The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-07-11
Albany correspondence.


not be uninteresting to the readers of the
heg'Ster ; and especially 10 those amongst
I them who reside in that part OF the coun.
try through which "Otter Creek" with
It's muffled waters so placidly glides, and
on whose banks | have whiled away some
OF the happiest hours Of my life.
"New York" is truly great state, and
well deserves the appellation of Empire.
1t is great in extent of territory; great
in population and great in its vast met
lropolis Of the Union-"New York CITY,"
The majestic Hudson, with its world re.
nowned scenery, its floating palaces, the
villas on its banks, the abode of the great
and honored of our land, is of itself suffi.
cient to confer greatness upon any one
state. History informs us that this
beautiful river derived its name from its
dlscoverer, who landed here from his
Dutch ship in 1908, that in 1912 the
Hollanders settled here by whom Fort
Orange was built in 1914. In 1864, af
ter the Fort and the Colony had been
taken by the English, this city received
the name of Albany, in honor Of the Duke
of York and Albany. 1t received its
charter from Gov. Dongau in 1886. 1t
was here that Benjamin Franklin pre-.
sided over the first convention for the
Union of the Colonies, its principal OBJ
ject being to adopt means to defend the
colonies against the savages.
In this letter which shall be brief, it is
proposed to give a general description of
Albany, the capital Of the State. This
is city now containing, according to
the late census, population of 10000
which is much lower than was anticipated
by ambitious Albanians before the census
man made his Grounds" but then, the
hopes Of other cities and other oitizens
were just as sadly crushed by the nexor
able logic Of veracious figures as were
those of the sanguine Albanians. Two
hundred and sixty years ago Albany was
a trading-port on the Hudson, one hun
dred and fifty miles north of where New
York City now stands. This will take
us back to 1910, making it next to the
Oldest English town in the United States.
In 100 the population was 1900; in
1900, 1000; now it is tenfold the last
number. OF course everybody knows
that Albany was settled by the Dutch
from Holland, and that Tor many years it
preserved the characteristic features OF an
old Dutch town but these features are
speedily vanishing away before the "On-
ward March" of Progress, and soon the
whole city will have been thoroughly
sXonnr ra;oon;,oJ
its ancient days still remain to arrest
the attention, and claim the interest of
the visitors here Many ofthe old Dutch
buildings, with their steep roofs, and ga
Bile ends facing toward the streets may
still be seen and one of these in partic.
ular is an object of great curioiosity. 1t
stands at the corner of Pearl and Steu.
ben streets, and has continued to stand
there, unmoved and unharmed for 100
years, having been erected in 1710, of
brick imported from Holland. This old
building is in a good state representation,
and is occupied as a Shaker grocery
visitors there are almost as numerous as
customers. Another interesting relic Of
olden time is the Holland brick still seen
ed from the faderland at time when it
was thought to be easier and cheaper to
import bricks than brick-makers. An
untravelled Vermontonian arriving here
on his first visit, and taking his first stroll
through the streets will see much that
strangely contrasts with his own orderly,
well laid out city at home. He will
soon discover that he is going either up
or down hill, and never on level and
that instead of going forward in straight
line, he is forever twisting and twiuing in
every conceivable direction; and then
the pleasing discovery flashes across his
mind that he is lost. Strangers coming
to Albany invariably ask the questions
"why is it so hilly ?" Aud "why are the
streets so crooked ?" 1t is hilly from the
very nature of the case, the whole of AL
bany county consisting of iunumerable
sugar loaf knobs; and the streets are
crooked because the early settlers were
guided by the direction of the cow-paths
in erecting their lines of buildings. In
some parts the city is, indeed, so billy
that long flights of wooden steps have
been constructed as a means Of ascent
and descent. These steps, on a fine Sab
bath day, remind one of Jacobs ladder;
but, alas! l fear the ascending and de-
scending "angels" have sadly fallen
since Jacobs day-or rather night The
wholesale business Of the city is trans
acted ON Broadway street running
near to, and parellel with the river 1t
is wide, has Nicholson pavement, and
many fine buildings; and in many re-
spects, will compare favorably with its
great namesakc in New York City.
Pearl is the street for fashionable shop
ping and promenading, and here, on fine
afternoon, may be seen the crowning ex-
cellence of Albany-her beautiful women;
so justly the admiration of every visitor
of good taste. State street, extending
westward from the river, is very wide.
and forms steep ascent to the capitol
building (Which is centrally located. Pas
sengers are conveyed in street cars drawn
by four horses, less number being una
Bile to make the ascent with a crowded
car and who ever saw a street car 9th.
erwise than crowded This street is chief,
ly devoted to business offices, and to mar
keting, every morning presents lively
scene of market-wagons, and busy traffic
among produce dealers. Market-houses
have never yet entered the staid old Al.
banian Imagination. In naming the
streets, the great and good of our land
have been duly honored, and hence We
have Washington, Madison, and Clinton
Avenues, and Jefferson, Hamilton, jay.
and Franklin streets. Lancaster street
is, as from its name it should be,
one of the neatest in the city Some
amateur ornithologist has probably as
sisted at the christening and to perpet-