The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-22

New York lie very much changed since
the days when the quaint little City OF Nieuw
Amsterdam was mostly CON prised In the sort
OF senicircle made by Wall street aud the East
and North rivers. Moet houses Of q more preten-
tious character were then built OF little shiny,
yellow. glazed brick, baked in Holland, and they
were rooted with red and black tiles. though
therc were likewise a few residences built OF
stone. These primitive mansions were placed
In struggling manner, some In tboroughfares
and some az random. The future Empire City
was then enclosed by walls or PALISADES, called
the Ctn0el running from river to river. little
north OF the line Of the present Wall street At
about what is now the corner OF Broadway and
Wall street was the old city gate, called the
Land gate, closed nightly bv the city watch.
The uptown movement nret developed itself
in the opening Of little "Boweries," or farms
among the more favorite situations on the
island, along the North and East rivers. or II el-
gat." The great town wlndmill toward the North
river, near Bate ~ place, to which farmers car
ried their wheat In ox-drawn wains, or on the
backs OF horses, was = sort OF business and
social exchange, wheDos was distributed the
news from New England or Holland, or the last
Rosspy rumor OF the town. There the DomiDle'a
last SERMON was discussed, and there embryo pol
itiClhnb upneid tue DurRnefS rights ana mum
dered forth against the invasions OF the Cover
nor. Among the substantial citizens Of that
day were the verplancks. Van Cortlandts, v an
Drusbs, Ktps, Beck mans and stuyvessnts, whose
descendants we now mud living in brown stone
palaces near the Central Park-where the deer
and fox then roamed.
We do not propose to trace the growth OF the
city; we simply Wish to show that the most
acious minds have been unable to keep pace
With the march OF events, which have In com
psrstivey ashort time sde NewYork one ofthe
chief cities Of the world. Even those who during
the last atty years have been engaged In sue
cessfui commerce In this city, have achieved
fortune, and banded down honorable names TO
their defendants, were unable to foresee the
wonderful growth of the city in which they
lived. They saw It grow, they prospcred and
grew with II, and vet not one Of them 10 his
widest dreams concerning the future OF New
York, ever conceived what twenty years would
bring to this city, In wealth. population, spen-
dor. and commercial Importance.
An admirable illustration of what we advance
might be drawn from a clause In the will of the
late Robert LenoI father OF the prescott Mr..
James Lenox, so we'll known by his lavish do
nations for religious. charitable, a nd literary
purposes. He came to this city toward the
close of the Revolutionary war. For period Of
si,ion among the merchandise those DAYS. Fore.
seeing the probable growth.of the city, Mr Lenox
Invested largely In real estate, and about 1878 he
purchased a small farm OF some thirty acres
lying In tho then Ninth Ward. portion OF II
cost him at that time t[i 90 per acre. 1t Is the
well-known Lenox property, running from
Sixty-eighth to Seventy fourth street, and lying
between the Fourth and Fifth avenues. Much
OF this property 10 now covered with rows OF
nne brown stone houses. In Robert Lenox's
will. dated October, 1889. he advises his son not
to sell this property. saying; MY motive for so
doing is a arm persuasion that 1t N ~ at no dis
tant day be the site OF a village; and az 1t cost
me much more than Its present worth, from cir
cumstances known to my famlls, | like to
cherish the belief II may be realized to them.
Al all events | want the experiment made by
keeping the property from being sold"
THIS farm, which In 1899 PROBABLY not
worth 5000. is now worth at the 10 west cilcu-
latiou, even IN these times, s6,0J0,00J without
reckoning the value OF a single house on II. IL
forms what II destined soon to be the most
elegant quarter of the city, aud Is just at present
the scene Of very great building activity. And
yet old Mr.. Robert Lenox as late as 1879 did not
think It possible that during his sons lifetime
New York would ever extend to sixty-eighth
street. ut may at no distant day said he.
" be tho site OF village"
Mr.. LonoI was one OF the most sagaclols men
OF his day. and a nrm believer IN the rapid de-
velopment OF this city. but he could not antici-
pate the wonderful ch anges OF the last thirty
years. Who will to-day venture to hazard an
opinion concerning the proba growth OF this
city during the next thirty years7 No doubt he
Lenox Library. which crowns tho highest aud
choicest spot Of the Old Lenox Farm, will, 10
1905, be far down town.
How often, during the past thirty years, have
we seen the line OF demarcation between no
town and down town recede? Since the estab-
iishment OF the Grand Central Depot at Forty
second street. much business has centralized In
that locality It Is a theatre of great activity
from morning Till night. As regards the region
| OF fashionable dwelling houses, we should say
that, at present, up town does not really com
mence Till one passes Forty second street. BE-
| tween Madison square and Forty-second street
| Ia neutral ground. Below Madison square busi-
| ness IL paramount.