Lights and Shadows of New York Life

J >> James D. McCabe >> Lights and Shadows of New York Life

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"Do you think you can eat a whole woodcock?"

"How large is it?" asked the fair one, timidly.

"About as large as a full grown turkey" was the grave reply.

"O, I'll take an oyster stew," said the lady, quickly.

The fashionable restaurants make large profits on their sales. Their
customers are chiefly ladies, and men who have nothing to do. Their
busiest hours are the early afternoon, and during the evening. After the
theatres are closed, they are thronged with parties of ladies and
gentlemen who come in for supper.

Some of the best restaurants in the city are those in which a lady is
never seen. It must not be supposed that they are disreputable places.
They are entirely the opposite. They are located in the lower part of
the city, often in some by-street of the heavy business section, and are
patronized chiefly by merchants and clerks, who come here to get lunch
and dinner. The fare is excellent, and the prices are reasonable. The
eating houses of Henry Bode, in Water street, near Wall street, Rudolph
in Broadway, near Courtlandt street, and Nash & Fuller (late Crook, Fox &
Nash), in Park Row, are the best of this kind. In the last there is a
department for ladies.

Between the hours of noon and three o'clock, the down-town restaurants
are generally crowded with a hungry throng. In some of them every seat
at the long counters and at the tables is filled, and the floor is
crowded with men standing and eating from plates which they hold in their
hands. The noise, the bustle, the clatter of knives and dishes, the
slamming of doors, and the cries of the waiters as they shout out the
orders of the guests, are deafening. The waiters move about with a
celerity that is astonishing; food is served and eaten with a dispatch
peculiar to these places. A constant stream of men is pouring out of the
doors, and as steady a stream flowing in to take their places. At some
of the largest of these establishments as many as fifteen hundred people
are supplied with food during the course of the day. A well patronized
restaurant is very profitable in New York, even if its prices are
moderate, and the higher priced establishments make their proprietors
rich in a comparatively short time. The proprietor of a Broadway oyster
saloon made a fortune of $150,000 by his legitimate business in five
years. A large part of the income of the restaurants is derived from the
sale of liquors at the bar.

The principal up-town restaurants are largely patronized by disreputable
people. Impure women go there to pick up custom, and men to find such
companions. Women whose social position is good, do not hesitate to meet
their lovers at such places, for there is a great deal of truth in the
old adage which tells us that "there's no place so private as a crowded
hall." A quiet but close observer will frequently see a nod, or a smile,
or a meaning glance pass between the most respectable looking persons of
opposite sexes, who are seemingly strangers to each other, and will
sometimes see a note slyly sent by a waiter, or dropped adroitly into the
hand of the woman as the man passes out, while her face wears the
demurest and most rigidly virtuous expression. Such women frequent some
of the best known up-town establishments to so great an extent that a
lady entering one of them is apt to be insulted in this way by the male
habitues of the place. These wretches hold all women to be alike, and
act upon this belief.

XL. THE CHEAP LODGING-HOUSES.

The Bowery and the eastern section of the city are full of cheap
lodging-houses, which are a grade lower than the lowest hotels, and
several grades above the cellars. One or two of these are immense
establishments, five and six stories in height. Some of them provide
their lodgers with beds and covering, others supply pallets laid down on
the floor of a cheerless room, and others again give merely the pallets
and no sheets or coverings. The rooms, the beds, and the bedding in all
these establishments are horribly dirty, and are badly ventilated. Bed
bugs abound in the summer, and in the winter the lodger is nearly frozen,
the covering, when furnished, being utterly inadequate to the task of
keeping out the cold. From six to ten persons are put in a room
together. The price varies from ten to twenty-five cents, according to
the accommodations furnished. Each of these houses is provided with a
bar, at which the vilest liquors are sold at ten cents a drink. The
profits of the business are very great, not counting the receipts of the
bar, which are in proportion. The expense of fitting up and conducting
such an establishment is trifling. One of them accommodates nearly two
hundred lodgers per night, which at ten cents per head, would be a net
receipt of twenty dollars.

