The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-19
NEW YORK FORTY YEARS AGO


Young MEMS Christian Association Of 'ne Seventh Pres
pytean church. Of Bro0me snd Ridge Streets on
.sCommsrcial Life in New York ory Years Ago" The
church which pretty well 1lled was founded about
fifty years SINCE lts Interior appearance Of neat
ness and the congregation who worship within its walls
number of tho mos: respectable citizens OF New
York. Recently the idea Of starting young
Mems Christian Association in connection with TINS
church was iorDIed Of lectures, OF which that
delivered by Mr. Dodge last evening was the nrsa mas
been projected ard these lectures prove TO DO sue
eessful others vii, follow in the ensuing season.
Tho proceedings having been opened with prayer, M
Dodge was introduced to the assembage.
Mr. Dodge then proceeded TO say that In accepting the
invitation Of the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation OF this church TO address them, he
thought no really had to address more assembly OF
young men Amid the business Affairs that
occupied his time he hardly knew what he was TO speak
about but he expected to say something that would
be practical and useful When one Of their number
asked him what he would speak Of he said he did not
know exactly what he would say but when no was 'oid
that the lecture was DO Of intelligent m,ment no
said he would speak Of the early mercantile history OF
Now York-New York forty years ago He thought
young men would think he very old when he spoke
Of forty years ago Forty years ago found him At No.
3O4 Pearl street. Peck slip He entered then ON
his du,ies and he had been spared to enjoy mercan
t,e history FOR fifty years. It was different thing to
70 into fifty years ago from what IL was now.
New York then far different from what II was now
and SO business arrangements. There were many
there who would sympathize with what he said, and
who would remember New York and what II was fifty
years ago. At that time when boy entered store he
expected work harder for small pay than he did
now For his first year he received $50. There
then very few large wholesale merchants, as they
understood that term now All along through Pearl
street. commencing at Broad street and ending about
Peck slip the stores mostly OF wholesale dealers in
dry goods and crosksr and TO have thought Of enter
without first getting location in Pearl street would
have been considered step towards ruin The upper
part OF Pearl street occupied by retail dealers in
dry goods and so on 10 Chatham street, leading TO
Bowery rold, which led 10 New Haven. At that time
New York as they would perceive by looking at the
seen thousand inhabitants one-halr the pre-
sent POPULATION of the infant city Of Chicago.
Broadway Canal street, which crossed by the old
1Hne bridge. Under this bridge flowed the stream
which went meandering into the Lspenard meadows.
Many time he had taken four pieces Of bomoazette
and they were not very light--twO under each
aud carried them from the store in Pearl street, crossed
the old stone bridge and gone places beyond because
would have cost twenty-five cents 10 send them By
porter that distance. There very few in
those n days they were ns mostly DSfos Who
shilling take parcel 70 any place below
Canal His good honest Quaker master used to
and he the speaker carried tho goods home on their
backs because it would cost shilling TO have them
taken by porter. what would some OF the young gen.
item who in stores now say TO that? His master
used 10 keep tho KEYS Of his store at his house and he
tMr Dodge had TO so there for them in the morning.
waking up the servant or the purp Sc OF receiving
them and had also with Ia in the evening
Then II the ambition OF young men to
whose store should be open Grst in The morning
There were very few largo Wholesale merchants
compared with the number there were now,
and no presumed there were not at the period to which
no erafar La,0 .,a ID
than one million of dollars annually and great pro-
portion Of Them sod from $50 to $500 600 per year.
M soops TO different parts OF the countryto Connect
cut, Now JERSEY, Albany &c.-Mr Dodge mentioned
shat traders knew exactly when to expect their
aomers. whose goods were sent from Peck slip the
teams and teamed out West He then had
two unces living in New England They made
up Their minds TO go out West hey came TO his fathers
house IN this city IL was thought to be very remark
able occasion Several cergymen came to the house to
TO their Western homo. which West Bloom field. be-
yond Observation-Disclosures II was supposed they
again would be by their friends lLaughter)
When the snow came and the Hudson was frozen they
Gid not expect 10 do bus again until the spring
Having described the business pars Of the city and
stated that forty years ago the Battery the
summer time OF the a e OF the city. he observed that
there little wealth in the city then compared
with now. He did not believe that at ihs, time
there were dozen two horse carriages in Nav York.
People bad little use for carriages the city
pact. There was no such thing as an omnibus. Re-
=
uded 10 the economy then practsed with regard 10 the
erection OF public edhces and cited the
observation Of an old architect who constructing the
front OF but ding OF marble, made tho Of brown
stone, thereby saving four i've hundred dollars be.
cause he considered the back Of costly would be
seen by but few people daughter Riding up Broad.
way few days SINCE IN company with two old mer
chants one Of them, taking OF the changes which had
TAX place, remarked when passing Chambers street
that he remembered when only or four
wooden houses there which occupied by carmen.
At the time TO which he referred il was diecu 90 20
m IA ~ N
oct the ocomntion more difficult They had then
che old lamps which used to be called little hre flies
There scarcely light enough to see anything, but
certainly not suiicient 10 enable person TO Walk
around the In 1926 the hrst gaslght in-
Manhattan Gas Company had the right 10 light above
Clnal street. In those days there wero the good old
Manhattan water and pumps, and ne sometimes longed
70 those days come back when on the hot summer
days the iaborng refreshed themselves with drink
81 good water instead Of gong into groeshops.
He was glad learn however, that the Croton Board
about establishing fountains Throughout the city,
which would prove great blessing. The Croton water
was introduced in New York IN 1872 The progress OF
abe work was watched With great interest. II was a
great day which the people celebrated the letting
Abe water. The Board bad given notice that
IN the Park On that occasion there grand milf
tary parade be would forget thst great event
The peop'e had never scen the Croion water sSrspt
ahal had been put into the reservoir ~ Forty second
strcet - twelve O'Clock the fountain played in pres
OF yast assemb age. the ng TO the height
Of thirty forty feet There was great rejoicing hen and
~ the great privileges rhich they enjoy He
Sered well on one occasion there was grea, drought
and rain water wherewilh TO wssh. even demgohn
full was considered mg6.y blessing in those days
sbey had nothing but wood, and burned nothing else,
except English COAL and IL not dS ls20 that
ahe Pennsylvania coal was brought INTO re9Nsiuon.
slough not TO very large extent He did not lcrsst
whom his good master undertook 70 burn coal fra
which he attempted TO ls but after several VAN efforts
II given up aud the coal was declared to be tte
better than stone fIaughterI Mea used TO stand at
sne street corners with carts nllsd with wood, and
wealthy persons purchased thirty or forty loads which
they stored for the winter At that Time lnsrs we're
no steamboats, They aware, Of course that Full
Ton made bis experiment in 1907 and the city was
grateful the whole mopopsiy Of stsam COMMUNICATION
Qn the North river WAS gwen to big. Whine stevshi
obtained the monopoly Of running 10 PhllsdephlA 20
between the Two there was accommodation. He re-
membered taking trip the 6rst time steamboat
20 New Haven. There were two steamboats, on Tie
limo, but on the passage 70 that locality there was
change OF boals more because II considered dan
gerous 10 keep pressure boiler for sucn long dis
lance as to New London. QLaughtcr.i In 1875 there
grand celebration OF the completion OF the Erie
Canal and u certainly great In the mercantile
history OF this country Many Of them would remember