The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-03-10
LIFE IN NEW YORK.


A New York correspondent Of the Chi
cago Times gives the following interesting
letter from that great city of wealth and
poverty, fashion and crime, mock philan-
thropy and ostentatious pride, of luxury
and woe, little virtue and great vice:
A week ago, we had superior weather
for winter ducks;' this week we are
having splendid weather for amateur
arctic explorers. Some persons profess
to believe that Dr. Hall has found the
north pole and is foolhardy enough to
endeavor to bring it home. At any rate,
and from any cause you like, we are now
enjoying % the coldest weather for many
year, and the coldest within any ken.
1 have questioned the enjoyment of
this weather, brs did SO to express my
own feelingson on tbs subject, The natives
here do seem is enjoy it. Men and
women and children go out of doors with
the same impunity as on former occasions;
and skating and eoasting appear to be as
favorite sports as swimming or other
summer pastimes The women here fear
nothing The thermometer has no terror
for them, either when 10 below zero, or
10 above 100 in the shade. They are
alike needless of barometerial advice, and
are visible on the streets in spite Of wind,
rain or sleet and shouldn't be surprised
lif | we're told that they were at home in
the streets all the while the great riots of
/ 1868 were raging. As class, must say
that New York women are the ugliest and
most Independents have ever met This
last item the telegraph viii not have told
you, SO l can; but yet, this is not news,
and fancy that is what you want to-day.
No news but plenty of gossip, aud that,
by the way, is exactly what have not to
/ give you, unless you are willing to con-
slider such some facts given by the Police
Commissioners. One of these statements
refers to the pretty waiter girl" system
of New York bar-rooms; and from the
items given, I have arrived at the rather
startling calculation that there are regu-
larly employed 1,191 young and pretty
waiter girls of undauntcd reputation, en-
gagged in the nightly Sundays excepted, J
task of seducing 10000 visitors, gener-
ally strangers, BY means of their attract
i've features and 200, 900 mixed and plain
drinks This, be it remembered, is one
nights operation in 22B establishments.
The total number per annum of the
sedueed aggregates little over 9 600, 900
of gay and festive young cusses;" and
the so, 900, 900 Of drinks which they inn
bibe costs them 81 ,63S, 600 in greenbacks,
besides various doctors bills for repairs
Iof health, &c., resulting from said ex-
cesses.
i In telling all this the Police Commits
sioners, who are known to wink at the
above, talk very much in the style of
lPeeksniff, and have mock religious tone,
very much in the style, though not so
I elegant. as that of the great Beecher on
that other abuse, or, according to him,
abused, the negro. Messrs. Pecksnif,
Police Commissioners, intimate that this
force of the daughters of perdition " is
rapidly increasing, which speaks well for
said Pecksnif6an Commissioners, who are
iprovided by law with the power, but not
by nature with the morality, to put it
down. They say the philanthropist and
Christian would be panied, and even men
of the world would be astonished at learn
ling the class and character of the custom
ers of these dissipated places" butknow-
/ ing people here, who do not set up for
professional philanthropists, but who hope
they are Christians, are still more aston
ished at the increase of places, inmates
and visitors. Fifth Avenue nabobs have
been making inquiries of said Pecksnifs
as to the means by which these Broadway
pests have invaded the sacred precincts
of the aristocracy and shoddy. Two Of
the most fashionable resorts are in Fifth
Avenue nearly all the rest are on Broad
way. The Pecksniffs close up their re-
port with the usual excuse of delinquent
officials. They ask for more law, when
they don't half enforce what they have
got.
i After all preaching of morality and
complaining of philanthropists, what uso
is there with law or anything else in an
effort to suppress species of vice that is
a necessity. The. effort will be in vain.
Crush it in one shape, and it will appear
under another. It never strikes these
people to regulate such abuses. They dc
] this thing diferentlyin France. In fact,
the French are the only people who know
how to deal with such things.
LIFE IN rHE CHEAP LODGING OR TENEMENT HOUSES
OF NEW YORK.
The Messrs. Pecksniff, Police Commits.
sioners, are interesting on another subject
that Of misery resulting from poverty
not vice. They frequently have reason
! to invade the abodes of the poor, the
/ g Tenement Houses of Poverty" and
some of the facts they present are start
Hing. What think you of such facts al
, these regarding single precinct-the
) fraction of ward:
There are in the Fourth precinct 6C
i dens where the wretched poor resort t.
> lodge, paying 10 to Is cents per night fol
the miserable accommodations. These
: places are chiefly in cellars, with NAKED
: stone or brick walls, damp and decayeC
) floors, without beds or bedding ft fol
human. beings. They are mainly unyen
q tilated or lighted, except through th'
> entrance door. In condition they ar
! filthy and disgusting beyond description
|overHowing with yarmin and infested b,
rats. In these hideous places are packet
nightly an average Of 10 persons to eacl
. place, or 900 in the aggregate. In viola
J, ton of the laws Of decency and morality
7 smen women and children, white AMI
lLl.oI w-%L NJ ,.ar.o,I -, Eovnns1ry "a &snRa