Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-12-09
gplrit Of Aetferspll.
ChsrIcssoNs, Jefferson County. Wess Va.
TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 0, 1878.
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
zHanksgiving-7 7'urkeys-.F F'antastics-> Blacz
Eyes, and other Interesting Studies.

zhanksg gtuing- keys Fantastics->B Black
Eyes, and other Interesting Studies.
NEW YoRK, Nov. 81, 1873.
Dear Spirit To-day is Thanksgiving in
New York. I finished my thanks at 10
o'clock this morning, so now I'll write your
readers few words concerning the joyiality
of New Workers on this memorable day.
Thanksgiving is propitious day for barr
rooms, but very unpropitious one for turkeys
and geese. On this day their bones are dss-
tined to commingle with the dust, after hav-
ing formed "wish> bones" for the sentimental
ladies, who place them over the door ways
The only man that I saw render thanks. to-
day, lives next door He and his wife had
some misunderstanding about an absent shirt.
button. The anxious husband used impress
sive it not elegant language, which called
forth equally impressive replies from his
spouse, who to render her speech more strik.
ing, brought her hands into requisi.ion, there
by manipulating the domestic growler so
thoroughly, that he lost the centre of gravity
and deposited himself at the foot Of the stairs.
In two seconds, she was drawing his hair
through her hands-well, not in a manner
likely to produce pleasurable feelings. A
friend, passing down the stairs extricated him
from the talons of his inceused better-balf.
He rendered thanks: .Neighbor, thou hast
rendered me kindly office My only wish
is that I will have occasion to find thee in a
similar position, that 1 may draw thee from
similar clutches" His rescuer did not ex.
press like wish. This was all within doors.
was peeping out Of the window at few
children, that were pressing their dear little
fingers together, in order to keep them warm
by the friction, when friend slapped me on
the shoulder, thereby nearly knocking my
head through the pane of glass These salu.
tations are frequent if not agreeable in New
York. Why, sometimes friend'll jump over
your head (when you have your back turned)
and then turn with smilo and inquire the
state of your health. But about that friend
who administered the thunderclap he said !:
"Ex, come ole boy, aud take walk till we
see the ragamufins." took two things-a
walk and segar! The fantasies or ragamuf.
fus. Who are they? "That's the question"
ms Hamlet says. Well, they are not delegates.
who come to the Evangelical Alliance, and are
sojourning here for the benefit of their health.
They're stroughs," srowdies," black. legs,
Williams, "cut>throats," or any other pious
synonym, you may suggest: Thoy assemble
Mt some neighboring bar.room or livery stable,
where they muster into gangs, then they
parade through the streets: either in cavai
cades or foot. Their object, in order to
have good turnout, is to procure the most
dilapidnted vehicle, generally carriage, with
an emaciated horse prefixed, in which chariot,
half>a>dozen fellows dressed in female apparel
sit winking at the crowds, and making fools
of themselves generally. About forty con-
s.itute fully organized gang. One of these
that saw to-day, will attempt to describe.
very tall fellow. who was attired as police
rnan xr,f oh II A.
whole of his breast, acted as marshal of the
day. He was not like our fat policemen. for
I am sure that if the South sea Islanders were
to see him, they would declare him too lean
for good roast. A man of his .sbuild"
couldn't arrest four year>old negro just re-
covering from the whooping cough, still the
thin policeman bore placard on his shoulders:
"Wanted Immediately for Cuba, fifty abled
bodied men, like the specimen, tho bears this
card" One young man who was three shades
darker than charcoal, had on his head pretty
blonde wig Cinnamon, Indians. Irishmep,
Dutchmen, and knights in the middle ages,
were represented. Several men were dressed
out with bustles, chignons and all the other
curiosities of the tender sex. While passing
through the avenues. girls threw cats at them
from the eix-story tenemcnte. They all re-
garded these freaks as jokes. I have not
interviewed" the cats on the jokes. They're
mum-dcad. A very fiat nosed scoundrel wore
. negro's wig. which sustained the weight of
beaver smaller THAI flour barrel They
raised "Cain" in the streets, and frequently
injured persons with their canes and clubs,
The boys too, had their sport in this way.
Every little fellow that had sister. made use
of her old or new dress, despite her remon-
stances. Many of them dressed as rag>pick>
ers, having an old bag on their backs, and a
basket and an iron hook in their hands. But
they could not get the "bend" of the natural
rag>picker. whose back has an inclination from ;
carrying heavy loads.
l saw more drunken persons yesterday than
ever before in New York. asked one "bum
mer" if he drinks as much now as before the
panic. He looked wise "You must be a
loon, to AK honest man sich question as
that. Dout you know that gin jist tastes as
good now as it did before the panic? Gin is
gin, even if it has water in it,"
In the car in which rode to the City Hall
there were few characters evidently moving
in that sphere of life, denominated, humorous.
An old woman, who sat opposite to me, held
her cloak tightly around her head in order to
hide the black eyes, which had been given to
her by her husband as remembrances of the
glorious 9th of November. She accounted for
those dark eyes, in peculiar way ;-she
worked in an ink factory. On my right sat a
raw country man, and beyond him, his bloom
ing daughter of eighteen '.faNs." She fell
eighteen times, getting into the cars. The
countryman had too much gin with him he
was communicative "Young'un !" he said to
me, that's my darter. an good gal she is;
too. She's been q pesterin' of me to come
down here and buy her one of them-what
do you call it, Mirander I" "Back- hair" re-
piled the country damsel, blushing as red as q
fresh tomato. "Yess back>ha'r; well, I'm
goin' to git them fur her You ouehter see
that gal jerk COW; she kin milk l' told
my loquacious friend that the information af-
forded me much joy. ''That's nuthin'," he