New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-22
AN HOUR IN LEATHER STREET.

in watts roughly sunk around the Beekman Pond-feom
later time, within the recollection Of our elder ct-
xens when the lower part of Ferry street and the I'M
mediate vicinity was sufficient 20 mold the tlnneresand
warehouses of the trade il has now reached such an
extent that in days when tan-yasds are banisneo 10
the country and every inch OF room ia economlzsd IL
raoures for in accommodation almost the entire To-
cali,y tradiiionally known as the swamp" More,
II has extended itself up the hillside, and is creeping
toward Broadway by the transverse streets. Com
mence at the intersection Of Spruce and William, fol-
low the former TO Gold thence TO Beekman and Frank
fort on either eide thence through Frankfort TO Gill;
theace via Cliff TO Ferry street, and through the whole
length of Ferry to Pearl f-set and almost every store
Oh both rif bit and left is redoen OF leather aud piled
with heaps of hides brought bher from every grazing
country in the world condensed sketch OF the early
and later condition of the Hide and Leather business
and of tie mode in which il is conducted will be In
sruetive to all who take interest in the growth OF
that commerce which is the basis of Metropolitan
supremacy.
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
From Col. William Kumbel, the senior merchant Of
the swamp and other veterans thereaoon,, we have
cleaned soue interesting details OF the appearance OF
that locality az the commencement OF the nineteenth
century, Then q comparatively small number OF for
een hides were imported the busioess OF the swamp
mercbsn, embraced both trading and tanning. Every
,tore had a tannery annexed, and the hides were all
cured on the premises. In fact the block bounded oy
Jacob Ferry, Frankfort and Coli streets Was entirely
taken ND with tn-yaIds. There was not Il three-sory
BUILDING on Ferry street. The leading establishments
were then owned by Abraham Polhemus, Daniel
Tucker. Henry Or,ley, and Peter Brunei. Abraham
Boodgood a prominent public citizen, had large cur
ryipg chop on Frankfort street, later along JACOB Lor
lizard and Gi icon Lee carried extensive concerns.
Cunningham & Mccormick at that time owned a large
ward of over 100 vss out OF town. near the oid po"
derbouse" Site e., in the neighborhood OF the pres
ent Gramercy Park. All were tanners, ana dld a
thrifty business. Last year. in digging the iouhoaton
of Mr. Smith Ely's store, on the corner OF doid
and Cliff streets just at the edge OF the ancient swamp,
ore discovered numerous strata of tan deposits from
the watts of olden times But portion OF Col' Num-
bells ward is the only remnant left OF the old swamp
tannelies There be still keeps few watts IN opera
tion partly we reckon, for old association saSe
is now nearly thirty years since the general practice
of tanning in tue Swamp was crowded out. IL Is now
far cLea,er to send the hides into the country, cure
them and eurn the leather for SALE than bring down
the Necessary rark and use i here.
In 1910. The business of the largest house in the
SUamt did not exceed $4,000 per aDnum. 1t is OF
late years that the Leather trade, like every other
bran IN of our commerce. has taken such enormous
strides.
Jacobs WELL"
Among other interesting incidents narrated in the
history OF the Swamp is the aughabe episode oil tue
so.calIed "Jacobs Well" Many years ago. certain
worthy tanners bored for water in the center OF Jacob
street il being urnised that some excellent springs
were submerged in that vicinity True enough BUD
bling fountain wac cached which overlooked in spark
ling abundance. The water was at once observed TO
have pungent, saline OF astringent TASTE and ru-
NOR coon spread of its marvellous curative powers IL
was said that il equaled the famous wells Of Bason
and Saratoga; thousands eagerly gathered TO oeneht
tberefrom; a great excitement arose; some shrewd
SPECTATORS prominent Swamp merchants, bought the
lot including the spring. it was held by them at a fab
ulous price, immense were offered for 1t and re-
fused Soon certificates of wonderful given
and published-the water being slightly purga;ive in
it's effects Bot at last, one day, sudden change was
observable in both taste ana SMELL from an agreeable
bitter the water as umeda disagreeabe rankness with
a JOpguet very suggestive of tainted hides. And now
some skeptical fellows, whose impudent doubts had
hitherto been frowned down by public opinion, came
boldly forth from their hiding places and assevera!ed
that the essential qualities of Jacobs Well could at
any time be obtained by making decoction Of ancient
,annin and decayed cow-bdes. general laugh en-
sued the ancient purgatves again into favor, and
the speculative realestae put their fingers in
their mouths and charged the investment to aceoun. Of
profit and loss.
NATURE OF TIE SWAMP TRADE.
Seveneighths of the heavy business done in the
Swamp is confined to what is denominated the Sole
Leather trade" The light, "upper-leather hides 30
to Bosion with one or two exceptions our large deal
ers are exclusively employed in the purchase of m-
ported and domestic hides, on commission or for own
account sending them to the tanners in the country,
and receiving them back converted into marketable
leather. This they cell to the Eastern shoe manufac-
tnrens. When acting on commission for the tanners,
the charge is five per cent for buying and forwarding
the hides and Elk per cent for eecng and guarantee
ing the leather Gales The city hides sailed down
by the Butchers Hide Association at their warehouse
on the corner of First and Fifth street, before
they shipped to the tanners With the importation
Of foreign hides the Swamp merchants have little to do
importers all over the city are engaged in this de-
partment, and from them the hides bought. They
are mostly landed on the Brooklyn side of the East
River, where there is plenty Of dock room, and
thence forwarded TO the interior. They are cassed as
"dry" or "green-salted," according " the condition
in which they anive. The former Sun-dried before
shipment and command here nearly double the price Of
the latter.
While, as We have said, the weight Of the Swamp
business s confined to the soeealher trade there
several houses in the betting, harness and saddle eath
in and reapsctiVely.