Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-11-08

lous TO our New York fathers, and will be
hardly believoi by our London and Partisan
contemporaries.
Lois ON Broadway bought two hundred
years ago, from the native Indian, for a
hHnulul OF wampum, or string of beads
from hard-headed Dutchmen and prudent
Englishmen, in colonial times, for score
or two of pounds; and from sharp Yankees,
in our own days for few thousand dollars,
arc now worth half million Or more.
+ The proprietor Of the New York Herald
paid for lot about fifty feet in width, and
n hundred in length, the sum $780, 900, of
which amount $4,000 were paid TO Bar
mum, the celebrated Snowman for the lease
he held, and raised upon it a structure of
whlle marble, which is said to have cost at
least 100000. The piece of ground next
10 the Herald building, one hundred feet in
length and iily-six feet in width, was pur-
chased by a New York insurance company
/ ior $3.50, ,OOO, and upon it they are construct
! ing an edfice which will cost $S00,0O0. A
thin slice OF land, only four feet in width,
and hundred feet in length, lately brought
the large sum OF S75,000 The lease
mark il, the lease only-of another Broad.
way lot was but few days since sold for
5000, 1000, although within the last ten years
the same lease had exchanged hands at the
comparatively Insignificant price of $4,000.
merchant built warehouse which, with
the ground, cost Inn $400, 900; its value is
now estimated at $s00,OO0. A bookseller
bought, some ten years ago, the Society
Library building in Broadway for $l50,OOO,
and lew months since sold the lot, after
the building was burned down, for $45O,OOO.
The purchasers are raising upon 1t struc-
ture which is TO cost million.
Rents have, of course, become proportion
ately high, and fifty or even sixty thousand
dollars is no uncommon price for a years
hire of Broadway store. The writer knows
two young orphan girls who inherited three
Broadway stores, from which they derive a
yearly income of one hundred thousand
dollars.
Many of the shops and warehouses, or
stores, as they are called in the United
States, are as slightly as such structures can
be made, Some of them are built of a mar
ble of as pure white as that of Carrara,
hewn from the quarries OF Westchester,
within II convenient distance OF the city.
Where the ground is of so high a value, ii
has been necessary, of course, TO economize
the space. Yho lots accordingly are very
narrow, and the buildings, FOR the most part,
are of little width, but exceedingly deep and
lofty. Many of them start some two or three
stories below the ground, and rise five, six,
seven, and even eight stories above. These
subterranean compartments, by careful con-
structon, the skilllul use of cement, and the
ingenious contriyance of the sidewalks OF
iron and glass which roof them, are render
ed as dry, light, and habitable as the stories
above ground. In fact, much of the most
important business of Broadway is carried
ON far below the footsteps of the pedestrian
and the rumbling wheels of cart and car
rage, for these underground apartments
often extend under the whole street.
lastidlous taste might object TO the archi-
tectural style of many of the Broadway
structures, which are often unnecessarily
loaded with ornament, and deficient in light
ness and grace OF proportion. For conye-
nicncc and adaptation to its special purpose,
however, tile modern Broadway store is un-
equalled. 1t is generally in the form OF
long parallelogram, with its stories ranging
regularly one above the other, and commu-
niCaling by staircases at the sides 1t Is
ordinarily perfectly lighted by long windows
in front, but principally by skylights in the
roof Ii Is provided with every possible
convenience in the way Of safety vaults;
water contrlvanccs, iron shutters, and all
the necessaries for safety and use. The
Americans have certainly genius for what
may be called domestic architecture, the in
ternal construction OF Shops houses, and
steamboats,. If they have still something 10
learn from the Old World, in the aesthetics
of building, they in turn have much to teach
in the practical
1t is evident, from the long zigzag line of
the Broadway roofs, in which no two build
ings can he seen 10 rise TO the same height,
that there was no arbitrary project, acting
in obedience 10 imperial will, TO haWssmdnnise
the republican thoroughiare. The freedom
| Ol lnb luuliluuhl nus III bipNuMhyi iuiA9
vindicated his right 10 do as lie pleases with
his own. The street originally acquired
naturally this irregular character in the
course of its gradual succession of trans
formation from country TO fashionable street,
and finally 10 business thoroughiare; so that,
in the progress of development, there was
often seen rustic cottages and gardens in
neighborly proximity with formal and i'm
J posing town houses and busy shops. The
young Mathews, on visiting New York after
long absence, was asked by proud citl-
, zen, eager to provoke n compliment, what
he thought now Of the great thoroughiare.
"Well," )" said the actor, sit is the same old
: BToadway-all awryi the houses looking as
G if they had been shaken up in bag, and
b, dropped promiscuously upon the street ,
+ This character it still retains, notwithstand
+ ing the stately structures which have riser
!, on all sides; for their is no uniformity il
Il height OF style of building, and its even nov
r in state OF constant transition. AS "dowl
# town. 10 ever pushing "up town" iarlhe
It of, smaller shops and other humble build
d ings are daily being demolished to max
e room for stately warehouses and great hotel'
le The great ocean OF human affairs, in call
C. or storm, can neither swell nor sink withot
c. producing an ebb or flow in that great tribl
t. tary, Broadway. If any great fact, nation'
Sc or foreign, is to be publicly manifested, tn
er street is sure to become the medium. Thu
4 I ,t.. st n,,