New-York tribune., 1869-01-02

= flih WV nc Ndlils anu Nb hll N'A'''t -.
minute aforwaId we were quietly WatG1lhg dit"
! lar good stroet-Gght. Iour or i've saIola l.'i,r -
dozen hish la.oreTs and i've or SIX Wo,c'; Nil Nj
/ cIimiuatcy lighting. kicking. bling, tearing ouI
! one auOthUrs lair by hlndsfull, shouting ytllns
! culaur. aud using the most filthy lmprecatlohs,
iguC IN al directions. and IN the thlch Oh 'e hHD
were two unfortunate officers, VINO were uehE thcIt
clubs pretty freely, though not unnecessarily Sc
uoy.ltully hat t9usrular she-deNi she would nave
! done for OF lulwers female gladIat0Is III luc
/ Last Days of PompnT) had got an nhhaply MN fa
head in chancery, and was administeIlng spIe ~
fnl blows with % large iron cO0kng-ladle the mans
wife had ihe uners Of both hands wound IN lls as
salants lialr. ana clnng 70 her WIN lhe Va
| n bulldog. One of the lIishmen had sailor on tLo
riOund: with one hand he clutched the poor friloN
hair ad rcpeatc dnghel his hcld on the pavement
! his other baud was IiIulIy gnpped IN tlle salol -
| teeth. This scene went on lof minute OF IWV
/ when sudGclly. without 9 moments W4inllE, ai
! Simultaneously commenced furious onslaught on
the police TO whose assistance at the risli OF D,oheh
| heads NcIc on the p@ut OF going NAeii' !OItu-
uatriy for u.s. posse Of police alIl'sd anu 40 Qnco
/ " ihe fight vas O'Cr. Tho battle done" Inc CON D"t
crts were all marched on 10 the staiOn-hOuSe, long
hc OF bleeding heads and disgured laGcs, an nulg
naut,y demonstrating against pclng llfeh lnlo us
tuiy IOr 80 innocent an alnuseheht rs lue pIVaNips
! OF one au0ihor's heads. 90
| Returning into Watcr-st., we entered one OF the
notorious sailors daucr-nouses dirty, ninGy ms.
clablc-lookiua place, though brilliantly lighted At
the inevitable bar stood eight or ten men, whose
ph,si0gnomy at once told ms they were tmoyeS mo
air Of suspicion with which they viewed u.s. ana lheT
evident discomfort as long We and our detcCiNe re-
NAMED in the place, confirmed tins IMPRESSION ASS
ing into the daucingroom, wlich Is separated from
tlc bar bv n PARTITION found ourselves IN motley
as5cmlagc composed of two or three sailors
few canal men, eight or ten slangy-
2 select assortment Of jail birds, candy and apple
seller, and about dozen ot TIE tattebt coaIscst
most brutal-iooking women, Win one 2he SOLITARY solitary
who were of all ages, from ye-and-twcnty 70 forty
the greater part of them old, were grandy parading
about or fOndling their unlucky admirers on the
| gltgg ltair poC up
ton possible. dress which ieached about
halfway to tho knees and halfway to the
shoulders, made of cotton or s0me similar ma
teral of a brilliant color few tawdry glass beads
strung round the neck. gaudly embroidered scotch
bonnet urnamented with feathers, tnseled flowers
and other gew.gaws. pair OF dirty wnltG or tartan
stockings, and Broadway boots with very hlgh heels
comprised all tie toilette OF which they bo9sted
ycnturcd TO remark TO the proprietor ol the place
that their dresses were rather scant, adding as q
scapegOat. for such cold night oh they've got
enough for tho purposes OF decs9cY' ne replied
Poor deccncy. how she would blush 10 hear her
name mentioned in such a den. OF course,
smoking chewing. and bad whisky were IL
full force. The proprietor. who was also band
master. then took his scat IL tho little orchestra,
which comprised violin, banjo. ana tamboriue,
and calling ont, Now young ladies, q qn9drlile, II
you please led of few bars OF prelude inc qua,
dIillc gone through, with good many ans ana
graces on the part Of the ladies, and good deal 0f
ludicrons builoopcTy the part of the men, The
quadrie was followed by series of Irish jips and
then by the polka. However amusing 1t may ho per
sonoIy it is ccrtainly an ungraceful exhibition to
men waltzlng with one woman. Sailors, however |
do not much affect round dances, they prefer the |
"ehuhlcsp Their av kward sca-legged strides are
scarcely suitable TO the polka or the Nasc, though
happily the ladies' dresses not long enough tOTun
The risk of being trodden on. one sailor who stood
up near u.s. facetously asked III. partner, why shc
did mt straps" and then s'appIng on the shon
der the solitary scraggy looking one. who had very
long thin legs, In way that aroused her modest m
digna:ion addressed her rs "Old numbDr eleven" |
Our Defective here called up one Of the girls whose
manner and language perfectly astonlsIed me. She |
said she had been there seven wears that she was
glr of good family and very well educated; that hr
mother was q widow lady Of independent means aud /
resided IN Scotland She told us thar Sue got into \
trouble when young ana was Oolged 70 run away |
from home TO hide her disgrace; she added, " thank !
