New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-12
CHARLES MACKAYS VIEWS OF BROAD
WAY BY NIGHT.
From The London IRufrateG .Seps.

speedy passage across the Atlantic There seemed 10
be nothing enviable in the matter for the wind
had been bowling all the night the mercury in the
glass was falling, the rain beating against the
windows and the prospects of the voyage all things
considered, seemed the reverse If agreeable.
And why !" said /, with faint and doubtless un-
successful attempt 10 look comfortable and happy.
Because" replied he, his joyous features beaming
out into still greater reugence 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 no place in the
world where there are such fine oysters as IN TINS city
fine in flavor and Of size unparalleled IN the oyster
beds of Whtstabe, Ostend or the hoche5 oe Cancale
Nor has the Gift of oysters been bestowed upon an I'M
grateful people If one may judge from Appearances
the decacy il highly relished and esteemed by oil
classes from the millionaire in the Fifth avenue to
the boy in' the Bowery, and the German ana liSh
emicrnnts in their own peculiar quarters of the city,
which s0n dit en- G0SSdHt seem to mOnOpoize all the
filth TO be found in Manhattan. nwalking up Broadway
by day or by neht-but more especially by night-the
stranger cannot but be struck by the great number of
"Oyster Saloons "Oyser and Coffee Saloons" and
Oyster and Lager Beer Saloons that solicit him at
every turn TO stop and taste. These saoons-many OF
tbemvery handsomely fitted uP-are like the drinking
saloons in Germany situated in vaults or cellars,
with steps from the street; but unlike their German
models they often form them in underground stories of
stately commercial palaces of granite, brown stone,
iron and white marble; In these palaces as in the
hotels oysters to be had at all hours either from
the she'll IA they commonly eaten in England,
cooked in twenty-or for all know to the contrary,
in forty - hundred-different ways. Oysters
picl,lod. Cte ed, baked, roasted fried and
and u,1:-..r oysters with condiments and without
codiln>c Users for breakfast, dinner and supper
oysters =. u ut stint or mit-fresh the fresh air,
an, dig !, - abundant--are daily offered TO the
psates e tae Manhattanese, and appreciated with
all the gratitude which such bounty of nature ought
to inspire The shore of Long Island fronting the
Long island Sound for rs miles, is long
sion of oyster beds Southwark, along the coast of
Nax Il md Inward md war I'm Rhode
Island and Massachusetts,, the same decaces abound,
and foster q large and very lucrative commerce. In
City Island adjoining Long Island Sound, the whole
population, consisting of 400 persons, is employed in
the cultivation of oysters. The City Islanders
represented very honest, peculiar and primitive
community, who intermauy entirely among themselves,
and drive very fourshng business. The oyster
e @e dn Varieties Cow y
Oyster BY, Rock Bay, Saddle Rock, Virginia Bay,
and Spuyien Duyvel. This last mentioned place is in
the East River near the Long Island Sound and de-
rives its from the original Dutch settlers OF New
Amsterdam, in the days of KnickerbOcker. IL Is re-
lated Of English Earl, not long ago visitor to the
States that his great delight was to wander up and
down Broadway at night and visit al me princpal
oyster saloons in succession, RECALLING himself upon
fried oysters at one place, upon stewed oysters at
another, upon roasted oysters at third and winding
up the evening by dish Of oysters dFAngidsSe As
nearly all The theaers are in Broadway the Broad
way oyster saloons command at night traffic even
larger than by day. " Fruges cOnsumerC natt' 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 amused at the
satisfaction with which company of Germans were
consuming picked oysters and inhaling the lager
beer which the United States owe to the German i'm
migration, / heard q sudden rush and rumble in
Broadway.
"What Is the matter" said l.
"Only a fire." replied an American friend; but
don't move. Nobody thinks anything about fires
here. If your own walls are heated by conhagra-
ton next door, you may bestir YOURSELF but not TIL
then"
"But should like to see the fremen."
"They are institution in America, and, if You
have not Them we will 60 round to their bunk
roOms.'
Bunk-rooms ?" I inquired, suggestvely, for the
word new to me.
Yes, bunk where they bunk together"
"BuIk together !"
Eyes bunk sleep, chum, live together IN their
bunk rooms"
We emerged into Broadway. But there was no
fire. 1t was only procession OF bremen, win ther
engines tor engines az the word II generally pro-
poupcedl their ladders and their hooks. Thousands
of people lined both sides of the Broadway. 1t was
lovely night, clear, crisp and cold, and the rays OF
the moon fell upon the white marble edfices with
brilliancy as il they had fallen upon cebergs or the
snowy submits Of hills. Every object was sharp and
distinct; and the white spre of Grace Church nearly
two miles distant stood out in bold relief against the
blue sky rs well defined in all its elegant tracery rs
If it had not been than hundred yards of. IL
a
pany had its favorte engine of which it s as fond az
q captain Of his ship, gaily ornameHted with ribbons,
flags steamers and flowers, and proceeded oy band
Of music. Each engine was dragged along the streets
by the firemeu in their peculiar cOstume-dark pan
falcons. with eathern belt around the waist,
large boots, q thick red shirt, with no coat
or vest, and the ordinary hreinans helmet.
Each man held the rope of the engine i'll one hand,
and blazing torch in the other. The sight
was peculiarly impressive and picturesque, and would
have afforded an admirable subject for the fnce pen
ell and brilliant imagination Of John Gilbert l
counted DO less than twenty different companies,
twenty engines and twenty bands Of muslc-the
whole procession taking upward of an hour to pass
the point at which stood The occasion OF the gath
ering to receive fire company on ts return from
q complimentary visit to another FIRE company In the
adjoining Republic of Rhode Island, hundred miles
IF. Such inerchanges of civility and courtesy are
common among the iiremen, who incur very consider
able expense in making them, and present each other
with testimonials of regard and esteem, in the shape
of silver claret;jugs, candelabra ea-servlces, DC.
But the peculartes of the hremen the constitution
of their companies the life they lead, and their intu-
encc in the local politics and government of the great
cities of the Union are quite feature III American
civic hfe totally different from anything that We have
in England and curious in every way as to deserve
more elaborate consideration than the limits OF the
present letter will allow.
Nv present purpose is with the night aspects
Broadway-a street that quite much rs any street IN
London or Paris affords materials for the study OF life
and character In respect il il superior to the
streets of London. Being the main artery of a grea
and popuous capital, it may be SUPPOSED that Vice
reigns rampant within 1t as soon AZ mght mas OATH
eued. But whatever be the amount oi llcentious
ness in the city, does not expose itself 10 public view
i'll the OPEN elaring unblushing brazing aud disgust
ing manner in which LondoncIs behold II in the Hay
nmket, Pccadly, Regent-strret, and the Strand.
DO not ,peak Of It's hidden vice; but, a. regards the
public exhibition Of it, New-York is infinitely more
modest than London, and almost IA modest a. Paris
We know, however, that the outside appearance OF
Paris but hypocrisy and cloak to vice more shame
less or shameful than anything of which London has
ever been guilty; and perhaps the can be said OF