Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-07
SLUMS OF NEW YORK.
What a Party of PittsburgerS Saw in
the Great Metropolis.
A NIGHTS LODGING FOR A PENNY.
Chinese Opium Dens and Their American
Frequenters.
PICKPOCKETS WITH NO SENSE OF HONOR


went out sightseeing among the slums O
lower New York night or SO ago. ha
before experienced the exciting diversion
with the guidance of detective, but 1 an
free to confess that more new scenes wer
presented this time than ever before. AM
we started ont without a guide, too.
We went down the Bowery, which, by tn
way, is the most brilliantly lighted anC
lively thoroughfare in the city. Wher
Mott street was reached we turned off anC
entered into street which was noticeably
void of electric light, or indeed any kind o
lamp to guide the pedestrian. On up The
street we went, now and then stopping tc
peer into the den of some Chinese opium
hend. There is a strange sickning odol
which constantly pervades the neighbor-
hood, due to the fatal drug and the cooking
of Chinese edibles. After visiting several
dens, where we had difficulty in gaining ad-
mittance, we concluded to return and get a
guide. There is a certain class of men In
this neighborhood who gain livelihood by
this very means, and he is character you
don't see in day time. Generally these
fellows are ward "heelers, who have pull
some way or the other.
A BOwERY GUIDE.
The man we selected surely had large
list OF acquaintances on his list, for at every
corner he was greeted with a familiar eli
Billy" He was a big burly fellow with
deep set eyes, which danced with venomous
glee as he would rap for admittance and the
door promptly open. 1t was source o pleasure
to him to show mis- authority. Mott, Null
berry, Cherry, and other such byways were
explored very fully. The penny lodging
house was one of the new features 1 OBJ
served. In a low, rickety building, a cellar
was utilized as the lodgeroom. Around the
wall were stout benches filled with sleeping
quests" who laziIy opened their eyes when
we entered. In the center of the room was
a large stove, around which clustered on the
floor women and men indiscriminately.
wearily awaiting the break of dav, when
they would start out once more to beg, steal,
peddle, or whatever their vocation demanded
OF them.
Across the street we went and entered
long, dark areaway. keep to the left"
said the guide, and as we felt our way along
we soon emerged into an open court, which
"Billy" said was like the Whitechapel dis
trict in London. The moon was shining
brightly, and as it shone down
on this locality made the surrounding
more and more interesting, You could see
silent forms fitting about from door to door,
while now and then the revelry of some
drunken men would emanate from the nu-
merous dens. Within the inclosure was a
veritable miniature town of the most motley
sort. There were lodging houses. coffee
'joints," opium dens. Cheap John stores,
Chinese drug stores and heaven knows what,
all right within a stones throw of each
other, and off from the main street entirely.
We got out of the place after witnessing
sights which were and are a disgrace to hu-
manity. To one never having seen such
lie, it is simply not imaginable that such
things exist. But they do
AN OPIUM JOINT.
Walking slowly down another narrow
street, we raped on door which was not
Immediately opened. While we were await
ing to be answered a dozen forms of
Cinnamon were seen to appear on
the street, and lazily walk away.
Then two girls, not surely over IL, came out
of the adjoining house. Then the door
opened and we were admitted. The old
Chinaman, who was the only soul at home.
said "all out, signifying that no one was
hitting the pipe. BILLY" told me that those
girls who just came out were Harlem people
who had come down town to smoke the
poisonous extract of poppy. The mere smok-
VI nds C6dSeU 10 De q novelty TO
New Workers, and visit to "joint" is
considered played out fad, but when it
comes TO be mixed up with your own nation
ality in the way which we saw it, fully
demonstrates that one-half the world doesn't
know how the other half live.
A detective told me many interesting
things recently during conversation about
thieves and their manner of plying their |
nefarious vocation. Pickpockets are the |
hardest set to deal with unless they are |
caught in the act. 1t is often said there's |
honor even among thieves, but the instinct !
i've desire to touch friend asserts itself |
when an unusually good chance presents
ITSELF For instance, there is a gang of |
the light-hngered contingent which freouents |
the race track at Clifton and the Gut"
who make speciality of touching their own
acquaintances whom they know have made |
q winning.
FRANK HERDIC vICTIMIZED. !
The other day Frank Herdic, the pool |
seller, walked quietly through the |
crowd in the betting ring |
With $500 stop watch. Hello Frank"
greeted him from everyone almost. but when |
he got out of the squeeze his chronometer
was not with him. 1t had been deity |
screwed from the chain.
sporting men have been late victims. The
man who is suspicious of the finger boys
is the one who stands to lose nothing in their
hands, but the careless, confident man of the
world is the one who comes to grief by his
oVer-assurance in his ability to spot the bows
who live without working
Two PlttSburg young men, who, espec-
tally iond of the actors, met a verv great
surprise this week at the hands OF gentle
manly mixer In Broadway cafe. These
TWO boys are very wealthy and travel about
Tor the sport OF the thing. and they gener-
ally seek the company of actors in which to
spend pleasant hour, and the festive dol
lar. So often were they seen with the factor
men" that the people OF course thought thew
were professionals also.
THE BARKEEPER's MISTAKE.
The other evening about 9 o'clock these
Two gentlemen walked into the cafe men,
lioned above in which to slake
heir thirst after giving the Broad
way people a sight for an hour
'r more. The bartender being so used to
seeing them in his place with actors, was
surprised and said: "Why, what's this
mean? How comes it that YOU people are
If so early to-night?''
"Why?" asked one of the two
Weren't you on tonight" said the i'm
naculate made man.
'tOn what?"
"Why, on the stage2''
Then the two laughed heartily and ex-
lained everything, while the barkeep'
uietly murmured, THAT puts the drinks
n me-"
Several Pittsburg acquaintances of mine
ave been in the city for week past. and /
lille here have been trying to see
verything visible in the city. Among
ther things, they have been luxuri-
ting in the magnificent Turkish
aths. There is one OF these delightful in
itutions not far up town which is a veri-