The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-31
efTHERINE MARKBf =


-. u,s. .>a pscline of ies Badness.
W And hv tho records Of IL Common Council Of
- astb june, I7s6, that Catherine Market was nrst
.s6.bNshed in that year. A petition was presented
= . meeting Of that body, in the previous month,
on number Of the inhabitants In the vicinity Of
Catherine street. praying permission to erect pub
- market house at Catherine slip, at their own ex
psnsen At this period that part Of the city but
sparssly populated and the market building, though
Susient to supply the wants of those living in it's
vicinity was very small in comparison with its pre-
mt dimensions. 1t was constructed Of wood, and
Id not contain more than onefourth its present
s.nber Of stalls About twenty years after it was
ssfahlished q fish market was added 10 it. This
Structure was also Of wood, and had an extent Of
fni5ty feet on Water street, which at that time Dor
aessd the river as South street does now. It was
buit over the water and was 80 constructed that IL
a0brded shelter for al the boats which were en-
ployed in supplying the dealers with fish. stairs
I'D mp to il from the water, and at that time was
considered great convenience to the fishermen.
Contiguous to the market was the ferry station be-
tween which and Brooklyn rowboats were plying
every hour in the day. As an instance of the pro-
Sysss which the city made about ten years after
Asis ferry was established, we may mention the
Aos that horse power was employed in propel-
Ing the boats This, at the time, was considered
. great advance; but if our worthy ancestors had
s.ly known the great changes which were to be
sGected through the agency of steam, their ideas
81 The destiny Of New York would be considerably
enlarged.
The present market consists of two buildings, ex-
tending the whole length of the slip which is some.
what over three hundred feet. The width Of each
u these is little more than fifty feet and the num-
Der Of stalls and stands ia about one hundred. Some
~ these are at present unoccupied and the business
p 90 very limited az to present no inducement to
my persons to rent them. About twenty years
ago Catherine market was inferior TO none In the
ey, and good stand could not be procured for less
Man thousand dollars. which was large sum of
money at that time. Nearly all the dealers who
en did business there have since left it, and their
DAee Ia supplied by new class OF men. Many sold
out after realizing fortunes, while few remain, as
unwilling to leave it even in its decline It must
not be supposed however that its business is at all
Insignificant for the yearly sales at present exceed
hah million Of dollars. The number of persons
engaged in the market is about four hundred, in
slnding those who own stands and the persons en-
ployed by them.
The value Of the real estate occupied by Catherine
Market is estimated in the Oomptrollers report at
sixty Thousand dollars and the yearly receipts for
rents OF stands and stalls amount to about two thou
sand four hundred dollars This gives an interest o.
fur per cent-a small sum in comparison with the in
1erest obtained from the investment in Washington
Market, the rent from which exceeds thirty thousand
dollars per year, while the value Of the property is
Ihree hundred and eighty thousand. But, although
Catherine Market does not pay 30 we'll it should be
understood that If it were removed, the ground could
not be well applied to any other purpose, and it is
mere than probable that it would be used as pub
Nc thoroughfare. Indeed, the space left on either
sde Of the market is barely wide enough for street,
md must cause considerable Inconvenience to those
doing business in that neighborhood. About year
1se there was some talk in the Common Council Of
semoving the building, and resolutions having that
sAject in view presented. The subject attracted
considerable attention at the tme but after due con-
Naeration it was deemed unadvisable to remove it.
md has been permitted to remain in the same con-
ton 10 the present day, although portions Of it
Mnch in need Of repair. The fish market, which il
srested on piece of ground about hundred feet
BY thirty, Is about to be demolished and stands pro-
vded for the dealers in the lower section Of the main
building. This alt Grafton is rendered absolutely ne
sessary by the es Enlistment of new ferry to Brook
1n, the alp for which is now in course of construc
Non. The change WILL it is considered, be beneficial
- the fish dealers, who much conf fined and in.
semmoded In their present location. Besides, it is
doubtful whether the old shed that shelters them
Ueuld hold up much longer, portion Of the roof
has been burned off, and the floor is rapidly caving
IN. There are several vacant stands in the vegetable
market which will be appropriated by the fish dealers
10 the event Of their removal
A proposition was made about year ago, and it
sl obtains favor with many Of the occupants Of the
nsh market To enlarge the lower part of the princ
pal building by taking in portion of the street.
This, il is urged would not only benefit the deal
ers by increasing the business, but it would
materially improve the market itself II is
also said that the establishment Of the Brooklyn ferry
Will render this enlargement matter of necessity
~ we'll profit, as its proximity to the market will
have the effect Of attracting an extensive custom
h0m our sister city. However this may be- there is
one thing certain-that if something is not done
eson 10 revive Its declining business it will die in
lew years. 1t is the opinion Of many persons, how
gver, that this market has seen its best days, and
at nothing can save it. The rent received from it
- insufficient to pay the clerk, and at the same time
give fair interest on the value of the property and
1he only remedy that might prove really eicacious
would Re the withdrawal OF licenses from the hume.
.Ous butchers stalls in the adjacent streets But it
- not likely that this panacea will be employed, as
= would raise storm Of indignation among the out.
siders that would not be easily appeased. &c. under
present circumstances it appears that the fate of
Catherine Market is inevitable, and that there is no
way TO save it from dissolution.
THE MEAT TRADE.
The meat trade Of this market is transacted en-
drsy by retail butchers, of whom there are forty
bur altogether. The business of these very tri-
Amg IN comparison with the yearly sales Of WASH
ngton or Fulton market. At one period Catherine