Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-07-06
NEW YORK FIFTY YEARS AGO.

From lecture recently delivered by
Philip Hone, Esq. a merchant of New York
before the Mercantile Library Association:
1t is amusing to look back upon the state
of tho trade Of New York, and the modes
of conducting business within brief peri
cd of less than fifty years, and contrast
them with the present condition Of things
| have no ambition 10 claim your respect
or reverence "a a sage OF antiquity. On
the contrary, fear may have given you
accession this evening to remark that am
young enough to learn a great deal but
my connection with bushes. commenced so
early in life that can describe these mat
ters with tolerable accuracy. | was q lad
in the retail dry good store( shop we called
it then of my brother in William street.
Goods were imported principally from
London. The ships (ony two in number }
made two voyages year; and when they
arrived and the packages were opened in
the warehouses of Mes.rs Washington,
Rowlett & Corp, or Douglass & Shaw, no.
tice was sent TO the shopkeepers, who went
down to Pearl street each selecting the ar
ticIes he wanted, the whole importation
was bought up; and bill of FIVE hundred
dollars would have brought down upon the
purchaser the jealousy of his ne ghbors,
and occasonod serious alarm 10 the impor-
ter.
1t is a fact difficult TO realize that, a, the
time | am speaking Of, French Dry Goods
were unknown in New York distinctly
recolect the first package of French kid
gloves, and for several years after the
peace, English lutestrings were the only
silks in use. The ladies will find II diff
cnlt to imagine such a state Of restitution,
| and may, perhaps, thank their stars that
they were not born in such an age, when
the possession Of a silk gown was a luxu-
ry that few arrived, and its advent into the
family an event OF sufficient importance to
be chronicled with the birth of child, or
the setting out of husband on a voyage
to Albany.
Those were the days Of frugality and
caretulncss; and as we are now in the Cos
sping humor, | will relate an anecdote TO
prove it. a relation Of mine, merchant
in the Dutch trade, who had been a rosi-
! dent in New York fifteen or twenty years,
had in his possession silk umbrella Of un-
! common large proportions, which attracted
the notice of friend in company, who
said 10 HIM in jest, 8 | should not be sur
prised to hear that YOU had brought GU,
that umbrella with you from Holland.'--
\ GU have guessed right he replied
did bring il when | came to this country,
| and have had il in constant use ever since;
but sent it once during the time to Hol-
| land to be newly covered Now this gen
tlemen was liberal and charitable, but he
took good care Of his umbrella, and died
worth a million OF dollars.
In the DAYS Of which we have speaking,
there was bu, one bank in the city, the
Bank Of New York, in Pearl street, then
Hanover Square, Of which Mr.. William
Seton, was Cashier, and Mr.. Charles
Wilkes was the first teller.-Those were
the blessed days Of specie currency; and
if you will indulge me, will describe how
pleasantly it worked. The notes which
were given out by the merchants and shop
keepers (aEd the sequel will show how few
they must have BEEN were collected OF
course through the bank. Michael Boyle,
the runner, (how delightfully."- do his jocund
laugh and pleasant countenance mix up
with the recoIlections of my early years.
called several days before the time, with
a notice that they would be due on such a
day and payment expected three days
thereafter.
When the day arrived, the same person
called again with a canvas bag. counted
the money in half dollars, quarters and
sixpenccs, Those abominable disturbers of
peace, bank-notes were scarcely known in
those days. carried it TO the bank, and sal
lied out to another debtor and so all the
notes were collected in this great CONNER
cial city, and in such a circumscnbed cir
elo did It's operations revolve. Well do |