The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-12-21
Life in New York CITY.

Resident American, /" says in the Contens-
poyd7y ReUielC New York is no longer
the city that it was fifty years ago. It
has grown so rapidly in extent, in pop
ulation and in wealth that all the con-
ditions of life are changed. I visit the
palatial residences of former days, and
find myself in the midst of towering
warehouses, or in the midst of q Ger
man city, or surrounded by squalid
tenement-houses, swarming with Irish.
Another turn, and 1 am in a Chinese
quarter. If / would find the fashion
and wealth of the city, must 60 far
out among the old market gardens and
the more distant pastures, which are COW
cred now with costly dwelling-houses,
Then EGO, 900 was great fortune; now,
New York boasts Of a citizen who
is worth G20,000,000. There are
others who are almost as rich. They
are railway kings, or men who have
grown rich by the sudden and enormous
rise in the value of real estate and
socialism, imported from Europe. hav-
ing no kings here to attack, has found
a name for these men, and threatens
them as monopolists." The palaces
of the. Fifth avenue laugh at the fain
echoes which reach them from the halls
near the Bowery, where social clubs
discuss the rights Of labor, and openly
advocate the assassination of monopo-
lists but no one can seriously study
life in New York without finding HIM
self confronted, first of all, with this
problem of the relations Of wealth and
| poverty. New York has not grown
rich 80 much through the skill and
energy of her citizens as through
the rapid growth of the coun-
try, with which she has had
but little to do, except in the way Of
developing her natural advantages by
building railways and canals. Most Of
her rich men owe their wealth to the
rise in the value Of real estate or to
fortunate speculation in stocks. 1t has
not been q slow growth. It has come
suddenly. The poorest man in New
York, who can read penny paper, is
familiar with the slang Of Wall street.
He knows that he is cutting stone or
carrying mortar for palace which is
building for man who has "captured
railroad" or "watered stock" or
made corner" He does not need to
go far to be told that this does not mean
money earned, but money stolen from
the laboring classes. He believes it.
And even this does not touch him so
directly as the fact that he pays an
exorbitant rent to another monopolist
for his filthy rooms in tenement-house.
If this we're all of New York society,
this article would never have been writ
ten. There are rich men whom wealth
has not corrupted, and poor men whom
poverty has not embittered. This does
not need to be said. 1t may be said of
every city. But there are probably few
cities in the world where a choicer So
ciety can be found than in New York,
and there are few, if any, whore there
is more earnest, active Christian life.
We find it among the rich and the poor.
1t is colored somewhat by the dominant
spirit OF the city, but it is genuine. 1t
is struggling manfully to redeem the
city from crime, corruption, filth, ig-
~"-lnce, irreligion and degradation of
every kind; and If the city is saved
from outbreaks of the worst forms of
communism, it will be by its means.
But l am dwelling too long upon
generalities. Let us come down to
practical every day life. The New Yorker
is alwaysin hurry. Heis an early riser.
and generally eats hearty breakfast by
s o'clock. If he is religious man he
has had family prayers before breakfast,
as this is the only time of which he
could be sure before midnight If he
does not read the morning paper at
breakfast, he reads it on the way to his
Office. He is almost certain to have
callers on business before he can leave
his house; and if he is known to be
benevolent man, he has score of beg
ging letters by the morning delivery. He
gets awayas soon as possible, and is not
seen again until evening, when he comes
in Just in time to dress for dinner
His household affairs are managed
by his wife. He is liable to have busi-
ness calls before he has finished his
dinner. If he goes to his club. he
talks business there. He has COM
mittee meetings to attend. At or 10
o'clock he may 60 with his wife to a
party; or he may get away little earlier
to the theater. If he has an evening
at home, it is because he has a dinner
party for evening entertainment him
self. He keeps late hours. If an
active religious man, Sunday is almost
as busy day as any other. If not, it
is divided between business and amuse-
ment. In May his family goes into the
country, or to some watering place, to
remain until October, but the chance
is that he gets but little rest. When
rest becomes absolutely essential he
escapes to Europe.
What the ladies do, except to make
themselves agreeable when they can be
found, cannot say from observation,
but they seem to be as overworked as
the men. Some of them certainly specu-
late in stocks. They have their clubs
and societies, literary and otherwise.
Many of the charities and religious So
cieties Of the city are largely in their