New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-21

po,maI ent monuments and to that magnificent
planweoNelt that there are no lanes nor Alleys
II he new City. but that twelve noble avenues
each 100 feet vide, running parallel ana III 'ne
direction OF the island, give access To the Clty'
and that these are cut al right angles 10y huhie-
rcrs streets every tenth one OF which Is alsJ a
hundred feet wide and the narrow streets W
fee, in width, or ten feet wider IMAM the quasi
OF Philadolph a-Chestnut st
THE OLD FARMS.
Eappily, We say, this plan was adopted, for
Tut Tor 1t most OF the reglon lying east OIL inc
Bowefy including the Stuyvesant Farm, ana
again around Unlon-sCuare, would have Deeh
chi up into most unsigh,ly curves and cores
The n ain avenue of the old Dutch City was the
Bowere. 1t was called the Old Boston hoau
within the memory of many lvlng-and the
lines of the farms and lands clrcumJaceh'
were all run in reference to 1t as Dase' l'9
course was crooked; hence, when the ne"
streets laid down upon. the Commissioners map
cane 70 be traced out, II was lOunu thd. my
would often make curious WORK WIN lhe o,u
lines. and leave here and there some most ouuy
shaped fragments Either Mr.. GOuverneur MOT
MS a man OF fine fancy, as well as ofproiound AT
taume1ts, or the State Surveyor, Mr. SIMEON De-
" ut hose odd fancy scattered over our oId'o
IN such ininltable confusion, and puzzllng JDAla-
uosition-Romes, Palmyras, Uucas and Attlcas'
nd "
with OnOndagas and Onedas-eIther MI. MOT
us or MI Dewitt, in referring to this lnterier-
ence Of the new lines with the old, and TO the
6apmentary parcels of lots that would be there
hy carved out, spoke OF these lots by an allowable
6rure-as "tte Children OF Necessity AT
subsequent period when the advance OF popula-
ton rendered ii desirable to reduce these rag
n eDts to form and order, some literal matter
of fact DC opic petliloned the Legislature for an
act 10 consolidate and reform these "Chlidren
o(Nfccssi,y," and the Legislature, whose forte
les not IN iancy taking the expression as fe
ecLs desc1ipt,ue Of the objects referred 10. ac-
tralN passed a law for d!scontmuing these tM''
am Of Necessity and great were the oedu'iiy-
ia consequences Of that law.
UNIoN.PLAcE.
broadway and the Bowery, the two great thor
ouph.aros Of tie City, may be SAID to start from
one common trunk below the Park-and after, IN
their long Ines. traver>ing, respectively such dill
GreIt scenes and witnessing modes OF lie so
diverse they come together az UmOn-place, Al
ORIGINALLY cal ed from that Circumstance, and
low Unon-sQuare. This square-beautiiul, spa
cious and ornamental as it row ISIS made up
almost wholly Of these children of necessity"
The old Potiers' field, together with portion
ofthe "Ludlow farm though the efforts OF Mr..
A S. Pell, a II an Of enlarged views and active
spln,-had been thrown in the year 1927 INTO
that spacious area, now known as Washington
square
SALT MEADOWS AND SEWERS.
About 1881 the City seemed to take start
rorthw ard, and for the first time improvements
Nv blocks of houses, uniformly built, beyond the
then abodes, were introduced. To Mr. ). Green
Pearson, who built up lie ROy-place on both
sides with houses Of some uniformity In exterior
end some pletension to architectural proportion,
the praise is due of being first In this path. Mr..
Seth Geer in like manner, constructed the hand
some colonnade row IN La Fayette-place, and
M Thos L Davis, boldly advancing into the do
main OF the martial Stuyvesant, old Hard-kop-
pig Pet actually commenced digging down
hills and filling up yalleysAunder the very eye OF
the grim old warrior, as his likeness sui hung on
the walls of the ancestral house-and planted 81.
Mark's-pace with It's brick houses and paved
street, in the heart OF his rural homestead, his
blooming Bowere The large eXten. Of salt mea-
dow belonging 10 that estate, was literally on the
pontof confscation, and all the other low land
similarly situated. when the policy of sewers to
PASS Of the water under ground was introduced,
instead OF perseverlng in the original plan OF the
Corporation to fill up the grounds to the level re-
quslte TO pass it of over the surface. The contest
IN behalf of the sewers was long and earnest
Prejudice, arising from the unsklllfully made Ca
nast sewer, was zealously appealed to inter-
est in the employment which the removing Oh
the millions of loads of earth requisite lo1 tho
6llinp in. would afford to laborers and cartmen,
was Strongly pressed but good sense, and IN
deed con mon Justice finally prevalled-for II the
hich filing had been insisted on, the low grounds
ceased TO have any value as properly. Wthln
| 20 years and before the point was decided, lois
on the salt Meadow were sold at S25 each,
which now would command as many hundreds
| Happily the sewers carried the day The first
consequence was that the general level OF the pro-
iected streets could be lowered without INJURY
and the land was so completely reclaimed by the
sewers as to be equal in value almost to The up
land, and we now see III the very heart OF the
salt Meadow, Tompkins square, the largest as
well as one of the most tasteful IN the City
containing some Is or l6 acres, and surrounded
by houses and churches alike substantial and
costly. The cost of the land taken for that
square, in 1894. was $4,000. From that day the
policy of sewers was permanently adopted, and
our streets are now pierced by some SO miles Of
these sutteranean gallenes-whlch carry oil
10 the rivers without trouble or inconvenience
TO the citizen, but or the contrary, to his inf
ni,e accommodation, all the waste water of
houses baths, streets, &c, and this at an annual
ccst not exceeding Sll6per mile for all charges OF
repairing, cleaning and keeping IN order
GRAMERCy PARK AND VICINITY.
Another citizen who has devoted rare inteli-
eence, precious years and large sums Of money
10 the advancement, establishment and solid
progress OF the City, is Samuel b. Rugges.
In 1881, he became possessed, of portion
Of the old Duane Farm. This farm had a
front Of about 400 feet on the Boweryroad,
and ran thence eastery almost to the river,
with some upland, but much morass, over
grown with cat.tais, and through which wan
dered stream known as Crummassie-Vly or
Winding Creek The heirs, five in number, esti
mating the value ofthe property according to its
frontage on the Bowery, divided the farm by
that front, 400 feet, into five equal parcels, ana
thus constituted narrow STRIPS OF land halt
mile, nearly, long and so feet wide One of these
# tbs having been acquired by Mr.. Ruggles III the
year 1881, he forthwith set himself at work to
make it available. Between him and the actual
CITY was The Bowery Hill 20 feet above the
ievel-behind him morass. 1t was clear that
he latter was Of little value without the
former. After incredible difficulties, he sue:
ceeded in attaining both the Boyery Hill and