Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-04-18
From The Philadelphia Press.
NEW YORK BY GAS-LIGHT.

| have been soiourning in this vast human
hive for several days past and have fulfilled
long deferred promise to make tour OF those
portions oil the city in which the worst phases
of poverty and vice are to be witnessed. 10
see what have seen, and o bear up in the face
of every variety of degradation, required deal
of resolution; but having resolved to go through
with it, | did not blench or falter from the hour
of starting, about eight o'clock, last night, un-
til tired and nauseated, reached my hotel at
two o'clock this morning, stoo glad to enjoy the
necessary renovation of bath and q sleep, re-
freshing, it is true, but crowded with dreams of
the horrid sights and scenes which have Just
passed before my eyes. Having secured the
Friendly and necessary aid of two excellent de-
tectves attached to the admirable city police,
six of us, making the whole party eight in all,
issued forth upon our mission. The first place
we reached was the police station-house near
the Metropolitan. AS we entered, one of those
sad trials was taking place that are only too COM
mon in New York. Two unfortunate girls were
arraigned before the lieutenant of police, on a
charge of disorderly conduct. The lieutenant
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 re-
allied that familiarity with his occupation has
wholly blunted his sensbities. He paid little
attention to the defence of the painted, over
dressed creatures before him, but entered their
names and ages on his book and then, with a
hard. metallic 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, with tears in her eyes, as she
turned from the impossible lieutenant to the
strage spectators-"for the love of God not
below, not down there-I have done nothing
but drink little more than | ought to have
DONE" Her veil was up. She had heen hand
some 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, she will be found, prob
ably, "down below"-her fortune, like her cell,
"dark," and her fate unlighted save by the
mercy of a redeeming God. Her companion
was closely veiled, and followed her into the
cellar-prison with silent and trembling steps.
We turned from the rather sorrowful open
ing got into our carriages, and drove to the
lower wards. 1t is some fifteen years since,
under an escort furnished by my excellent friend
Matscll passed along these narrow streets and
sitting alleys. There has been a graf change
for the better. The old every has given way
to Mission House and sort of home for
children without parents. Warehouses and
granite stores are springing up in new and
crowed thoroughiares. But there is yet room
Heaven knows, for still greater changes. More
than year ago. | gave you short experience
of high hotel life in this city, and spoke of the
almost exatt similarity between the people O
that time in the gorgeous saloons and sweeping
halls of those steamboats, ashore" and the
people who firted and hattered in the large no
tells of New York ten years before; and il
had not known that Death had been busy since
my last nocturnal visit to the haunts of lower
life, gathering his human harvest, could have
almost sworn that the faces and figures, the rio
and rags, the filth and profanity of yesterngh
were the same that had saddened and startled
me before. The evening was a lovely one
There was young moon in a clear sky, ant
the atmosphere was soft and cool. The clos
lanes were crowded with mixed mass OF men
women and children-to those that surged il
and swept along Broadway, but another race
probably as Indifferent to Broadway as Broad
way to them. Music was heard from almos
every door; glasses were cnking and abov
the din of voices the tones of the gentler Sc
; were heard as the octave flute is heard in tn
0 full orchestra.
Let us enter one of these dens. First is til
+ gin-shop, with a stout woman as the presiding
divinity, who welcomes us with no pleasant all
but who does not refuse admission when sh
sees the protecting "stars' that shine benig
= nantly at our side. Next, the ball room Nc
a bad copy of other saloons with more preter
sions. At the extreme end is balcony, or box
= in which are a violin, a carionet, and fif,
d each with bloated face behind it, and the tri
are producing a sort of drunken cotillion. Tn
set is being formed. The women are first
> position, each with her partner, generally il
vited by herself. The men are generally hea'
lily begrimed and bewhiskered; and among thel
two who do not look to be over eighteel
e "Most of these" said our guide "are known
i be burglars and that fellow, at full length Q
the side bench, is supposed to have been guilt
II of at least three murders. The woman hi
had FIVE husbands--tho last is at sea-and 81
{. will soon have another; and that young fe
low, with the light cap, who dances so grac
! fully, and is dressed so WE'LL is one of the mo
/, expert pickpockets in the country" We lc
the usual fee but were informed that the cir
could not get gin till the ball was over III
tigress at the bar kept them sober on light p'
tations till this part of their slavery was pc
formed. These frail sisters are mostly attach'
p to these houses as so many fixtures, paying
o. much week for their board, at least 50, whit
they must earn by double sacrifice of body al
9 of soul heard some stories of the way th'
~ are treated by their overseers-who are L