File:New York by sunlight and gaslight - a work descriptive of the great American metropolis; its high and low life; its splendors and miseries; its virtu (1882) (14593456648).jpg

Identifier: newyorkbysunligh00mcca_1 (find matches)
Title: New York by sunlight and gaslight : a work descriptive of the great American metropolis ; its high and low life; its splendors and miseries; its virtu
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors: McCabe, James D., 1842-1883.
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : Union Publishing House
Contributing Library: Columbia University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: The Durst Organization

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well filled. The women presentare the inmates of the neighboring houses of ill-fameand street walkers. Each one is a prostitute, and eachis intent upon luring some man into her clutches. Themen are mostly very young, but on gala nights,and during the balls which are given here in thewinter, almost every class of society is represented bythe male visitors. An orchestra in the gallery oppo-site the entrance provides the music, and dancing isconstantly going on on the floor of this hall. Menand women are constantly passing in and out; drink-ing is going on in every part of the hall; and the airis heavy with tobacco smoke. In spite of its brilliancyand splendor, the place is but one of the numerousgateways to hell with which New York abounds. Menmeet abandoned women here, and accompany them totheir homes, risking disease, robbery, and even death,with a recklessness that is appalling. Young men ofrespectable families come here nightly, and spendhours in company with the abandoned women who
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492 NEW YORK. frequent the place. These same young gentlemenwould shrink with a fastidious horror from even a fewmoments conversation with the cooks and housemaidsof their own homes. Yet here they find pleasure in asso-ciation with women equally as ignorant and unrefined,and in every way unworthy to compare with Biddy,*who is honest and virtuous, whatever her other faultsmay be. The lowest dance houses are situated on the riverfronts and in the adjoining streets, and are largely fre-quented by sailors. The women at these places aregenerally residents of the house, whose sleeping roomsare above the dance hall. They are in the last stagesof prostitution, and are fearful to behold. A great deal of immorality is carried on in the cityof which the police cannot take cognizance, and ofwhich it is impossible to obtain statistics. This gradeof vice is confined largely to persons of nominalrespectability. The columns of certain city journalscontain numerous personals by which appointmentsare m

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