The persons who patronize these establishments are mainly vagrants, men
who live from hand to mouth, and who will not be received by the humblest
boarding-house. Some are doubtless unfortunate, but the majority are
vagrants from choice. Some have irregular occupations, others get the
price of their lodgings by begging.

The business of a lodging-house seldom commences before ten o'clock, and
its greatest rush is just after the closing of the theatres; but all
through the night, till three o'clock in the morning, they are receiving
such of the outcast population as can offer the price of a bed. To any
one interested in the misery of the city, the array presented on such an
occasion is very striking. One sees every variety of character, runaway
boys, truant apprentices, drunken mechanics, and broken-down mankind
generally. Among these are men who have seen better days. They are
decayed gentlemen who appear regularly in Wall street, and eke out the
day by such petty business as they may get hold of; and are lucky if they
can make enough to carry them through the night. In all lodging-houses
the rule holds good, "First come, first served," and the last man in the
room gets the worst spot. Each one sleeps with his clothes on, and his
hat under his head, to keep it from being stolen. At eight o'clock in
the morning all oversleepers are awakened, and the rooms got ready for
the coming night. No one is allowed to take anything away, and if the
lodger has a parcel, he is required to leave it at the bar. This
prevents the theft of bedclothes.

XLI. THE LIBRARIES.

The Libraries of New York are large and well patronized. The various
collections, including those of the institutions of learning, number over
500,000 volumes.

The oldest collection is the "Society Library," which is contained in a
handsome brick edifice in University Place. In 1729, the Rev. John
Wellington, Rector of Newington, in England, generously bequeathed his
library, consisting of 1622 volumes, to the "Society for the Propagation
of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." To this was added a collection of books
presented by the Rev. John Sharp, Chaplain to Lord Bellamont. The whole
collection was sent to New York, and opened for public use in 1731, under
the name of the "Corporation Library." The death of the librarian
occurred soon after, and the library was suffered to fall into disuse.
In 1754, a number of citizens of means and literary taste, founded the
"Society Library," to which, with the consent of the city, they added the
old "Corporation Library." In 1772, the Society received a charter from
King George III. It is one of the wealthiest and most flourishing
institutions in the city. The annual subscription is $10. The
collection of books is very valuable and interesting, and comprises over
50,000 volumes.

The "Astor Library" is the best known outside of the city. The library
building is a massive structure of brick with brown stone trimmings,
situated in Lafayette Place, next door to the residence of William B.
Astor, Esq. It was founded by John Jacob Astor, and enlarged by his son
William. The books are contained in two large and elegant halls,
occupying the entire building above the first floor. The collection
numbers about 150,000 volumes, and was made by the late Dr. Coggeswell,
the first Librarian, whose judgment, taste, and learning were highly
appreciated by the elder Astor. The library is mainly one of reference,
and is very complete in most of the subjects it comprises. In the
departments of science, history, biography, and philology, it is
especially fine. It also contains many rare and valuable illustrated
works, a number of original editions of the earliest books, and some
valuable manuscripts.

[Picture: LAFAYETTE PLACE.]

The collection is free to the public, and is open daily except on Sundays
and holidays, and during the month of August, from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M.
The books cannot be taken from the reading-room, nor are visitors allowed
to use pen and ink in making notes from them. It is said that the
classes Mr. Astor desired most to benefit by this library were the
working people, who are unable to buy books of their own. If this be
true, his wishes have been entirely defeated, as the hall is open only
during the hours when it is impossible for working people to attend. In
the facilities which it affords to those who wish to use it, the Astor is
very much behind the great libraries of Europe, or even the Public
Library of Boston.

