The History of Prostitution Part 59

"All which is respectfully submitted.

"JOHN C. HAYDEN, "Chief of Police City of New Haven.

"Dated at New Haven, September 16, 1856."

NORFOLK, VA.

(Copy.)

"Mayor's Office, Norfolk, Va., Sept. 15, 1856.

"DEAR SIR,--Yours of 1st instant was duly received, and in reply would state that I have endeavored to be as accurate as possible in my replies to your several interrogatories, namely,

"1. How many houses of prost.i.tution in your city?

"Answer. About forty.

"2. How many houses of a.s.signation in your city?

"Answer. None as such; there being no places, so far as I can learn, used as meeting-places.

"3. How many public prost.i.tutes are there in your city?

"Answer. About one hundred and fifty.

"4. How many private prost.i.tutes are there in your city?

"Answer. About fifty.

"5. How many kept mistresses are there in your city?

"Answer. About six or eight.

"6. What is the present population of your city?

"Answer. About eighteen thousand.

"I would, in connection with the above, state that about twenty-five of the forty houses are used almost exclusively by sailors and seafaring men, and are sometimes improperly called 'Sailor Boarding-houses,' especially the most decent of them.

"Any other information I can give you I will most cheerfully do, should you desire any.

"I am very respectfully yours,

"F. F. FERGUSON, "Mayor City of Norfolk, Virginia.

"To Dr. WM. W. SANGER, Resident Physician, Blackwell's Island, New York."

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

(Copy.)

"Office of the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, Sept. 8, 1856.

"DEAR SIR,--As near as we can arrive at the facts (of course no great reliance can be placed on this general answer) the following are the figures:

1. Houses of prost.i.tution 130 2. Houses of a.s.signation 50 3. Public Prost.i.tutes 475 4. Private " 105 6. (Say) six hundred thousand population.

"Our city has one hundred and twenty-nine (129) square miles of police jurisdiction, and six hundred and fifty (650) policemen besides officers. You will therefore make some allowances for the want of time to enable me more fully to state answers to your questions.

"The answers given are from estimates made by the lieutenants of police of their own districts.

"Respectfully, "RICHARD VAUX, Mayor of Philadelphia.

"To WM. W. SANGER, M.D., Resident Physician, Blackwell's Island."

PITTSBURGH, PA.

(Copy.)

"Mayor's Office, Pittsburgh, Sept. 18, 1856.

"WM. W. SANGER, M.D.:

"DEAR SIR,--Your favor of the 1st instant came to hand a few days ago, requesting answers to the following questions:

"1. How many houses of prost.i.tution are there in our city?

"Answer. Nineteen.

"2. How many houses of a.s.signation?

"Answer. Nine.

"3. How many public prost.i.tutes?

"Answer. Seventy-seven.

"4. How many private prost.i.tutes?

"Answer. Thirty-seven.

"5. How many kept mistresses?

"Answer. Sixteen.

"6. What is your population?