Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-04-18

her arms. One cell contained three men. My
attention was called to one of these, an aged
man, who came forward and protested that his
companion was killing him. "He has beaten
me-" said the man, "for the last two hours
am here for nothingi | have committed no
crime; have seen better days. For the sake
Of humanity take me out of this place" His
appeal was sustained by the appearance of his
tormentor-a Young and stalwart Irshman,
with hideous face, who poured out a torrent
of profane vituperation upon the old man. The
officer kindly released the latter, amid the most
earnest expressions of gratitude.
The station houses seemed to be superior to
those of Philadelphia. The accommodations
for the officers are neat and convenient; the
hall itself large and well ordered; and the
whole economy of the place admirable. Most
of the lieutenants are men of education and
character, and the discipline of the rank and
file Of the police seems to be exact and severe.
A record is kept of those who are lodged and
confined; sex, occupation, and residence. The
majority of the guilty and the poor seemed to
be males, but the proportion of females was
frightfully large
The adventures of these unfortunates would
furnish a startling comment. y upon the scarcity
of female employment, and the inadequacy Of
female wages. Attracted to New York, they
run Dlltl CdIttTs ullcI us DTtdl u ltNiothlSC W
the allurements of vice, and die an early DEATH
The history of young girl from an adjacent
village was told to us. She was extremely love-
ly; but, fond of dress and admiration, was in
duced on one occasion to pay visit to New
York, by man who represented himself as a
merchant, and proved to be a gambler. She
never returned to her happy home, but became
an inmate of one of the Mercer street houses,
where she remained for some two years. At
the end of this time she had contrived to save
some fifteen hundred dollars, and then resolved
to change her course in life, and to live upon
her little fortune. At this moment the tempter
again appeared, in the person of her seducer
She loved him ardently, and, with woman's
confidence, surrendered to his keeping her
money, on the promise that it should be repaid
five fold. She never saw him more, "and now,"
said the officer, "she is almost nightly oocu-
pant of one of our cells"
Those who have read the works Of Dickens
will remember how he delineates the mystery of
thieving in all its varieties; the skill and dex-
tcrity of the London burglars; the utter deg
radiation, even Of children of both sexes, reared
amid evil associations, and the difficulty of de-
tecting the really guilty. New York, cannot,
of course, equal London in this respect, but it
has many representatives worthy the pen of the
illustrious Boz. Anecdotes are related of boys
of ten years; whe make a circuit of the city
day and night, with violin and tamborine, and
return with considerable harvest, taken from
the pockets of their audiences, all of which, in
turn, is counted over to their leader, who ex-
ercises brutal tyranny over his youthful fol-
lowers.
The nationalities of the habitues of the part
of New York that we visited are American,
German and Irish. OF course, American row.
dyism is there represented in its worst phases,
but the fondness for liquor seemed to show
itself less among the Germans. Those who re-
sort to German dens prefer lager beer, while in
other quarters we noticed that gin, whiskey
and other poisonous decotions were the favor
ite beverages.
Our next and last visit was to the negro
headquarters. Down stairs a stable, the second
floor coffin warehouse, the third ballroom
and bar! The contrast was entirely in favor O
the colored ladies and gentlemen. The room
was cleaner the females better dressed and bet
ter behaved, and the men looking healthier ant
more alert. A large party occupied the fiooi
as we entered. The music was good, and the
dancers more decorous than those we had seen
Among those who participated, we noticed foui
young men, apparently clerks from neighboring
stores. They seemed to be much consternateC
at the appearance of the officers and the stran
gers. But they worried through the dance, anC
took the first opportunity to escape.
Leaving fee with the women who had chargr
of the place, we returned to our carriages, ant
reached our quarters, tired, jaded, and de
pressed. Philadelphia has its sore spots, lik
New York. The Press lately published yer.
faithful daguerreotype of the condition of tn,
degraded in Bedford, Baker, and Spafforc
streets. But no such sights appal the senses il
| tboca ,t,b;,b in Nny
York. If time had PERMITTED, we should hav
given more evenings to the examination o
other places. What we saw was but portion
of the city.
When we left our hotel, early in the evening
Broadway, in bright moonlight, was crowde'
with foot passengers. The street was covere
with carriages and vehicles of all descriptions
Streams of light poured from gay stores, AM
Joy and comfort seemed to abound. When W
returned, the vast thoroughfare was deserte
and quiet. The contrast between the close an
sitting alleys we had left, and this spendi
avenue, stretching for miles through the hear
of that great metropolis was strangely sugges
tive. How few of those who haunted on Broad
way cared for their human brothers and sister
perishing within five minutes walk! Beyond
and in the aristocratic portion of the city, i
the Fifth Avenue-where, for other miles
Stfetcn lOruly palaces, crowded WIN luNurlou
adornments, and occupied by those whose want
are anticipated and whose tastes are vitiated
an excess of wealth, there is criminal indiffel
ence to the suffering poor. Little of the vas
revenues coined in speculation is diverte
to their relief The annual contribution I
! fashionable church, the frequent presents to
popular preacher, may be said to be the usui
limit of the charities of the ovcr-rich. In the
eyes, penury is crime, and one poverty y-stricke
wretch detected and confined is made an e,
: cuse for including the whole class. How muc
such a man as Astor might do to elevate ii
' distressed and to rescue the degraded Or
{ months income set apart every year of his a
most countless wealth. devoted to the paymei
a of volunteer force, instructed to provide lodl
D ings for those who stroll these streets, night an
/, day; expended for the gathering in of Il
r fatherless children, who, having nothing to ca
: for them, beg and steal that they may live;
0 the cleansing of the narrow lanes in the neigl
4 borhood of the old Five Points, to the remov
e or publication of the tumble down tenement
4 in which hundreds hide themselves-would CO.
S fer more lasting honor upon his name than
the gifts ostentatiously bestowed for doubt
= purposes. J. w. F.
o WOMEN KEEPING SECRETs.-A new do
# trine is promulgated by AH the Year Rount
d ave laugh at the women's tongue, and wond
}, when woman keeps secret but every tn
~ ,yooan kaans n hoy of choice nresarvae for h