Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-08-06
Broadway, In New York.

could convey a correct Tea II Il. Early IN
the morning the street begins {, fill with csrIs
and vehicles, bringing supplies from the
country to the market. From all the oY'
streets which connect Broadway with the
rivers, crowds of men and women, and wa
CONS and horses emerge from the Brooklyn,
Hoboken, Williamsburg, Staten Island and
New Jersey ferries. It's still very early 10
the morning; the shops are still closed;
only here and there an omnibus makes ts
reluctant appearance, its horses and driver
not having yet shaken of the 8 9th CT the
night. There are also some carriages stop
ping before the Assor House, St. Nicholas,
Metropolitan. and other hotels, with a load
of travellers just coming in from east north
and west, or from European and California
steamers. At this early hour Broadway
looks thoroughly respectable, like a big ball
room, which, after the reVel of the evening,
is used by the lady of the house III the morn
ing for thrifty purposes. But as the morn
ing advances traffic increases. The ferries
dlsgorge their human cargpes. The sidewalk
begins TO swarm with women and men en-
ployed in business. Ne"saoy- apeear upon
the scene Of action. Onrja!.es BEGIN 10
r.ttle. The rush Of en.er.tii s,t' m
Spruce clerks appear at Tue corner e.! FRINGE,
Canal and White stre'ts, Il " go limited
their means, here they are ..it'lI omD =
buses, fresh, rosy and wei! dfes- i. Ifade'-
people of ell nationalitIes crowd the vehicle,
French and German dry god jGbbers,
Bremen merchants, Jew flsnciers, Southern,
Eastern aud Western spectators and pecu!a-
tors. auctioneers, men Of straw and men OF
substance; New York. New Orleans, Ham
burg. Liverpool, San Francisco, Boston and
Cincinnati, are huddled together in SIX cent
omnibus pee-mele with st. Louis, Lyons,
Charleston, Manchester and Savannah; all
rushing to-Wall street, Broad street, Pearl
street, Front street. nth street. ibis
gives character TO Broadway. Beside this
crowd Of passengers there are the locust
swarms of ity-bound pedestrians. Market
Jog. has sappeared-pusiness begun; the
smell Of meat, fruit and vegetables gives
place to q fragrance of cotton silk goods and
groceries. The stir inside the.stores begins.
In the street the excitement lncreases.-
Small knots of travellers, boarders, loungers
and smokers, begin to congregate before the
principal hotels. 1t is about a. m. Busl.
ness men who dine out and rise late, Journal
lists who come late home from the editorial
ssnctum, and Others no belong 10 the
Broadway rear.guarI, Row appear. lG!
Broad way has already j.. nd BUSINESS
ASPECT. Alter nice or tee Gee r.sGi'nts are
added to its life LiVytr., ar.! -..,ns! ri'n
and leisurely men % bushes pc r on ;hc
sidewalk, and, as the day o.".s.2 =, c.m'i!-
ans, theatrical managers, I:,r:at,"rs, cIer-
symen and artists mlLg,5 win the crowd
Soon ladies make their appearance. II the
weather is fac, the ladies continue to IN
crease in numbers as the day advances. The
dazzling features. ibis lady-;lement is rath-
er of of mixed character. There is always
small sprinkling Of lady-ike women
shopping, or taking an airing, or employed
10 honorable labor; bur there are consider
able number whose character does not bear
much estheticsl analysis, and also in Broad
way, as 10 Regent street, and on the Bouie-
wards, great number OF undOmestlca'ed
ladies, not necessarily Of doubtful character,
bot ladies unattached, whose affections have
heen crossed, and whose aspirations are
blighted, and upon whose bleeding hearts
theeXcitenent OF Broadway acts a. sed snve.
This floating population is sweled by
many female day dreamer-, lGunSing women,
or she-oafers, whose hopeless vacancy Of
mind calls for the stimuant of the noise, the
shops, the dust, the variety of faces, OF the
Kissing, seething street. There is something
there to lure them away from the monotony
of their aim less life, ard gradually they are
fascinated oy Broadway. TheY ..aTot live
without it. They Lc,.,.s "a. AID parce! Of
Broadway. They dr,-r itr j., as II t. fl'rt
with its pavement. Va.;a fr3 'ct.a.e faces
which haunt Broadway or a whoie genera
ton. The stranger who has seen such face,
with Broadway fu-h, at the teIInning of
the nineteenth century, may Chance to meet
the same face again, with Broadway win
kles, toward the middle OF the same century.
Toward midday, Broadway hgs lost alto
gether its Ludgate bill and Cheapsde char
acter. 10 fine autumnai days it partake5 OF
the dazzling features of the Bouevrrds OF
Paris. OF the volcanic turmai OF the Straia
Toledo OF Naples, Of the leisureiy aspect OF
the Hamburg Maiden lane and the Berlin
Linden, of the tornado rush CT the London
Strand, and OF the elegance of Picadilly.-
Dut DIObC"ay pdTtthtS, VI sucu OCCdStoh',
Of all the elements indicated, without COM ns
specifically under any class. While ny town
is rushing down town, and in the afternoon,
when the reHux towards home sets in, the
street has London Fleet street aud COrnhili
lock, while the sidewalks resemble rather
the avenues OF Paris, Brussels and Ham burg.
Attimes, the mixture OF races, Of German,
Irish. French, English, Scotch, Ssandinavlans.
Poles, lIuugariaas, Italians Negroes, Jews
and Indians, with the hH."..a varieties OF
Yankees, Westerneis, P....y ., .rians, Cali
iornians aud ScutherEeg.. r....ics 0re Il a
great Babel Of Il air iIk MI PHI, y ,s,IOd
OF Leipsic, or o! gssat Lr'a.r..r F.rt, Ike
Constantinople ana y esa"Cs.-, whore ali
languages are heard, ali races .i'rg !Dr
time, and yet amid ;Lc vGT.ety every ne pre-
serving his ow n individuality.
This, then, is another pecu.iIrlty Of Broad
way, which makes it 80 different from great
European thoroughtares After sunset, when
business has ceased, and the shops are most
ly closed, the pleasure atmosphere begins
Immense crowds gather at theatres, and Ote-
er places Of amusement and entertainment
As the evening advances the character OF the
street assumes more omiT oIs appearance.
Even after the pleasure seekers have return
ed home it remains full of strasgIeEs.
Strange looking men, and suIl stranger
looking women, begin 20 come from the bye
streets and back alleys, forming small knots
at prominent corners, as it for campaign.
Omnikuses continue to rattle. Policemen