_Theatre—Trollopes—Mrs Trollope’s Work—Customhouse
Officer—Race-course— Westhouses Breeding Stud—Thunderstorm—Return to
the Hotel—Excursion to Long Island—New town—Flushing—Agriculture in
the neighbourhood of New York._
Miss Fanny Kemble taking her benefit on the night of our arrival, it was
determined that we should visit the Park theatre. We found the house
well attended, the ladies greatly outnumbering the gentlemen in the
boxes, while the pit contained males only, apparently belonging to what
is known in England by the operative classes, amongst whom people of
colour were seen. Having peeped into Mrs Trollope’s work on the Domestic
Manners of the Americans, and its illustrations of those witnessed at
the Cincinnati theatre recurring to memory, I watched the behaviour of
the audience.
At the end of the second act, I observed a gentleman in the second tier
of boxes in an indelicate posture in front of the box. Three were
similarly situated, at the end of the third act, when several voices in
the pit called out, “A Trollope, a Trollope,” and a general hissing and
hooting from the same quarter had the effect of inducing the offenders
speedily to withdraw.
This incident at the theatre, amusing in itself, afforded me pleasure,
by exhibiting the operatives in the pit enforcing chaste manners on
those considering themselves higher in the scale of humanity; and
proving that Mrs Trollope’s remarks had not been altogether lost on the
Americans.
The clever, and to some people, amusing work of Mrs Trollope, will have
different effects from what its admirers in Britain contemplate. The
many sketches of low and incidental character which the book contains,
and given as belonging to the people generally, wounded the feelings of
the inhabitants of the United States; and by drawing attention to bad
practices, led to the improvement of the people reviled. From much I saw
and heard, the keen satire of this authoress is likely to produce, in a
few years, the usual improvement of a century. On the other hand, her
caricatures of manners and institutions fostered the prejudices of many
of the inhabitants of Britain, and engendered dislike to political
changes taking place in that country, more likely to be accelerated than
retarded by intemperate opposition. When indelicacy flows from the pen
of a female, though veiled by effusions of poetic fancy and garnished by
wit, it is highly dangerous to youthful innocence, and the popularity of
Mrs Trollope’s work may be regarded as evidence of want of discernment,
if not of vitiated religious and moral feeling, in a portion of the
reading population of Britain.
The piece of the evening was “The Wonder,” in which Miss Kemble did not
appear to advantage. Having formerly seen her at Edinburgh in the play
of the “Hunchback,” the contrast on the present occasion was painful.
Whether my disappointment arose from the difference of character she
represented, or a change of feeling on my part, cannot be determined,
but I left the house long before the conclusion of the piece, for want
of interest.
Next morning we applied at the customhouse for our luggage, and, on
paying a trifle, obtained a permit for its inspection. The officer on
board performed his duty in the most gentlemanlike manner; and in less
than five minutes from the time of going on board, our luggage, under
charge of a porter, was on the way to the Washington hotel.
The New York races take place on the Union Course, Long Island, twelve
miles distant from the city, and this being the last day of them, we
were anxious to embrace what we conceived so good an opportunity of
seeing the different ranks of society. Accordingly, we crossed the river
at Brooklyn ferry, and engaged a light four-wheeled waggon drawn by one
horse. The individuals proceeding to the course in vehicles, and none
were observed on foot, seemed under a racing mania, and rattled along
the road expeditiously, many of the horses trotting in admirable style.
On approaching the course, our horse and waggon were put into a court,
and we proceeded on foot.
The Union Course is private property, and completely shut against the
public by a fence of strong upright posts, or stakes, enclosing a
considerable space of more ground than is occupied by the course. For a
considerable distance on each side of the winning post, the exterior
fence consists of strong boards impervious to vision, on the top of
which are stands capable of containing many thousand people. The
interior margin of the raceway is fenced by a low open paling, except
opposite the winning-post, where high upright stakes are substituted. A
portion of ground including part of the raceway is thus enclosed for the
accommodation of the horses, and those more immediately interested in
them, by the stands on one, and close upright stakes on three sides,
with large gates crossing the raceway, which are kept open during the
time of running. A quarter dollar was exacted on passing the outer
barrier of the course, on entering which, we found the first race
concluded. Inheriting a smack of the jockey, my first object was to
obtain a view of the horses; and on applying for admission into the
enclosure where they were walking, I learned a ticket was the only
passport; but preparations for starting commenced, and the first
two-mile heat was run, according to my watch, in three minutes and
fifty-seven seconds. My anxiety for a sight of the horses increasing, I
applied to a gentleman, seemingly of importance in the racing circle, to
be allowed to approach them, and was informed that on paying three
dollars, 12s. 9d. sterling, I would obtain a ticket of admission into
the enclosure. The terms on which I could come near the horses appearing
extravagant, I contented myself with peeping through the stakes at a
distance. It would be unfair to attempt a minute description of the
animals, under the circumstances in which I was placed, but they seemed
not quite so strong as English race-horses, though more sprightly and
graceful in the mode of carrying their heads and tails.
