The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-27

meet overhead ana calm night locke down
through the crevices In the ROOF. Open the door
OF one of these craulped hutches full OF nleeping
negroes. Pahl They have charcoal fire
within; there Is smell OF singing clothes or
flesh so close they gather round the brazier;
and vapors issue forth that blind and sufocate.
From every corner, as you glance about
you in these dark retreats, some figure
crawls half awakened, as II the Judgment
hour we're near at hand, and every obscene
crave were giving up it's dead. Where dogs
would howl to lie, women, and men, aud boys
stink off to sleep, forcing the dislodged rats 10
move away in quest OF better lodgings.
Here too are lanes and alleys, paved with
mud knee.deep; underground chambers, where
they dance and game; the walls bedecked with
rough designs of ships, and forts, and flags, and
American Eagles out of number; ruined houses
oTen to the street, whence, through wide gaps
IN The walls, other ruins loom upon the eye, as
though the world OF vice and misery had moth
ing else to show; hideous tenements which take
their name from robbery and murder; all that
ls loathsome, dropping, and decayed is here.
Cur leader has his hand upon the latch OF
"Almack's,n - and calls to us from the bottom of
the steps; for the assembly-room of the Five
Point fashionables is approached by descent.
Shall we 90 INF II is but moment.
Heyday the landlady of Almack's thrves!
buxom lat mulatto woman, with sparkling
eyes, whose head is dantily Ornamented with
handkerchief of many c0lors. Nor is the land
lord much behind her in his tinery, being attired
in smart blue jacket, like ships steward,
with thick gold ring upon his little finger, and
round mis- neck cleaning golden watch-guard.
How clad he is to see us What will we please
to call for? A dance 1t shall be done directly,
sir; "a regular break down.
Tue coIpulent black fiddler, and his
friend who plays the tsmbourine, stamp
pom the boarding of the small raised orchestra
in which they sit, ano play lively measure. Five
or six couple come upon the floor, marshalled
by lively young negro, who is the wit OF the
assembly, and the greatest dancer known. He
never leaves off making queer faces, and is the
delight OF all the rest who grin from ear to ear
necessarily. Among the dancers are two young
mulatto girls with large black, dropping eyes,
and head-gear afCer the fashion of the hostess,
who are as shy or feign to be, as though they
had never danced before, and SO look down
before the visitors, that their partners can see
nothing but their long fringed lashes.
But the dance commences. Every gen.
tleman sets as long as he likes TO the
opposite lady, and the opposite lady to him,
and all are so long about it, that the sport
begins to languish, when suddenly the lively
hero dashes in to the rescue. Instantly the id-
dler gTins, and goes at it tooth and nail; there
is new energy in the tambourine; new laughter
| in the dancers; new smiles in the landlady; new
| confidence in the landlords lew brightness in
the very candles. Single-shuffle, double-shufle,
| cut and cross-cut; swapping his fingers, rolling
| his eyes, turning in his knees, presenting the
backs OF his legs in front, spinning about on his
toes and heels like nothing out the mans fingers
| on the tambourine: dancing with two lett legs,
| two right legs, two wooden legs, two wire legs,
two spring legs,-all sorts of legs and no legs
what is this to him And in what walk OF life,
| latiDg applause as thunders about him, when,
| having danced his partner OF her feet, and him
self too, he finishes by leaplng gloriously on the
bar. counter, and calling Tor something to drink
| with the chuckle Of a million of counterfeit
| jim Crows in one inimitable sound.
The air, even in these distempered parts, Is
fresh alter the sitting atmosphere Of the houses;
| and now, az we emerge into broader street, 1t
blows upon us with purer breath, and the
stars look bright again. Here are The Tombs
once more. The city watch-house is a part of
ibn hni1d ms Iu fha fohf
we have just left. Let us see that, and then to
bed.
Whati do you thrust your common Of
tenders against the police discipline of the
town into such holes as these? Do men aud
women, against whom no crime is proved,
lie here all night in perfect darkness, sur
rounded by the noisome vapors which encircle
that Tagging lamp you light us with, and
breathing this filthy aud offensive stencil? Why,
| such indecent and disgusting dungeons as these
| cells would bring disgrace upon the most
| 6espotlc empire in the worldi Look al them,
man-you who see them every night and keep
the keys. Do you see what they are Do you
know how drains are made below the streets,
| and wherein these human sewers differ, except
| in being always stagnRnt?
Well, he don't know. He has had fiVe-and.
| twenty young women locked up In this very cell
at one time and you'd hardly realize what hand
| some faces there were among 'em.
In Gods name shut the door upon the
wretched creature who is in it now, and put Its
| screen before place quite unsurpassed in all
| the vice, neglect and devllry OF the worst old
Are people really left all night, untried, in
| those black sites EVERY night. The watch
is set at seven in the evening. The magistrate
| opens his court at i've in the morning. That is
| the earliest hour at which the first prisoner can
| be released; and If an officer appear against
him, he is not taken out till nine O'clock or ten.
! But ii any one among them die in the interval,
! as one man did, not long ago? Then he is hall
eaten by the rats 10 an hours time, as that man
was; and there an end.
What is that intoerable tollng of great
bells, and crashing of wheels and shouting
| in the distance? A fire. And what that
deep red light in the opposite directions
Another FIRE. And what these charred
and blackened walls we stand befOrei dwell
| ing where fire has been. 1t was more than
limited, in an official report, not long ago, that
some of these conhagratons. were not wholly
| accidental and that speculation and enterprise
| found field of eXertlon even IN names; but be
that 1t may, there was fire last night, there
| are tY % tonight and you may lay an even wager
| there will be at least one tomorrow. So, carry
| ing that with us for our comfort let us say good
| night, and climb up stairs to bed.
One day. during my stay in New York,
tions on Long Island, or Rhode Island,
/ forget which. One OF them is a Lunatlc
| Asylum. The building is handsome and
| is remark able for spacious and elegant stair
case. The whole structure is not yet finished,
but it is already one of considerable size and
| extent and is capable of accommodating very
large number OF patients.
cannot say that ] derived much comfort
from the inspection OF this charity. The different
| wares might have been cleaner and better Or
| deIed; saw nothing of that salntary system
| which had impressed me so iavOrably else where
| and every thing had loungiDg, listless, mad
| house air, which was very painful. The mopiDg
idiot, covering down with long disheyellcd