The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-09-24
FROM THE OLD LONG ISLAND
SCRIBE"

NEwTowN, near New York, Sept s. 1859.
At home again, at the old school desk,
Newtown avenue-formerly Dutch Lane"
dedicated, twenty-seven years ago, to
" all Improvements IN the arts, an science,
IN literature, IN matters Of real-eState, az
money INFESTED, IN political advancement,
IN religious life, on progress IN human
freedom" DC.
l have had charge of the church and
school here, in connection with Trains
Meadow, Columbusville, part of East
Brooklyn, and also part of Northern New
York City for thepast year, preaching and
teaching from house to house, and from
pulpit to pulpit, among both white and col
ored people.
The field opens and widens as l labor
This little spot in Queens county, has
been sort of starting point for many of
our ministers and teachers within these
twenty-seven years since I swept the new
shavings out of it of a snowy March day
in 1882. Ward, Hicks, Wilson, Berian,
Powell, Glouscester, Reeve, Lynch, and
others, have all sat at the desk where |
now write. At this desk many deeply in
teresting facts might be recorded of the
colored people of this New-old-town. 1t
was originally settled by the Dutch, hence
the colored people are strongly Dutch de-
scent. Some of our oldest inhabitants
my Elder c. for instance-a man nearly
seventy years old, speaks Dutch as well as
many Hollanders.
may add that few of the towns within
ten miles of the City Hall feel more pow
erfully the effects of what DIR. Smith calls
the German INVASION" than this town.
Many Of the old farms have entirely
changed hands. In some parts of the town
l fnd that within these twenty-seven years
the habits of the people have changed very
materially. They have become German
lied in almost every respect. 1t is seen as
to the Sabbath, trade, agriculture, speech,
social habits, &c.
But it must be remembered here, that in
all these changes, the colored people may
be regarded as the conservative element.
They are respected and employed by all.
Your great and gay city has drawn
largely from old Newtown, and so has
Brooklyn. | suppose that if we should at
some time get up big meeting here, and
invite all the sons and daughters of New
town to make us welcome visit, you have
little idea how many would take leave of
absence from your city for twenty -four
hours, and how many five, ten, and fifteen
cents would be put into the pockets of the
Flushing Railroad Company, and the New
town Stage Company, both Of which, am
happy to say, make no distinction of color
among their passengers; but regard one
mans money as just as good with them as
another's.
believe it is generally admitted that
our crops have come in fair, if not extra
good, / suppose that nyour Fulton, Cen
tire. and other markets on the east side of
the city, the old Long Island garden will
be found to be well represented in all the
luxuries of the domestic board, which are
now being consumed byyOurreturning and
hungry travellers, and laid up by your eau
tious housekeepers for the winter, which
already begins to breathe significantly
through your doors and windows evenings
and mornings. Let them lay in well;
winter is no respector of persons.
On the subject of farming, our colored
men of this town are among the most In
telligent on the Island. As cultivators of
their own small portions of soil they are
not excelled in skill by any other class
All they need is more broad acres to make
them A No / in the business. As it is