Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-08-11
Utit9 JiS 10 ~ ~tt satfj J-tlt lifJ I3
Correspondence of the Spectator.
safag hBAErMoRE, August Dad, 1868.

= .ijl eH<&' fBAETMoRE, August md, 1868. q
DEAR SPECTAfcg Ill. your columns are moi
too much oSs1pkd With the discussion Of the
POLITICAL questions Gf the day, think you will
make room for gtter from your Special. - !.
i was foo hnsy...toa wild with excitement
while il New York. thermometer among the
ninetiesl TO think Of sweating it over an epistle
to be read byf the blest denizens Of the noun
tain city, No tifire to concentrate ideas when
humanity in the head by the hundreds-in 9th
er wordsf stroafiirng them gently With Aery beams
until they cease Ia 8xiss saw stout men and
hearty Women seel ,bvel in tho streets, gasp and
die. 4he busy thEitig still pushed on-some,
more feeling than rhe rest, would cast a glance
toward the poor sufferer and exclaim, anosh-
er one keel d over pa and pass Cd, leaving him
in charge Of his oyss stsand-the policemen.
They havs9 1 soaiety'in New York for the sup
preston Of cfuelty,c}o animals; why, in the
name of Humanity do nor the tender hearted
philanthrdpists ttir1l their attention to the aris
tocratio bond holders, who drive their splendid
carriages over. little ragged boys and girls,
break limbs, and pass on without deigning 70
look at the little yasabonds2 : Such things Of.
ten occur in tllecssseast end wicked city of New
York: f1tfsa H1S they have of getting rid of
New York thy Daylight, by gas-light, and un
dersround BY Is ilifs4ft at ALL has often been pic
tured T Heed noe, therefore, varnish the
sketch and attempt 70 pass them off as origi-
nal designs. 'The question a stranger naturally
asks himself on AMitnessing the tide Of humsn
beings ebbingn naud flowing slana the great busi-
ness thorht Is asas;' 'ln1hoW do all these people
lives i'Phsh along keep moving seems to
ibe the cry, TIA man fail in enc thing he hits
upon anotherAif hat too Fails he tries third.
/ saw ssVarsi Hex aibrks, reporters, street. bro
kers AID ''Ufice holders, hawking about the
streets palm leaf SLAMS, bird-calls, backing,
magic soap, &c.ts W hen a poor fellow finds that
he cannot succeaaY III I'm honest calling, he takes
to stealing after hat we look for his name
among THE recordsssonf the Police Court. e ''.'
What shall 1 say of the females? Rettar TO
draw the curtain before ths, scenes of degrada
tion that daily sna llssAtly occur in this great
cityt' Since the pretty t0aiter system OF attrac
ton has been stopped by the authorities, the
streets have become overrun With distressed
widows whose hnsbanas fell while defending
the old flag ladies in the prime OF life who
are DESTROYS of obtaining situations as house,
keepers or nurses to retired bachelors or wild
ows-laughing match girls-pretty but melan-
choly-ooking ladies in black, who would bless
you for the smallest possible sum to obtain
some medicine for a. dying mother-the laugh
ing little imp in her rertless eyes all the while
giving the lie to her touching story. New York
is filled with these fair impostors you meet
with them in the stlaet cars, on the ferry boats,
at the hotel doors and in the public parks
1--WE must hge, seems 70 be the, cry Of the
surging mass---honestly,, it possible-but, we
must live at all events !
There is blue eyed and rather robust little
fellow of nine OF ten years at present polishing
nv boots while lounge lazily in a cushioned
chair in the hail Of the New York Hotel. Let
us see what he SAYS in answer to the question
about living. '.-i go -. q
How much DO yea charge for blacking
boots, boy ?'''a@..t 10 -
Give cents, sir-but take almost anything,
| "I'ye only got two coppers change.
t ''That'Il do, sir, Mus ut be idle, though ]
| can't make much by that spec. -- '4'--- ----- 3
f'Have you done well to day 2" -'57
"Made ten cents, sir, and your two makes
twelve Likely II make ten cents more afore
night. 49, ii'- = 1893
E'That's very little What do you do with
your money! - -'
l"Give it to mother-she's sick and can
work only a little, that's when she feel a Gttlt
strong like. I" --.5 l'
''Do you mean to say that the trife you carr
supports you and your mother?'
II -1'Oh, no, sir. Brother Ned sells newspaper
and makes q heap; Joe carries bundles ane
carpet bags for travelling folks, and sister Mar.
sells matches. When We get home at night w
club in, you see, and sometimes We have pile
tell you.
N"EI EIow much do you call pile p
GA dollar S a big pile. We then give it t.
mother, and she gets us something to eat ant
pays the rent. -
By this.time the lad had finished his job
He timidly held out his hand for his pay an
the color came to his face when he receive
twenty-five cents instead Of TWO.
That's too much, sir, said he, "and "
got no change =.
"Giye it to your mother; be honest and ir
dustrious and you ii be a rich man yet"
II hope SO. Thank 'ee, SIR and he wer
off whistling (probably he detected the "rebel
in mel the ancient and honorable tune