Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-11

From a letter addressed to the New
/ York Young Mems Christian Association
we extract the following startling reve-
/ lati0ns:
I Like hundreds OF other young men who
I come % New York 70 seek a livelihood,
/ / found myself some ten years since clerk
/ in one of the largest mercantile houses IN
I this metropolis We had an overdose OF
night work at that time, entering goods
until past midu ght for six or eight weeks
at time I noticed most al the young
men took an overdose OF rum 10 keep
/ pace with the hours. I was not long IN
Z doing the same, aud I believe that three
! quarters Of our salaries were spent in the
( theaters and bar-rooms- In dull seasons
there would be "a reaction, and we drank
/ 70 drive away the "blues.' Three of my
/ fellow book-keepers in that house now
hH druukards graves.
One of the party fell of Of a steamer
crossing Lake Ontario enc stormy night
while on a drunken travelling spree.
I Another talented young man, brought
up in one Of the best book houses IN Lon
/ don, posted in all the current literature OF
/ the day, pregnant with the most witty
/ Jokes and songs, one who could keep a
room full Of us ia ro8rs OF laughter till
past the hour Of midnight, so full Of
I prom Use and advancement IN the house
We were engaged in, died q miserable
drunkard in the workhouse In London.
He was discharged for drunkenness and
reduced to poverty.
I was offered several hundred dollars
10 take the position Of assistant cashier
la another mercantile house. Then ]
was under the tuition Of one of the best
3 bo0kkeeDers IN this ciiy-cOmmandIng a
salary of 5000. He would take a week
each month for q good bender. had his
whole duties then on my shoulders, l
was inexperienced still, If whisky had
I not made me careless also, ! could have
stepped into bis position when he left.
/ That SAME gentleman died the sad death
/ Of a suicide, and a letter left i'm bis room,
/ where be did the awful deed SAYS:
I Bury me decentIy in my lot In Green
wood. II some kind friend bad taken
me by the hand my end might have
] been different -
My clerkshlp extended some three
/ years iu distant city. Not having SO
/ many temptations surrounding nae, /
I was comparatively sober Vet often
I times would that Internal LIQUOR get the
master OF me, and cause me TO commit
acts st which I think in my sober senses
Satan himself would blush. In that
house, one Of the principal members Of
the firm died Of delirium." Other per
sons were seemingly cOurJing the same
death. Fall brought me back 30 New
York again. / must say here that in all
my travels ! know of 40 place / ike bet
ter than " Gotham.
Inexperienced young men flock here
IN thousands from all parts Of the coun-
try-leave friends and relatives behind,
and their FIRST acquaintance is boarding
house Of dissipated young men, and ''de-
ceased furniture" Around st. Johns
Park hundreds OF young men are
/ "bunked' in those larger boarding
houses. 7 have been through "Hash
Row there myself. After tea the ques-
/ ti0n goes round amongst the young men:
"Wcll, Henry, what are you going 70 DO
with yourself tonight "' "lill play YOU
/ billiards for drinks" "Where are YOU
I going, y ack 2' "i'm going e. the opera. %
"Wel, come take a drink before You 90
! One is going 90 see his "little miliner'i
la Houston street another b. play baga-
teile ior lager; otheu to play faro, par
ticuiarly if il is pay day some to have
"a throw al CARDS, some to tbeaters and
oyster suppers, aad worse.
[ had hot been SIX months in nv new
situation before rum was again at work
4 fellow clerk runs off with a preftv
waiter girl, aud leaves his wife and
eHildrep 10 shift for themselves That
gentleman has since changed his course
ri lie and now holds "a high position
Instead of pushing nay way up with the
tsIerts was blessed with, ] was fond OF
changing. Il received a better salary in
another house. Rum was still there.
One of the principal statesmen, brilliant
man. in q drunken spree, walked of one
of our ferrvboats. was drowned, and left
wife and several children TO mourn bis
sad, untlneiy end
But the sad case that come under my
notice some few months since can nsver