The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-11-16

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dren without: parents. Warehouses and
granite stores are springing up. .in new land
crowded. .thoroughfares. Sc. But there is yet
room, heaven: knows, for still greater chan
ges. More than a year ago J. gave you a
short experience of high hotel life in this
city, and spoke Of the almost exact similar
ity between the people Of that time, and the
gorgeous saloons and sweeping balls Of
those steamboats, ashore ~. and the people
who firted, fed and Aattered in the large
hotels of New York, ten years before. And
if l had not known that Death had been
busy since my last nocturnal visits to the
haunts Of. lower life, gathering his human
harvest, 1 could have almost sworn that
the faces and figures, the riot and rags, the
fifth and profanity of last night were the
same that had saddened and startled me
before. The evening was a lovely one.
There was a young moon in a clear sky,
and the atmosphere was soft and cool.
The close lanes were crowded with mixed
mass OF men, women and children-not
those that surged in and swept along Broad
way, but another race, probably as indiffer-
ent to Broadway as Broadway to them.
Music was heard from almost every 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 is
the gin-shop, with stout woman as the
presiding divinity, who welcomes us with
no pleasant air, bat who does not refuse
admission when she sees the protecting
"stars" that shine benignautly at our side.
Next, the ball room! Not bad copy of
other saloons with more pretensions. At
the extreme end is balcony, or box, in
which are violin, q clarionet and a fife,
each with bloated face behind it, and the
trio are producing sort of drunken cotil-
lon. The set is being formed. The women
are first in position, each with her partner,
generally invited by herself. The men are
generally heavily begr;med and bewhisker-
ed; and among them, two who do 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 side bench,
is suppose to have been guilty of at least
three murders. That woman has had ivel
husbands-the last is at sea-and she viii,
soon have another; aHd that young fellow
with the light cap, who dances so grace
fully, and is dressed so well, is one of
the most expert pick.pockets 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 frail sisters are mostly attached to
these houses as so many fixtures, paying 80
much a week for their board, lat least five
dollars which they must earn by the
double sacrifice of body and soul heard
some stories of the way they are treated by
their overseers-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 submit to
the most inhuman brutalities-and how, in
utter desperation, more than one finds peace
in an early grave, willing victim to the
vice she has labcred to resist or to that
longing for death which is gratiied by
poison or the knife. But I will not repeat
these details; for, sOoth to say, if they were
fit to tell, they would not be believed,
familiarly notorious as they are here. In
one of these dens where gin was notprohib-
tied, I saw child, of not more than six
years, stupid with rum-its eyes half closed
in drunkenness, and its little face bloated!
For Gods sake, give. me some air." said
one Of our party, I cannot stand this a
moment longer" a.us >ai, '9sa.
Wait, oh, over.delicate and squeamish
friend! You will cry for air" presently
with sincere zeal. We are as yet only in
the vestibule Of these mysteries. What we
have to see lies further On in the night. Be
patient, and do not letfby gorge rise too
soon. e.., ia .tia. r.t -, ss,su.
"Stoop here, and take care of your
watches" "This," said our kind policeman,
''is the resort Of those who get gin at cent
a glass! Enter!' Gracious God ] and are
these thy creatures? Ranged 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 contend for the
equality of q monkey. They glare at you
with meaninsles eye; they gibber through
trembling and quivering lips, and try to
arrest you with weak hands as you pass. II
they converse with each other. it is like q
conversation between balloons.
"This," said our guide, touching the
shoulder of man who, with hands in his
pockets, vacantly gazed upon us) sis a
good mechanic, who can earn good wages
If he chooses, but every now and then he
breaks out into Q frolic, and here is the
place he comes to spend his leisure in. '"1
am sorry, Ben," he said, turning to the man
ito see you here again." The poor fellow
bowed his head and left the den. ....... .D0
As it was growing late, we were invited
by our escort to look at some Of the lodging
rooms 10 the neighborhood. With lantern
in hand, which served TO make his sstar" Vi.
sible, and to show the way to ricketty stairs
we descended into d deep cellar. On open
ing the door, there steamed up such stencil