The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-16
HRW YoRK1SMS.
NFona Our OOa Correspondent
NEW YoRK, Peb. l6, 1859.
"sNua HARpoRs,"

Inc hoV,VVO ehhOre VINO annually MAKE the
esne Of Water street, West street, and South
street their temporary homes, have very little
public attention bestowed upon them. Very
Male ie read OF them in the newspapers; still
Asss ie seen of them in the streets. The people
whose interest might dc them come good are
not precisely OF the class to make discoveries in
West and South and Water streets. From ten 10
three they are as busy in their bankers ana
brokefe' offices as beavers, aud all day sunday
shey are equally as busy in doing in their pews
ahd dining In their palaces. Wall street Is IN
~ much sympathy with Water street ae WHISKY
d with water Croton with Cognac, or mau
with his wife in the second month OF the money
moon. Jack Tar is lc oked upon as demora'Heu
variety OF that pitch which we are scrlpturh'y
assured no one can touch without oeOoui'ng
SeRled. Hence the pharisees OF fortune Keep
away from him, and this publican OF the seas IS
left to shift for himself To be sure huinOcr
Of Homes and Betbele, floating or ashote' arc
..,obisbed along North and East rivers, but
LAey do not seem TO do much good. lhey nave
gathered bat a sparse attendance. Their inmates
and worshippers altogether probably do not
average more than one thousand. Of course,
me institution known as The Sailors Snug
uarborp must be excepted from this calcula
l10A, Inc T6Ceul dAASStN Ntp'NN"'AOh Va hhAe
institution for exemption from a tax of $4,000,
together with the sailors late strike at this port,
has done something oward5 bringing the sea-
fariue brotherhood into transient notice.
The sailors Snug Harbor," situated on the
western coast of Staten Island, and established
al the beginning of the present century by
Captain Richard Randall, ls one OF tue two
extremes Of the sailors shore life at this port.
Ihs other extreme is found in those numberless
now groggeIiee, dauce-houses, and lodging
houses with which such streets as Water, West,
and South are lined, and which might
be likened to the maelstrooms, the waterspouts,
The typhoons that beset his paths at sea.
The property with which, at the time OF his
aeatb, Captain Randall endO we'd the institution
HAT he desired to aave erected, is Included be-
tween Ninth and Twelth streets and BroadW way
and University place. Besides this valuable
traOt, which yields OF course large annual
ground rent the institution o oWns more than 100
acres OF land on Staten Island. One-third of
these acres is leased, and correspondiDgly adds
20 the already large Income, the aggregate OF
which, however, is said to Je not 500, 600. This
seems hard to be believed. 1t is not true, as
reported, that the trustees of Snug Hatbor ap.
piled for exemption from taxation OF any of
their property except what was actually in use
fer charitable purposes. Fhis annual taxation
amounts to $1,000, and the object OF the trustee,
in begging 20 be relieved from it was to provide
additional accommodations for greater n1m-
Der OF old, decrcpI>, and worn ont sailors than
the 400 a present housed, fed, and otherwise
provided for. The Harbor has never received
any other aid than that gwen it BY its founder,
Capa Randall.
The various "snug hlrborsn las they have
been saslr cahy called Of the 'ee streets m )re
then once re'erred to, viz, West, Sou,h, aud
Water, have b. en teem'ns more than
ordinarily Of late. Fusel oil baG been 0ischacg-
hog friPr ius llaIes among, the stOmaChs Of dis
cOntented mates aud loug5hOremen, aod the
Argus eyed and Briar2ue- banded lanisharks
baVe been more than usually wicked and
relentless. The Germaa dance house for saiiors
were never more profuse in their glare of brass
and glow of TGaroe, and their mirrorpd redec
hOns OF glittering decantets behind the
bar, 1t must not be imagined that
these German sailors dance. houses OF New
York are repulsiYe or filthy. The
bars at Filth Avenue aud ST. Nicholas are not
more attractive than those Of some of them.
The marble is white and polished, the mirrors
nuDR
with eobReb, aud the bottles are as shining as
row OF pirs. The women are attired in as
IaAsby "Reminiscences of the fashion as any that
uphold Harry HIPS notorious danCe-holse, ami
the music is not worse than that proda,ed OY
the street harpists, tie Pertohotes and Ptguii-
does OF Broadway. Consequently these TeI'rr;I;;
resorts are among the sailors iar,,rite snue
haIb bors. He tsncies hinssI| in Paradise when
he glides into that port. It is only when his
~VSey ~ gone that he SINKS from tha
fehsrcs 10 the level where the lsndsharks
male and female, are waiting for him
Perhaps the male sharks of Gethaa
are the worse, for the most common evil
wrought him by the females are those of drin'
and dance, while the males drug the liquor Il
which he treats them rifle his rockets cozea,hln
into the signing OF sOippiug articles while he i
in q state OF drunken beWlldorneDt, and shl
hIm of beyond Sandy Hook before be recover
his senses. Hlther from choice or nee SSH
captaius play into the hands OF these devils, an
too often engage lhelr cIe"s from them. Som
few lndt ed fesst them. but the resistance ls =
fee,le au spAsmodlc q to AMOUNT TO little nor
than nothing 1T all. ORlnS TO The system c
advanced wages sailors 90 ID sea m deb
When they return they are instaLtl
rontronted alth The lands harks, whose ma ne
leeion az this port, and VINO present them vii
Aol n scGres for driuG which theV swear Wer
run up at such-and-sucn la9elns and neVe
aea,led, Tue sailor sub nlts 10 landshur
tvrappy enforced with the hideOus prestige &
rns oai and ua sit Op. His aaVanCe wage- Ar
Tlaid into the land hirks han is AMI he Is Ie
renniless uples, urthtr advance, sure IN Tn
end to Involve him yet more deeply, is mad
Not many years aco few beneVo'eu
1erel ants AT this point took con nsel toge rf
how they should withstand the iaRdshaTk. The
made 10 their minds that they would a!lo