The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-25
NEW YORRISMS.


sensation, let me say few words about the
New York markets. lmprmiS, they are as re-
markable for filth and discomfort as those OF
philadelphia are for order, cleanliness, luxury
neatness, and architectural beauty. They are
thirteen In number, to wlt:-Union, Jeferson'
Gouverneur. Colbarevi, Fulton, Tompkins.
Essex, Centre, Clinton, franklin, West Wash.
ington, Market Square and Washington.
This bakers dozen OF markets is one Of the
shames of New York. They are for the most
pant low wooden sheds, to which the old PhiIa-
delphia markets along Market street were
palaces. They are knee deep in garbage, from
which 1t Is but little hypebole to say
that disease and death exhale. The
ground originally used by them has been ex-
tended by frequent nfiingements, so that every
market is surrounded by bevy of little mar
kets. Brooklyn is but little better of. There
some attempt towards better state of things
has been made. Here, new markets have been
talked Of. but the people are apparently indh-
ferent as to where they buy their eatables, so
that they get them. Perhaps this indifference
js attributable TO that indefinite class known as
the floating population, which is convenient
sort of devil bearing upon its shoulder Qike
those of the real Devil in Scnpture) the sins and
folies which the human nature OF resident New
Yorkers ought alone to be held responsible for.
There are enough residents here, entirely indie
pendent of the Float" to take pride proper
market-houses. The dirty, denora'ized, aud
gigantic honeycombs which do duty
for markct-houses with US are
architectural monstrosities such as
would have done credit perhaps to the age
before the iron age, but are scarcely "metro-
politan." We deserve the sneers and sarcasms
that have been flung at US. Things have come
to such pass now that even the broad -brlms
mock at us with their heads, and the blush of
shame mounts to the Gotham cheek. We boast
of our commerce and our trade. We point to
cur new City Hall that u.s. and our new Post
Office which is to be; and the response that
meets us is, Where are your market houses
We bridge East river, and we tunnel Broadway
and we lay velocipede tracks over to Harlem (at
least we talk of doing sO), aud derisive voice
from the city of fraternal love exclaims, What
tnarket.houses! We ask attention to the pala-
tial Inc of stores along Broadway, or the ducsl
extent Of brown-stones along Filth avenue, and
the unanswerable reply to our invitation, accom-
panied with the placid twlr of Philadelphia
thumbs, is, "But thee hasn't got any market
houses!n
With one exception, we have no market,
houses like those of Philadelphia, and 1t some.
times seems as though the time was as distant
when we shall have them as when we shall have
golden butter, as sweet and mellow favored as
the suburban churnings OF that sub metropolis.
But as IT sometimes happens that man who
has begun law in life and made fortune and
honest industry prefers carrying on his busi-
ness in the same obscure quarters where he
first began to be successful, so the prosperous
fogies of New York stick to their shanty-like
markets, and prefer the dingy conserVatisms
of those battered old sheds AID fences to the
marble stateliness of the modern market'house
elsewhere. Tell venrabe frequenter of the
New York markets, be he buyer or seller, OF
the msgnidcence OF those of other cities, and he
will listen to you with that disdanful indiffe.
renee and selfsatisfaction which is more aggra-
waiting than ignorant incredulity.
To touch, then, upon the markets IN the order
named, Union Market, lying between Columbia
and Houston and Sheriff and Second streets, is
about 200 feet long by 80 feet WIDE 1t contains
about forty stalls, renting at one dollar a week
apiece. This is one of the least bad of the mar
kets, being com mparatively clean. jefferson
Market is much larger, but its accomm odations
> are wretched. 1t stands at the intersection of
Tenth street and G1eenSich and Sixth avenues.
1t is one of those ulcerous markets which has
4 spread, and monopolized the street. The side
walks are covered with booths, and there is a
z dim resemblance to an improyised country fair.
Gouverneur ur Market would be good one il it
had patronage; but the New York marketers
affection seems TO be set on his sheds and pent-
houses. He never feels happy in laying out
his money in respectable quarters. Consequently
Y Gouverneur Market, which makes great preten-
sons to respectabiity, is SO little patronized
that it has scarcely preserved the character of a
market at all 1t stands on Gouverneur slip,
and it would be charitable to suppose that its
situation has something TO do with Its lack Of
custom. Around Catharine Market, at the foot
of Catherine street, the shed and penthouse
system is in full force. Tue sheds and pent
houses are little square compartments about
twelve feet square, fitted up rs eating saloons,
where coffee, pies and oysters are the favorite
deicacies. The same may be said of Fulton
Market, lying between Fdlton and Beekman
and Front and South streets. 1t and the colony
of sheds surrounding it are unlit and un-
ventilated and the propinquity of fsh-market
does not compensate for the lack of light and
air. Tompkins Market is the best public
building of the kind in New York. 1t is
bounded by Third avenue and Sixth and Seventh
streets: but the fault is that you have
TO go upstairs to get into market. An uncleany
and uncaEny hole is Essex Market, at the juno
tion of Essex, Grand, and Ludlow streets. The
stalls are sprawling and iu-constructed, and
very little ingenuity has been shown in making
the most of small space. The same fault, in a
greater degree, characterizes Centre Market