The most popular, and the most thoroughly representative library of the
city, is the Mercantile Library, located in Clinton Hall, in Astor Place.
It owns this building, and its property is valued at $500,000. It was
founded in 1820, by William Wood, a native of Boston, and a gentleman
eminent for his efforts in behalf of the spread of education and liberal
ideas. It began as a subscription library with a collection of 700
volumes, and was located in a small room at No. 49 Fulton street. The
collection now numbers 120,000 volumes, and increases at the rate of
13,000 volumes a year. It is the fourth library in size in the Union.
Those which are larger are the Library of Congress, the Public Library of
Boston, and the Astor Library. The library is the property of the clerks
of New York, and though it does not compare with the Astor in the
solidity or value of its contents, is a creditable monument to the good
sense and taste of the young men of our mercantile community. No one but
a clerk can hold an office in it. The term "clerk" is made to include
all men who live on a salary. These members pay an initiation fee of $1,
and an annual subscription of $4. To all other persons the privileges of
the library are offered at an annual subscription of $5. In April, 1870,
the books of the institution showed a roll of 12,867 persons entitled to
the use of the library and reading-room, the latter of which contains 400
newspapers and periodicals.

A large part of the collection consists of works of fiction. It is a
lending library, and its books are sent to readers in Yonkers, Norwalk,
Stamford, Elizabeth, and Jersey City, as well as in New York, in each of
which it has branches. There are also branch offices in Yorkville and in
Cedar street. Every morning a canvass bag, containing the books returned
and applications for others wanted, is sent from each branch to the
library, and is returned in the afternoon full. The directors offer to
establish a branch in any of the suburban towns in which one hundred
subscribers can be obtained in advance. The average daily delivery of
books is 760, of which about three-quarters are taken from the library
proper, the rest from the branches. On Saturday evening the demand for
books is very great.

The system of delivery is as follows:

"Each member on joining the library has a folio assigned him in the
ledger, and its number is written on the ticket which is given him as a
certificate of membership. Let us suppose you have received one of these
tickets, and have made your selection of the book you want. You fill up
a blank application card, with the name of the book desired. You hand
that to one of the attendants. When he has found a book for you, he
hands it, with your application card, to the delivery clerk. This
gentleman occupies a large desk at the central counter, and has before
him two immense drawers, divided into partitions for the reception of the
cards. Each member's name has a place in one or the other of these
drawers, and the number of the folio shows where that place is. The
clerk instantly turns to your name, and finds the card you handed in when
you last borrowed a book. If the date, stamped at the time of delivery,
shows that you have kept it longer than the rules allow, he levies a
small fine, and you must pay it before you can borrow again. All
formalities transacted, the old card is destroyed, the new one put in its
place, and you are sent away in peace.

"The system of checking books, as we have described it, enables the
librarian to ascertain in a moment just what any particular member has
borrowed; but it does not show what has become of any particular book.
Many attempts have been made to devise a system of double accounts, so
that a check could be kept upon the members and the books at the same
time, but without success. A partial record book, however, is now kept.
Whenever a standard book is borrowed, the delivery clerk marks upon a
little yellow ticket simply the folio number of the borrower. Every day
the yellow tickets are examined, and if it appear, say, that folio 10,029
has had a book more than three weeks, the clerk turns to the drawer and
finds out who folio 10,029 is, and what book is charged against him, and
sends him a notice that his time is up. It is found impracticable to
apply this system to novels, which form the greater part of the
circulation of the library; but it is useful as far as it goes, and
prevents the loss of many valuable books.

[Picture: CLINTON HALL.]

"Of late years a postal order scheme has been perfected, and for
convenience and simplicity it could hardly be improved. Its design is to
enable members to draw books without visiting the library. Blank forms
are obtained from the Post-office Department, about the size and shape of
a newspaper wrapper, bearing on one side a two-cent postage stamp, and
the printed address, 'Mercantile Library, Astor Place, City,' and on the
other a blank application, with a five-cent 'Mercantile Library delivery
stamp,' and some printed directions. You fill up the application in the
usual way, fold the wrapper like a note (it is already gummed), and drop
it in the nearest Post-office box. In a few hours at furthest a
messenger brings to your house the book you have asked for, and takes
away the volume you want to return. The system is fast increasing in
popularity. A horse and wagon are constantly employed in the collection
and delivery, and the number of volumes sent out in this way is about
12,000 annually. The delivery blanks are sold at the rate of seven cents
each--two cents representing the postage and five the cost of the
delivery."

