The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-12-01
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Editorial Correspondence Of the Phisdelphi. Pres.
NEW YoRx, October =, foeo.
have been sojourping in this vast huma,
hiss for several days past. and have fulfile,
long deferred promise to make tour q
those portions Of the city ID which the vor,
phases OF poverty and vice are to be nit
nessed. Ths task has been Q pleasant one
To see what have seen, and to bear a. !,
the face OF every variety Of degredation
required deal Of resolution: b1t hav;n,
resolved to 60 throsgh With il, / did M
blaneh or falter from the hour Of stars;ns
about eight o'clock last night, until. tiret
and nauseated, reached my hotel at tvs
O'Clock this morning, too glad to enioy :h,
necessary renovation Of bath, and . sleep
refreshing, it 10 true, but crowded viii
dreams OF the horrid sights and scenes which
have just passed before my eyes. Havipa
secured the friendly and necessory aid ol
Two excellent detectives attached 20 the ad.
m'raoie city police, six Of US, making the
whole party eight in all, issued forth upon
our mission. The 6rst place We reached
was the police station house near the Metro.
politan. As We entered, one Of those sad
trials was taking place that are too common
IN New York. Two unfortunate girls were
arraigned before the lieutenant Of police on
charge OF disorderly conduct. The lieu
tenant who acted in the double capacity OF
clerk and judge, first heard the story Of the
officers who had them in charge. watched
this mans cold, stony eye-his pale, faded
face-and soon realized that Familiarity with
his occupation had wholly blunted his SEN
sibilities. lie paid little attention to the
defense OF the painted, over dressed crea-
lures before him, but entered their names
and ages on his book, and then, with hard, !,
metailc voice, directed the officer to take
them below, lock them up, and let them
have no light. '.Oh, for the love of God -
said one Of the girls, tears in her eyes, as
she turned from the impossible lieutenant
to the strange spectators-''fort the love of
God, not beiou, moi doun here-I have
done nothing but drink little more than
ought to have DONE" Her veil was up.
She had been handsome once; and sweet
smile had not wholly fed from her face.
Perhaps she had left some happy home to
hide her shame; perhaps some aching heart
was breaking for her, far away; perhaps
she had nobody to care for her. Alas if
she is now sought, che will be found proba-
bly,, ''dopn 6eiow"-her fortune, like her
cell, "dark," and her fate unligh,ed, save
by the mercy Of redeeming God. Her
companion was closely yelled, and followed
her into the cellar prison with silent and
trembling steps.
We turned from this rather sorrowful
opening, got into our carriages and drove to
the lower wards. 1t is some fifteen years
since, under an escort furnished hy my ex-
celent friend Matsell, passed along these
narrow streets and sitting alleys, There
has been great change for the better. The
Old Brewery has given way to a Mission
House and sort OF home for children with
out parents. Warehouses and granite stores
are springing DIP in new and crowded thor
oughfares. But there is yet room, Heaven
knows, for still greater changes. More than
a year ago, gave you short experience Of
high hotel life in this city, and spoke Of the
almost exact similarity between the people
of that time, in the gorgeous saloons and
sweep;ng halls of those steamboats, ashore
and the people who Arted, fed and fattered
in the large hotels Of New York, ten years
before, and if had not known that Death
had been busy since my last nocturnal visit
to haunts Of lower life, gathering his human
harvest, | could have almost sworn that the
fnces and figures, the riot and rags, the
filth and profanity of last night were the
same that had saddened and startled 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 mixed mass
Of men, women and children-not those
that surged in and swept along Broadway,
but another race, probably Gs Indifferent 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 the dens. First, in
the gin shop, with stout woman as the pre-
siding divinity, who welcomes US with no
pleasant air, but who does not refuse admis-
sion when she sees the protecting "stars''
that shine benignantly at our side. Next,
the ball room! Not bad copy of other
saloons with more pretensions. At the ex-
treme end is balcony or box, in which are
violin, q clarionet, and a fife, each with a
bloated face behind it, and the trio are pro-
drcing a sort of drunken cotillon. The set
is being formed. The women are first in
position, each with her partner, generally
invited BY herself. The men are generally
heavily begrimed and bewhiskered; and
among them two who do not look to be over
eighteen. "Moss of these" said our guide,
"ara known to be burglars, and that fellow,
at full length on the side bench, is supposed
to have been guilty Of at least three mur-
ders. That woman has had FIVE husbands
the last is at sea-and she will soon have
another and that young fellow, with the
light cap, who dances so gracefully, 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 ,igress at the bar kept them sober on
ligh. potations till this part Of their slavery
was performed. These frail sisters are
attached to these houses - 30 many fixtures,
paving 90 much q week for their board, al
least Eve dollars) which they must earn By
the double sacrifice Of body and soul!
heard some stories Of the way they ore
treated BY thsir overseers-who are too Of
ten 6euds in the shape OF men-how they
are forced to submit to the most inhuman
brusalitiee-aud how, 10 utter desperation,
moro than one finds peace in An early grave
willing victim to the vice she lsoored 80
resist. or to that longing for death wnicn y
gratiied by poison or the knife. But vii
not repeat these details; for, sooth to say
IL they were ft to tell. they would mos o.
believed, familiarly notorious - they ar
here. ln one Of these dens where gin VA
not prohibited, saw q child OF not NOR
than six years, ssupid With rum-,ts eye
half closed in drunkenness, and its hsu'
face bloated! "For Gods sake give M