A FRESH LEAVES FROM THU EDITED DY JOHN D. VOSE, ESQ., FORMER EDITOR OF "THE NEW YORE PIOAIUVU.' ~ebIue~, en1Krge~, an~ co~ectc~, b~ tJe ~uttO~. WITH SPLENDID ILLUSTRATIONS~ NEW YORK: BUNNELL & PRICE, 121 FULTON-STRXET. 1S52. i FRANCIS TIJKE Y, ESQ., CITY MARSHAL 01 DO8T0N~ bitrd, accoidlug to act of Congress, is the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Flfty-tw% AS A SLIGHT TESTIMONIAL FOR PUBLIC SERVICES, FAITHFULLY RENDERED), BY DUNNELL & PRICE, AMID THE STORM OF POLITICAL FACTION, In the Clerk's Odlee of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of Now York. THIS WORK ~u 3L~es#ectfutt~ ~e~iIcate~,, BY THE AUTHOR PREFACE. MosT of my readers are aware that the present work has previously made its appearance in the columns of a widely circulated journal of this city, on which I had the honor for a long period of being engaged as the principal editor; and during which period I wrote, from week to week, a series of arti. des, which I may say, without laying myself exposed to the charge of egotism, most undoubtedly formed the basis of the present literary reputation of the New York Picayune. It must be obvious to every one that the performances of a writer for a public journal, situated as I was then, have a great claim to their consideration. A man who, for instance, receives a polite note from the printer in the evening, stating that his compositors are "standing for copy," and that it is necessary that they should be furnished with four or five columns by the next morning, has hut little time for reflection or references. It is said that Homer followed the rule of keeping his works nine years in his study before he presented them to the public. A man who has time to keep his writings by him even one year would, doubtlessly, make many alterations in his compositions. 'Many an idea, hastily conceived, would be withdrawn; and many a warm expres- sion, created by a vivid imagination, would be set aside; therefore, every in- dividual who takes up this book, and may happen to meet with a passage which is not quite in accordance with his own views, ought to consider that a reader is to be regarded in the same light as an invited guest to a banquet, where the host has prepared a variety of dishes. Should there be one not exactly in accordance with his taste, it remains for him to choose from the others. Since the first publication of this work, the Author has been greatly amused, on various occasions, by the receipt of communications (some of them couched in no very gentle terms,) demanding a full and entire explanation as to the characters introduced; and there has been no end of the polite little perfumed I~illet-douz from the fair sex, containing a great many "strictly confidential" inquiries, which, the author is sorry to add, will be totally out of his province to reply to in the manner desired. Half a dozen young gentlemen have already laid claim to the character of Danforth, and each of them has the most distinct recollection of an afair with a certain individual similar to the one set forth in these pages. Others have been making vain speculations, in order to iden. PREFACE. vi PREFACE. tify the young ladies of' Warren and Amity streets, and no labor has been spared to discover the "Dandy" himself, while the Author has had many hair-breadth escapes from hard-looking men and big sticks. With all due respect to the feelings of these gentlemen, I would say they invariably labor under mistaken ideas. That there are characters introduced in this work which are n~t under assumed names, I will not deny; but if there should be one of my readers who may discover a similarity between him- FRESH LEAVES self and that of a character clothed in all the deformities of vice and igno- rance, I sincerely trust that he will give these pages an attentive perusal, and FROM THE finally be led to a full conviction of his follies, and work out for himself a glo- rious reformation, which would be the accomplishment of one of the great ob- jects for which this work was intended. It may not be out of place to make a remark here on the various imposi- DIARY OF A BROADWAY DANDY tions which have been practiced by certain individuals ~ipon the proprietors of some of the principal saloons of New York, spoken of in this work. There is not 1 a class of people who are made the dupes of' unprincipled men to a greater ex- tent than the proprietors of our hotels. Loafers and swindlers are constantly MY FIRST ENTREE. on the alert about these places, to practise their roguery; and the Author can only express a regret that his name should have been used by these vermin to - EN I first made my grand entree into the world, it occasioned an everlasting talk all over town. Records prove it. All the old accomplish their knavish designs. women about the neighborhood discussed the important event while Much credit devolves upon the artists, (Mr Boyd, the designer, and Mr. - drinking tea or taking snufi and many wonderful predictions were made. Although the snow was over eighteen inches deep on a Avery, the engraver,) for their masterly performances of the illustrations. level, and as light as a feather-bed at the time I gave my first bel- The outside cut contains striking likenesses of the originals, and the expression low, yet the old grey-haired minister of the cross waded through it, and beside my dear mother's couch offered up a most fervent prayer which 'is there displayed is alone a sufficient proof of the great alAlities of these to the throne of God. The people did nut exactly order the church- gentlemen. bells to be rung in honor of the glorious event, but they were so much delighted that it was a matter of surprise that they did not resort to some such an expedient in order to express their The Author embraces the present opportunity of returning his sincere joy. Two of my aunts, it is said, walked quite a distance during a heavy easterly storm, on thanks to his numerous friends, connected with the press, for the flattering the evening of the day I was born, to a church conference-meeting, so as to improve the oppor- tunity of informing many an old acquaintance in regard to the new-born nephew. The fact of manner in which they have noticed the publication of this work; and although the matter is, all hands, even down to the cook, ostler, and chambermaid, were, as the old say- he is to many of them an entire stranger, he trusts that the day is not far dis- ing runs, "half tickled to death," to find it in their power to record my birth, and the conclu- sion of the kitchen debate, or in other wotds, the verdict rendered by "kitchen testimony," taut when he will have the pleasure of meeting each and every one of them, to was, that "if I lived I would become one of the boys"-a regular thorough-bred "chip of the realize those enjoyments which are inspired by a social intercourse of men of old block." Before I was two hours old, my dad, who of course was foil of joy and glory, p laced on my little finger a plain gold ring, sealing a certain vow at the same time with a kise. kindred min4s. My informant (our old family nurse) says, within thirty hours of my arrival, my parents had decided to New York, April, 1852. name me H~zrry, and that such was immediately recorded in the fasn~ly bible by my father's own hand. Besides which they also informed the parson and his pious lady, that when one month old, I should be publicly christened in church. Peg Miller-(the old family nurse)-tells me that my father gave the solemn-looking elder quite a large piece of gold coin as a present on that occasion, and then ordered his carriage to take them to their home. Peg declares that it was a great time, and, indeed, it must have been. Her knowledge of "past events" has often put me in mind of the late Major Noah, who was so highly gifted in the same way. T so happens that I am not a New Yorker by birth, although my parents, have re- sided in the City of Nations ever since they were married. I was boi'n at my grandpa's mansion in a small town claimed as a portion of the Presbyterian State of Connecticut. During the first week of my existence, a steady train of visitors were constantly arriving for the express purpose of getting a peep at me, as it was reported that I was like a picture-neat and beautiful as wax-work. Some p dyj t black eyes, some eulogised my little hands, others paid homage to - my small feet, and the verdict of opinion was that Harry was a fine fat boy, and possessed extraordinary looks. Two or (busy of small gossip notoriety) could not three~of the neighbors 4 old women - day on an average, just for the purposerefrain of kissing from me,"popping and seeing in" aif ozenI had timesunder- a gone any change since their last visit, while, at the same time, my father was so delighted 5 4 FRESH LEAVES FROM THE DIARY OF A BROADWAY DANDY.