Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-10-12

Once the Five Points was the type Of all
that is vile. 1t was to New York what st.
Giles was to London. From ocean to ocean
there was not reading person who did not
know something of the Five Points, and very
few who did not want to see it. But its glory
In misery has departed. It is almost respect
able, and the area Of extreme poverty now
begins little beyond it, with its central dis
trict in Mulberry Bend. Nevertheless, the
Five Points is still a place of great interest,
The first surprising fact about the old sink
hole is, that it is so very near the heart of
business New York From the roof of the
old white block known as tdown town Stew
arts "-thescenter of fashionable trade before
the war-a Benjaminite could have thrown
stone into the window of the vilest rookery
on this continent. The postofice and City
Hall park are still the heart of down town
New York. From the park, go six short
blocks up the east side of Broadway, and
you are at Worth street, which turns east att
right angle. At the corner you are in the
throng of business, fashion and healthful life.
Go one hundred steps eastward and you are
in another world.
The contrast even now is startling What
must it have been in 1s5O-35a First, east Of
Broadway is Elm street, and next to Elm is
Centre; go five rods beyond Centre, turn
round the corner to the right and you are in
Paradise park, within the 'spoints" treally
there are six of them, but one is not conspic-
uous), all converging on the little breathing
space. Worth street and Park street here
cross at acute angles, like those of slim x;
Baxter street comes in from the north, and
the result is four sharp points, and one on the
south that is an obtuse angle, though beyond
it the continuation of Baxter street makes
another point not quite in the group. Here
was the focus of New York's misery, squalor
and crime; and here is still the western en-
trance to one of the poorest districts.
Here l took my seat on the hard bench Of
Paradise park, on the afternoon of Sept. 90
an italian holiday-to note the changes since
first saw the place nearly thirty years
ago. The change has been great and the
names clearly indicate it. On Worth street,
north, is the immense six story red brick, its
long front lettered Five Points House of In
dustry." Beside ita somewhat smaller brick
bears the words, "Infirmary of the Five
Points House of Industry" On that spot
once stood mass Of tall and rickety wooden
buildings, crowded with people Of every age,
race and color, in every stage Of moral and
physical decay-an atrocious nest Of the
worst sneak thieves and beggars, drunkarde
and disreputables in the world.
Itwas place of innumerable murders. No
policeman ventured into it alone In its
back rooms and dark corners many an out
cast was choked o. beaten to death, many
worn out and penniless debauchee died
alone: and in more than one instance corpses
lay unknown in little dark rooms till decay
revealed their presence to the wretched neigh
bors single room sheltered two or three
families, their respective territories defined
by marks on the floor. It was called in a
general way "Cow Bays" but minor divi-
sions and the narrow alleys opening into the
lower stories were called "Jacob's Ladder"
"Rogues Rum" "Dead FALL" "A1urderers'
Alley" and the like. To look into these
inlets and up the dirty stairways was like
glimpse into the mouth of hell.
On Park street, south, is another solid
brick structure, labeled on the front give
Points Mission" On that spot once stood
the noted cold Brewery" tottering stone
structure with great seams in it's darkened
walls, with indescribable filth in its hallways
and poverty glaring night and day with
hungry, hideous faces out Of its dismal old
windows. Its history is long detail of mis-
cries, diversified by some of the most appan-
ing crimes ever perpetrated. Among tho
crimes, infanticide was, of course, very fire.
quent. The ward was then known as the
"Bloody Sixth" It is now comparatively
peaceful, and the bad pre-eminence for hood
lumism is now claimed for the "Fighting
Seventeenth" Business has encroached on
this district, and rowdyism has moved up
town.
Charles Dickens is credited with the honor
"a
dark corners of the Five Points He did It
very thoroughly, too, in 1S42, and wrote it
up in his inimitable STYLE When his work
was republished in America the Five Points
at once became famous. Heset the fashion
Of ''slumming," and soon had so many imi-
tators that the contributions of visitors be-
came an important source Of revenue to the
Five Pointers, and the man who wanted to
see misery got the worth of his money. One
method was to leave all valuables at ones
hotel, dress in rags and stroll into the dens
as habitue; but soft hands and clear
healthy skin could not be left at the hotel,
and so the explorer was liable to be detected
and sshustled." Even now ruddy and
farmerlike man is as quickly noted there as
. Chinaman would be in an Ohio village.
A better method was to go with q police
man in citizens clothes and with enough
small change to ''pay ones footing" But all
this was done in the daytime; at night tho
quarter was given up to its own citizens ex-
clusively. Even now should not select the
Sixth ward for an evening stroll, nor is it
quite safe to drink anything in some of the
cellar saloons They are ''loaded for bearn
In many such localities; and though You
take only lemonade or water, or your beer
be drawn from the same faucet as that for
the regular habitues, there is liable to be
something in the glass in which it is served
that will ''conjure" the senses As soon as it
became "fad" to visit the Five Points tho
glory Of the place was doomed Philan-
thropy and religion invaded it with over
whelming forces-as told in curious old
book called "Hot Cortland there was .
mighty reformation.