Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-26
FAST LIFE IN NEW YORK,


Money is Made at SHb-letting.
The New York correspondent of the, Gin
einnati Times writes as follows:
The upper crust board at the up town
hotels, say Hoffman, Everett, Worth or
Observation-Disclosures houses these, on
the European plan id est, they furnish the
coolest comfort and richly furnished shelter
merely at prices sufficient to endow the
"City of the Orphans"
A man and his wife will pay from 500
to $500 per week for a room, about 5000
being the average price. Stately land
lords, pompous, arrogant clerks, and surely,
inattentive walters are the rule, politeness
and comfort being unpnrchasable com.
modities, apparently, at these foreign "con-
vaniences," as Pat would say, and quite the
exception. A man and his wife in paltry
fifth story 500 room would not probably
be able to obtain civil answer from a
hotel official upon any subject whatever.
Tables fhOte are abolished at the "6ouses
on the European PLAN" the English Of that
being that the restaurant system enables
the landlord to charge exorbitant prices for
food. A young aristocratic couple in q
room at $500 per week order, say dinner,
because rich and noble and aristocratio as
they may fancy themselves 10 be, the
ignoble wants Of nature are no respecters
of persons, and our aristocrats must eat
soup, 50c(GSl-a bit of fish is of course in
order, and az our friends are F. FPS, Span
ish mackerel-75c@Sl so. Then meats
duck is faYorite dish, $294; a small
slice of turkey, 75c@Sl so; mutton or
beef, 50c9Sl 20-if any French title is
added, 81 more. Entrees-Ragout d Agneaa,
tete de reuu or Sslmes de grouse chassellr,
81 2092 So Should the lady be little
delicate, or the gentleman epicurean, a
grouse or partridge will cost 81. OF course
vegetables are expected, and cost, 50c@Sl
boiled potatoes, 2O@40c; squash, Zoe; TO.
matoes, soc; turnips, 25c; beets, 25c
string beans, 50c(9Sl; egg Plant, SOC
Lima beans, soc. Side dishes-chicken
salad, 81; raw tomatoes, Zoe; celery, 90.
DESSERT, ENTREMErs, sUcREEs.
Rice pudding, Csc; pie, 25c; jelly, 25c:
ice cream, 25c; cheese, 30c; peaches and
cream, SOC; itberts or pecans, poe; raisins,
Zoe; coffee, zoe. In all, this dinner would
cost them S25 so if wine is added, $40
more, or if particularly economical, S..
Compare this with the cost Of the same
edibles at a chop. house on Fulton market.
The customers at this latter would not
probably order 30 many articles but an
equally well cooked and politely served
meal Of the same general character would
cost about 81, exclusive Of wine, and wodid
have the additional advantage Of being
served hot and cautiously, which is not
always the case at the European hotels.
Yet the aristocracy Of New York regard
this extravaganza AZ the nec6ssaTies Of life,
and are found urging the system to further
exclusiveness and sIill higher prices. A
private
FASHIONABLE BOARDING HOUSE
Will charge 500 per week for man and
wife. know one landlady who pays SlO,-
600 per annum for house of thirteen
rooms, another s., 900 for house of ten
rooms. In fact rents in New York have
reached to such fabulous amount that the
bulk Of all business profits accrue to land
lords.
TENEMENT HOUSES AND SUB LETTING
Is the CALLING curse of New York, sgainst
which there seems 10 be no remedy.
Thousands Of men live in splendor with
out the investment of single dollar. Bold
and unscruplous adventures, having moth
ing to lose, and everything to gain, take
leases of large houses, in eligible locations,
at current valuation; the cheaper, of
course, the better. Landlords are ready
and willing to turn the trouble over to
these sharks at reduced rates. The rent 10
Immediately doubled, and such is the
necessity and demand for rooms and
| cheaper tenements, that persons are forced
to crowd into smaller space, and pay rents
| bevond their means Hundreds Of men
drive their carriages, and their wives,
| daughters and mistresses faunt in Broad
way upon money thus extorted from poor
and needy tenants. The greed Of these
scamps knows no bounds. Ii by toll aud
struggle poor working woman, an artist
or an artisan is enabled barely to make
both ends meet and pay $50 for an ordin-
ary room, the tenement vulture calculates
they can bear a little more, and raises TO
SIS per month. If that is borne, to $50,
and so on, until the tenant, in utter despair,
blows out his brains or goes to some other
house to have the same outrage enacted.
| know of one tenement monger who
leases a house at 81, 200 per annum; and
sub-leis it in rooms al $500 per week an
other paying 5000 per annum, and sub
letting at over 1000.
OF course, there is no law or usage, pop
ular opinion OF reprosch, able to reach
such abuses, and doubtless they will con
tinue until such men as A. T. Stewart, As
tor, and others, will initiate Peabody and
build suitable and sufficient tenement
houses to reduce rents, and really aid and
! protect class of people who are willing
and anxious to help themselves if not dis