Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-25

| SOMETHING ABOUT TIRE ALBANY PATRONS
NOTABLE vIclssITUDEs OF FORTUNE.
| The death of VIM. P. Van Rensselaer, reyives
| the traditions aud memory of the PATRON fam
| lily. Those who frequent the upper part oil
| Broadway, in Albany, well know the name and
| character Of that old fashioned structure, which
| contrasts so powerfully with modern architec-
| ture but stranger would be surprised to learn
that this is the Office of the Van Rensselaer,
| manor. They are an Old-laShlOned lam
| iy, and hence the Office remains in its prm
tive simplicity. 1t was built before the revOlu-
| ton, and was then mile out Of town, bat now
/ a large population surrounds it. Il is not only
one of The oldest, but is also one of the plaines,
| buildings in Albany, being one story high and
| of an uncouth and unattractive shape. prom
| inent feature may be noticed, and this Is its
| strength. 1t is a solid building, and would
| stand Tor ages if untouched by the hand of man
| or by the violence of an earthquake. This
| building is the most extensive land office in the
state, as regards territory, though Astors office
| in Prince street, New York, exceeds it in the
| representation OF values.
| Entering this plain, old fashioned cdilice You
| find the interior to correspond with the outside.
| Everything is suggestive Of ancient customs
| which have long since passed away The iurni-
| ure is simple III the extreme. a few Old chairs,
| but very comfortable to sit down on, invite one
/ to a coSv seat. The walls are bare Of deCOra-
| ton, except Washngton's farewell address,
which was framed and hung up at tue time OF
| the clerks who haGea long desk, beneath which
| are LARGE volumes of ancient records, leases.
| cOnyeyances, etc Ii you approach the enclosure
| for business purposes, you stand before cOun-
| ter whose primitive appearance is in keeping
| with the whole. This counter is, when business
hours are over, closed by an enormous swing
shutter. but at other times this is kept up by a
| long wooden bar. The end OF this bar is
| Scorched, and if you inquire the cause you will
be told that it was used TO eXtinguiSh fire
| A very nolife and pOpular gentleman is found
| ar his ofirc and has bren for many wears. III
is nor only AGENT for the estate but is also con.
| nerted with the Sabbath school of the North
| Dutch church TINS gentleman is Charles Van
| ZIndt. and few men are better or more Cayora-
| Div known in Albany county than he. Next
spring will witness his fortieth wear of serve e.
As he is only IN what is called middle life Twill
| eyplalp that he came here when a boy and has
| worked his way M TO his present position.
| When he entered this service a man named
| Pruyn was agent He was succeeded bv Ian
| stnG who died n few wears ago. leaving Mr.Van
| ZIndt 10 I'm the vacancy, Mr.. Van Zandts
| dnues have increased since fine Patroon's dcath.
for in addition To the usual busineSs of the office
| no is one of the commissioners for DIVIDING thp
| eStote
| In the wear 1870 William Van Rensselaer, oh.
| tanned Grant lor a tract oI land tyyqnfv.fonr
miles snnare ON each side of the Hudson NJ
| Fnrt OranTe He huilt a small manor housp and
| nrOcseded tn hriup colonists from Holland offer
| in@ Them great inducements fo iDcaTe on his
| land He and his descendants cultivated tho
snii ond hecan,a on, t,,,siyo tarr,ors bnt vor
| very main neonIp as may he inferred from fho
| canton uttered nv Sir Peter Warren 10 Ills
| nenba,v faftnrword Gil, William Iohneon \ "n1
| NOT mol}e fnn IF fbe natronnJs borSesU In 1877
| the grant was confirmed nv tho kinq If In.
| GLAND. and the boundaries were more careful "
jae;rnotod ca as m fn1iol, tho norgo or stroo,,y
A man had been made in 1690 and onotber was
made in f7G7 the Iotter dpsiDnatIno eattIannant,
and shown the nro rress NJ civflization In t790
the manor y,es sIIrV9ved carefnlIv and ,vas Iaid
ont in farms Daeds we've oyen IN ali Who ,'
| eired IN cettlo mi tho terms ,,are nj n norIIi
| tionaI rborartnr A enecifaJ amount of ,,,I,nar
| a number of fowls and So monv davs, tvGrI
vara iySd ,roneraIIv as t6a n"rsi,Iar,Tio" e..
| Lands oifen Of oreat vaInr Mr. Uan Iandt
saws that he has assisted in tsinrr in fonr .h"".
