The New York herald., 1874-07-13
How the Metropolis Spends the First
Day of the Week.
Sunday Services and Sunday
Amusements.
Some Interesting Facts and Curious
Figures Many Go to Church
and How Many Attend Balls.


routine OF existence than an American sunday.
on the Continent Sunday is the gsycst and IN ost
entertaining OF all the days OF the whole week. The
freedom and pleasure OF Partisan Sunday is well
known, by description at least, TO all readers;
while the picturesquely exciting methods OF pass
lng Sunday in Spain, with its landangoes and
bull hghts is familiar to the public But 1t Is not,
perhaps, generally known to the nontraveled
reader that not only In Catholic countries Is Sun
day observed as a Jete day OF popular gayery, but
that throughout even what is called Protestant
Europe Sunday is observed as par eTceHence
gala day. Yet such is the fact. In Norway, Swe-
den Denmark, Russia and other partly or wholly
non-C Catholic countries Sunday Is looked upon as
day OF pleasure much more than II Is with US, ana
prlucc and peasant alike indulge in festivities on
the first day OF the week without offence given or
taken or without shocking any sense Of decency
and morality.
AN AMERICAN SUNDAY,
on the contrary, Is the very reverse OF all tnis,
and the contrast in this particular with European
lie Is very decided. Perhaps the American sys-
TEN is the best Each man or woman Will hold
his or her theory this point; but the facts OF
the matter admit or no dispute The proper
observance OF sunday, according 10 their Ideas OF
proprety, one OF the most important points
In the religious tene;s and the social discipline
OF the Puritan settlers OF New England, where the
Sunday laws were for time 50 severe that the
fame OF their severity has passed into history.
But OF late years even New England saboatarian-
ism has become modified BY the spirit OF The age,
and many OF the original Blue Laws and Sunday
regulations OF the New England states are now
mere dead letters on their statute books.
As we approach the middle portions Of the
United States the rigidty Of Sunday laws and
customs seems to lnsensbly modify and soften. In
the Southern States sunday is rather a social
than religious institution; till finally, in the
metropolis Of the south, the city of New Orleans,
the Continental mode OF Sunday keeping prevails,
and Paris, on smaller scale. is reproduced.
METRoPoLITAS SUNDAY.
So far as Sunday IN New York may be said to
have any distinctive character at ALL it seems TO
be combined of the Sunday keeping characteristics
Ol all the other sections OF the country TO which
allusion has just been made. There a large por
tion OF our metropolitan population perhaps after
al our largest and most influential portion, who
incline, in a modified form, to the New England
theory OF the sabbath while considerable section
OF our people are IN favor OF Continental freedoms
relaxation ana enjoyment As rule and natur
ally enough, the foreign-born population OF New
York, or our adopted cuizens," incline to the
Continental Sunday. Consequently, a New York
Sunday at the present time presents the somewhat
singular spectacle OF two almost utterly distinct
NE thods OF observance, eacn method being alike
otnef. Yet each existing independently OF tue
other and neither as yet, entitled to clam any
supremacy. For, up TO date the Continental sun
day. as understood and practised by the French,
Germans, &c, IN our midst, and by certain class
oI own citizens, has not been able to interfere
70 any extent with the more seemingly decorous
and cnurch-golng system OF our native American
tan element IN our midst been able IN any mpor
tant degree 10 repress the instinct OF our foreign
population for Continental sunday.
1.-THE SUNDAY QUESTION:
IL Is called, the right method or keeping sunday,
Is destined TO become IN the estimation OF many OF
our thinking men one OF the great issues OF the
American future. Ii is a tact not generally known
that there Is az the present moment in this city
actively. though quietly a. work, actuated by
sense OF duty, yet not inspired with any sanguine
hopes OF success, a society, composed OF several
rehtlemen and ladies' OF this CITY, whose object is
10 restore far practicaole the old statutes
the observance OF sunday, and TO bring back ouI
metropolitan sundays to the original Puritan or
AT least, the old Dutch standard of solemnity
This association meets the first sunday IN every
month at the house OF one OF its members, and
reports progress, OF which so far there has been
none TO speak OF. Tne members of this society OF
association (which has as yet no particular name
though 1t has a special obJect) believe that ulti
mateIy the 'excessesn OF our foreign population
viii tend cause a reaction favorable to theil
view OF 1.-THE sabbath question" Influence has
Also been brought indirectly TO bear upon Mayor
Havemeyer, who is of Dutch extraction, to re-
store our metropolitan sunday closer to the
old colonial Dutch pattern; but TAI
without success the Mayor sees clearly that the
spirit OF the age is opposed to such retrogresson
Curiously, yet naturally enough there also exists
At the present time in this city species OF society
or ASSOCIATION (of Germans and freetlinkers), who
are privately and among themselves agitating
.tRe Sunday question from precisely an opposite
point OF view. This society takes the same ground
That was acted upon, though with disastrous failure
during a certain period the French revolution
that one day in seven devoted TO rest entirely
clear loss to labor and the world and that one daJ
IN every two weeks or ten days Is quite sufficient.
SUNDAY EXPERIENCES.
The sunday question" has 'loomed up" into
importance several times in the history OF THIS
country. In the city OF Philade phia the issue Ol
running the street cars ON sunday years ago
the Kew NJ Chambers, became notorious as the
most prominent of the Sabbatarians. At one
period In Phmladephia m the Puritan sunday was OBJ
served IN all It's strictness. on the other hand,
during the days OF the "TamInany rlng' IN this
METROPOLIS the observance Of Sunday in
many NIGH quarters approached, and even
exceeded, the free and easy Parisian
standard. sunday night was during this era the
favourite night for theatrical rehearsals Colon Ell
Fisk at the Grand Opera House and the lessees of
Nioo's then devoted to the spectacular drama,
were in the habit OF devoting the only leisure
night in the theatrical week to the "fu dress re.
hearsas" OF "The Twelve Temptations "The
White Fawn" and "The Black Crook,u and All
sunday long the interior OF these theatres were
busting with lie and gayety During this peroc
also It was the habit to hold during SUNDAYS
special festivities at the Tammany Theatre, a
which Judges and actresses. senators and bale
dancers democraticaIly mingled This period q
carnival was succeeded by a season Of puritanlca
reaction, and OF late crusade has been naugr
rated against the German concert saloons bein
open on Sundays. All OF these facts serving cor
clusively to show one thing. If nothing else-tha
the Sunday question Is in New York still an III
settled problem.
CHURCH GOING on SUNDAY.
Every Sunday a certain number OF New Yorker
go 10 church-precisely how many New Workers
1s difficult to determine. The number OF churche
In the metropolis Is estimated at 330-excuaive
81 yceums, halls, &c. Each OF these building
will hold on an average about 500 persons, NAL
ing a total, supposing the churches, lyceum!
&c, to oe all iul, Of about $4,000 churcl
attending persons every sunday. AS tn
churches, Bceums, &C., are seldom ovc
two-thirds iull the average church attendant
IN the metropolis may be set down at less tina
1250W persons, or not over one-eighth OF the totf
population OF the metropolis. Some further fac,
regarding the churches may be OF interest. Fort,
four churches belong 10 The Methodsts america
and German. There are five colored Methods
churches embracing the Bethel church in Sulliva
street and Zion church In Beecker street Fort,
five churches OF the Presbyterian fortbodo x
connection fourteen belonging to "outsder pres
hyterian organizations; siXty-eight churches be
long to the Episcopalians, who are the most INIT