Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-04

the vast number of curiosities and sights
that appeal to the stranger. The famous
Eden Musee is one of them, where you can
scarcely believe your eyes, and you wonder
really whether or not the figures are wax
or veritable flesh and blood. Probably
one of the best things in the Musee is the
Secret Meeting of the Anarchists
Another feature astonishing in its mechan-
ism, is the chess-playing automatom. 1t
is an Oriental figure, which is apparently
wound up like any other machine, and it
will play, it is alleged, with anyone who
will pay his ten cents. 1t has never been
vanquished at chess, they say, but has
played several drawn games. Its wonder
full success is, of course, emphatically as
serted to be mystery. Barnum's ''Great-
est Show on Earth" is just at this season
in full swing and drawing thousands of
people within its gates, even in city so
full of places of amusement as this is. In
its spacious Enclosure are carried on all
kinds of performances suitable to the ring
and amphitheater, and a travelling circus
is the tamest of imaginable things COM
pared with this great enterprise. The
evening | attended, the veteran Snowman
of America himself occupied his box and
looked on, critically attentive
PLACES OF INTEREST.
The numerous theaters, museums and
art galleries the beautiful churches, old
kirk yards-where repose the remains of
many of Manhattan's old Knickerbockers
are most interesting. The Produce
building, way down town." is grand
place from which to obtain fair view of
the city and surroundings. The elevator
| takes you to the fourteenth story; YOU
| then ascend two flights of stairs and reach
the tower. The view from this point is
unsurpassed on clear day. Governors
Island, where General Hancock died ;
Bedloes Island, on which stands Liberty
Enlightning the World :" the Brooklyn
bridge, in all its majestic beauty, on which
the really graceful trains of cars cross and
recross constantly, and under its spacious
spans myriads of vessels are fitting in and
out; the Hudson river, its banks lined
with all sorts of crafts; the Jersey coast,
and on all sides Manhattan Island and
this great metropolis. Several majestic
ocean steamers were steaming along in
both directions ON the day of which |
write, and the sight of all these stately
and moving things and the busy landscape
was soul inspiring, and set me to thinking
deeply of the marvels of the nineteenth
century and the wondrous works of man.
The famous Castle Garden is distinctly
seen from the lofty building, also the his
toric Battery. But one pair of eyes can
not take it all in and one untried pen can
not sketch even all one pair of eyes can
see
A soMBER SIDE.
There is somber side of this city, and
| to see it we may go back to our place in
the cars of the elevated train, for it passes
through some of the poorer streets of New
York, and the sight of poverty displayed
in the tenements along the line of the road
is more than pitiful. Whole families are
to be seen crowded into cramped and mar
row space encamping in misery. Little
ones whose garments seem hanging together
| only by threads, with funny little frowzy
heads and dirty faces, are countless on
either side as they lean from the windows
| and wistfully watch the passing trains.
On the street little ragged urchins run by
your side begging pennies-and if you give
| a copper to one, in a fash the gamins pop
up at every turn and nearly every yard,
until you wonder where they spring from
SO mysteriously and on the spur of the
| moment. Some idea of
DEsTITUTIoN
In the midst of the great wealth of a
great city can be formed from the fact that
it is common here to see 9-year-old pov-
erty child picking up coal enough to Keep
the family in fuel all winter. Coming
from Niblos Theater the other afternoon
with friend, we saw Just ahead of us a
middle-aged man stoop and pick dry
crust from the pavement and eagerly de-
YOUR 1t, and such sights are by no means
uncommon. 1t was dreadful to look at a
human being in such apparent distress
| We hurried by in order to get look at
his face. We saw at glance he was not
a dIunkard. He was what you would
call one of the shabby genteel," so many
of whom you see here. We hesitated
about offering him anything, for he ap-
peared to have about him an air of refine
ment, but to think of him eating dry
bread picked from the edge of the side
walk too plainly portrayed restitution.
Accosting him, we handed him some
silver. He looked at the money, then at
| US; took it; simply said, "Thank you very
much )" brushed his rough coat-sleeve
across his eyes, and went on his way.
| Anywhere, almost at any time, you can see
beggars of all descriptions-they are fear
fully plentiful indeed. Sitting on steps
leading up to public buildings, leaning up
against lamp posts-dragging along the
walk, delving in the gutters-poverty faces
you at every turn. Looking in at the
same beautiful window are the rich and
the poor. One goes in to buy, the other
looks, signs and passes on. / had read of
all these things, but had forgotten them
until brought face to face with the reality.
1t is well there is bright side to life in
this great city, for assuredly there is mis-
cry enough TO be seen on every hand,
though the most squalid examples / have
not looked upon in these dismal and mis-
cradle quarters, where the busy, we'll
dressed throng never go. But enough is
to be seen upon the highway where wealth
and poverty, happiness and sorrow, joy
and misery, enervate sons of rich parents,
| and the children Of bitter want move to-
| gether, and jostle one another in the
| streets of Gotham, where the scenes are SO
varied that they confuse country girl
and exceed my ability to even enumerate
l REMINISCENT.
/ had the pleasure the other evening, in
company with some friends, of dining with
Agnes Booth-Schoeiiel, and it was both de-
lightful and instructive to listen to her
relation of experience in California when
it was verify the Golden West" 1t was
very amusing to hear her tell of making a
stage of the dining-room table, and wher
no such Injuries were to be had, they
played on the bar, and the bar-room wa.
the auditorium of the theater. At time:
the company would travel in large wagon,
and play wherever they might stop for tn,
night; but those necessities, l tell her
have all disappeared in California now
Mrs. Booth is an intensely interesting
woman, and her stories were revelation
! to us on that evening, and especially so t.
me, as they were told mainly for my benefit
"Can you always tell Californian
abroad?" No; though in meeting then
in travelling there is always that friendli
ness and ail-fellow-wellmet' sort of
feeling about them foreign to the Eastern
people. But you meet delightful peopl
everywhere, nevertheless. We are neN
family as vet, but we are not slow to learn
II We have our Arcadian climate, but her
, there is no climate to speak OF, or TO mucl
, variety, just as you desire to term it. Yo'