The Secrets of the Great City: A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices, the Mysteries, Miseries and Crimes of New York CityMcCabe, James Dabney
History
The Secrets of the Great City: A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices, the Mysteries, Miseries and Crimes of New York City
McCabe, James Dabney
New York (N.Y.) -- Description and travel; New York (N.Y.) -- History
Besides these there are several second and third class theatres, many
negro minstrel halls, concert rooms, and other places of amusement for
all grades and classes. The majority advertise in the daily journals,
and by consulting these monitors, one can always find the means of
passing a pleasant evening in the Great City.
CHAPTER LV.
FORTUNE TELLERS AND CLAIRVOYANTS.
The city journals frequently contain such advertisements as the
following:
"A TEST MEDIUM.--THE ORIGINAL MADAME F----tells everything, traces
absent friends, losses, causes speedy marriages, gives lucky numbers.
Ladies fifty cents; gentlemen, one dollar. 464----th Avenue."
"A FACT--NO IMPOSITION. The Great European Clairvoyant. She consults
you on all affairs of life. Born with a natural gift, she tells past,
present, and future; she brings together those long separated; causes
speedy marriages; shows you a correct likeness of your future husband
or friends in love affairs. She was never known to fail. She tells his
name; also lucky numbers free of charge. She succeeds when all others
fail. Two thousand dollars reward for any one that can equal her in
professional skill. Ladies fifty cents to one dollar. Positively no
gents admitted. No. 40----Avenue."
It seems strange that, in this boasted age of enlightenment, the
persons who make such announcements as the above, can find any one
simple enough to believe them. Yet, it is a fact, that these persons,
who are generally women, frequently make large sums of money out of the
credulity of their fellow creatures. Every mail brings them letters
from persons in various parts of the country. These letters are
generally answered, and the contents have disgusted more than one
simpleton. The information furnished is such as any casual acquaintance
could give, and just as trustworthy as the reports of the "reliable
gentleman just from the front," used to prove during the late war. The
city custom of these impostors is about equal to that brought to them
from the country by means of their advertisements. Some of them make as
much as one hundred dollars per day, all of which is a clear profit.
The majority earn from three to six dollars per day. Servant girls are
profitable customers. Indeed, but for female credulity the business
would go down.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account