The other collections are the Library of the New York Historical Society,
embracing over 30,000 volumes, besides many interesting manuscripts,
papers, coins and antiquities; the Apprentices' Library, 18,000 volumes;
the Library of the American Institute, 10,000 volumes; the City Library,
5000 volumes; the Law Institute Library, about 5000 volumes; the Library
of the Young Men's Christian Association, about 15,000 volumes; the
Library of the Protestant Episcopal General Theological Seminary, 18,000
volumes; the Library of the Union Theological Seminary, 26,000 volumes;
the Library of the Cooper Institute; and the libraries of the various
institutions of learning.

Mr. James Lenox, a wealthy and prominent citizen, is now erecting on the
Fifth avenue, near Seventieth street, and immediately opposite the
Central Park, a massive building of granite, which is to be one of the
most imposing structures in the City. In this, at its completion, he
intends placing his magnificent collection of books and works of art,
which constitute the most superb private collection in America. The
whole will be opened to the public under certain restrictions.

XLII. PROFESSIONAL MEN.

New York is full of professional men, that is, of men who earn their
living by brain work. One class--the clergy--has already been mentioned.

The Bar is next in numbers. There are about three thousand lawyers
practising at the New York bar. A few of these have large incomes, two
or three making as much as fifty thousand dollars per annum; but the
average income of the majority is limited. An income of ten or fifteen
thousand dollars is considered large in the profession, and the number of
those earning such a sum is small.

In most cities the members of the legal profession form a clique, and are
very clannish. Each one knows everybody else, and if one member of the
bar is assailed, the rest are prompt to defend him. In New York,
however, there is no such thing as a legal "fraternity." Each man is
wrapped in his own affairs, and knows little and cares less about other
members of the profession. We have been surprised to find how little
these men know about each other. Some have never even heard of others
who are really prosperous and talented.

The courts of the city are very numerous; and each man, in entering upon
his practice, makes a specialty of some one or more of them, and confines
himself to them. His chances of success are better for doing this, than
they would be by adopting a general practice. Indeed, it would be simply
impossible for one man to practise in all.

Many of the best lawyers rarely go into the courts. They prefer chamber
practice, and will not try a case in court if they can help it. The
process in the courts is slow and vexatious, and consumes too much of
their time. Their chamber practice is profitable to them, and beneficial
to the community, as it prevents much tedious litigation.

Many lawyers with fair prospects and comfortable incomes, who are
succeeding in their profession in other places, come to New York,
expecting to rise to fame and fortune more rapidly here. They are
mistaken. The most accomplished city barrister finds success a slow and
uncertain thing. It requires some unusually fortunate circumstance to
introduce a new lawyer favorably to a New York public.

The profession in this city can boast some of the most eminent names in
the legal world, such men as Charles O'Connor, William M. Evarts, and
others of a similar reputation.

The Medical Profession is also well represented. It is said that there
are about as many physicians and surgeons as lawyers practising in the
city. New York offers a fine field for a man of genuine skill. Its
hospitals and medical establishments are the best conducted of any in the
country, and afford ample opportunity for study and observation. The
opportunity for studying human nature is all that one can desire. The
most eminent medical men in the country either reside here or are
constantly visiting the city.

Some of the city practitioners are very fortunate in a pecuniary sense.
It is said that some of them receive very large sums every year. Dr.
Willard Parker was once called out of town to see a patient, to whom he
sent a bill of $300. The amount was objected to, and Dr. Parker proved
by his books that his daily receipts were over that sum. He is said to
be an exception to the general rule, however, which rule is that but very
few of the best paid medical men receive over $20,000 per annum.
Surgeons are paid much better than physicians. Dr. Carnochan is said to
have received as much as $2000 for a single operation. As a rule,
however, the city physicians do little more than pay expenses, especially
if they have families. From $5000 to $10,000 is a good income, and a man
of family has but little chance of saving out of this if he lives in any
degree of comfort.

