Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-05-27
Things in New York.
Correspondence Of the Nashville Patriot.


and stella shawl, and her light silk dress, New
York may be said to have fully entered upon
the spring season, and glorious season it is.
The weather is just warming up to the sum-
mer mark; the air is pure and invigorating,
and all that lives feel the throb Of renewed
youth. But vegetation is remarkably slow;
scarcely half the trees are in leaf; the peach
and apple blossoms are just out, while for
flowers, we have little or nothing to speak of.
Nevertheless, the late spring will have praise
in the fullness of autumn, for no untimely
frost has nipped the tender plant or blighted
the hope of the farmer.
Although we may say the snow is but just
off the ground, we already begin to Ego out of
town." and the groves of Staten Island, the
shady walks of Hoboken, and even the sandy
reaches of the seashore, begin to swarm, es-
pecaly on Sundays, with the restless hordes
of weary citizens who seek momentary relax
alton from the drudgery of the Office and
the workshop. During the winter, ample ar
engagements have been made to entertain these
temporary visitors, and numerous gardens, re-
treats, groves and parks, never before dreamed
Of, have sprung into existence.
1t is worthy of remark that the character
both of the visitors and the hosts at these
suburban hostleries has, within few years,
undergone material and radical change. Ten
years ago the oldfashioned country tavern,
with its plain grub and rye whisky, was about
good enough for summer visitors; but now,
fine architecture, delightful parks, music and
the dance, cookery equal to the Astor, and the
finest wines, are indispensable. These i'm
provements have been made at the demand of
the patrons of such retreats. On Sundays es
pecaly, there is a miraculous out-pouring of
our foreign born citizens; almost every body
who goes pleasure-hunting on that day is of
European birth or parentage. Brought up to
consider Sunday day of recreation, they
mean no harm and see no sin in swarming into
the country to climb trees, roll on the grass,
sing with the joyful birds, and drink lager
beer. They are generally peaceable, though
noisy; seldom get drunk, and return refreshed
rather than debauched by their peculiar mode
of spending the Sabbath.
In the matter of drinking, it is worthy of
especial remark, that the introduction of the
great Teutonic beverage of lager beer has done,
strange as it may appear, surprising work
for temperance. Lager beer is all the rage;
in town and ont of town, in the low drinking
den and the srstocratic palace hotel, in bar
rooms, eating houses, summer resorts, every
where, is the great inquired for, the always
drunk, the ever popular drink for the masses;
and not only for the masses, but for the select
for the aristocracy. Its exceeding mildness
almost precudes the possibility of getting
drunk upon it, whilst its smartness and bitter
flavor make it especially grateful to the pal,te
in warm weather. The consequence is, there
is a perfect mania for lager, and hundreds OF
hard drinkers who were going at galloping
pace toward destruction through their brandy
rotations, are growing healthy and sober under
the milder tonic of lager. II good for nothing
else, n would be invaluable to the persons
who stand in danger from more ardent spirits,
for giving them the means of "tapering off
safely and agreesbly. Five years ago lager
beer was thing almost unknown. Now it
is sold in FIVE Thousand places in this city.
We are Just now city Of ruins. The advent
Of May is always celebrated in New York by
the Carpenters Carnival, when that interesting
fraternity, in company with their brethren, the
Masons, commence a furious onslaught upon
the old, or old fashioned edifices, which have
served the pride and convenience ofour ances-
tors, but have bscome too snail or too anti
quated in style to please their go-ahead chill
dren. Broadway, of course, must be the FIRST
place of attack, and they are at it brsvely.-
Gothic Hall, fine old Masonic temple, as firm
as the hills, and good for a century's wear, is
coming down TO make room for tDe marble
dry goods temple, and the solemn mysteries Of
apprentice fellow-craft, and royal arch masons
will give place to, "Chesp, Ma'am, very cheap;
only piece Of the kind, assure you. Mrs. B.
has dress from it, aud paid seven dollars q
yard" The pulling down Of the old Hall caus-
Is many sigh of regret among our now grey
headed citizens, who first introduced the mys-
teries goat and gridiron under i,s roof John
Jacob Astor's old house is going. also, to make
room for ''Buekley's Serenaders," and instead
Of the chime OF dollars there will come up the
music Of the banjo and the bones. Indeed,
Broadway and many other streets could hard
" look more ike destruction had they been
swept by the bosom Of Ere.
And speaking Of fres, & test Of steam FIRE
engines in the Park the other day, demonsiFa-
ted tLe fact that such engines are capable Of
getting up steam aud being put in working
order in from tan to twenty minutes after
lighting the furnace fires. Twcprizes Of $500
and $500 had been offered BY the Common
Council for the best and second beat steam Are
engines. The test took place 10 the Park be.
tore an immense crowd Of people. Two Of
the machines were throwing good streams Of
water within eleven minutes after lighting the
FIRE under the boilers, and others some eight
or ten minutes later. ons machine. built By
Larned add some body else, whose name
don't remrtabsr, driven By small oseIllating
engine, to which was attacked one Of Cny's
rotary pumps. using 80 feet hose, hires an
inch and quarter stream ia feet Horizontally
for &C hour. Another machine, built BY q