FIRST-CLASS HOUSES.
There are very few of these houses in New York--perhaps not more than a
dozen in all. They are located in fashionable neighborhoods, and
outwardly differ in nothing from the elegant private residences which
surround them, except that the blinds are closed all day long, and the
house has a silent, deserted air. In its internal arrangements it is
magnificent. The furniture, carpets, and all its appointments are
superb. Choice paintings and works of art are scattered through the
rooms, in truly regal profusion. All that money can do to make the
place attractive and luxurious has been done, and as money can always
command taste, the work has been well done.
The servants attached to the place are generally negroes of the better
class. They are well trained, many of them having been brought up as
the _valets_, or butlers of the Southern gentry, and answer better for
such places than whites, inasmuch as they are quiet, uncommunicative,
attentive and respectful. One of these men is always in charge of the
front door, and visitors are admitted with caution, it being highly
desirable to admit only the so-called respectable.
It is said on good authority that it requires an annual outlay of one
million of dollars to keep up the first-class gaming houses of the
city. This is a large sum, but the profits of the establishments are
enormous.
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