Literary men and women are even more numerous in the metropolis than
lawyers or doctors. They are of all classes, from the great author of
world-wide fame to the veriest scribbler. The supply is very largely in
advance of the demand, and as a consequence, all have to exert themselves
to get along. A writer in the _World_ estimates the annual receipts of
New York authors at about one million of dollars, and the number of
writers at 2000, which would give an average income to each of about
$500. As a matter of course, it is impossible to make any reliable
estimate, and there can be little doubt that the writer referred to has
been too generous in his average. Authorship in New York offers few
inducements of a pecuniary nature. Men of undoubted genius often
narrowly escape starvation, and to make a bare living by the pen
requires, in the majority of instances, an amount of mental and manual
labor and application which in any mercantile pursuit would ensure a
fortune.

XLIII. PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS.

I. THE THIEVES.

The criminal class of New York is very large, but it is not so large as
is commonly supposed. In the spring of 1871, the Rev. Dr. Bellows stated
that the City of New York contained 30,000 professional thieves, 20,000
lewd women and harlots, 3000 rum shops, and 2000 gambling houses, and
this statement was accepted without question by a large portion of the
newspapers of other parts of the country. New York is a very wicked
place, but it is not as bad as the above statement would indicate. The
personal character of the gentleman who made it compels the conviction
that he believed in the truth of his figures; but a closer examination of
the case makes it plain that he was singularly deceived by the sources
from which he derived his information.

It is very hard to obtain accurate information as to the criminal
statistics of this city. The reports and estimates of the Police
Commissioners are notoriously incomplete and unreliable. They show a
large number of arrests, but they deal mainly with the class known as
"casuals," persons who merely dabble in crime, and who do not make it a
profession, and the larger proportion of the arrests reported are for
such trifling offences as drunkenness. Indeed many of the arrests
reported ought not to be counted in the records of crime at all, as the
persons apprehended are released upon the instant by the officer in
charge of the station, the arrests being the result of the ignorant zeal
or malice of the patrolmen, and the prisoners being guiltless of any
offence.

The population of New York is unlike that of any other American city. It
is made up of every nationality known to man. The majority of the people
are very poor. Life with them is one long unbroken struggle, and to
exist at all is simply to be wretched. They are packed together at a
fearful rate in dirt and wretchedness, and they have every incentive to
commit crimes which will bring them the means of supplying their wants.
It is a common habit of some European governments to ship their criminals
to this port, where they have a new field opened to them. The political
system of the city teaches the lower class to disregard all rights,
either of property or person, and, indeed, clothes some of the most
infamous criminals with an amount of influence which is more than
dangerous in their hands, and shields them from punishment when detected
in the commission of crime. All these things considered, the wonder is
not that the criminal class of the city is as large as it is; but that it
is not larger and more dangerous.

The truth is, that the class generally known as Professional Criminals
number about 3000. Besides these, there are about 5000 women of
ill-fame, known as such, living in 600 houses of prostitution, and
frequenting assignation and bed-houses, about 7000 rum shops, 92 faro
banks, and about 500 other gambling houses, and lottery and policy
offices, within the limits of the City of New York.

The professional criminals are those who live by thieving, and who
occasionally vary their career by the commission of a murder or some
other desperate crime. They rarely resort to violence, however, unless
it becomes necessary to ensure their own safety. Then they make their
work as simple and as brief as possible. They form a distinct community,
frequent certain parts of the city, where they can easily and rapidly
communicate with each other, and where they can also hide from the police
without fear of detection. They have signs by which they may recognize
each other, and a language, or _argot_, peculiar to themselves. Those
who have been raised to the business use this argot to such an extent
that to one not accustomed to it they speak in an unknown tongue. The
following specimens, taken from the "Detective's Manual," under the head
of the letter B, will illustrate this:

_Badger_.--A panel-thief.

_Bagged_.--Imprisoned.

_Bag of nails_.--All in confusion.

_Balram_--Money.

_Bandog_.--A civil officer.

_Barking irons_.--Pistols.