The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-10

who. tired of battling with life Of sorrow, IN
| able any longer to make head against ner sea OF
troubles, had thought by selfdestruction 10 put
While thinking over this scene. q perfect moss
of mud and tatters with baby in her arms, came
up ard told piteous tale OF starvation and distress.
How she had once had home OF her own now
her husband had been Ill for months; how this one
misfortune had been the sole cause OF their pres
ent condition. The woman's eye and caattering
jaw told their own sad tale she showed no APP
parent signs of being drunkard, In fact her
whole demeanor seemed to substantiate her state"
ment. asked her where she lodged. She re-
piled that she lived In one OF the underground
cellars. Let me see your husband, i
said. We followed her toto hovei In
every way similar TO those we had already
visited, and a pitable sight met our eyes,. On
one OF those filthy beds lay poor. emsciated
fellow. who looked though death would
claim him In few hours. My friend said to the
woman, 4" If give you some money, viii you
promise me not to spend cent of it in drink"
She simply replied. IL will" He took dollar
bill from his pocket and placed II In her hand.
She locked att, she stared at it, she clutched II,
and calculating Ms God with fearful emphasis
rushed mp the steps into the street without offer
ing any thanks. Her poor husband, in weak
tones apologzed for her strange behavior, saying,
Il" We haven't seen the sight OF SO much m0neyfo for
weeks" This was certainly the most touching
and hear'rending scene we witnessed in our
wanderings that night. That dollar was, feel
sure, well spent.
think, gentlemen" said the ,officer, you
ought to see one Of the swell thieves: cribs, if we
so, and so started to visit the monarch of light
fngured ones. Our guide told us shat we must
exerc.e great caution, as We sho2ld be viewed
with the utmost suspicion, and night End our
selves In hot water without moments warning.
We descended stair case into what was apparent
ly first claes oyster saloon, when a smart, well
dressed, intelligent looking man came hurriedly
forward 10 meet us. We were introduced to him
with all the customary formsllties Of society," He
received Us with studied politeness INQUIRED mar
tiulariy after the state of our health and asking
ps what we would take, produced bottle. and q
box OF The most magnificent cigars. As we were
not allowed to pay for these little luxuries,
presume they cost him nothing. Seated at
round table were fourteen really well dressed
gentlemanly-looking men: they would have
passed anywhere in society, so far as re-
CARDS their personal appearance. These men are
the most expert thieves 10 the whole countrv-so
clever so careful in all their little arrangements
that the police, though morally certain of their
character, have never yet been able to bring any.
thing home TO them. Their purloning transact.
tons are carried on entirely through the agency of
their tools. They were all talking. and talking
loudly but so peculiar was their idiom that thew
were quite unintelligibe 10 u.s. though il occurred
to me afterward that a good deal of this might
have been assumed, by way of binding us to what
they were really talking about We remained for
about ten minutes. conversng with the host ON
various topics. and smoking his imported Hava-
mas when sign from the officer, who had held a
moments whispered conversation with our enter
Iainer. warned us that our presence no longer
desirable. We, therefore, politely wished the King
Of the Crackmen Good EVENING" and had the
of hearing the click Of the lock and
he grating OF the bolts of the door the instant we
we're outside. On gaining the pavement at the
yuess you made him feel a kinder sick by going
Town there; he knows you WE'LL was immensely
lstounded and somewhat chsgrined to find that
ms gentleman claimed quasi acquaintance with
ne. " How on earth can be know me 20 in
Iured. Oh, he's seen you coming ont of the
lice OF the Tribune, and he makes 1t his business
lever to forget face he has once seen. That's
What be was quietly asking me about; be thinks
'ou have visited bis house for the purpose of
howiDg him up in the press, and he says il Won
70. you are a marked man."
Three minutes walk down a by street brought
9 to another oyster and supper saloon, though
his one was of perfectly reputable Character
his ia the favorite resort of those MANNED
oldiers who gain subsistence, and apparently
pretty good one, by grinding organs at
be corners of the streets. There were about a
Oxen OF them present on this occasion, most-a
them fine, smart looking young fellows.
hough do not think there was a perfect set
limbs among the whole lot. Many were en-
ying an excellent supper of beefsteak and
ed potatoes. Those who had only one arm
eng able, by sort of juggler's action, to
Ct just as fast and as esily as those who had
yo. am told that these men sometimes earn
much as two.snd.a half or three dollars a day
I'd that they would be much Disconnected il
Re government should suddeTl ~ determine to
Ike proper care of them. Some Of them are said
employ an assistant to attract the contribu-
ons of charitable passers by. The assistant re-
ewes every morning three five cent pieces from
sch man. BE goes round once in the morning,
I'd once in the afternoon, dropping one of the
We cent pieces at each visit into the little wooden
Ok on the top OF the organ as ostenstatiously as
J can. The third piece he keeps for himself.
he force OF example generally leads several
hers to do the same, and the ldecoy works un.
,ncernedly on. The outlay of two and s.half
'nts often brings in quarter of a dollar, and
metimes more.
II was now past midnight and as these resorts
e all compelled by law to be closed at ~ O'Clock,
e brought our excursion TO q close. We thought
so that We had seen enough Of New York.
ter dark, for one night, certainly enough to
nvince Us that it Is impossible for men to be-
en-, or women, to be women, when they dwell
Water street. ~