The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-22
THREATENING A CEMETERY.
sH.fLL BROOKLrk's IyENUEs DEFACE
GEEENWOOD'S GROUNDsY
Can what has bccu Done In the Last Resting
Place of the h-to-s aud the GrinnetI- he
Repeated In the Modern City OF the Dead


Can what has becn Done In the Last Resting
Place OF the A-to-- aud the GrinneiI- he
Repeated In the Modern city OF the Oeads
A now danger threatens Greenwood Cenc-
tory. When 1t is remembered that il has been
prosperous institution since 1872: that IL has
neary one million dollars in its sinking fund:
that it can properly give employment to one or
two thousand men nine months in the year.
and that its franchise IL one Of the most valu-
able ever granted by New York State it will
seem remarkable that in liz existence Of quar-
ter Of n century the politicians should not have
obtained possession ~ II. and that the only
Ring about 1t is the solemn toling of its great
gate bell.
few years back. tho temptation 10 control its
labor patronage invited movement looking to
the election Of an entire new board Of trustees
but information OF the plot WIS given in time 10
Illustrate II. and tho following Legislature
passed an act which 40 regulated the retire
mcnt of its trustees that the entire board can
not he changed in less than eight years time
about two years ago the Common Council Of
BROOKLYN tried To- force the cemetery 10 bear its
proportion Of the improvement assessmcnts
levied on property IN that part Of the city, but
better cOunsrls prevailed.
The new project is moro formidahle There
mr. I'VE avenues lending up to the cemetery.
When thcsr avenues were laid ont nobody
dreamed Of the cty's present growth. The
extension ~ city roads and the establishment
Of street railroads have little by little opened up
now damso and pHGdaG TO 6 5 Is
the remurknbe railroad enterprise reaching
~ COney Island In one direction and out on
Long Island IN anoth"r. Already TIC pouula-
ton has spread beyond Greenwood Cemetery.
highway leading To- the city OF the living
Naturally. I'll" owners Of property in that r.
gion wish To- have the avenues extended. 70
accomplish this, Greenwood Cemetery must be-
invaded. ana on that issue the fight Is to DC
made. the hattl" ground being Albany.
The opposing factions are strong. Tho come
terry contains over two hundred and nifty thou
tered ali over the word Millions Of i ,iars nrc
invested there in land. tomts. stones. and
flowers. Nearly every family Of BROOKLYN and
Now York has some on" Of lis dead there. Tho
property interest alone Is very great Tho pre-
U.s. amount II not given 10 thc public nut On
inference may he drawn from the fact that the
rc ns a gDnG that 9h in ts u mr.
li-hrd in lsIG ~ receipts for the year were in
gross s3ii. 'I4.f. and Us expenditures for the
same period w,re 1928. 93Gli. At that time the
corporation held cash balance ~ SiG.j3j.21.
and sj90O00 in Government. New York city.
and Brooklyn city stock. The corporation has
spent millions in grading, sewering. and
grlvriling roads; In tufilIg aud Keeping in
order the hills.des. and in caring for the ex-
ten-ive water service. A large sum Is also in
vested IN gates. lodges and public iomts II is
cont"nd"d that the property interests Of the cor
asked for legislation. But that is trinng in
comparison with the money expended by
L
Volunteering friends and lods"men.
The extension OF one avenue means the extern
sion oi all ana It - impossible that any should
20 through the grounds without trnN"rslng
public roads and private lots. Then, too will
le urg At IA. clause IN an hrt passed IN SO.
which directs Com nissiOners OF Streets 10 " tor
inmate streets at tue outer boundaries Of the
Naturally there is a great deal Of feeling in
Brooklyn. H. there will Doe elsewhere. i'm refer-
rnre 10 this proposal Tut SO there was when 1t
was proposed io cut through the Trinity Ccmc-
tory. at 1921 street ami Tenth avenue, in this
.rty. The Astors. the Grinncls. and other
money magnat, were buried Their. and a. far
rs cemetery can ho " artistic rattle Trinity had
advanced along tn" line Of fashion. The fight
was made. ami progress won ii. Tho street
went through and all tho, money of the heirs
awaited naught "a protect the arstocratic homes
! there repOslng. This case will be- cited 10y those
| property owners who ~ to Albany asking for
legislation TO enable them to invade Greenwood
A case. on the other hand. is familiar to read
FIRST When Mayor Of New York. Pine t street s.t
street is the graveyard Of Trinity Church. II
| llnue Pine street through To the North river.
The success OF the scheme was unioubted but
certain shrewd men erected. directly on the line
! Of the proposed continuation. brown stone
| tomb and monument g. the memory OF tho prls-
oners who died in WMlatcnt prison In tho
| Revolutionary war. Its building and erection
| We're hurried NJ. Its patriotic md honprng
| Inscriptions were quickly cut. The imposing
! cHr"m9nics Attending Its unveillng were per-
] formed with all the pomp and circumstance
TINT the city could give them-and Pine street
! was not cut through.
Down to this date Greenwood Cemetery has
been made depository. Of all the uprooted
! cemeteries Of r,oklyn. 4 number ~ churches
| That have sold their ancient real cSt.ltr dug up
ihe bodies buried in their craveyards und
/ moved them o. now plots IN Greenwood Come
| terry. Some Of these are ornAmc ntally arranged,
! pth"fS hfe SN"r"iy, litlh hul " mas altNrrtp
| been believed that all wer" snfe until the sum
| mons II the final trump. What will happen
now, the lawmakers alone can determine.