The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-06

Many people who visit New York or
who read New York papers, have heard or
read something about an institution called
THE Sailors Snug Harbor, but few have
any very definite ideas of what it u.s. or
how it originated. Most people would nat
urally suppose it to be some comfortable
place for sailors, but cannot tell how an in
stitution with so queer name originated.
Its history embodies what may be termed
the romance of real estate. The Sailors
Snug Harbor was founded and endowed
by Robert Richard Randall an old sea
captain, who died in New York city in 1901.
He had amassed what was then considered
a fortune, although to-day it would not go
far toward getting man out of the clutch
es Of deputy sheriff. In his will he pro-
vided for many of his kinsmen and friends,
but small portion of his estate he devoted
to charity. As an old sailor, he knew the
wants of sailors, and desired that a por-
ton Of his savings be devoted to aiding
them when disabled by age or disease.
The part of his estate devoted to this pur-
pose was a farm of twenty-one acres
bounded by the present Fourth and Ninth
streets and Broadway and University
place, with one or two acres on the east of
Broadway. The site of A. T. Stewart
great retail dry goods store which occu-
pies the block bounded by Ninth and
Tenth streets and Broadway and Fourth
avenue, is a part of the farm, and Mr..
Stewart to-day pays rent for the ground
on which his store stands.
just before his death, Capt. Randall sold
his farm to Jacob Brevoort for S., 1000,
but the old Knickerbocker thought the
price to high, and cancelled his bargain.
The property that Brevoort thought was
too high at $4,000 in 1900 could be sold at
public sale to-day for 500, OOO,OOOi
The benevolence of Capt. Randall did
not please his nephews and nieces. Thew
wanted all he had, and sued to invalidate
the will. This was in 1901, and for thirty
years the suit was in litigation, until in 1881
the Supreme Court of the United States
decided that the bequest for founding the
Sailors Snug HarbOr Ia name devised by
the testator himself) was binding.
Under the will the trustees of the insti
tuition were the Chancellor of the State.
the Mayor of the city, the President of the
Chamber OF Commerce as representative
OF the mercantile interest, the President
and Nice-President of the Marine Society
on behalf of seafaring men, and the Rec.
tor OF Trinity and the Pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church as representatives OF
the religious element. The President of
the Chamber OF Commerce is ex-officiO
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and
the Board remains as originally constitu
ted, excepting as to the Chancellor of the
State-an Office which has been abolish.
ed.
In the thirty years of litigation the farm
was in the hands of receiver, and the
trustees on assuming charge in 1881, found
handsome sum To their credit. All these
years the city had been creeping up to the
tarm,so that in 1891 it had grown to be one
of the leading suburbs, and the old Ran
dali homestead, which had originally beer
designated as the home for the disabled
sailors, was surrounded by the country res
licences of wealthy merchants. The in.
come from the estate had increased won
derfully, being greater at that time than
the value OF the property thirty years be-
fore. 1t was deemed imprudent to carry
out Capt. Randal's will to the letter, fol
the old sailor wanted the farm to.be cult
waited for the benefit of his helpless prote.
ges the trustees therefore purchased tn,
present site near New Brighton Slater
Island. 1t contains 166 acres. and cost
$4,000. To-day it is worth over 81 200,
900 The Snug Harbor was opened late
in 1881 with thirty inmates, but in the for
ty years of existence its usefulness has
been greatly extended, and almost every
year new buildings have been erected and
improvements introduced Its inmates
now number 400, and the yearly income
from Capt Randalls $4,000 farm is $685.
600 annually, and will be more than quad
rupled In few years when the long leases
expire.