Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-15
CHAS. MACLaY'S VIEWS OF BROAD.
WAY BY NIGHT.
lFrom the London Illustrated News
NEW YORK, December I. 1867

NEW YORK, December l, 1851
envy you your trip to America" said
mine urbane and friendly host mt Liverpool as
two months ago, he took leave of me at his
door, and wished me q safe and speedy passage
across the Atlantic There seemed TO be moth
Ing very enviable in the matter; for the wind
had peen bowling all the night, the mercury in
the glass was falling, the rain was beating
against the windows, and the prospects of the
voyage, all things considered, seemed the re-
verse Of agreeable.
And why2' said I, with faint and doubt
les, unsuccessful attempt to look comfortable
and happy.
4" Because" replied he, his joyous features
besming out into II still greater refulgence of
smiles than they had previously worn. "you
will get such delicious oysters. New York beats
all creation for oysters"
Mine host spoke the truth There is no place
In the world where there are such fine oysters
as In this city-fne in flavor, and of a size un-
psralleled in the oyster-b beds of Whitstable o.
tend, or the ROcher de Cadcale. Nor has the
gift OF oysters been bestowed upon an migrate
ful people. 1t one may judge from appearan-
ees, the delicacy il highly relished and esteem
ed by all classes, from the millionaire in the
Fifth avenue to tho boy in the Bowery, and the
German and Irish emigrants in their own pecu-
liar quarters Of the city, which (so,t DIT en- pas
santl seem to monopolize all the filth to be found
in Manhattan. In walking up Broadway, by
stranger cannot but be struck by the great
number of 'Oyster Saloons," "Oyster and
Coffee Saloons" and ''Oyster and Lager Beer
Saloons" that solicit him at every turn to stop
and taste. These sslOons-many of them very
handsomely fitted up-are, like the drinking
saloons IN Germany, situated in vaults or eel
lars, with steps from the street; but, unlike
their German models, they often form them in
underground stories of stately commercial pal
aces OF granite, brown stone, iron, and white
marble In these palaces, as in the hotels
oysters are to be had at all hours either from
the she'll, as they are commonly eaten in Eng
land, or cooked in twenty-or, for all know
to the contrary, in forty or hundred-difer-
ent ways
Oysters picked, stewed, baked, roasted, fried
and scolloped; oysters made into soups patties
and puddings oysters with condiments and
without condiment; oysters for breakfast, din
ner and supper; oysters without stint OF limit
fresh as the fresh air, and almost as abundant
arc daily offered to the palates of the Man
hattanese, and appreciated with all the graft
tude which such bounty Of nature ought to
inspire. The shore of Long Island, fronting
the Long Island Sound, for lis miles is one
long succession of oyster beds Southwark
along the coast of New Jersey, and northward
and eastward to Rhode Island and Massacbu
sets, the same delicacies abound. and foster
large and very lucrative commerce. In City
Island, adjoining Long Island Sound the whole
Is employed in the cultivation of oysters. The
City Islanders are represented as a very hon
est, peculiar and primitive community, who
lntermarry entirely among themselves and
drive very fourishing business The oyster
when they rear IS n particular favOrite.
Other esteemed varieties come from ShIews-
bury, Cow Bay. Oyster Bay, Rock Bay, Sad
die Rock, Virginia Bay, and Spuyten Duyvel
This last mentioned place is in the East River.
near the Long Island Sound, and derives its
name from the original Dutch settlers of New
Amsterdam, in the days Of Knickerbocker Ii
Is related of an English Earl not long ago a
visitor to the States, that his great delight was
to wander up and down Broadway at night
and visit all the principal oyster saloons in
succession, regaling himself upon fried oysters
at one place, upon stewed oysters at another,
upon roasted oysters at a third and winding
up the evening by dish of oysters a FAne-
Iaise. As nearly all the theatres are in Broad
way, the Broadway oyster saloons command at
night traffic even larger than by day. 90 Fru-
geS coHsHmeTe matf may designate humanity
elsewhere, but here the quotation is out Of
place, and man Is born to consume :. oysters "
Seated in one of these saloons and anu sed
at the satisfaction with which a company Of
Germans were consuming picked oysters and
lnhhilnS the lager beer, which the United
States owe TO the German immigration heard
sudden rush and rumble in Broadway
What Is the NATTER / said.
. Only Ia fire, replied an American friend :;
:. but don't move. Nobody thinks anything
about fires here. If your own walls are heated
by eonfagration next door, You may bestir
yourself, but not till then
- But should like to see the fremen"
They are an institution in America, and,
II you have not seen them, we will 20 round to
their bunkrOo
'Bunk-roOms ?" 1 inquired, susgestiveIy.
for the word was new to Inc.
les, bunk-rOOms-where they bunk to-
gether."
Bunk together!'
-; Yes, bunk, sleep chum, live together in
We emerged into Broadway. But there was
no nre. Ii was only procession of fremen,
with their engines (or engines as the word is
generally pronounced) their ladders and their
hooks Thousands Of people lined both sides
oil Broadway 1t WAS lovely sight, clear
crisp and cold, and the rays OF the moon fell
upon the white marble ediices with n brillian-
cy as II they had fallen upon icebergs or the
snowy SUBMITS Of hills. Every object was
sharp and distinct; and the white spire Of
Grace Church, nearly two miles distant, stood
out IN bold relief against the blue sky, as well
defined Ia all its elegant tracery as if il had
not been more than u hundred yards off. Ii
was grand turn out Of the fremen. Each
company had ITS fayOrite engine, of which il is
as fond rs captain of bis ship gaiIy orna-
nented with ribbons, flags, streamers and Aow-
ers, and preceded by band of music. Each
engine was dragged along the streets by the
hremen In their peculiar eostume-dark pan
taoons, with leathern belt around the waist
large boots, thick red shirt and with coat or
vest, and the ordinary fireman helmet. Each
man held the rope OF the engine in one hand
anu blazing torch In the other. The sight
was peculiarly impressive and picturesque,
and would have afforded an admirable subject
Tor the facile pencil and brilliant imagination
of john Gilbert. counted no less than TWEEN
~ Inherent companies, twenty engines and
twenty bands of music-the whole procession
taking upward of an hour to pass the point ut
which 4 stood
The occasion OF the gathering was to receive
hre company on it, return from a compIi-
mentary visit TO another fire company in the
djOinihg Republic Of Rhode Island hundred
miles of. Such interchanges of civiIity are
common among the tremen, who incur very
considerable expense in making them, and pre-
sent each other with regard and esteem, IN the
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