The Portland daily press., 1863-02-05
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from New York.

ActucT hTOm new Ofks
Broad,coy-l200 passers by erery hour-Hab-
its Of business men-Horse railroads.&c..
PauPs church-Rec. II. b. Ridge,cay-The
sabbath In the city-Up to,cn morements-
Central Pdrk-THc rebellion and its abel
tors.
New YORK, Feb. 2, 1868.
To the Editors Of the Press:
A leisure hour In New York ought not to
hang heavily; but your correspondent finds
himself willing to be quiet after the labor and
cares of the day, and while so, presumes upon
your good nature enough to pen a brief line
for the Press, or TO go under the table as you
now see 1T.
New York is Indeed the commercial empori-
um Of the nation, the great heart and center,
whoss throbbings and pulsations are felt
throughout our wide domain anc to its remot-
est extremes. Men from every section Of the
land and the world, intent upon the prosecu-
ton oftheir schemes of finance and trade, or in
pursuit Of pleasure and the qualification Of Gu
riosity, through Its busy marts and crowded
thoroughfares In untold thousands from early
morn till late at night The mind is bewilder-
cd while contemplating tho sceae at almost
any point in the lower part of the CITY, had
the curiosity to-day, as stood on the corner
OF Broadway and Fulton street, to count the
pedestrians for three successive minutes as
buCl pdSScu. uc tdck was DOI all easy one,
for they fitted by almost like snow-fakes in a
December northeaster The result was 305 or
say, 100 minute, or 5000 an hour. The op-
posite sidewalk was equally crowded, making
lz00 an hour on foot traversing Broadway,
and these streams OF humanity flowing cease
lessly on for at least twelve hours out of the
twenty-four make grand total Of l44, ZOO
per day on foot. Add to this, those conveyed
In the unbroken procession of omnbusses and
vehicles Of every description that so rush by
and crowd each other that policemen are sta
toned at every crossing to stop them and aid
the pedestrians in effecting passage without
risking their lives in the attempt, and we shall
have grand total Of at least 10000 per day
on this world-renowned thoroughfare. 1t Is
said that at other points, the throng is fully
equal to this, especially at the intersection OF
Nassau, Williams, &c, with Chatham aud Park
streets. The millionaire and the plebeian, the
unsophisticated countryman and the city fop,
the proud belle with her costly silks aud sky
scraper bonnet, and the despised rag-pickers
OF the Eve Points, the honored and good, with
the degraded and vicious, all mingle in the
throng, and hurry onward without the slight
est token Of recognition from one in thou
sand of those they meet.
Another noticeable feature is the number of
business men, who take their meals at restau-
rants during the hours of business. There are
city, and merchants and others dine there as
necessity, and not with their families, which
are at Jersey City, Hoboken, Brooklyn, Viii
hamsburg, Harlaem, de-, or up town,irom two
70 twelve miles away. One OF the proprietors
at whose well regulated establishment I have
often had the pleasure Of using the knife and
fork to good advantage, told me that he fur
nished an average of 400 meals per day. A
small army OF servants Of the contraband or
dor aupply fbu hmm oil o.a a.fl
on with the greatest neatness and order.
The horse railroads are an indispensable
institution. Countless thousands ill the cars
and often hang on the outside like swarm of
bees on hive. The business Of New York
could not be done without them. George Law
and his associates are coming money from
them. The projected Forest City rail road in
Portland will not probably pay as well, but it
VIII no oouot prove pecuniary success as
soon as established. We hope TO see it soon
completed.
Being detained over the Sabbath, went up
town and heard the eloquent and gifted Mr.
Ridgeway, pastor of the st. Pauls Methodist
Church, on Fourth Avenue near Madison
Square. Portlanders will remember him as
the late pastor ut Chestnut Street Church.
His church edihce is large and costly, though
plain and tasteful, and his congregation one Of
the largest and most wealthy in the city
- -,~~ '' .s'.sa uhsSut ioA kOou 10 suSh man
such position. Possessing the spirit of his
Master, with thoroughly educated mind en-
riched by constant study, he rivets the atten-
OF the vast auditory and leaves an Impression
for good on every mind. Long may he be
spared to fulfill his mission oflove to the thou
sands that attend his ministrations.
One material defect exists in the construc-
ton Of some of these costly metropolitan
churches, that Is apparent to all, especially on
duii day. mean the plan OF shutting out
the light by deeply stained windows. This
mistake IL made in ST. Paul's, so that gas lighl
Is oifen required In the absence of daylight
though the services are held at noon day
Trinity Church on Broadway at the head O
wall Street, Is much worse, so that as one en-
tiers from the light and life of Broadway. the
dark, somber, gloomy aspect of the LOFTY col
umns and groined arches is decidedly unpleas
ant, and the darkness must be inconyenient tf
many OF the worshipers. The Chestnut Stree
Church In Portland is not without this fault
Beautiful as 1t is, with its elaborately wrought
stained glass windows, 1t seems to be mistak,
that SO much light is excluded, especially ii
the vestry.
The contrast between the Sabbath and othe
days IN New York Is marked feature. Broad
way Is rs quiet as country village. A lool
up that splendid avenue from the Astor Hous
to Grace Church, over two miles, at MIN
o'clock Sunday morning, will not discover
single carriage perchance, and only an occa
sional foot passengers. The newsboy's shriI
cry has entirety ceased and notbino dist,rh