Lights and Shadows of New York Life - or, the Sights and Sensations of the Great City

James Dabney Mccabe

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Lights and Shadows of New York Life, by James D. McCabe
The Project Gutenberg eBook, Lights and Shadows of New York Life, by James D. McCabe
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Lights and Shadows of New York Life or, the Sights and Sensations of the Great City
Author: James D. McCabe
Release Date: October 27, 2006 Language: English
[eBook #19642]
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF NEW YORK LIFE***
This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF NEW YORK LIFE; OR, THE SIGHTS AND SENSATIONS OF A GREAT CITY.
BY JAMES D. MCCABE, JR.
p. 9
p. 10
p. 11
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF NEW YORK LIFE; OR, THE SIGHTS AND SENSATIONS
OF
THE GREAT CITY.
A WORK DESCRIPTIVE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN ALL ITS VARIOUS PHASES ; WITH FULL AND GRAPHIC ACCOUNTS OF ITS SPLENDORS AND WRETCHEDNESS; ITS HIGH AND LOW LIFE ; ITS MARBLE PALACES AND DARK DENS ; ITS ATTRACTIONS AND DANGERS; ITS RINGS AND FRAUDS; ITS LEADING MEN AND POLITICIANS; ITS ADVENTURERS; ITS CHARITIES; ITS MYSTERIES, AND ITS CRIMES.
BY JAMES D. MCCABE, JR.,
AUTHOR OF “PARIS BY SUNLIGHT AND GASLIGHT ,” “HISTORY OF THE WAR BETWEEN GERMANY AND FRANCE,” “GREAT FORTUNES,” “THE GREAT REPUBLIC,” ETC., ETC. ILLUSTRATED WITH ...

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• Publié par: urkoe
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

Lights and Shadows of New York Life, by James
D. McCabe
The Project Gutenberg eBook, Lights and Shadows of New York Life, by James
D. McCabe
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Lights and Shadows of New York Life
or, the Sights and Sensations of the Great City
Author: James D. McCabe
Release Date: October 27, 2006 [eBook #19642]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF NEW YORK
LIFE***
This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF NEW
YORK LIFE;
OR, THE SIGHTS AND SENSATIONS
OF A GREAT CITY.
BY JAMES D. MCCABE, JR.p. 9
p. 10p. 11
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
OF NEW YORK LIFE;
OR, THE
SIGHTS AND SENSATIONS
OF
THE GREAT CITY.
A WORK DESCRIPTIVE OF THE
CITY OF NEW YORK IN ALL ITS VARIOUS PHASES ;
WITH FULL AND GRAPHIC ACCOUNTS OF
ITS SPLENDORS AND WRETCHEDNESS; ITS HIGH AND LOW LIFE;
ITS MARBLE PALACES AND DARK DENS; ITS ATTRACTIONS AND
DANGERS; ITS RINGS AND FRAUDS; ITS LEADING MEN
AND POLITICIANS; ITS ADVENTURERS; ITS CHARITIES;
ITS MYSTERIES, AND ITS CRIMES.
BY JAMES D. MCCABE, JR.,
AUTHOR OF “PARIS BY SUNLIGHT AND GASLIGHT,” “HISTORY OF THE WAR BETWEEN GERMANY
AND
FRANCE,” “GREAT FORTUNES,” “THE GREAT REPUBLIC,” ETC., ETC.
ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS FINE ENGRAVINGS OF NOTED PLACES, LIFE
AND SCENES IN NEW YORK.
Issued by subscription only, and not for sale in the book stores. Residents ofIssued by subscription only, and not for sale in the book stores. Residents of
any State desiring
a copy should address the Publishers, and an Agent will call upon them. See
page 851.
NATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.; CINCINNATI, OHIO; CHICAGO, ILL.;
ST. LOUIS, MO.
p. 12Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by
J. R. JONES,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D.C.
p. 13PREFACE.
