Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-19
An Interesting Chapter on Life in Great
Cftiaa.

Cltleb.
A paper in Putnams Monthly for
January, by Charles W. Elliott, entitled
as above, gives some curious and inter-
esting facts concerning life in New
York.
The writer starts out by saying that
not one of oil the seven hundred and
twenty.six thousand residents Of New
York produces a particle of the food
they eat; that they are thus gathered
together because they do not wish to
raise the food they consume, but prefer
to use their wits rather than their hands.
There are thirty eight thousand and fifty
six more females than males in New
York, goodly number that not only are
not, but cannot be married. He also
finds that four hundred aud twenty
three thousand and twentyone New
Yorkers are not married-more than
one half the population Of the city.
The writer assumes that the chief ends
of human existence are to eat and to
love, aud he laments that nearly mill
lion of the people of the great city find
il exceedingly difficult to do either in
legitimate way. He finds that the l50,-
600 families Of New York expend over
$52, 100000 annually for tea, coffee,
liquors, tobacco and bugles in which
term he includes the various styles Of
wampum in vogue with the ladies of the
present age)
New York consumes annually 265, ,000,.
600 pounds of -four at cost Of $l8 550,-
900, and 1872, ,O0O,0 900 pounds Of meat at a
cost of $l9, 100000, making S3S, 1850, 600
the cost Of the necessaries of life, which
is less by $4,000, 900 than the estimated
cost of the luxuries above mentioned.
The different trades and occupations
comprise eleven hundred in number, a
few of which are classified as follows:
In the wine and liquor busines
But ,...,'........ lSOU
Bakers........,,. l0Ou
'zUV0
DoctO .''.'''''.' l9U
Tai IVY
Hairdressers 9U
900
The writer mentions two other classes,
an integral part of society which toll not
neither do they spin, yet Solomon never
approached them in the magnifcence OF
iewelry and waterfalls, to wit There are
fifteen hundred professional thieves in
Gotham-not counting aldermen and
common councilmen-and twenty five
thousand known prostitutes, exclusively
females. Some of the thieves have
country seats, aud are surrounded by all
the luxurious comforts which unbounded
affluence commands.
Although New York is wealthy city
it's wealth is in the hands of a compare
tive few. The most prosperous year tor
New York for the last ten, was 1868,
when the income returns showed tnat
but eighteen thousand and thirty four
of her vast population had incomes above
$4,000 only five above $500, 900, and one
81, ,843, ,637. The great majority live on
incomes of less than $1,000 per year.
ONLY fifteen thousand persons occupy
whole houses, and 4803S6 live in tene-
ment houses of these 1924 live in cell
lars. There are of the underground tribe
enough to make large city There are
also So, ,258 houseless and homeless crea-
lures dependent upon charity
The taxable property OF New York in
1865 amounted to $6O9,0O0, 900, unon
which $l8, 203, 1852 taxes were paid. The
police department costs $2,S6l,577 per
auuum, and it is supposed that several
millions are annually stolen by the city
officers.
But the grand problem which the writer
points out is the fact that thousands of
persons in New York society" annu
ally spend from fifteen to twenty thou
sand dollars more than their income
How they do it, he admits to be mys
terry, but that they do do it, be asserts
boldly.