There are few finer sights in England than a well-attended race-course
in good weather. All ranks, from the king to the beggar, male and
female, assemble in their best equipages and gayest attire. Splendour
and beauty seem to regard the occasion granted for display; and the more
immediate actors in the scene harmonize with the general pageant, a
well-trained horse and his rider being a perfect model of chaste
neatness. All is, however, different at New York. In the interior of the
race-course, there were a limited number of people, few equipages, and a
total want of finery or display of any kind. The stands were crowded,
but amongst the assembled multitude I could not have numbered more than
thirty females who, from their appearance, had no pretensions to the
epithet of lady. The jockeys were of all hues, generally coloured boys,
whose black faces appeared very grotesque under their bright-coloured,
ill-fitting dresses. One jockey, of small size and tender years, was
clothed in shabby leather trowsers, which had formed knee-breeches to
their original possessor; and a second had his spindle-shanks in old
boots of the largest dimensions, with strings below his knees to prevent
his trowsers and boots parting company. Bridles and saddles were covered
with mould and rust, and in one instance a pair of stirrup-irons were
warped with rope, to fit them for a little tawny foot. On coming up to
start for the second heat, the horses displayed much impatience, being,
generally, led by one, and sometimes two men on foot, as motley and
grotesque in appearance as the riders. Two false starts were made; and
at the time of finally getting away, one horse had his tail in the
direction of the others’ heads. The jockeys rode all in the same style,
their toes being placed near to the nose of the horse, and their heads
inclining back above the tail. The second heat was run in three minutes
and fifty-five seconds, after which I withdrew, disappointed at what I
had witnessed.
On reaching a foreign land for the first time, a person is apt to judge
every thing he sees by the standard of his own country, until the
home-rust, which more or less accumulates on every one, is rubbed off,
and a consequent expansion of mind takes place. At first it appeared to
me illiberal to exclude the poor from seeing a race, and sordid to exact
money from the rich who witnessed it, particularly in a reputed free
country like the United States of America. On reflection, however, I
could not see any impropriety in making those who enjoy the amusement of
horse racing pay for it, more especially when the government does not
squander public treasure on such an object, and where the course is
private property. I could not ascertain if the course is lucrative, but
the funds arising from the following sources, which are extracted from a
race bill, must be considerable.
Members and their (immediate) families, to pass free.
For every two-horse four-wheel carriage, with not more than four
passengers, $1.00
For every four-horse carriage, 2.00
For every passenger over four, each .25
For every gig or other two-wheeled carriage, with one passenger, .50
For every passenger over one, each .25
For every person on horseback, .50
For every person on foot, .25
Public Stand, .50
☞No person but a Member, or a resident of another State, invited by a
Member to purchase a Ticket, can have access to the Members’ Stand.
Any non-resident of New York, so invited, by paying three dollars, may
procure a Ticket, for the week, of admission to the Members’ Stand.
The Pavilion will be set apart for Ladies, Members of the Club, and
such Gentlemen only as have Tickets to the Members’ Stand.
⁂An efficient Police is provided to preserve order, and see that the
Rules are strictly adhered to and enforced.
The next day we were accidently carried to the farm of Westhouses, where
we saw an extensive breeding stud of thoroughbred horses, amongst which
was a sister to Eclipse, the most celebrated horse in the States, and
Henry, next in fame to Eclipse. The gentlemen of the turf consider their
horses superior to those of England, equal distances being run in less
time; but the style of running is, however, different, the weights of
America being lighter, and the horses pushed from the starting-post.
We experienced a most severe thunderstorm while at tea, but the young
ladies of the party did not seem to concern themselves about the war of
elements, the most vivid lightnings flashing without remark. We
travelled a few miles after the storm abated, and daylight had
disappeared. The calls of toads and catydids were deafening, and
innumerable fire-flies illuminated the face of nature, and lighted our
way. The wetness of the evening induced us to remain for the night at
the house of a friend, instead of returning to New York. Next morning I
was awoke from a sound sleep by a loud knocking at my bedroom window,
and on answering the call, my disturber asked the hour. After looking at
my watch, I answered, twenty minutes past three o’clock, and added, he
had surely made a mistake in coming to me. He sharply answered, in a
disagreeable nasal twang, “I have slept too long, that is all the
mistake, I guess.” In a few minutes afterwards, all hands, including
several of the family, were engaged in milking cows; and the produce of
about twenty was despatched for New York before five o’clock, under
charge of the person who awoke me, and I learned that he had contracted
for the milk during the season. We breakfasted at six o’clock, and were
immediately afterwards drawn to the city by a pair of handsome chestnut
geldings, at the rate of eight miles an hour, and which would have
graced any barouche in Britain. Our vehicle was the common four-wheeled
waggon of the country, with two deals across for temporary seats, and it
was to return loaded with seed-potatoes. We drove smack up to the
Washington Hotel, one of the most fashionable houses in the most
celebrated street in New York; and in course of our progress I was
amused at the uneasiness of my friend, one of the best and plainest of
men, at being carried to our residence in such a mean-looking carriage.