It is the desire of every American to see New York, the largest and most
wonderful city in the Union. To very many the city and its attractions are
familiar, and the number of these persons is increased by thousands of new
comers every year. A still greater number, however, will know the Great City
only by the stories that reach them through their friends and the newspapers.
They may never gaze upon its beauties, never enjoy its attractions in person.
For their benefit I have written these pages, and I have endeavored to present
to them a faithful picture of the “Lights and Shadows” of the life of this City, and
to describe its “Sights and Sensations” as they really exist.
This Great City, so wonderful in its beauty, so strange to eyes accustomed only
to the smaller towns of the land, is in all respects the most attractive sight in
p. 14America, and one of the most remarkable places in the world, ranking next to
London and Paris in the extent and variety of its attractions. Its magnificence is
remarkable, its squalor appalling. Nowhere else in the New World are seen
such lavish displays of wealth, and such hideous depths of poverty. It is rich in
historical associations and in treasures of art. It presents a wonderful series of
combinations as well as contrasts of individual and national characteristics. It
is richly worth studying by all classes, for it is totally different from any other city
in the world. It is always fresh, always new. It is constantly changing, growing
greater and more wonderful in its power and splendors, more worthy of
admiration in its higher and nobler life, more generous in its charities, and more
mysterious and appalling in its romance and its crimes. It is indeed a wonderful
city. Coming fresh from plainer and more practical parts of the land, the visitor
is plunged into the midst of so much beauty, magnificence, gayety, mystery,
and a thousand other wonders, that he is fairly bewildered. It is hoped that the
reader of these pages will be by their perusal better prepared to enjoy the
attractions, and to shun the dangers of New York. It has been my effort to bring
home to those who cannot see the city for themselves, its pleasures and its
p. 15dangers, and to enable them to enjoy the former without either the fatigue or
expense demanded of an active participant in them, and to appreciate the latter,
without incurring the risks attending an exploration of the shadowy side of the
Great City.To those who intend visiting New York, whether they come as strangers, or as
persons familiar with it, the writer has a word to say, which he trusts may be
heeded. An honest effort has been made in this work to present the reader with
a fair description of the dangers to which visitors and citizens are alike
exposed. For the purpose of performing this task, the writer made visits, in
company with the police officials of the city, to a number of the places described
in this work, and he is satisfied that no respectable person can with safety visit
them, unless provided with a similar protection. The curiosity of all persons
concerning the darker side of city life can be fully satisfied by a perusal of the
sketches presented in this volume. It is not safe for a stranger to undertake to
explore these places for himself. No matter how clever he may consider
himself, no respectable man is a match for the villains and sharpers of New
York, and he voluntarily brings upon himself all the consequences that will
follow his entrance into the haunts of the criminal and disreputable classes.
The city is full of danger. The path of safety which is pointed out in these pages
p. 16is the only one for either citizen or stranger—an absolute avoidance of the
vicinity of sin.
Those who have seen the city will, I am sure, confirm the statements contained
herein, and will acknowledge the truthfulness of the picture I have drawn,
whatever they may think of the manner in which the work is executed.
J. D. MCC., JR.
NEW YORK,
March 21st, 1872
p. 17CONTENTS.