sand bushels Of wheat in one wear Nv ,,,v "f
| rom To pa,roon Lodsa fna ,,.,t,r ,,o,,,er q NJ
carved on a oriet NIL viii, h ,vaS l,pnt lSy a
| Iaror narf of the wear nv his oUn orgin Wien
the onnnrtnnifv offered 6thprnartie ypra accom-
| rnodatn6 and fms tbe p.tronnjs min hoo me-
| one Of the institutions of NAT vicinitv
| Stanben Van RENSSELAER, ST. the old p,too,
| was amono thr commnnity when called evrr,,'
tbin@ old thar antedatp6 their memory liz
| was minor ,Iuring the revolntion ami hence
| took no action as pudanoprpd his estate He
| was a very beneyoIent man and his KIND hcart
| led to m1ch tronhle for his srccnesor Cor hn
nIIowed his tanants m All into arre,rs NH nv
| last thew considered the monorial claim a dead
| letter have hpen rold thai his tenants have
| come in nm rent dav with the wood ,rroin onl
| fowls to nav tbeir rem and tbgt oIten thav
| womb sell the articles in the street nnrlfet tho
| cash. and then 90 to the patroon with a mimi
| tale On hearing This tho wood old MOI, won
| rive them recent for their onofas Stenbcn
| Van Rensselaer, was half hrother m Alpv,nder
| HomiIton and many oC the leases orc IN 40
| bandwriting of the Latter Tho old Pstroan
| died in 1890 and ms death nloced bis tvn sons
| in nossessIon wv
These hrothers vera s,erbop ond wv, p
Van Rensselaer, sons of Stenhen senior The
| manor ,vas div,dad ond m 'fe9o WiiiIn',, -
far his share the tracr aast If Ih IIn d
| arising n Iarre mart of RpnsseI5ar ro,Intv
| Stenhpn on the other hand +onl, tho ,reet,,n
| baIT en,,racino CniIIcrian1 Rnrna L,nn,, my
other rich townshins in Albany conntv mend.
| inc the somewbat fomnns Hel6erhnrn NOM.
| toin Stenhen had tbp old manor ha7,sa ond
| William p. dctermined TO buiId a naiace IN the
| east hank of tine Hudson He nrniactad a ,ri-
vate nort- NJ aho,, TO- bI I 49, i" r.
| he enclosed with a lottv fancn WitGin tbis ~,
| erected mansion ,vbigh Tor cost anJ oio"onno
| had never at that time TISf0i hon
| ennalled in this state His naIoce cnst him -
| vast sum much moro in5and I'm no ~, a., :"
| nacted and while he was fv,oanjin,r ON II
| III 10 80, H. - "+ UNp0it.l- oll II
I HNA Il H
| bnef the eastern Patroon E,jIod liz caee va
| news tho oId lesson Of t6e ,Js,,ita or b,r,,n
wishes All his mans were broi'sn IN tis l"id
| rhe nalace and natk N a Rnston oanitaIjs,
nared Forbes NJ n heavy sacrifice ouJ IN dne
| time he moved IN the vicinity of Nov VII
| where ne died last waak # - ,ar,, s,ra,,lro
| fnct that Mr.. Forbes meyer occmnisd t6o naIace
He nrobahIv nreCerred Tho eost ond hobo no
honse has STOOL tenanttess IN ,5e nresent do,
| beinp only in fine hands of a ionitnr If IL 10
/ trne thar fools hniId housps and yyisn mon live
| in them then in This case tho wise man hos MOI
| anneared
| Stenben Van RensseIoar Jr ca,ne into. ms
sesslon of tnr western manor in 1SSq and boiI
nossession for nearly tIirtv yearS NV d,in mVu
| 1893 He married Mis- Ray3rd and he ~ ,i1o,,
| still survives at The age of sevantv.,I,ree Sic
occnnies thc manor hnnse which hor b',.,,,S
6eoueSIhed 70 her. With ien, a nv, no S '
and Si5 O0o wear rs i,ce anngit" NJ WV V
RensseIsey ,va: mon Of oot w., al
wos an cx"elont NJ 4'' iI & "n
worth million a,d beic i0,e ~ ,SS',I
Lands and oC Ioans ON Smns ,,d r ,',ou u
| mn no stocks. He seemed m avoid ali nr1nert93
that vas nor undcr lie own con'ro or aS
smcb managen, NJ he corIJ rot f,iI - ",u WIN
tate nancy very FAST NAV add ,bat t6o "Id
Patroon had LARGE amonnt If nroner,, in No,v
York civ, and t6ls he Ielt TO other children