God, my poor mother knows nothing about me- IT |
would Kill her IL she did All. SIT yOu DO not Know |
what number of girls in this nriglborllood are !
wel-educated and of good family; there are many /
one time PLAY beautifully upon the harp and piano,
and sing operate music, but having once got into
this mode OF life, they cannot shake 1t off" There's
many and maLy gifl III these houses whose paleI+s
live in style up town"
The next place we entered was boarding rs well |
as a dance-house. The bar and dancing Arrangements
pretty much alike IN all OF them. In tins house
the landlord came forward and expressed the great
pleasure it would give him 20 show Ms the sleeping
rooms, the internal arrdn gvments OF which, De as-
surcd us, wero elegant in the eXtTcme. They were
ranged round the sides of a square room, into winch
oil the doors opened and gave no the idea oi good
ventilated. they were well whie-waShed. and the !
bedding and linen really looked clear aud nice. For
mcnts as the landlord termed them, the charge is |
three dollars but this includes breakfast IL the
morning and sNndry other p1riicgs. Ia the next We |
visited. the proprietor up TO ms and with q |
iaunty air asked Us If we would like to |
see Punch and Judy. The drama OF Punch and |
Judy exhibited in the streets IS sad enough |
degeneration from IFS oIiginal--the sacred play of |
POHNm JUdris Of the dark ages-but this partic-
ular form of it unusually vulgar and degraded,
aud should hope peculiar TO TINS place. Inc iaith,
less Mr.. Punch was supposed 10 have boen dragged
into the divorce courts by the oXaSpeaod judy, and
a mock trial took place The whole exhibition was |
of the most disgusting aud filthy descr priOn. We |
entered house after house Of this character IN !
Cherry James and Water.sts, but there Is very little
difference IN thcm-they are all equally low and !
brutal. We counted no fewer than p Sailors |
Retreats as they called, in Waters alone.
John Allen has closed his house, as a dancing |
silent lie is disappointed with the turn ahalr5 have
taken. and is angry with himself and tn all his |
neighbors. HIS old business has been entirely !
runed partly by exposure and partly by his attempt
10 play OIL the missionary hy his pretended conyer
sion. Between these two stools John Aliens dance |
house has fallen 20 the ground. lie Is sald how
ever to have saved great deal OF money out OF 'a
Infamous business; quite enough to keep him very
comfortably for the remainder of his days He Is
tall. poweriully-bult man, about 80 years OF age
but with u hang-dOg brutal cast OF CountenanCe. |
lie was unable to ask into his house, his wife
was drunk and when in that condition she is always
very qnarrelsOme. Every one III tho street abuses
John Allen, ana expresses plOns wish tlat he may
20 TO the d5yil as possible, ywherc olse
80 long AZ he takes himself Oh 80 said Mr.. Tommy
IIadden. They seem 10 think that as long rs The
Wlckcdest Man in New-lOrk remains among them
80 long will the agitation against their infamous
mode of earning living continue; but that If Allen
could be got of the way the outcry AGAINST them
would soon Allen, without intending TO do
has certainly done TO njure the business of
these Sailors Retreats than all the Missionaries
put together. lie has, fortunately for tie poor sail
OTs opened then eyes to the frauds pro 1ticc1 upon
them, taught them T. be moro careful = heir own
interests, ana made them more shy than formerly of
going To these paceB. His neighbors Feel tits and
bless nm accordingly; At the buckle snoIs nan