Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-09-02
LETTER FROM GALE PARTING
TON.
Sunday in New York.

diner from q sunday anywhere
else?
Well, Think 1t does.
The people of New York have
no reason TO complain Of too much
piety. Oh, mol
There are in this city GAO, 900 in
habitants, and church capacity for
only 200,030 souls. So the newspa-
pers say, and they are like figures,
they never lie.
To be candid, there is less re-
gard paid to the observance of the
Sabbath in this city, than in any
other in the Union. Its simply a
day of recreation like it was in
France during the French revolu-
ton.
Yesterday Was Sunday, l asked
fourteen persons what church they
were going to. Some of them told
me to bag my head; others asked
meifI saw anything green in their
eyes.
/ didn't bag my head, nor did /
look for verdant spots in their
eyes. l went to church like a good
Christian. So I ID.
But / was nearly late. / suppose
there r not a dozen church bells
in the whole city.
How is one to know when serv-
ice commences then? I'd like to
know. No body can tell.
Trinity has chime bells, but who
lives within ear shot of Trinity ?
Its FIVE miles down town. Then
they ring only on the 4th of July
and when Tammany Hall politi-
clans are defeated at the polls.
They are patriotic bells. The Dix
family runs this church. 1t owns
fourteen millions in real estate.
When walking down Lexing-
ton Avenue on Sunday morning,
/ met several "bummers,' male
and female, in the custody of the
police. They were taking them to
the Tombs police court for trial.
They deal out justice here on Sun
days, if they don't on week days.
A great many churches which /
passed on my way were labelled,
ssclosed for the summer" The the
alters have similar signs hung out.
The ideal Churches and theaters
closed for the summer. Actors and
preachers in the country starring
at the watering places.
AT church / saw two men in
their shirt sleeves. They wore cal
leo shirts. They weren't clean
either. I hope their hearts were
cleaner. If not let us draw a veil,
and a thick one.
There was one man sitting near
me who had a Sunday Herald fold
ed up as small as a hymn book.
The Herald has a theological col
umn. / peeped over his shoulder
to see If he was reading of things
divine: 1 read in silence the fol-
lowing heading /: "The one mile
heat the best of the season. Heavy
betting on a young t%rOtter."
Pm fond of horses, inordinately
fonnd of them. But / was sorry
Tor that man that was reading of
fast trotters in church when he
should have been holding the fort
or gathering at the river. He's a
bad man, who ever he is.
After the doxology was sung an
old woman who had been standing
at the door, came in and whisper
ed in nay ear: She had a bed
ridden husband at home, would l
give her a quarter? / had seen
that woman before, Once, five
years ago on a Jersey city ferry
boat. That time her husband was
deaf, dumb aud blind. Now he's
simply bed ridden, poor man, how
/ pity him. I'd sooner pity him
than to give his wife a quarter to
buy a little tea in a bar room. O.,
I'd much rather,
Ifyou have money you can part
with it here on Sunday as well as
any other day. Jews have their
clothing stores open with all the
fashions spread over wire frames,
men standing outside, their wood
en- eyeballs glazing at those that
pass by.
Grocery stores are open until
eleven O'Clock. BARRIERS are heard
shouting, next to their custom
ers inside their shops. Bar rooms
are open until twelve O'Clock at
night. New Workers always wash
down a sermon with q glass of
weiss beer. Its a fact.
One brawny blacksmith, with
begrimmed visage and begrim-
mel apron was sweating over the
hoef of an unruly horse, that dis
liked to be shod on the Sabbath.
The horse was a better Christian
than the miserly blacksmith. /
almost wished that the horse had
kicked the Sabbath breaking vul-
can, that | might have an oppor-