The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-01

compare almost unfavorably with the FIVE
Points Of New YORK and the Tiger Bay OF Lon
don The great and common centre OF Ine
neiRhborhood is known as Bedford street' ou'
Baker, Spafford, and Hurst streets, GILES aney'
and numerous other lanes and byways con-
nected with them, are all on par, as lar US
poverty, misery, and filth are concerneu-ail "a
them being in much the same condition. III
moral and sanitary way, as Bedford sIeeb
3tsoIf Aa the season is n ow well advanced, and
the cholera will soon appear in our midst IL
ia to come at all this year, we determined W upon m
tour of Inspection of this detestaDle locay, @ w
ascertain what measures WelS Wd,,Ience No one
who has been able to overcome MS Si scLuPioS Lis
against uncleanness sufhGientiy w 'ni ~ late
will Imagine that we could discover auRuG ~
the way of sanitary precautions againsG 81 uisease,
~ is this district of the city which furnishes
me most numerous and hardened cases Tor our
iails and Almshouse; and If every thing Is sur
Sered To nroeress In the good old way, 1t Will be
This same district which will furnish the most
numerous and pitiable cases for our cholera
Our frst visit to Bedford street and its en-.
Virons was by daylight, another being reserved
for the night, in order that we might be able to
witness the contrast presented
The Population
Is sabout equally divided between the whites and
blacks and 1T is the universal testimony OF all
who know anything about the locality, that
what little respectability it enjoys Is mono
As matter of course they are all, black and
white alike, addicted to the vices OF drunken
ness idleness profanity, thieving, quarrelling,
and looseness of morality in general. But it is
from the white element alone that the most
desi%ed' the iawiessness Of the blacks partaking
of that petty character Wnlch distinguishes III
all over the country. ASIDE from thls' Lhey are
which now convulses the country being settled
in this one locality by the democratic ten
denotes of poverty and vice. II is. indeed, very
common to find white family dwelling on the
first floor of a wretched tenement, with do
nestle circle of blacks just above them, and
still another Of the same sable hue in the cellar
below 1t cannot be stated as positive fact
that intermarriages take place between the
two races but they have no undue preudices
on account of color when it comes to a drink
Ing or a fighting bout.
Bedford street at Midday.
1t was o'clock in the Afternoon when we
entered the purlieus of Bedford street AT that
particular hour of the day sober and indus
trious housewife Is supposed to be occupied In
the kitchen, getting the remnants of dinner
and the dirty dishes out ofsight. The danes of
Bedford street, however, must be excepted from
the general rule in this matter for the whole
street was lined with women of every imagi-
nable hue, from the pale and sickly. looking
white TO the full.blooded and coal black negro.
All ages as we'll as all colors were represented
the children indeed, out tnumb bering the adults,
and making the daylight hideous with their
howls. In this they were fairly rivalled by
pack OF hungry hounds, and between the crea-
lures OF human and canine breed the uproar
was almost head-splitting. The women were
IL
tematic way Instead of joining in o united
effort to drown each,other's voices, they were all
proved capable of Ineligible articulation, and
directed their bluster and hubbub at some
special object of admiration or spite.
1t should not be imagined that the women
and children We're the only creatures visible
because we have not named the men in this
connection. They were out in strong force, but
their numbers were few when compared with
the gentler sex. Every groggery and grocery
and every coal bin and ash-cart had It's quota Of
i5ungeTs, of all colors and In all stages of SOM
Just as our ears were becoming somewhat ac-
cnstomed TO the din. our attention was called
from 1t to
A Veritable Basket Feat,
which was quite as diverting as any of those
performed by Japanese jugglers or French ma
Ricians. A young man of about twenty years,
with an equal mixture of white and crimson in
his complexion, and about as much of his ma
kedness visible as was invisible, was sauntering
along ST. Mary street, when he became excited
by corn basket which reposed upon the door
step Of small shop. 1t took but o moments
time, and but si ght exertion OF his lazy legs
the street Then he paused to await develop
ments. They soon appeared, IN n Ine e. shape OF
style OF dress with about as much favor as hel
HWhat you do dat for. you good-fo nothin
-" was her friendly salutation;
To which the hummer youth replied, 81 dldn'
do 1t, you lying old d. | 1T ovor souoo,oo :,
point of years, we suppose the hummer intended
TO insinuate that she was "old" In the habit o
We had no time for philosophIzlng on this
point, however, as the bummer's stout denia
soon brought matters to crisis of words and t.
the point of blows, Each one measured tn
other, and appeared doubtful of the result of al
appeal TO fists; and SO each vented his and he
Indignation upon the other in volley o
threats, oaths and obscenity which our copper
faced types would blush to print The matte
was still in dispute we passed along, WheI
the uproar was drowned by the exclama
tiOns OF
A Group of Children Studying a Rat.
The rat was dead, even to the point of stencil
and some unfastidtous and hungry cat hat
already disposed of Its head and fore legs Tn
remnant OF the beast lay just upon the curb
stone, and around 1t were grouped half q scor
of hilarious boys, ranging from four to eight tiI
years, and from jet black to dirty chip in color
They were engaged in contemplating tn
unclean carcase from all points OF view, som
of them throwing themselves Hat in the gutter
that they might enjoy the rare privilege {
the ribs and the ground The Investigation we
immensely satisfactory, as was manifest froI
the tremendous uproar which resulted from |
It is needless to say that not one OF these Chi
dren had any covering upon his head, and bl
few Of them the appendage OF seat 10 the
pantaloons
An Errand for a Child.
Just then our attention was again diverte
A middle-aged man, of Hiberntan ancestr
appeared upon the scene with push-car
loaded down with tattered garments and rag
He paused in front of a frame shop, in front
which dangled an outlandish array OF secon'
hand dresses. In the doorway stood bronze
and healthy-looking Irish woman, evident
the domestic partner Of the man with The pus
cart The woman let fall familiar salutatlo
and then, sHmmoning little girl OF about 81
years OF age, commanded her, IN rough, hars
voice, to ''go and and fetch pappy pint OF s ale
OF all the misery and vice OF the Wretche
neighborhood.
Two Specimen "Bummers'