During his short residence in the States, he had not learned to shake
off that aristocratic feeling which so generally pervades human nature,
and has produced much misery in the world.
After changing our linens, we set out in a gig for Long Island,
proceeding by way of Flushing, and returning by the beautiful village of
Jamaica. Long Island has been termed the garden of the States—a name
which it may well merit from its numerous orchards, but certainly not
from the fertility of the soil, or the management which it is under. The
land is generally of light texture, requiring constant supplies of
manure, and a considerable part of it is sand of the poorest quality.
The enclosures were small, the fences bad, and every description of crop
inferior. Parts of the surface were covered with thriftless brushwood,
and there were numerous pools of water which might have been easily
drained. Many of the houses were composed of brick, others of wood,
resembling the country-seats or villas of England. As a protection from
the sun’s rays, windows were generally provided with green Venetian
blinds opening on the outside. Grave-yards, or private burying places,
were innumerable, and like the flower plots and gardens, kept in an
untidy manner.
On passing the village of Newtown, celebrated as the place where the
delicious apple bearing its name was first discovered, we drove into a
shed, a convenience attached to every country place of entertainment in
the eastern United States, and after giving orders for the tending of
our horse, applied at the bar of a respectable-looking hotel, if we
could have dinner. A thin vixen-looking woman peeped from behind a door,
and whispered something to the landlord, who immediately told us, in a
civil tone of voice, he could not comply with the request, as they were
engaged in cleaning the house. There was no alternative but to proceed,
and on reaching a good-looking hotel at Flushing, about one o’clock, we
learned that the dinner hour was at two, but no objection was made to
accommodate us immediately. Table was prepared by a pretty young woman,
called, in this part of the world, a hired girl; and in less than a
quarter of an hour from the time of our arrival, dinner was set before
us. The same person, whom I consider entitled to the name of lady, being
neat in dress, easy and polite in manners, waited during dinner in a
standing position. She conversed freely and sensibly on different
subjects, without forwardness or levity of conduct, and apologized for
part of our fare not being so nice as it would have been, had time been
allowed for preparation. On paying the bill, a gratuity was not
proffered for her services, nor did she seem to expect it. The hostler,
however, made a demand, and told us he did not receive wages from the
master of the house, but depended entirely on travellers for
remuneration.
The nurseries of Messrs Prince, the most extensive in America, are
situated at Flushing, and were visited by us. The grounds, compared with
such places in Britain, and some others which I saw in America, seemed
badly kept, being full of perennial root-weeds of the most troublesome
description, as well as those of annual growth.
Agriculture being little known as a science in any part of America, and
but imperfectly understood as an art, the same diversity of opinion, and
mode of management, prevail as in Britain, with greater difficulty of
becoming acquainted with them. The following particulars relate to the
neighbourhood of New York.
Grass crops are mown for hay five or six years in succession, without
being top-dressed or manured in any way—the aftermath, which is seldom
abundant, being depastured. Five pounds of red clover, and half a peck
of timothy seeds (_Phileum pratense_), are sown on an acre; and also,
occasionally, small quantities of herd-grass and redtop, two kinds of
poea. I believe the red clover lives longer than it commonly does in the
cultivated fields of Britain, having seen many plants after five
successive crops of hay. The grass, on being ploughed, is followed in
the first year by Indian corn without manure, by potatoes with manure in
the second year, and, if early, they are followed with buck-wheat;
barley is taken in the third year, and in the fourth, oats accompanied
with grass-seeds. Potatoes are grown in drills as in Britain, and
sometimes in hills three or four feet distant, formed by the surface
being marked into squares by the plough. A whole potato, or three
cuttings, are placed above the manure, and both covered over with earth
by the spade. Disease in the potato was said to be unknown. The fruit
crop is often injured by spring frosts, and wheat by mildew. Swede
turnip is sown in August, and stored before winter. Geese are plucked
three times a-year—live goose feathers being a general article of
commerce.
Farm labourers, or helps, get from ten to twelve dollars a-month, with
bed and board, including washing, and a deduction is made for sickness
or voluntary absence. A married man is allowed from ninety-five to one
hundred and twenty dollars a-year, instead of board; and pays from
twenty to twenty-five dollars for house and garden rent. The hours of
labour are from sunrise to sundown, without a specified time for meals,
to which they are commonly summoned by sound of horn. Hired men do not
consider themselves bound for any length of time, and occasionally
absent themselves for a day or two without giving notice of their
intention. Hired spade-men get seventy-five cents, or three-quarters of
a dollar per day, without board, all the year round.