The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-09-21
cakes, such as dOughnuts, "Olykoeks''

not quite so fond OF church.going as
those who had settled Plymouth and
Salem, but they were steady in the sup
port oi public worship, and had n great
respect Tor their ministers, whom they
called "Dominies. Sometimes the
dominies had TO receive their salaries
in beaver.skins, or wampum, when
money was scarce. The Dominic OF
Albany had one hundred and fifty
beayer.skins year. As for the dress
Of these early colonists, the women
used to wear close white muslin caps,
beneath which their hair was put back
with pomatum and they wore q great
many short and gayly-colored petit
coats, with blue, red, or green stock
ings Of their own knitting, and high
hecled shoes. The men had broad.
skirted coats Of linsey. woolsey, with
large buttons Of brass or silver; they
wore several pairs Of knee.breeches,
ono over another, with long stockings,
and with great buckles ut the knees and
on the shoes, and their hair was worn
long and put up in an eelskin queue.
AS 10 their employments, tho people OF
New Amsterdam used TO trade with the
West Indies and with Europe, export.
ing timber and slaves, tar, tobacco, aud
frlrs. They used to build their own
ships for this commerce, giving them
high-sounding names, such rs "Queen
Esther" "Kinp Solomon" and the
" Angel Gabriel"
One OF the Dutch governors, named
William Kieit, used to be called "Wil-
liam the Testy," from his hot temper,
and hc kept the colony in q great deal
Of trouble, especially through his cru
city to the Indians, who injured the
settlers very much in return. Gov
ernor Kieit was very much displeased
at the colonies sent from Massachusetts
into the Connecticut valley, for lie
wished to sec that region settled from
New Amsterdam only. So he issued
q proclamation against tho New Eng.
land men. But they, instead Of paying
the least attention TO II, attacked the
Dutch fort at Hartford, and drove the
garrison away. They also took pos
session OF tho eastern part Of Long
Island, threw down the coat.oi.arms oi
Holland, which had been set up there,
and put "iool's head" in It's place.
This failure, and the severity Of Kieifa
government, made him very unpopu.
lar and the people were very glad
when, in 1647, Governor Peter Stuyyos'
ant was appointed in his stead.
Governor Stuyyesant was 0 brave
and honest man, but was so obstinate
that he was often called "Hardkoppig
Piet," or " Headstrong Peter Some.
times ho was called "old Silverleg, y
because he had lost o leg in war, and
used TO stump about on q wooden leg,
ornamonted with stripes Of silver.
Under his government the colony was
well defended, for o time, against In.
dians, Swedes and Englishmen. The
trouble was that he was quite despotic,
and was disposed 10 lot the people have
as little as possible TO do with the gov.
ernment. They did not feel that they
had as much freedom as those who lived
in the other colonies, and they were
not so ready TO fight for their patrons
and for the East India Company as
were the English colonists to fight for
their own lomesteads. Then the
English settlers increased very fast In
wealth and numbers and tho Dutch.
men rather enyied them, even while
quarreling with them. At last, in
1864, an English fleet, with many re-
cruits from New England on board, up.
peared before New Amsterdam ; and
very soon the town was surrendered to
the English by the general wish Of the
inhabitants, though quite against the
will Of "Headstrong Peter" He tore
in pieces the letter from the English
commander requiring the surrender
but the people made him put IL to-
gether again, and accept the terms
offered. From that time forth, except
for one short interval Of time, the Eng.
lish held possession Of New Neither
lands.
The name Of the colony was then
changed to New York, in honor OF the
kings brother, the Duke Of York, TO
whom King Charles II. gave the PROV
ince. That part Of the New Neither.
lands south OF the Hudson was, how
ever, made into q separate province,
under the name Of New Jersey. The
Duke Of York allowed his province to
hold an assembly, that the people might
make their own laws aud In 1858, they
obtained q charter for themselves, much
like those OF the colonies farther east.
When the duke became king, under the
name Of James IL, he tried 10 take
away this charter, butnever succeeded.
New York remained an English prov.
ince, and lost some Of It's Dutch peculi-
arities but some Of these traits lin
gered for o good many years, and
Dutch was long the prevailing Ian.
guage. There were still Dutch schools,
where English was only taught as m
accomplishment; but there was no
college till Kings College-now Col
umbia-was founded, In 1894. After
the English had taken possession, q
great many immigrants came to New
York, though not SO many as to Phila-
delpliia and these newcomers repre-.
sented many different nations. But
Holland itself had long been the abode
Of men from o great many nations, both
because OF It's commercial prosperity,
and from its offering an asylum to
those persecuted for their religion. So
there had been an unusual variety Of
people in New Amsterdam from its
hrst settlement and II Is said that
eighteen languages were already
spoken there when It was transferred 10
the English. Thus New York seemed
marked out from the very beginning,
for cosmopolitan city-ior the home
Of people from oil parts Of the globe,
r. W. H1ddiNsoN.