The New York herald., 1871-01-12
TIE JERSEY DR0UTH.
How the Water Famine
is Regarded.
Scenes, Incidents and Incidental Conversations
Mrs. Mulcahy on The Situation
Plenty Of Water on Friday.

Mrs. Mulcahy on the Situation
Plenty Of Water on Friday
A reporter OF the HERALD yesterday made his ap.
pearance at the Jersey City ferry, ana, after
fu reconnaissance, asked the splendid looking man
| who deals In checks and rolls of pennies what the
fare was to Jersey City.
'The fare Is the same rs il ever was-hurry up and
| pass On--three cents.n
"How are you OF for water ON this side ?" asked
| the reporter.
"plenty OF water here, but they are very dry on
| the other side OF the river, am told.n
In the cabin Of the ferryboat twenty men were
| chewing tobacco ana six ladies chewing gum.
'What do you tnlrk OF the water famine In
Jersey ~ asked the reporter Of a fat gentleman.
! "What do think OF the water famines don't
know nothing about the water famine, and care
less. Water Is a thing that never use Ic hasn't
got the 'ops in 1t. ye know. don't look like o
Jerseyman, do l. about the feet do II"
The deck hands on The ferryb0at stated that they
had more water than they stood In heed Of, and
| offered to
| TAKE DRINK
with the reporter, which was respectfully declined.
In fact, not one person interviewed" upon the
! subject seemed 10 realize the horror OF his or her
| situation were they TO be deprived Of water but
| for twenty-four hours. AS general thing the
| people OF Jersey City seemed to regard the
water famine az huge and excellent joke.
| The reporter having landed In Jersey City after
great tribulation stepped into Taylor's Hotel anu
politely asked the bartender for drink Of water.
"a drink OF water' There is no water. We don't
know OF any such commodity. We don't sell It,,
and we don't give 1t away. Our ale Is ten cents q
glass, and our gin cocktails the wonder OF the
| world.n
At a grocery and provision store in Montgomery
street three ladies making purchases and chat
ting with the proprietor OF the shop outside OF the
establishment on the sidewalk One lady was ex-
amining the ankles OF o very lean turkey, which,
from its appearance, might have belonged at some
former stage Of Its existence to surveying party
on tie plains. This lady examining the tur-
key wore blue shawl and was named Mrs.
Mulcahy, q decent woman and the mother OF
five children. The other two ladies were named
respectively Mrs. McGinnis and Mrs. Peggy Flynn,
and all three were evidently compatrios. Mrs. Mul.
cahy being spoken to ON the subject Of the scarcity
| OF water, said:
| nowadays. think the ind Of the worlds near.
had
ouARE DHRAxB ABOUT THE WAITER
Mrs. FLYsN--A dhrame, did ye, Mrs. Mulcahy
And that was il, nam, II might aXf
Mrs. MCGlSNiS-Ay, tell US, MRS. Mulcahy. There's
CRATE signs in drames know meself.
Mrs. MULcAnY-wel ye see, thought l was
oud turf tire, and me father, God rest his SOUL had
just been putting the pig in hts bed whin Oil at
q wood. iuli Of CRATE big tnees and wild nowsrs.
The BIRDS were singing and the COWS were bieatn'
and 1t was Just ike the ould spot ior all the world,
whin, In mint, the wood was llled with CRATE big
black shnakes.
Mrs. MCGlNNIs-The Lord save us. what dhrame
ye Eadi
Mrs. FLYss-Black shnakes Did ye iver hear
the lkeY
Mrs. MULcAHY-Can't yes whist mint. weu
as WOE saying, thought taat the
sHSAKEs DHRopPED FROM THE SILKY,
they wor so plentiful, and they wor oil hissn and
splitting and sciramn like divlis. All at snst the
mead sinake, rousin big teller with par of eyes
In his head like two urret holes IN blanket spoke
| Lets go and drink up all the wather and ousht. y
"And wud that they all began to crowd through
the tnrees TO q hole IN the wood where there was a
frog pond, and they jumped over one another in .
hurry to see who'd be iusht to dhrink.
Aud now said the big red eyed shnake, "Let's us
all drink our I'll aud then Wen burst ana this wen
do. because 1t be lor sign to the people of Jersey
for openin' OF streets and for contracts 10 Jersey,
ana when we've got all we can we buiat, Just like
dnrinkln than all the shnakes burst open on the
| grass and around the threes Iii the wood and wOz
up to NE Knee III blood, and fwhn woke up, Nike,
me husband, was puin he DC the hair to bring me
TO me slDses
Mrs. FLYNE-That's "A quare dhrame, Mrs. Null
cahy What was IL a sign or, don't knOw2
Eirs. MCGIENIs-Ay, that's the point. I can't
make head nor TAU ou0 OF il. Gods good anyhow.
the wather, be the same tokenf
Mrs. MuLCAHY.-Falx, tnaLs beyant me to tell.
| ie Know that there's good many Things that we
| dale wiser than We are don't know fwhat tho
| Alderman 'ud put shtop TO the wather for. Nike,
me husband, voSed for
CHARLEY oSALE,
and It's Il shame for him TO keep our washln' back
for three days.
Mrs. FLyES-D'ye wash Oh Monday, mum'
| Mrs. MULCAHY-Aiways, unless the chlidren are
teeihn or Sick In some way, and thin keep 1t over
| until Chewsda, and that lavcs me time just to get
me ciane duds ready for Sunday morning.
! Mrs. McGINNIs-rhey say that Wen have to do
| orr washin' with sand and sawdust If the watber
doesn't come ! paid
| TWENTY-FIVE CINTs FOR A PAIL OF wArHER
on Monday, and James Fun gan, the little blind
shoemaker that lives undher u.s. SAYS that had
better paid twlDty five Clnts for q pail or beer.
| Mrs. MULoAHy ito the groceryman)-l'll give ye
eighteen cnts u pound Tor the turkey, and don't
| care for Ii at that; It's SO lane and scraggy.
! GROCERYhAN-il lcant sell 1t at any such price,
madam those birds are worth twenty -four cents
in Washington Market now.
| Mrs. Mulca,y would not buy ana the three ladies
dispersed TO their homes, in earnest conrabulation
| about the scarcity OF water.
AT barber's shop in Greene street all who applied
for assistance In the tonsora art had TO put up with
! DRY SHAVE
and dry rub of the barbcr's towel The engineers
| on the New Jersey Central road had no water
| TO get up steam with, aud the various MILK
men IN the city Tor the first time were driven
! to desperation by the fact that they could
not get any water 10 counteract the intoxicating
qualities OF their milk Consequently for the last four
days the milk delivered to customers In Jersey City
has lost It's usual sky-Dlue color and Is now quite
| thick aud luscious IN appearance.
/ The HERALD reporter having visited various
places to ascertain II water could be mad, at last
| called At the Mayors Office, believing that water is
ONCE, IN Newark avenue, is very imposing looking
building OF brick with brown stone trimmings. Up
| stairs in this building Is aoor with the sign
|
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