The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-12
TWO GREAT CORPORATIONS
~ UITfCH THE TRiDTNG POLITICIANS
MR. nan NO PICkINCS
The Union Ferry Company and Grccuw God
cemetery who Shall Succeed the r.ate Cy-
rus n. smith In the management Of Them


There Is great anxiety "on the Heights"
ne 10 who shall hc tho successor Of Cyrus =.
Smith. late Managing Director of the Union
Ferry Company. The position was one of re-
sponsihilty power. and fat salary. There IL
Board Of Directors with President and an
Executive Committee. hut to all intants aud pur-
poses for twenty-five years Mr.. Smith was the
company. directors. and all combined. He
made the appointments. experimental the
boats, bought the supplies and ran the ferries
when they carried 40.O00,O00 passengers pre-
cisely IA he did when they transported only
10000. or late years. being feeble and in deli
cate health, Mr. Smith delegated so much Of his
duty to Mr.. Degraw. the Treasurer that. Ia all
intents and purposes, the position was occupied
by II successor before Death made a vacancy.
In order TO understand the present complica-
ton. it IL necessary TO look for u moment
Mt the two - and the only two great
corporations in Brooklyn on which poll
ticians have not laid unhcly hands.
These two are Greenwood Cemetery and the
Union Forty Company. or the Park. 1t need
bc said simply that the Magician Stranahan
was lis Comptroller from the first and 1t is now
ing the way of all politically managed con-
Germs. The bridge interests were all well
enough until the Twecds and other politicians
entered upon lis directorate. 4 few years ago
certain New York Aldermen made dend set
against the ferry company. had it examined"
and offered to fix the report all right II Mr..
Smith would pay a spe' incd sum. He declined,
and the port fell still born. About three years
ago certain Brooklyn Aldermen combined with
other politicians TO seize the management Of
Greenwood affairs and the control Of It's re-
serve fund If ssOO 600 but the schome failed,
and since thnn politicians have kent aloOf
bgt athough politicians are not disposed 10
NEEDLE. both these great institutions are man
aged by small and select circle Of wealthy
mop, and IF these. two or three do all the work
and draw biz salaries. Chiei among them were
.or many years the late Cyrus T. Smith and
John A. Perry. MIR Smith was Manag ng Di-
rector NJ the Union Ferry COMPANY with IA re-
ported salary Of -. 800 and also "A lending shirt
In the Greenwood Board. Mr.. Perry was and is
the Cumutruller Of Greenwood Cemetery. with
an annual salary Of 81. 5oO-sometimcs with an
director In the ferry company. Mr.. Smith was
an easy-going, placid man. who took things as
they cams. AMI having gOt tho ferry cOnpaS ~ 80
that u about ran itssl, sat back IN his learier-
h2unmed chair and let 1t run. Mr.. Perry is
dSisren. Kind OF msn He his his for peary
ager So Greenwood. and has devoted time and
study To- the mastery Of the ferry business as
Mr.. Smith died. his place was vacated and the
Wnrdiatr question was. VINO shall I'LL itf'
Ih"t Is also me question now; The answorto
NJ question involves grcat deal. The Union
Ferry Company has property and franchises
worth millions of dollars. II keeps seventeen
sion from yeur 10 year. II gives constant
work Ia BOO ur 800 men. Ii transport nearly
ioriy-live millions Of people from January 10
January. and in many essential features j. the
q New YORK Tho four mem n' named for ' the
Place are j. ;. j. Stranahan, cN-Judge y. b.
Morse. John A. Perry. and William Dcgraw
Judge Mors" is President OF the com pnny and
has been Tor many years. His prin rpal duties
nre 10 preside at meetings and sign checks
tho practical working II Tho ferries m 4 eSnldnt
r,stHIf M in
aim H. j. stepiuther TO Mrs. Tliton. and one
of tho most rrsu.. table mon in the city. H. is
in'nrr Ni !ulg' N.Is.. DR., ana has social con-
Nr Perry is one o{ thc directors. and is init
matcly associated with Henry T.. pcrrepont
James How Arthur Benson, and other men
prominent in the gas works of the city. and its
cemetery as well. tie is reputed rs g long
head At igur p. He il q strong candidate.
Mr.. DcIr.lw hea been with The company all
his mature life. and knows no North. no South.
tho ferry. H. has done the work for many
yrars. nolninalv under the direction Of Mr..
SMITH. but m reality he was Tho man. II mere
usidrrailuns were to decide, II would doubt
Thr directors arg in doubt. and tho trick rc-
unLs unNk D.. Tho present decision is that
Nh Morse IL irit ott In the rnll and Mr.. Smith
duties .4re divided b,iween Nj Deeraw and Mr.
This is in ia nillv ~ interest 10 every man.
woman, amt child who travels on tIcs" over
crowd Il. uuv' AZ luted boats. lur u means TINT
ne sy-t"m which has boon - su. 'rssful f.r
nofe than thirty y'nrs VIII NOT De- changed. II
j. 1-9 q PECULIAR int. rest To- a, the employed
ai their fren r.. for while Mr.. Doeriw re-
mains no. hang Will In. made in the working
iog,c oi n,arF 400 men.
Vr smith WIS also greatly Interested IN tho
afnrs 90, the cemetery of which he WIS
folnlorund m" ut it, -teadir-t and sianrh.-t
friends Tn regular annual meeting the lot
owners WlI h' mold On We'ni -dHy, at ssh. ID
tmo Mo. Perry viii rr -rnt his report Thu
ori shows ,li.i ,h" receipts ~ the last fiscal
lrna'"'essor. Not thnt fewer people departed
tni- NE. bul there were f'w'r lois sold. sin.
som,thmg like s2nO0.oOn. and N, receipts of
t'l7 vcur arc a little less than mo year hef1rr.
ot that sum il5l,'~o was spent for labor. slni.-
r'" ~ iWpryNcin MS cocoon for real estate.
ami s2tnup for contingent n' cunt Owing 10
inr6f em6.n.m,1t The aIo '' S~"ut IS mus i1i'
-'Na'y heavy. - mnny as isn men huve hnrn
az tunes employed. and engineering difficuitir-
o. no small IerOunt wore faced and -uNdurd
tn" two uou ov'r which the mouths Of poll
d Jaws would sladty water are:
ir-f- The labir patronage.
= ond- Tho fund Tor the Improvement and
permanrnt EAR" Of the comet ry.
u would h' rnSy enough tn pnck Greenwood
with iNO nr tir'c thou and nlorrr~ iu~t al'ult
.t"u.n inw-'u-i rs eg-y - II was tp send
l- noi d"ne under the present management,
und j = 100, tu'r = 4 should ct ia and pervert
u' 0'iN4' e. tto lal as, "A III Was prepared
and pa-s Il by the J. gis'nturr providing that
only three dire. tors or trustees ,ha be- +, tired
at ans one time. That -cttles hat.
TN" iuui Tor t.H lNrniun- nt care of the Gene
tinie MI the lois vim have been sold. ana thei,
the income VIII cease. Mqncy y needed now
and will he needed then 10 keep the grounds up
to tasteful standard For that purpose "a sum
l. 80 apart rN"fl year. Attle last meeting
ana i varies but Little now-tAo account stood
unea states Go,ornmoni registered stock ,ooooo
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currency '''''''''''''''''''' 4oUo %
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