The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-09
NEW Y0RK'S SHAME.
Neartrending Revelations from
the Fourth Ward.
4 SERMON OF SERMONS.
An Evenings Investigation of
Heathenism at Homo.
RECRUITING THE CRIMINAL RANKS.
Children Of Tender Years Trained
to Robbery and Immortality.
How the JailS are Filled and Victims
Supplied for the Gibbet.
ALAS FOR CTIARITYi
Ignorance and Vice Defying the Laws
s. of God and Man.
RECRUITING THE CRIMINAL RANKS.
Children Of Tender Years Trained
to Robbery and Immortality.
How the Jails are Filled and Victims
Supplied for the Gibbet.
ALAS + FOR CHARITY,
Ignorance and Vice Defying the Laws
$50 of God and Man.

.s of God and Man.
D TIE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
"Cdusa latet, DIS est notisstnsa." While travers-
ng one Of the thoroughfares Of the lower portion
q our city few evenings since, during the recent
unpeasant weather, this old quotation occurred to
my mind at what appeared to me an extremely
opportune moment. The "efrect' was so painfully
vsible that almost invountarily set to work to
discover the hidden springs whence 1t Moved
Wee, degradation and squalor were seen on every
hand not altogether confined to persons advanced
fn years. who had been battling after season
against the adverse DEGREES oil Dame Fortune, but
Ne most touching evidenees'Of crime were to be
seen the YOUTH the rising spirits Of the present
generation. How true 1t Is, thought, shat
0ne-half the world doesn't know how the other hin
Nyesp' but with your PERMISSION will endeavOr to
detail for the readers OF the HERALD the result OF my
investigation OF this unhappy hall, which, aIasi has
been 80 long neglected that 1t will require all the
Christian piety, energy and practical philanthropy
Of the other half release from the deadly, vice.
IKE grip Of immortality.
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS.
No better time could have been chosen. It was
after season OF general jollity and merry making
with the half Of the world supposed to be stepped
- dense ignorance on this important question.
tSon Of the holiday season and were entering upon
the ordinary humdrum lie Of another year which
win be more less like the last What that life is
they know better than l can tell them. What life
b to the neither stratum Of society they don't
know. Most OF them have never seen 1t, though
y Is 80 near them. Many OF them, l know,
would like to see some OF 1t, at least; ;
hut they are not prepared to encounter the
personal discOmiOrts which an actual pilgrimage
would involve. propose to crafty them to-
day to the extent OF letting them have one
Or two gmpses of strange life that to them is
$50 near and yet ar'' without any more trouble
an their part than half an hours reading They
can easily spend an evening much less probably,
even from religious point Of view, perhaps, than
by reading, marking and inwardly digesting the
following paragraphs
SOMEBODY HAS DEFINED "LIFE"
TO be no more nor less than the nervous system.
In that case physical life and social life follow the
same rules to some extent. In animals hign up in
the scale OF creation the elements OF intelligence
and feeling are centralized In the brain, and they
radiate thence throughout the body In the nervous
system. In the creatures ranking close to this
side Of the line separating the animal
and vegetable kingdoms the nervous lie
has several headquarters, distinct from but
similar to each other. AS II following
nearly all other great cfties) congregates in and
around one well known locality, while the lowest
class lie forms itself into separate ganguons
which are scattered all over the island and which
dtYer from each other but slightly If at all. Human
existence in these centres of degradation and
misery ought to be somewhat better known than
&c II TO these who dwell around the great head
centres Of wealth, respectability and prosperity.
dom. 1t was Saturday evening. stood under o
hmppost, at one Of the Roosevelt street crossings
IN the heart OF the Fourth ward. The streets
were in filthy condition, the neglected sidewalks
afforded generous accommodation for numerous
and treacherous pools Of melted snow. each about
two feet distant from the ether, and cold, pierre
ing, saturatng, dirty drizzle came down from
somewhere overhead. Altogether the place. the
ttme and the weather combined to make one
feel e. dismal and uncomfortable physically as 1t
was possible to imagine.
THE HEART OF TIE FOURTH WARD.
Under the most favorable circumstances the
locality Is not pleasant one. Relatively situated
IN any other city in the country as 1t Is in New
York, Roosevelt street would be a safe, respect
abie and well cared for thoroughfare It forms the
main approach to one OF the East Rivers prn-
cipa ferry lines, and several thousands of Brook.
lyn's residents pass and rcpass through it every
day, much to their own danger and disgust in
going 70 and from their places of business in the
lower part Of this city. A more repulsive daily
promenade 1t Is not easy to conceive and that 1t is
net entirely as perous 1t is otherwise disagree
able Is due solely to the watchirlness and pluck OF
. much malisned class Of persons--the police force
or the surrounding precinct The voyage over the
East River ierryboats would try the temper Of an
ordinary saint; but its being succeeded by
the necessary march through Roosevelt street,
ut any hour OF any day or night in
tne year, would make Job himself swear like
divinity student on SPREE The place is o narrow
lane with broken sidewalks and crossings picked
INTO carefully centrived pitfalls The houses are
OF all ages and sizes, uniform only in their grmi-
ness and dirt. They are tenements OF the lowest
grade, with filthy stores on the ground floor, the
majority OF which are rum shops or the yilest de.
6crption. and the Easements and cellars are occu-
Eied as lodging houses, OF horrible Odor and ap.
pcsrance and patrenzcd by the vericst outcasts.
The sights and smells sickening to the last de-
gree; even through the disinfcc Getting weather az
from every open doorway. AS is Roosevelt, so are
Ill the parallel and cross streets In the eighbor.
ON THE srREEr CORNER.
Atthis h0ur-six o'cloGk-the stream OF Williams
burgers returning home fron the city surges
along, over ankle deep In mud and slush, to-
wards the ferry. On, straight on they go, looking
nethes to the right nor to the left, and paying
little attention to the surrounding sights and
sounds that stranger nigh be excused Tor think
ing them all blind and deaf They are well used 10
Ali that h to be seen apd hearc in that ugly portion
OF their homeward route, and they know that 70
pass on qlickly and keep never minding'' Is the
very best thing they can do. BY hali-past seven
O'Clock the stream OF passers-by had subsidized, aud
nobody wassto be seen In the neighborhood now but
16 own favored population. Geld and disagreeable
As the weather was they appeared to be all out OF
1oors Tor this Is Saturday nigkt. and, therefore
&aia mgnt The comparatively few grocery stores
we're All fvli and so was the solitary Butchers shop
Mithip sight. The residents here have not been do.
,n9 tnelI marketing for sunday early to-day at
" washington and Fulton markets. 1t Is only now
tney are laying In their stock Of provisions for to-
morrow Win wondering eyes wide open at my
stiahge request, thinly clad woman passing
under the lamp where l am standing allowed me
to look at
THE CONTENTS OF BASKET
she carried on per arm. In IL were lew ounces of
tea, pound OF sugar, couple OF dozen potatoss,
two or &ree pounds VI seraggylQQkipg meat a