I. THE CITY OF NEW YORK 33
I. HISTORICAL 33
II. DESCRIPTIVE AND STATISTICAL 49
II. THE HARBOR OF NEW YORK 59
III. THE CITY GOVERNMENT 64
IV. THE RING 75
I. THE HISTORY OF THE RING 75
II. PERSONNEL OF THE RING 100
V. BROADWAY 118
I. HISTORICAL 118
II. DESCRIPTIVE 123
p. 18VI. SOCIETY 135
I. ANALYTICAL 135
II. FASHIONABLE EXTRAVAGANCE 141
III. FASHIONABLE FOLLIES 153
IV. FASHIONABLE CHILDREN 155
V. A FASHIONABLE BELLE 157VI. FASHIONABLE ENTERTAINMENTS 162
VII. MARRIAGE AND DEATH 166
VII. THE MUNICIPAL POLICE 171
VIII. THE BOWERY 186
IX. PUBLIC SQUARES 194
I. THE BATTERY 194
II. THE BOWLING GREEN 196
III. THE PARK 197
IV. OTHER PARKS 200
X. THE FIFTH AVENUE 204
XI. STREET TRAVEL 211
I. THE STREET CARS 211
II. THE STAGES 216
III. STEAM RAILWAYS 221
XII. HORACE GREELEY 225
p. 19XIII. THE TOMBS 232
XIV. THE PRESS 244
I. THE DAILY JOURNALS 244
II. THE WEEKLY PRESS 255
XV. WALL STREET 258
I. THE STREET 258
II. THE STOCK EXCHANGE 264
III. THE GOVERNMENT BOARD 269
IV. THE GOLD EXCHANGE 272
V. CURBSTONE BROKERS 275
VI. THE BUSINESS OF THE STREET 276
VII. STOCK GAMBLING 279
VIII. THE WAYS OF THE STREET 284
IX. BLACK FRIDAY 290
XVI. THE FERRIES 299
XVII. THE HOTELS 304
XVIII. IMPOSTORS 316
p. 20XIX. STREET MUSICIANS 324
XX. THE CENTRAL PARK 332
XXI. THE DETECTIVES 351
I. THE REGULAR FORCE 351
II. PRIVATE DETECTIVES 364
XXII. WILLIAM B. ASTOR 372
XXIII. FASHIONABLE SHOPPING 375
XXIV. BLEECKER STREET 386
XXV. CEMETERIES 390
I. GREENWOOD 390
II. CYPRUS HILLS 391
III. WOODLAWN 392
IV. CALVARY, AND THE EVERGREENS 393
XXVI. THE CLUBS 394p. 21XXVII. THE FIVE POINTS 398
I. LIFE IN THE SHADOW 398
II. THE CELLARS 405
III. THE MISSIONS 412
XXVIII. THE MILITARY 422
XXIX. NASSAU STREET 426
XXX. THE METROPOLITAN FIRE DEPARTMENT 430
XXXI. THE BUSINESS OF NEW YORK 441
XXXII. THE SABBATH IN NEW YORK 445
XXXIII. THE POST OFFICE 448
I. INTERNAL ARRANGEMENTS 448
II. THE NEW POST OFFICE 456
III. THE LETTER CARRIERS 460
XXXIV. A. T. STEWART 464
p. 22XXXV. PLACES OF AMUSEMENT 470
I. THE THEATRES 470
II. MINOR AMUSEMENTS 485
XXXVI. THE MARKETS 487
XXXVII. THE CHURCHES 491
I. THE SACRED EDIFICES 491
II. THE CLERGY 498
XXXVIII. BOARDING-HOUSE LIFE 502
XXXIX. THE RESTAURANTS 508
XL. THE CHEAP LODGING HOUSES 511
XLI. THE LIBRARIES 513
XLII. PROFESSIONAL MEN 519
p. 23XLIII. PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS 522
I. THE THIEVES 522
II. THE PICKPOCKETS 531
III. THE FEMALE THIEVES 533
IV. THE RIVER THIEVES 534
V. THE FENCES 539
VI. THE ROUGHS 542
XLIV. THE PAWNBROKERS 546
XLV. THE BEER GARDENS 550
XLVI. JAMES FISK, JR. 555
XLVII. TRINITY CHURCH 565
XLVIII. THE HOLIDAYS 572
I. NEW YEAR’S DAY 572
II. CHRISTMAS 577
p. 24XLIX. THE SOCIAL EVIL 579
I. THE LOST SISTERHOOD 579
II. HOUSES OF ASSIGNATION 587
III. THE STREET WALKERS 589
IV. THE CONCERT SALOONS 594
V. THE DANCE HOUSES 597V