News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-02-12
POOR JACKS WATCH OFF.
STRANDED ON A LEE SHORE.
Sailors Dance Houses and the Way In
which They arc Conducted.
From tho Nav York Herald.1

| From the New York Herald.1
''There's sweet little cherub that sits up
aloft
To keep watch and ward over poor Jack"
Poor Jack when he leaves his ship and
steps ashore with his wages in his peck
cts and an intense desire to make up for
the routine work of long voyage by q
night racket has not to travel very
far in quest of place where he can
drink his grog, smoke his pipe and
dance his hornpipe. The saloons along
Chatham street and the Bowery which
display signs and pictures intended to
lure seamen inside are known to the
public which daily passes up and down
town on the surface and 81" roads.
These places catch Jacks eye and
bleed his pocket whenever he happens
to be in their neighborhood. He has
not, however, to go such distance from
his ship to find what he wants. In the
vicinity of Water and Roosevelt streets
and at other thoroughfares near the
East and North rivers there are concert
saloons whose entire trade is done with
sailors.
The proprietors are of different ma
tionalities. The Swedish sailor knows
where he can find house in which he
can make himself understood and meet
his follow countrymen. The Dutch,
German and Danish seamen-in fact, all
the Jack Tars of whatever country who
land at this port have their particular
resorts of this character, where they feel
more at home than they would any
where else off their vessel. This fact is
one OF the evidences of the cosmopolitan
nature of this great city.
Whatever the difference, however,
there may be IN the language spoken in
these sailors cO1scert $50 looms they are
IN nearly all respects alike. Red lights
illuminate the entrance, and through the
half opened windows or doors floats the
music of some lively jig. Jack sees the
red signal from altar, and, once within
hearing of the fiddle, he is an easy vic
tim. He enters with the intention OF
having good nights fun regardless OF
expense. Poor fellow he does not al
ways have as much of the fun as he an
ticipated, but he is certain of undergo
ing the expense.
| Inside of these saloons is a roughly
made bar, over which the burly pro-
prietor or his hard visaged wife dispen-
ses strong stuff at the highest price.
Jack does not stay long ashore, SO their
scheme is to bleed him as much as pos
| sible while they have him. The room
is lighted through numerous gas globes
of varied colors. They give the wretched
room a half picturesque appearance.
Two or three men in one corner grind
out Jig music at the rate of so many
tunes an hour. In the more pretentious
of these saloons piano, with half of its
notes giving forth no sound, is an addi-
| tional feature.
Moving about the room are gaudily
| dressed women-some old, some young,
the majority hardened in appearance, 9
| few with claims to good looks. Some
times they act as barmaids; at other
times they help Jack in the Jig or reel.
They help him also to spend his money
ON liquor, induIging in fancy drinks, the
price of which staggers the poor fellow.
When the opportunity is good and Jack
is too drunk to notice it they 'go
through" his pockets and take all the
money he has left.
Then Jack is of no further use to
them or the proprietor, who has been
blind to the thefts, because the women
with their fancy drinks are the most prof
liable customers he has, and he is
hustled out into the street to find his
way to his ship as best he can. If Jack
shows fight on such occasions there are
bouncers who assist the proprietor in
pitching him out of the soloon.
As a rule, however, the proprietor is
too anxious to keep the police from raid
ing his house to admit of any fighting
to take place. Sober Jack is treated with
certain amount of Difference, and it is
only when he is stupid from liquor that
the grosser indignities are heaped upon
him.