home in peace if the
gas happens to be lighted. If the Almanac
has promised moon, there will be no gas,
for one nights burning is considerable
item in the city expenses. There are ten
thousand street lamps which burn thirty
thousand feet per hour, or four hundred and
twenty thousand feet per night. This would
make the cost of one nights lighting at three
and a third mills per foot, Sl,l00.
The great ball for the relief Of the poor
came off on Thursday night. The Acade-
my of Music was crammed with delicate
gauzes and magnificent silks enclosing the
fair forms of New ork bellies. So great was
the crowd that dancing was very difficult
operation, and was performed in a very Sc
date and gingerly manner. AS to the pro-
fits, they are estimated differently, from
81, 900 to $4,000. The Socialist Germans
| had threatened to mob the Academy, but
did not dare to put the threat into execution.
; There will be plenty of money now for the
relief of the poor, if it be only bestowed in
the right way. Instead of being given out
in bread and clothing it should be used in
sending away these pauper foreigners from
a city where labor is drug, to districts
where it will find an abundant market. OF
| giving there will be no end, aud it will only
operate to induce iinprovidence and depen-
deuce on the rich. There does not, after all
60 h. IL