Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-11-20
The Broadway of New York.
From paper by Robert Tones. in the Broad
way MagaLine.l

LEEOmA paper Dy huDoIh 4OMcos III hAo OEOaA-
way Magazine.
Travel where we may, in the New or
in the Old World, we shall not find as
long, lively, and rich street as the IA
NOUS Broadway of New York. The
Italian Boulevard of Paris, and the
Regent street of London, surpass it
in breadth, but the American thorough
fare outstretches its European rivals in
length, and leaves three miles in the
rear.
When the city of New York shall
have filed up with its various struc-
lures the whole island of Manhattan,
of which it now occupies so large part,
its Broadway, stretching from one end
to the other, will have the length of
about twelves miles. 1t has already
reached its sixth, and bids fair, at the
present rate of progress Of the city,
soon to complete its twelfth mile.
The highest number of all the hous-
es of Broadway is 1916, but the street
possesses many scattered structures be-
yond, and, with its pavements and
gaslamps, has the aspect, more or less,
for the distance of several miles, of 3
city thoroughfare.
Broadway has been so called ever
since the English took possession of
New York in the year 1864. Their
Dutch predecessors had already given
the road, which led into the interior
from their little settlement of odd,
staircase, gabled structures, grouped
about the shore of the southern tip oi
the island, the name of Here Srass OF
Here WegH. This, which literally
means high street or high way, was
freely translated by English Colonists
into Broadway. In colonial times 3
small portion only Of the present great
thoroughfare was included within the
precincts of the city. As late even as
the year 100 the walls stretched across
Broadway at Wall street, and thence its
name, only few hundred yards from
its commencement. Within was the
city proper; without was the country,
divided into various farms, or planta'
tions, as they were called.
Architecturally as far as its public
buildings are concerned, Broadway may
rot be entitled to rank high; but for
shops, warehouses, and the various
structures for business of all kinds, 1t IS
not equalled by any street in the world. !.
Government has done but little, as yet,
for the great thoroughfare, and in that
little it has been greatly surpassed by
what has been accomplished by private
persons. The City Hall, in the Park,
is sham, inadequate structure, with a
veneered front of marble looking TO
the lower part of the city, and its back,
painted or whitewashed. turned to-
wards the upper.
Private enterprise has fortunately
more than made up for all the short
comings of the municipal government,
and beautfiied Broadway with long rows
of imposing structures. There are
churches, theaters, banks, hotels, ware
houses and shops, of every variety oi
style and material, al! of which have
been built at the cost of private inGi-
viduals This cost, moreover, has been
something enormous, beyond, it is be-
lieved. that of any buildings for similar
purposes in London, Paris, or any 9TH
er part of the world.
With the large and rapid increase ot
the population of New York, which
in 1880 counted only two hundred and
fifty thousand inhabitants. and now
counts a million, and with the great
increase of its commerce and trade,
the importance of Broadway, which is
the chief thoroughfare of the city, mas
proportionately augmented. The pri-
ces of choice bulldingsites have reach
ed a height which would have appear
ed marvellous to our New York fathers,
and will be hardly believed by our
London and Partisan contemporaries.
Lots on Broadway bought, scarcely
two hundred years ago, from the ma
tive Indian for q handful of wsmpum
or string Of beads; from hard-headed
Dutchmen and prudent Englishmen,
in colonial times, for score or two oi
pounds: and from sharp Yankees, in
our own days, for few thousand dol
lars,-are now worth half million OF
more. The proprietor Of the New York
Herald paid for lot about fifty feet in
width, and hundred in length, the
sum of S750,000, of which amount
$780, 900 were paid to Barnum, the
celebrated Snowman, for the lease he
held, and raised upon it structure Of
white marble, which is said to have
cost at least 100000. The piece Of
ground next to the Herald building,
one hundred feet in length and fifty.
six feet in width, was purchased by 8
New York insurance company fol
$3.50, 900, and upon it they are con
structing an edifce which will cost
100000. A thin slice of land, only
four feet in width and hundred feet
in length. lately brought the large sum
! of $4,000. The lease-mark it, the