The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-06-18

25 per cent. profit on New York prices.
ALEXANDER DELMAR,
Formerly Director at Bureau of Statistics,
United States Silver Commission, etc.
NYMPHS OF THE BATH.
Ladies' Day at a New York Free Bath-Hsw
They Enjoyed Themselves and What They
Wore.
New York Herald.1
Taking "bobtail carr at the postoffice,
yesterday afternoon, lady reporter of the
Herald was carried through the hot and
noisome streets that skirt the outer edge of
this city to the foot of East Fifth sire ct.
Most of the inhabitants of this portion of
the town appeared to be sitting along the
curbstones in front of their dwellings, or
hanging from the windows thereof and gag
ing out upon the world with stoicai indiffer.
ence from their dizzy heights. Girls and
boys cooled their hot feet in the muddy
waters of the gutter, and played at hop
scotch or marbles upon the blistering pave
ment Other little ones, who had learned at
a tender age to make themselves useful,
were "minding the baby" and others again
barely able to walk, carried cracked pitchers
of beer in their tiny hands. One little fell
low who had been sent out for pail of beer
had become SO absorbed in a game of pitch
and toss which two little boys were playing
that he forgot his errand. and stood watch
ing the game with bated breath, while the
beer also lost its head and looked as dull
and black as molasses.
At the corner of Lewis and Fifth streets
an enterprising lad had set up an old coun-
ter, on whose brown side was traced In rude
characters with white chalk, "OIC orsters
and CLAIMS one cent each" On the top of
this counter were stacked very nearly q
dozen oysters, and on the top of the oysters
a small piece of ice dripped itself away in
the sunshine. Two ragged little fellows re-
garded this tempting array of bivslves with
watering mouths and hands in their empty
pockets.
lis the free bath at this wharf," inquired
the reporter.
"Yes, a'am," replied the youthful mer.
chant, indicating the direction with brok. n
oyster-knife. tits right down there; but
this is ladies' day."
The reporter tramped on to the edge of the
wharf, and there she found the bath-house
anchored. Just inside the door was seated
Miss Brown, the matr0n in charge, and her
assistant. Both were sewing on bathing
dresses. The reporter stated her errand and
was admitted within the borders of the hol-
low square that forms the bath. The place
Is painted in light colors and looked very
neat and clean. A row of dressing rooms
runs around the entire space, and all seemed
to be occupied yesterday.
what time do the bathers begin to come~
inquired the reporter of Miss Brown.
"The bath opens at in the morning, and
many are here by 4:30, waiting for us to
come"
who are your best patrons?"
1.-THE Germans. There are more Germans
battle here than any other people. They are
mora used to 1t in their own country and
are perfect ducks in the water"
One of the ducks passed the reporter on
her way outas Miss Brown spoke. She must
have weighed some 300 pounds.
Hello! What has caused that red haired
girl to sit down so suddenly on the steps that
run into the water? It is soon explained.
for she shouts in shrill voice:
MARY Flanagan, Mary Flanagan, bring
me pin, quick and the willing Mary
soon returns from the dressing room with
the needed article. Damages are repaired in
q moment, and the red head disappears un-
der the water and pair Of white feet flash In
after they have been in the water for a while
but before they 60 in the most of them
might be modelled in bropzs from their
color.
Pardon me, Miss Brown" said the re-
porter, hesitatingly, but what is the matter
with that girls iegs-the one just going
down to the water-she is striped like q
ZEBRA
"Oh, that's nothing" replied Miss Brown,
laughing" Its merely the dye out of her
stockings" The reporter felt immensely
relieved to find that such really was the
case. anu tne ZoOra stripes Soon gave way 10
marble witness.
The girls do not look so bad in the water,
as their faces are animated by the excite
ment of the sport, and their arms, as gen.
eral thing are shapely. 1t is when they
climb dripping up the little steps and patter
across the platform to their dressing. rooms
that they look their worst 1t does not take
them long to resume their everyday apparel.
The reporter was surprised to see so many
with a well-to-do appearance. Others again
came from among the poorest of the poor.
Match girls and candy girls get about their
only washing here. Plain as is their ap-
pearance, they look we'll by comparison
when they leave their bath house, for their
faces shine with cleanliness and their hair is
neatly done up.
The rush at the baths has not commenced
yet, and will not until the water gets warmer.
1t was quite chilly yesterday and some of the
bathers looked very blue about the lips.
Il shan't go in for two or three weeks yet, "
said Miss Brown.
Then you are swimmer"
''Oh, yes. That is necessary in case of ac-
cidents"
"And do you have accidents here?"
mot often, but we do have them. Last
summer a lady tainted in the water. was
standing right here and saw her go down.
had my streetdress on just as you see me
now, but was over the railing in q minute
and had her up. She was beautiful. 1 can
tell you. 1t was as much as l could do to
get her to the steps. She ought not to have
gone in, because she had heart disease and
the doctor warned her, but she used to be an
expert swimmer when she vas young and
could not resist the temptation"
| The reporter thanked Miss Brown for her
courtesy, and taking last look at the novel
scene, including the two fat German women
bobbing about like buoys inc power could
have sunk them) she DO we'd herself out and
| Just escaped upsetting the flag of Erin that
was floating into her dressing room.