Year: 1875

that is suffering so terribly therefrom


In nothing is this more manifest than in
the matter of rents. A store on Broad


way that, three years ago, would
command So, 900 per annum, and be
sought for at that, can now be had fol-
| So, OOO, and the owner thinks himself OF
| herself, as the case may be, very lucky
| to get that. There are thousands OF
stores in the city empty, and holding up
rents is simply impossible.


And the same is true of dwellings.
| In Brooklyn there are six thousand
dwellings empty, and how many thous-
ands in New York cannot be computed.


The effect of this upon the retired
classes who have been, and still desire
to live upon their accumulatlons, is
fearful. Madam Blank, we will say, has
husband who made his million, invest
ed it in real estate, and retired from
business, happy in the consciousness of
a certain income of, we will say, $40, 900
per annum, which, as it was all in
Broadway stores and eligible dwellings,
could not be lessened or diminished.
Madam, her daughters, and her sons all
got fixed habit of living at the rate of
$40, 600 per year. She had carriages





of that sum, and Maria, Jane, Arabella,
Tom, Alexis, and Ulysses have always
had their expenditures pitched to the
same key. Now imagine the agony of
these seven people when the head of the
family announces that rents have so
gone down that expenditures must be
cut down a haif-that such a carriage
must be given up-that such and such
servants must be dismissed, and that
pocket and pin money must be reduced.
Madam groans, the girls pOut and
wonder, and the young gentlemen swear
great Oaths. But they have to come down
all the same, for the money is not.


The effect of the hard times upon the
various classes is something peculiar.
The spruce young man who was wont to
buy his clothes at the fashionable estab-
lishments on Broadway, at a cost of
SIPS to 500 a suit, is perfectly willing
to slide around into the BOwery and get
the same things for $50. True, he says
he gets them on Broadway all the same,
but occasionally two of them meet in a
cheap shop, and the cat gets out of the
bag Madam ON the avenue is seen in
Bowery shops, and Sixth avenue is get
ting to be good enough to trade in,
particularly as goods average about
thirty per cent. less than on Broadway.


The consumption of liquors at the
clubs has largely decreased, particularly
of fine liquors. The swell who once
prided himself upon fifty-cent brandy,
is now willing enough to inspire his
shrinking soul with ten-eent whisky, and
the fOaming lager at fifteen cents the
bottle very largely takes the place of
champagne at 81. 80. Likewise cigars
at three for twenty-five cents, are found
to agree very well with those who were
wont to turn up their noses at anything
less than fifty cents. The hard times
ripping into extravaganza, and in this
regard good is being accomplished.
Let us hope THAT the lesson We are now
learning may stay with US.


FRUITS.


One of the phenomena of New York
lust now is the abundance and cheapness
of fruit. Peaches are positive drug in
the market They are arriving by the
hundred ears each day, the supply being
very far beyond the power of the people
to consume More peaches are carted
off spoiled each day than are sold; and
the supply does not diminish, but is
rather Gu the increase. From Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland
the luscious fruit comes pouring in in
endless, never failing streams, and the
people revel in it.


There are so many thousands of bush
els arriving daily more than are required,
that it seems a pity that some of them
could not be taken farther North, where
h. rrIa to faf
any price. And, as it is with peaches, so
it is with melons, and in fact, everything
good to eat. The City is filled with
fruits and vegetables. at very low prices
Consequently only the best is used, and
the children 0i the poor are happy and
healthy. Were it only little less hot,
New York would be n delightful place
to live in Just now. Certainly one can
get anything one wants to eat very
easily and cheaply.


THE NEW POST-OFFICE.


The New Post Office, which has been
under way for several years, is now
almost finished, so nearly that it will be
occupied for postal business the 2Sth of
this month. 1t is probably the finest
building for the purpose in the world,
and has been built at less cost to the
Government 1t is situated at the
junction of Park Row and Broadway,
in the very heart of the business of the
City, position at once strong and con-
venient. The packing of the books and
papers for the removal has already been
commenced. The work will be com
menced on Saturday night, and it is
calculated that the transfer will all be
made before Monday morning. The
efficiency of the service in the City will
be greatly increased. The old pOst-of-
flee was formerly church, altered for
the purpose, and a more dingy, incon-
venient labor making place could not
be conceived. Now, every possible
facility for quick, thorough, and effect
i've work will be had, and the Post
master and his employees will be happy.


INFLATIOS.


As / said last week, the business men
of the city are greatly exercised about
the Ohio election. They are opposed.
without distinction of party, to initiation,
and therefore they most earnestly desire
the defeat of Allen, the Democratic
imitation candidate. The various COM
mercial bodies of the city will, before
the election, issue an appeal to the
citizens Of Ohio, to kill imitation by
their votes, that the country may get
into "A settled financial condition as soon
as possible. VIM. Allen, running in the
State of New York, would be beaten
300, 900 majority The feeling of the
Democracy against him is intense.


THE CITY IN SUMMER.


The terrible heats of July over, this
city is far from being the most intolera-
bic place to be condemned to for
summer. One appreciates it after
coming back from the hard beds, scant
blueberries, and numerous extOrtiOns of
country hotels and boarding houses, to
the comforts and peach baskets Of this
reyiled island. There is a time when
the spirit of the old Manhattanese re-
turns to his ancient smoking grounds
when the flight Of fashion and frivolity
leaves room for his peaceful shade, it
delights to return a d under benignant
August suns, wander through the haunts
where il fiIst held elaim-where the
great Central depot stands and the iron
street bridges span the railway, once
were groves sacred to squirrel stonIng
and breeding of quail. Farther down,
where the gray of dust and rust begins
to show on the modern iron building,
once were peach orchards and honey
hives. aud buekWheat fields white with
blossom. One may fancy the kindly
shade lowering. well pleased, over the
Croton market peach-baskets hIled with
ruddy luscious cheeks set OF with green
leaves, or smiling approval on the clear