New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-07
THE NEW. YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

At the monthly meeting Of the New-YOrk
Rhetorical Society last evening very interesting paper
was read by MI Chas W. Elliott. his subject was New
York Of today" Mr. Elliott commenced 10y saying that
t rt 0reat have begun I'm simplicity that as they
Increase SIZE wealth has been imported which mas
changed the tastes OF the people thei came ~ &
travagance. corruption decay rum 90 geherd Is tias
law that speaking with reverence ne considered IL laN
Of God. This Influence spreads outward RON 'hs
cities the few cannot stand against the corruption on
thr n,any No nation ruined has ever come up again
10 its youthful vgor and virtue; 1880 human beings ne
down at night 10 sleep ana rle III the nouk ~ cav
ia tins great metropolis and not one OF them prodhSss
nOrl OF tho food which he consumes Ihere are SoVl'
more women than men; hence 1t follows tnat greer
many love or be loved IN the naturl,
way never be married or become inc y,
families there being no one LOT mem 70 ote. W., 10,
water which In nature Is one OF the reest OF Oous Rs
to man. brought for miles Into the CITY, ana we pay
about three millions OF dollars year FOR H. shOud an
accident stop the flow OF water from Croton for even one
day. 1t would create panic IN the city Nor Is ms az
that the people Of New-York drink 1000 hcensed giOs
sbOps sell during the more than three million gallons
whisky Ia addition to the numerous other kinus Oh Ins
which they retail Of which the lmportaohs AMOUNT
to t9,00o6OO annually. Among other items OF con 3
sumption 6sooO tuns Of zee are yearly Drought tD rS
city. And yet spite OF all the complicated hacnery
that is required to supply tho wants Vi tnls
million Of human beings they ali w, MIN H., NY MY
will have enough each succeeding DAY ANA no" arc
all these wants supplied ana pa1 i1ri inT nse Hus ,
easily answered than the later lhere Is no.
"A hog In Connecticut Texas, bushel OF wheat
IN Illinois pound o. cotton IA w the ScIn rt" Se "a
chicken In Bucks County egg In Nebraska an oyster
Chesapeake, "a
Maine or an apple in the whole thrtysN States that may
nor n It's way 10 New York and help Ia feed coyerono
Of Coemeys Appause Allowing .ns s s ssS ON, M,
600 pounds eaten ia year IN addiuon 10 irDm lVoNV
proportion. OF the nxuries; the l5OO families OF tde
city each consume 81 worth of tea ana eonse ~eeA'
s II onia srom as though each ndividu sh, ami
NAL and bird voluntarily turned ats course toward TINS
se,eng That ali roads lead to Rome. We
may SAY that Ill roads In America leao to Newfo The
whole country IL covered with network OF HitOaus
and every one Of these helps 10 bring food to the door Of
the New Yorker Wherever there any tMnR NJ TOT man
10 eat some Que catches up and sends TO New 0rk
Ru yen when IL Is In the city there IA stl the task Of
carrying food TO the mouths OF the consumers ana
of o'clock every morning until shutdown, except on
sunday thousands 81 carts may be seen gathering ron
otlcr. But 10 tell how all this is paid Tor Is dlnlcnt
problem Many of the smart men ana women oil the country
hook 10 he great ety. here they nd scope Tor the de
yclopcnt their faculties; there are great opporu
ties or success and the great idea OF all these people IS
to gcf AN the money they can from others There are
dfercnt trades, professions, ana occupations III the
city They represent ali kinds OF employ nsht nom that
of the Judge on the bench to the vender OF vermin eX
trrmnntor Tho speaker named the number engaged III
,,si nm nnd said that tie number OF HAIR
drcssers Is $50 the same ~ that or ctrgyin
laughtcrl Two other classes IN New-fork whose occu
patton not found In the directory yet claim our sten
tion-the professional thieyes-nOt including the Com
mon CounclmeE- laughter and applaus -humDtr Loo"
They may be found everywhere IN the lowest dri i
ruos III tho Metropolitan Hotel and the prostitutes or
which there are not less thh zo nc Sr..,a
I'm every iirection undermining health OF
ali ,r nennie 1ie traders are the great class OF our
cy Sitting In their dingy counting South
WcStst. without ever seeing the goods they trade ln
with "A stroke OF the pen they conslgn whole car
goes TO China or indOsan They take toll OF everything
that passes through their hands, ana add ther 10 or 70
ner e. M 10 M market value The merchant Is the ruler
~ the civ. and Ills business is daily becoIn-
ing more or less respectable ganoshg OPERA.
