The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-12-27
BEL AIR. MD. FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 81, 1867.
New York Fifty-Five Years Ago.

The Staten Island Ferry on a fine af-
ternoon in summer, is one of the pleasant
est scenes which New York Affords The
island, seven miles distant from the city,
forms one of the sides of the Narrows,
through which the commerce of the city
and the emigrant ships enter the mag
ni6cent bay that so wortEiy announces
the grandeur of the New World The
ferry boat starting from the extremity of
Manhattan. Island, first gives its passen-
ngers view of East River, all alive with
every description of craft then gliding
round past Governor Island, dotted with
camps, and crowned with barracks, with
the national flag floating above all, it af
roius vtou -or tuo 1urrJ uruus wuiou rIs0
on one side of the Hudson and the long
line of the mast fringed city on the other /;
then rounding Governors Island, the
steamer pushes its way towards the Mar
rows, disclosing to view Fort Lafayette,
so celebrated of late, the giant defensive
works opposite to it, the outrageous and
lofty sides of Staten Island, covered with
villages, and beyond all, the ocean, light.
cd up by Coney Islands belt of snowy
sand, glistening in the sun.
Change the scene to ffty-fve years
ago. New York was then a town of
eighty thousand people, and Staten Island
was inhabited only by farm ers, gart encrs
and fishermen, who lived by supplying
the city with provisions. No elegant
seats, no picturesque villas adorned the
,hillsides, and pleasure seekers found a
nearer resort in Hoboken. The ferry
then, if ferry it could be called, consisted
of few sail boats, which left the island
in the morning loaded with vegetables
and fish, aud returned, if the wind and
tide permitted, at night. If pleasure
party occasionally visited Staten Island,
they considered themselves in the light of
bold adventurcrs, who had gone far be-
yond the ordinary limits of an excursion,
There was only one thing in common be-
tween the ferry at that day and this day.
the boats started from the same spot
Where the fcrry-house now stands at
Whitehall, was then the beach to which
the boatmen brought their freight, aud
where they remained waiting for re.
turn cargo. That was also the general
boat stand of the city. Whoever wanted
a boat for business or pleasure repaired to
Whitehall, and it was matter of indifflr,
ence to the boatmen of Staten Island
whether they returned home with load,
or shared in the general business of tho
r!-t . .7it..
1t is to one of those Whitehall boatmon
of 1910 that we have to direct the readers
attention. He was distinguished from bis
comrades on the stand in several ways
Though master of q Staten Island boat
that would carry twenty passengers, he
was bat sixteen years of age, and was
one Of the handsomest, the most agile and
athletic young fellows that either island
could show. Young as he was, there was
that in his face and bearing which gave
assurance that he was abundantly com
petent to do his work He was always al
his post betimes, and on the alert for Q
job. lie always performed what he un
dertook This summer of 1910 was the
first season, but he had already an ample
share of the best of the business of the
barbor.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was the name Of
this notable youth-the same Cornelius
Vanderbilt who has since built hundred
steamboats,, who has since made a present
to his country of steamship of five
thousand tons burden, who has since
bought lines Of railroad, and who reported
his income to the tax commissioners las
year at something near three-quarters of q
million The first money the steamboat
king ever earned was by carrying passen
gers between Staten Island and New
York at eighteen cents each.