St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-11-29
)bzz a4az4oHsT CLOUD, STEARNS co. MINNESOTA THU

similarity between the people of that time
in the gorgeous saloons and sweeping halls
Of those ''steamboats ashcre,'' and the peo-
pie who firted, fed and flattered in the
large hotels Of New York, ten years before.
And if Z had not krown that Death had
been busy since my last nocturnal visit to
the haunts of lower life, gathering hig hu-
man harvest, I could have almost sworn
that the: faces and figures, the riot and
rsy, the filth and profanity Of last night
were the same that had saddened and star.
tied me before The evening was lovely
one. There was young moon in clear
sky, and the atmosphere was soft and cool.
The close lanes were crowded with a mixed
mass Of men, women and children NOT
those that swept in and surged along
Broadway, but another race, probably as
Indifferent to Broadway as Broadway to
them. Music was heard from almost ev-
cry door; glasses were clinking; and above
the din Of voices the tones: of the gentler
sex were heard as the octave flute is heard
in the full orchestra. ~ @,...@'
Let us enter one Of these dens. First
in the ginshop, with stout woman as the
presiding divinity, who welcomes US with
no pleasant air, but who does not refuse
admission when she sees the protecting
'tstars' that shine benignantly at our side.
Next, the oall room! Not bad copy Of
other saloons with more pretensions. AT
the extreme end is balcony, or a box, in
which are a violin, a clarionet and fife,
each with bloated face behind it, and
the trio are producing a sort of drunken
cotillion. The women are first in position,
each with her partner, generally invited
by herself The men are generally heavi-
ly begrimmed and bewhiskered and
among them two who do not look to be
over eighteen. "Nlost of these" said our
guide, care known to be burglars; and
that fellow at full length on the side bench
is supposed to have been guilty Of at least
three murders. That woman has had FIVE
husbands s-the last IS at sea and she will
soon have another; and that young fellow,
with the hight cap, who dances SO grace
fully, and is dressed so we'll, is one Of the
most expert pickpockets in the country"
We left the usual fee; but were informed
that the girls could not get gin till the ball
was over. The tigress at the bar kept
them sober on light potations till this part
Of their slavery was performed. These
fraii sisters are mostly attached to these
houses as so many fixtures, paying so much
week for their board, Cat least five dol
lars, which they must earn by the double
sacrifice Of body and soul! I heard some
stories Of the way they are treated BY their
overseers, and who are too often fiends in
the shape Of men how they are driven
out when they yield to the temptations
around them how they are forced to SUBJ
NIT to the most iuhuman brutalities; and
how, in utter desperation, more than one
finds peace in an early grave, a willing
victim to the vice she has labored to resist,
or to that longing for death which is graf
i6ed by poison or the knife: But l will
not repeat these details; for, sooth to say,
if they were fit to tell, they would not be
believed, Familiarity notorious as they are
here. In one Of these dens, where gin
was not prohibited, saw a child, of not
more than SIX years, stupid with rum-its
eyes half closed in drunkenness, and it's
little face bloated! "For Gods sake, give
me some air" said one Of our party, ~
cannot stand this moment longer.
Wait, oh, ovcr-delicate and squeamish
friend! You will cry for "air" presently
with a sincerer zeal. We are as yet only
in the vestibule: of the mysteries What
we have to sec lies farther on in the night.
Be patient, and do not let thy gorge rise
too soon. ...f..,--. .,.:.- .:....ai
"Stoop herc,, and take care Of your
watches" !" ''This,"'e said our kind police
man, lis the resort Of those who get gin
at a cent a glass Enter ~ Gracious
God ! and are these thy creatures? Ran
ged on benches; in narrow cave, are the
victims Of this internal traffic. They are
all worse than idiots. There is not one of
them who has intelligence enough to con
tend for equality with monkey. They
glare at you with meaningless eye; they
gibber through trembling and quiyering
lips, and try to arrest you with weak hands
as you pass. If they converse with each
other, it is like conversation with bab-
0ons.
"This,'' said our guide, touching the
shoulder Of a man who, with hands in his
pockets, yacantly gazed upon US, tsis good
mechanic, who can earn good wages # he
chooses, but every now and then he breaks
out into frolc, end: here is the place he
comes to spend his leisure in: I am sorry,
Ben" he said, farming to the man, "to see
you here again." The poor fellow bowed
his head and left the den: s'.s@ 2oS, 5@s
As it was growing late, we were invited
by our escort to look at some Of the lodging
rooms in The neighborhood. With lantern
in hand, which served to make his :tstar'
visible, and to show tho way to ricketty
stairs, we descended into a deep cellar
On opening the door, there steamed up
such stencil as made us recoil as before a
hloxp oroo&;n~ ;n1ooorshohlor soron%;ora.- .