The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-11-28
Mistt1laneous,
GIN DRINKING IN NEW
YORK.

Col Forney, Of the Philadelphia Press
has been taking 3 stroll through the
drinking purIieus of New York City,
and gives us the IT,: wing thrilling PIE
lures of the miser:eS gin drinking IN
the great metropolis:
Let us enter one these d,.ns, First IN
the yin shop with stout woman as the
presiding divinity, who welcomes us
u ith no casa, ~ but who does not re-
fuse adm m when she sees the protec-
ting 'staI> "t shine tenignantly at our
side. Next tAo ball room! Mt q bad
copy of ollier saloons with moro preten-
sions. AT the extreme enl is balcony
or box, in which are VIC n .c'arionet
aud q fife, each with bloatcd face be-
h;nd it, and tie trio are producing SORT
Of drunken cotilon. The set is being
.ned.-The women, are first in posi-
ton ea. with her partner generally in
-, tied by herself The men are generally
heavily begrimcd and bewhiskerod and
among them two 90 not look to be over
eighteen. Most,' of these said our guide
are known to be burglars and that fellow
at full length on the sde bench is sup
posed to have been guilty of least three
murders. That woman has had five
husbands the last is Mt sea and she will
soon have another, and that young fel-
low with the light cape who dances SO
gracefully and is dressed so well in one
of the most expert pickrockets in the
country We left the usual fee but
were informed that the girls could no.
get gin till the ball was over. The tigress
at tho bar kept them sober on light pota-
tons till this part of their slavery was
performed. These frail sisters are at
tached to these houses as so many fix
lures paying so much week for their
board lat least five dollars which they
nust earn by the double sacrifice of
body and soul! | heard some stories of
tho way they are treated by their over
seers who are too often fends in the
shape of men, how they are driven out
when they yield to the formations around
them, how they they are forced to submit
IA the most inhuman brutalties and how,
in utter despotion, more than one finds
peace in an early grave, willing victim
to the vice she has labored to resist or to
that longing for death which is gratitied
by the poison or the knife. But L will
not repeat these details, for sooth to say,
if they were fit to tell they 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 its little face
bloatedl 'For Gods slke give me some
air. said one of our party, 4 cannot stand
a moment longer
Wait. oh, over delicate and squeamish
friendl You will cry for 'air' presently
with a sincerer zeal. We are as yet on
" in the vestit ule of these mysteries
What we have to see lies farther on in
the night. Be patient and do not let thy
gorge rise too soon.
stop here, and take care efyour watch.
This said our kind policeman, SIS the
resort of those who get gin at cent a
olass! Enter Gracious God! and are
these thy creatures! Ranged on bench
es, in narrow cave, are the victims Of
this Internal traffic. They are idiots. =
There is not one of them who has lntell'
igence enough to contend for equality
with monkey. They glare at YOU with
meaningless eye; they gibber through
trembling lips, and try to arrest you with
weak hands asyoy pass. If they con