The New York herald., 1874-08-21
New York Dividing Itself Into
Communities.
The French. Jewish, German, Irish and
CoIOred Districts.
The Foreign and the Native Aspects
of the City.
A Curious Insight Into New
York Life.

As cities grow IN ace they seem also 20 grow III
distinctncssthati Is 20 say the populations become
more separately distinct in their characteristics
and gather in certain little centres around which
they seem to move stars around fixed orbits
The older the city the more this becomes ap-
parent and these people, who have once adopted
these centres, seem themselves to be unable to
move away IRON them or 10 break their coanec-
tion with them, as IL were. Where single enorts
are sometimes put forth to break through this In
visible but none the less arbitrary law the result
u not generally successful and trey return ID the
end forced back TO their original starting poinr
IN London this popularity Is especially notable
and the singular distnctness oi particular places
n something wonderful.
or late years New York has shown this popularity
very remarkably in the gradual growth OF distinct
quarters, which may be picked out and named
with boundary lines just as evident as the bound
ary lines OF the city ITSELF We are, inueed getting
to possess this popularity to degree which is
unsurpassed by almost any city IN the world, by
Che establishments Of particular classes OF people
or peculiar lines Of business In certain particular
streets, ont Of which one might almost seek in
vain for them. Trades, like natiolaities,' settle
down In certain places and stick TO each other in
remarkable degree. 1t would seem as II existence
itself depended upon remaining thus closely associ-
ased, and, no doubt, there are good reasons which
cause this congregation OF homogeneous elements
IN certain distinct districts. II In nothing else 1t ID
Sensible in simplifying the business o! life in very
wonderful degree. Our business Is simply with
the cosmopolitan city Of New York In this article,
and We may be eraoled to bring the fact which
has been stated more clearly co the readers mind,
1oyether with the account OF many pecu,arities
which will lend in terest to the enumeration.
THE FRENCH QUARTER.
In spite of the great increase OF our French
I'M 1ouv
since the close OF the Franco. .Prussan war, which
sent so many Of this nationality out OF their own
country to Us toe quarter in which they have
elected 10 live seems not TO have expanded to any
great degree. II is still mainly bounded by Canal
street, AmIty, Broadway ana South Fifth avenue.
Here the French are gathered in great nnmbers,
and in going along any Of the streets comprised
within the boundaries named one will be apt 10
hear almost as much French SPOKEN as oar own
vernacuar. The district seems to be particularly
avoided by the Germans, no doubt because OF the
Ola hatred, and in particular spots OF this district
astranger might almost imagine himself trans
ported to Montnlar;re or Belleville. Taken as
q rule, this population IS by no means
yich one, and It's Inhabitants are mainly
engaged In all sorts Of trades peculiarly
French in themselves. Greene and Wooster streets
are full OF third rate French boarding houses,
where the principles OF Communism appear TO be
very popular. This Is particularly the case in the
lower portion of the two stIeets named, where
some Wen Known Communists keep these
boarding houses and are ge5erally very well pat
ronHed. The boardefs are mainly wOrkuen in va
yious branches OF Skilled trades. One meets also
numerous houses there the manufacture OF arti
fetal bowers, feathers and snch IKE Is carried on
to great extent by Frcncbmcn who have been
long domiciled here. Caadies and all sorts of sug
ared sweetmeats are also manufactured in great
quantities roundabout here. Lager beer and
French wine saloons also abound. as also French
lsundres- Higher up towards Deecker and Anity
streets the class of French boarding houses i'm
proves somewhat, and the Communistic element IL
not strong and the political opinions seem to be
more OF o moderate republican tone. The
inmates are In many cases proprie;ors OF some
small business OF other, clerks in wholesale
houses teachers. One pecul:arity o! aii this
Frenchp population win strike the observer at once.
This Is thai not in ten OF all these Frenchnen,
however long they may have been In the country,
can speak English 50 as to De at all underestimate
bic. While other nationalitIes appear to make 1t
their first business Oh arriving to learn, at least
moderately well, the language OF the country, the
French, by being so cannish, assoctatiDg almost
exclusively with eountrymen OF their own seem to
attach no Importance whatever TO the acquire
ment of the English language. The writer has
known Frenchmcn and FreDchwomen who have
been here from ten TO twenty years who did not
Know many words OF English. This has Its dis.
advantages. They simply seem to care 1Or their
own prosperity and 40 not iraterIiZe either with
the spirit or the Institutions OF the country they
dwell In. II is an extraordinary thing to see
Vrenchpan vote, and only some very pecullar oc-
eason VIII take Inn TO the ballot box. They
here to y giye them the opportunity to return TO
la Belle France, with sufficient Tor comfort.
abe maintenance. SO true is this that out OF
one hundred frenchmen here JOu WIZ certainly
And ninety nine wbc on beng questioned, VIII ac-
knowledge that their dream Is a final return TO
hair W N nnnfr fhnyh hnfa nnnry
out OF America TO enable them TO do 1t. AS a pop
nlation, however, the French are sober, indrlstr-
Their many bitter hatreds Tor each other mainly
born of poiiiical differences. crime is almost un.
known among then.
New YORK, in all probability, though the compu-
Jews in proportion to the population than almost
any other city In the word, perhaps excepting
the exercise OF tnal business tact anu knowledge
which seem an instinct with this wonderful and
absence Of that bigotry and hatrei which ostTa-
cise them, II not completely In part, even to
this DAY, in some European nations. This
more thrifty, orderly and cnrichIng popula-
t,on It would 6s mrossble TO have.
OF the city, but tner one quarter par excellence,
and where they are TO be found in extra rdinary
numbers is in that district Of the city bounded by
Canal, Bowery, Houston and the intervening east
side streets. Here almost everything you see seems
ssors nave nearly ali OF them those mystic Hebraic
sgns which inform the passer by that therein neat
ts killed after the orthodox Jewish fashion TO be
sure, the district named is not that watch com
prises the wealthy part Of our Jewish population,
but to great extent the money Is originally
made here by them which enables them gradually
tu rise TO riches, whcn they generally move up
town 10 wcaltber ncignbornoote. In this district
existed once the old Jewish cemetery, which the
march OF the population, however, swallowed up
ycars ago. Many OF the Jews OF ths quarter are ah
Jecty poor, and exc vut subsistence by all manner
OF llttle trades, one whole street beng occupied
almost exclusively By pigeon lanctcrs. They hye
III tenement houses mainly, ana numbers or these
are occupied exclusively by members OF this race.
IN point Q. language there Is great CONTRAST to
the french population before spoken OF. While
they all Know German, Which, in the maip, Is their
native language, they never neglect the language
oil tile country, and all OF them know IL more or
less wei. Their Coahcadism is illustrated in tDls
ana II 49, ndeed, almost useless 70 refer 10 their
business capacities, Tor these are proyerbal,,