Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-07-25
Our New York Correspondence

MORE OF THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS IN THE
STREETS OF THE GREAT METROPOLIS
PHASES OF LIFE-A LOWER STRATUM
OF sOCIETY-A TRANSPLANTATI0N
FROM GERMANY.
NKw YORK, July Goth, 1866.
A man may "stop" in New York long time
without seeing or even hearing of some of its
most rem arkable sights. Proof Of this had the
other night, when friend Of mine took me away
M town to see charming widow. Said widow
was not in when we entered, but soon returned
from nocturnal stroll with distinguished jour
nalist. "where have you been I" inquired my
friend, somewhat abruptly If not impertinently.-
"Uhl we have been 10 see one Of the greatest
sights in the city" "And what is that, pray :"
This is Saturday night, you know, and we have
been TO the Eighth Avenue TO see the working
classes making purchases with their week wages
II Is really sight well worth seeing. You ought
10 70 by ell means said the fair lady.
so we will" said my friend; and 20 We did, just
as soon as our visit was ended. The clocks were
striking ten as We entered the Eighth avenue,
which we found on the west side to consist Of an
endless succession Of small shops, stretching
miles and miles away, and blazing with gas
lights IL looked like an illumination, and the
turnout of people suggested the idea Oh grand
holiday or .tete Indeed, 1t was regular Bartho-
lomew Fair. Such collection OF people, men,
women and children, old and young, black and
white, (very few OF the former, thought am sure
never saw except on some great occasion. Thou.
sands upon thousands passed US as we strolled
leisurely downward. All was life, hustle, ANNA
ton, cheerfulness. Everything conceivable TO eat
or 10 drink 10 wear, was displayed IN the count
: a., Nbo ,t-rfa dc of gfa
sidewalks, and the innumerable tables, carts, wa
gons, &c, which choked up the cross streets. In
addition there were boys and gir,s IN any quanti'
~ peddliug flowers, hsh, stockings candy, hsh-
hooks, what not Everything was cheap. MY
friend bought nearly q pound OF excellent mo.
lasses candy for seven cents. got very gooa
pair of worked slippers for Do cents, and with dim.
Guilty refrained IRON purchasing pound OF
smoked cells for 20 cents Certes, the Eighth Ave-
nue. is the place TO get the worth OF your mo-
ney."
The hosts of pedestrians, busily engaged in
chatting and chafeIing with the shopkeepers
and market men, were poor people, but they were
thrifty looking and happy. Taxes have not
begun to tell on them yet Most Of the faces
were of the IT, common 10 the "Dasses," but
some of the girls were decidedly pretty, modest
aud tasteful ly dressed. Then again they had a
plump healthy, buxom, English To- about them,
aorth all the weakly sleepy, oyerdone beauties OF
of the boy.peddlers were genuine gGn1i7sS as any
N Paris-dirty, cunning impudsnt little devils.!-
could not resist the conviction that they had
stolen the SUITS and wares which they ex'
posed to sale so very vociierousiy. hinged 10
the crowd were on te number OF ladies' leaning
on the arms Of their gallanls, and ike ourselves,
enio, ing the human panorama.
Eleven o'clock came, but no diminuton in the
throngs of people, who, doubtless continued TO bar
gain and buy until midnight. We left the Eighth
Avenue. by no means satisfied with what we had
seen, and fully determined 10 go again at an earlier
hour and remain till the shops closed so that we
might witness the finale OF this curious and inter-
estlnC spectacle. On our way home, We stopped
in the Louvre, and while drinking our beer were
introduced TO the gentlemanly pOlice-othcer who
has charge Of the establishment, and with his four
or five assistants, prevents disturbances and
checks undue familiarIties with the girls. Hear
ing that had written description OF the Louvre,
be expressed great anxiety 10 see it, and at the
same time advised me 10 visit the Atlantic Gardens
in the BOwery, on Sunday night. This accord
ingly did the next evening after ten, taking with
me two simple-minded Iynchburgers. We found
the Atlantic Gardens 10 be a monster beer saloon
which. as regards the number Of its customers,
threw the splendid Louvre completely in the shade.
IL IL the favorite Sunday evening resort OF the leu
tonic population. The crowd was not at It's height
when we entered, but there must have been
near a thousand Germans, Of both sexes
and smoking. Whole families come and sit |
for hours saw grey haired old lady, ST least |
seventy years of age and a score or more of bs- |
bies only few months cd. Conversation was |
carried on very quietly, tho order was perfect, |
and not few of the visters were snoozing calm |
ly rs if in bed at home. 1t was queer Sunday |
night sight TO Us Virginians. Formerly the te- |
dunn of the evenng--and IL must be dreldfully /
dull after the first half hour, should think-was
relieved by the music OF fine band; but this has
Of late been suppressed by the pious authorities
Of TIVE city.
You may form some idea Of the business done in
this saloon when tell you that the tap ters fire.
lusntly serve out TO the 1910 guests-tor the place
will hold that number-in the course of a single |
sunday evening as many as 60 barrels of beer.
A barrel holds four kegs, and keg will average |
about $50 10 400 glasses Four times 90 is $40 |
EGGS, and $50 times $40 is 1880. Think of it
10 or 50 thousand glasses of beer drunk in sim
lie night Pretty tall or pretty deep drinking,
snt iIl At Eve cents glass, the GALES mount /
ID 10 q matter Of some 50 500, q very fair six /
hours traffic, 10 which must be added cigars,
,retzel cheese, ETC.. which will probably swell
he amount 10 $1,000.
We tsrred not long at the Atlantic Garden,
,ut threading our way through the crowded ia.
lies made haste TO thu ST. Nicholas, greatly /
wondering, as we went, what the future Of our
nglo- Irish. German.Amercan civilization would
IN IL IS a DrObpm.