as the prof gambler does upon the throw OF de
the turning " card But must not be supposed
that NewYok does nothing but buy aud sell step aside
from the line OF Broadway and you will hear the hum OF
machinery, and great manufacturing establishments
that IN a lew years have grown up from nothing. The
year 1868 notw thstanding the war was prosperous
for the people Of our city ana yet only Oi persona
majority OF families lived upon incomes Of $1,000 or less
They crowded together In dark and dingy tenement
1bs own s"d the houses they live n or have any
thing beyond the fruit OF their daily labor. As a
civ die before they are one year OF age. The under
ground population II l69t they hve-no not Ve-they
rot aud die damp musy cellars There then three
classes among u.s. few who are immensely rich, many
who are very poor and the great mas who are put eo
$40 to each person. Of the city amount To
millions dollars, large proportion OF which is paid for
arrested are OF Irish BIRTH aud Others
many Foreigners Being the great port Of entry for
grafton York not only has to take care OF its own
criminals but Of majority of the criminals OF the Old
World TO shores. Nor Is this ALL we make
voters Of these when they have been here short
iime and they seize tho Government itself and drag II
down to their level subvertlng even our free ns-
tutions few lawyers get from $4,000 70 $4,000 year.
but the greater number have to be content with from
10 The clergyman's services moderated
in the city they keep alive the taste and love for lit
enure. beside this they keep alive the belief that
gold Ii not God (Applause.) One hundred aud twelve
thousand persons in the city church members, aud
although this number may seem small proportion of tho
IL must be- remembered that the majority or
Of and represent large part Of the
population The speaker thought he might say that the
ous privileges Of the city fully equal to those
OF Pekin aud yet examination, he was forced TO
conclude that the trouble was not So much want OF
churches 10 attend 10 was persons 10 attend Them
Two hundred aud ak thousand pupils are taught IN our
public schools, and yet, although We claim that we are
giving children sound education, line OF the laws
health the duties Of maternity, and, as far rs the
speaker could learn but little Of the natural sciences -
taught French Music and Latin are, however taught IN
There are, in this city, about 5000 clerks ana
about 1890 masOns, and yet OF the latter u
Ia rare 10 find who IA an American.
The speaker then spoke OF the public libraries saying
coming yearly extensively used In ansements Wo
spend about F0OODoo year. large nunDer OK tnoso
who frequent these places are strangers ia the Guy r
Elliott spoke approVngy OF tho Central PARK enterprise
and thought that begrudged the cost when hAs
been great but which has converted In 80 Few Years eao
OF the most repusive parts the Island INTO one OK inc
most beautiful spots Ia America In speaking OF the MS
tory of the city. he ead that loia were given ont
ON the lsland in l64S. and beyOyd the f9rh Just
outsldo OF the town. one OF the old Dutch BufgErs
Cow. pasture Could his ghost nov come phek
and look upon this eyand the SPEAKER hsu no uouD ~
could-he would fni, ruisuing worth from where his
dwelling then stood the great tsoroughaie' bfuasw
extending through tho whole length h the slAhu ana
thence along tho river t. Albany and the
towns. Passing down n lane, now called "M!sI, no
would splendid coniinorclal house" ah" no nap
pened 10 turn into Broafst he would near netco cris
coming out from fine room ~ though men Were
engaged in teariEg each other 10 Irsesi Du!
they arc not. they are respectaple ana