Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-22
MATTERS AND THINGS IN NEW YORK.
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE STAR
Nru YAM ALL On 1orn

AVE-" AokhJ april ~, 1000.
Just now the hotels are crowded with
country merchants who are here to make
Spring purchases. Their pockets are well
filled, and trade is brisk. The river ia epen.
and goods in immense quantities are being
shipped for the North and West The early
hours and sober habits of our worthy friends
from the rural districts are scarcely compati-
bic with city life. Many of them, it is true,
60 OF an evening to the theatre to laugh, and
when they do laugh they mean it-no mig
gardly chuckle, as if they were afraid some.
body else would enjoy it, but an outright rib
shaking roar, that not unfrequentIy stops the
performance for a considerable time. VERY
few 90 to the Opera the music and the Ian
guage are pretty much greek to them.
1t was common, few years ago, for gentle-
men from the country to be extensively heeced
by the thousands of gamblers and harpies
who infest this city; but, recently, such cases
have become rare, which is convincing proof
that the people of the rural districts not only
take the papers," but read them. The
gambling fraternity are especially dismal this
spring Our worthy city Judge has broken
up several of the largest establishments, and
is still after them with an exceedingly sharp
stick No man knows when descent may be
made, and the fear Of being caught operates
even stronger than the certainty Of losing
money to keep victims out of the snare
We are approaching the great moving ami.
versary of the first Of May, an institu ton De.
culiar to the city Of New York On that day
and the two or three days before, and after
1T, at least ten thousand houses will change
tenants, and from fifty to a hundred thousand
persons find new abedes Why there is so
much upturning is mystery not yet solved.
The gradual rise in rents does something to-
wards 1t; but this year there has been no gem
eTal advance-nor should there be, since
modern built three-story house in a central
location will bring, at least, seven hundred
dollars year, while large houses in fashion
able quarters cannot be got for less than
twelve hundred. Yet, from custom, love of
change, or some other mania, there will be
abjut as much moving as ever 1t is an in
tolerable nuisance but as long as the parti-
clpators are the principal sufferers, suppose
outsiders ought not to complain.
The gradual uptown movement of trade will
also cause great deal of moving among mer.
chants Broadway, as far up as the Park, is
pretty much given up to wholesale dealers,
express and steamship companies; and the
large retailers of dry goods, &c, are pushing
ahead, even up to Union Park. There will
also be great many fine new stores COM
menced after the 1st of May on a scale of ex.
travagance that would astonish our sober fore
iatucIo' 4ue cOSC Ol some OF these structures
Is almost fabulous, and their maguifcence
equal TO the finest European palaces.
Among the lions in town I notice ex-Presi-
dent Van Buren, The old gentleman looks
quite hearty, and his eye still wrinkles with
that shrewdness for which he has been so re.
markable. His son, Prince John, walks about
with him, probably to show him as much as
may be advisable of that mysterious animal,
the elephant.
The health of the city is good In spite of
the unexampled severity of the winter. there
has been very remarkable diminution in the
number of deaths from consumption and other
lung diseases:
The Republicans this way seem quite deci
ded IN their preference for Fremont as a can
didate for President The idea seems to be
with them that with a semi. non -committal can.
didate for President they may rope in the
Northern Know Nothings and the floating
crowd generally, but in the judgment of YOUR
correspondent, who is very profound in such
matters, that sort of game has been played
out However, the Ides of November will
reveal the exact truth to you and to
Yours, TKcuysrH