The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-14

ihO to"u VI UEecUWlCL, IGOU WHICH blltt3
letter is written, Is In the State of Connecti-
cut, just beyond the New York border, which
divides it from the town of Portchester, in
Westchester county. 1t is within one hour Of
New York, by the New Haven Railroad, and
Is just twenty eight miles from the Grand
Central depot at Forty-second street. In
front the waters of the Sound stretch out to
the Long Island shore, and behind is pleas
ant stretch Of fertile country, where the cattle
Craze upon
A THOUSAND HILLS,
and the hay NOW fills the air with perfume
Although the place is more than two hundred
years old, it's streets are simply country
lanes shaded by graceful elms and spreading
naples, and it's houses stand apart as il to
show their contempt for city ways.
IT HAS TWO HOTELS,
the Lenox House and the Morton House,
both places of resort for the summer-stricken
residents of the peighboring metropolis. The
Lenox House is in the village, the Morton
House Is built upon the waters edge, In a sit
uation not excelled for beauty by the hotels of
Ballogio on Lake Como, or Of Stresa on Lake
Maggiore. The Morton House, so named
after the present proprietor, was the fam Gus
AMERICAN CLUBHOUSE.
1t was fitted up by Tweed and his fellow
thieves at the expense Of the city of New
York, and here the plunderers of the ring
came to spend In rcvelry and mirth the time
which they could spare from the profitable
business of stealing. Here, also, is Tweeds
country residence, in which his family still
reside. The grounds surrounding the ho4,e
were laid out In park-style
BY THE BOSS,
and the stone wall surrounding them is said
to have cost $6O0O0. During the absence Of
the elder Tweed, pending his compulsory
inhabitancy of Ludlow Street Jail, his son,
VIM. L. Tweed, Jr., represents the family
here, and divides with Edwin Booth, the at
tention, IL not the regard and admiration Of
the Greenwichers Tweed drives about In a
stylish vehicle, but Booth walks, In company,
sometimes with his wife, and sometimes with
his daughter Edwina
Greenwich is place of
HISTORICAL INTEREST
1t is remarkable more for antiquity than for
growth. In fact, Greenwich has long since
ceased to grow. 1t regards with some dis
dain the pretensions Of such places as Chicago
and Buffalo. 1t looks upon them as parvenus
in the community Of towns, and comedies to
Washington itself only certain FICTITIOUS
Importance growing out Of the relations OF the
political capital to the rest Of the country and
Greenwich At q time when even the poten-
tial existence of many of the great cities OF
the country had not been determined, Green
witch was a noted place. 1t was here that the
persuasive and intrusive Yankees organized
the forces with which they raided through the
country on the other side of the river Byram,
and carried terror to the Spuytenduyvil and
the gates of
NEW AMSTERDAM.
During the long interval Of almost CEN
tury which separated that martial epoch
from the war Of the Revolution, Greenwich
maintained a stately and dignified existence;
and then suddenly flashed into permanent re-
nown as the abiding place of that remarkable
mythical hero
GEN. ISRAEL PUTNAM,
and of his astonishing exploit of riding down
precipice, which, as represented in the pic
torial histories, has been the wonder and de-
light Of all succeeding generations OF school
children. On this title to fame and the recog-
milton Of posterity Greenwich calmly reposes
1t needs no other. That was the climax and
the elimination Of its glory. After that it
could afford to dispense with any increase of
size or population. 1t is, and has been, for
hundred years.
FINISHED TOWN.
Yet it is in state of complete and not of |
arrested development. It does not, like other |
finished towns, present the aspect of de-
cadence 1t has the verdure of age and the |
freshness OF youth. 1t contained, probably, |
as many residents and as many houses when |
Putnam took his flying leap over the precipice
at the north end of the main village street as |
it contains to-day. Yet all the houses look
new. There are few which are pointed out |
as venerable relics of the heroic and legendary
age; but the rest are mostly stately man
sions, endowed with all the modern improve
ments and surrounded by spacious and we'll
kept grounds and gardens In some things,
however, the corporation Of Greenwich has
sternly and successfully resisted the spirit of |
the age. The local authorities refuse to es-
tablSh
STREET LAMPS
because street lamps have an urban and me-
tropolitan character, entirely incongruous
with the bucolic virtues Moreover, when
Putnam rode over the cliff and Washington
passed the night in thevilage inn on his way
to take command of the beleaguering rebels.
in front of Boston street lamps were I'M
known. But of late concession has been |.
made to the numerous visitors who come
here from New York to spend the summer
months. The main street has been partly
paved, and it is possible that the growing in
uence OF the stranger may at last prevail In
favor Of some modified form of lighting I'D
he village at night. When the railroad was
made it was regarded by the Greenwichers as
M intolerable innovation and the older in
labitants even went so far as to predict that !
is saddest consequence might be to make {
Greenwich as big and as wicked, New York, {
md even to weaken the II
MEMORY OF PUTNAM, {
not to cast suspicion and discredt on the