New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-18
SKETCHES OF THE CRY.
BROADWAY.
nv A pIsIsrEREsrxD OBSERVER,

hill vet the accounts gwen OF It BY British, French
and Ca man travellers ara various aud conflicting
bs, Il il altogether impossible for foreigner 10 form
arv dem te idea of this famous thoroughfare. DR..
Mscksy de crbes it in his letters street of
eouslled spa ldor, combining all the magnicence the
solidiy elea nee gayety, and architectural beauty
~ Reoen, strea and the Boulevsrds, the warehouses
being marble pah ces, and the whole street lined with
double rows Of Oh u.s. sycamores and aanthus trees
Dickens, in his mates" describes as very duh
street, not enlvened even by hand-organ. That
pleasant actor of the Rachel troupe who wrote letters
from Newton to Figaro, saw nothing in broadway
but reengnes and shops in which lace vails and cab
bages were cold at the same counter forget what
Monsieur Ampire said abou. it, though remember
that il was not complimentary but Lord Radstock,
who was in New-York last Winter on his return
home, said in speech by way Of Illustrating the nat
ural tendency of democracy to dirt that Broadway
knee deep with mud.
Having crammed myself with all the information
on the subject within my reach, made up my mind
to have shy at Broadway myself, and see from
personal inspection what it was actually ike. Sup
plyinp myself with lead pencil and notebook,
took pss,sge on board the frSt steamer and after
q very fine voyage during which nothing of i'm
portance occurred worth mentioning, landed safely at
the nearest point to which Broadway can be APP
proached from the sea, for was anxious to lose as
little time as possible in preliminary travel Feeling
quite fresh and at home, for the passage over from
South BROOKLYN had occupied but ak minutes and
half had no occasion 10 stop for refreshments, and
resolutely refused the invitation of gentleman |
met on landing, to stake something" The only thing
meant to take was notes, which commenced upon
at once.
II was near noon Oh the 10th Of January, and
more heavenly day never seen in md-Winter even
in Naples The sky blue and soft, the sun shone
brilliantly and the general atmosphere was exhilarat-
ine II was the mos. favorable time possible for OBJ
tanning favorable impression of Broadway and as
entered upon the scene of my exploration at Bowling
Green congratulated myself on my good fortune in
having such lovely weather.
The first look Of this great street at the entrance is
not startling for its splendor The brick houses around
the Bowling Green commonplace in appearance;
but OF cannot help feeling regret that so fine an op
portunity for architectural establishment as this To-
cality affords should have been wholly neglected
The long row of brick houses facing up Broadway
were once very sumptuous private residences with
handsome court-yards in 'front.' but they are now all,
with one exception occupied for commercial purposes
The houses on the two sides irregulary placed and
though spacious and well built unpretending in ap
pearance The Bowling Green is circular Enclosure,
with some fine trees and fountain con listing Of sin
ole let and three white marble tazzas. Looking up
the street. you see there is something before you and
on the left. hand side you go up the commencement
of long range of handsome brown-stone stores, i've
stories high catches your eye and exctes your admra
ton.
But before we advance step further, let US pay
reyerent salute to No. Broadway, the only building
left in the whole city which possesses any historical in
teres This fine old brick house, with it's arched win
dows and solid walls has long story to tell which is
more than can be said of any Of the fine structures be-
tween the Battery and Union square. II is just hum
dred years DID, it having been built In the year H6O by
the Hon. Captain Kennedy, aferward Earl Of CasSiis,
and ancestor of the present Marquis Of Ass- He mar
RED the daughter of Yorker, and received the
land on which It was built as part Of her marriage
portion. 1t must then have been most charming ait
uation for the gardens extended to the river and there
was an uninterrupted view of the bay and river from
its windows 1t was occupied by Sir William Howe,
Commander of the British forcesi by Sir Guy Carrie
ton the last royal Governor Of NewYork, afterward
Lord Dorchester; that celebrated ant-revoutionary
potentate King Sears with bis young princesses
inhabited it, did that mighty diplomat Prince Tai
leyrand, when be was an exile in the New World IL
was for many years the residence of Mr.. Prime the
banker; but the last great who inhabited it
Mayor Mcke, the tobscccnis There is tradition that
Washington lived in it once, but there is good evil
dence of it, Fulton died in house built in the garden
Of this most respectable mansion, from whose venera
BILE windows loyal, and probably fearful eyes, looked
out and saw the mob demosh the leaden statue OF hs
most lesden Majesty, King George the Third. Unhap
PLY we have no such mobs now. No. would hard
" be recognized now by its former occupants it has
had two storiesadded TO it, and hotel and restaurant
But the change in the house is nothing compared with
the change of its surroundings What would the Hon.
Captain Kennedy, or Sir Guy Carleton be able to
make of the great signs which he would see in the OPP
poste houses with inscriptions like thesel California
Steamship Line, via Nicaragua" Australia Pioneer
Line;" " American, Atlantic and Pacific Ship Ca
nal Company" " Vanderbilt European Steamship
Line" &c.
A door or two above this venerable mansion is
another old house, remarkable only for having given
shelter to Benedict Arnold after his act of treason,
which has consigned his name to immortal infamy.
From Bowling Green to Trinity Church, Broadway,
which twenty five years ago occupied by the pri
vate dwellings of the wealthy inhabitants of the City,
II now built up with superb brown-stone warehouses
five stories in hight, with plate-glass windows and
having the appearance rather Of sumptuous resi-
dences than of houses devoted TO business purposes
There is more uniformity OF STYLE and grander look
to this part of the street. than in the upper sections Of
it, though can boast of nothing like the splendid white
marble buildings which are found above the Park.
If the east side of Broadway, below Wall street,
built up to correspond with the west side it would be
trulv Grand in But the east side thOuoh