The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-24
TIE CIrr's REiL EsrarE BrcoRDs
Il Han that Contains Mnny Hundred. of In
tcresting Volumes.

linm NE TIM TINES
A visit to tho Hall Of Records Of Nc,v y,rt,
city brings one into many ulinrassnnlntions
\ lul which in one volume stands conv"vnd NJ
slOOO may in another be- rntcd ut 800 900 md
thus You wonder ut the immense fortunca whisl,
mlght nave brcn made by holding such lots mil
9'irn forget that generation may have elapsed
mntwron the first and tho second convcvnnros
Tho hall in which the library " records is c,n.
tanned ~ about 30 feet broad by 80 feet i'm dnpth
ana her% gu the recording and searching nrc
don" Ihe immense amount Of rcnl estate
transactions occurring may bc Judged from ths
TACT that 80 largo volumes " records are nllci
annually. The entire number Of volumes of
cunNcynn'cs y nearly 300. ~ which is to io
ndIcd ,luO ~ mortgages. Tho hitter number
indicates now small an amount of property is
Searching titles is carried on under the su-
prrvlsion OF the Register. who will search any
regular fee, out of which he pays his assistants.
Those mon number eleven. and rrcnivc saarics
service are from 3 o'clock till 1 o'clock, hut
sometimes they labor ten hours day. some
OF them have hhd long experience in this
duiy and the oldest in point gf service is Mr..
De- Grove who has had n desk hero for forty
years. The first ro,ords are in Dutch, and
translated and copied 10y order Of the corpora
non. and hence their contents have been made
bogins, with 1851 and ends with 1862 Tho ink
y good and the. writing very lcgiblc. The first
,'',i Wrltl.n ~ English was executed bv NichO-
ius Baynrd IN lG65. the land pcing described ne
iying in Smiths valley" u locality which al
wv present iline Is utterly unknown.
ne lr-t CONVEYANCE TO John JurOb Aaior Is
Hatcd Aug; ~, 1ls9. being two lots in the Bnwcry
IAN, Tor ESQ. The nest Is dated Nov 80 1870
anu Is the premises in Little Dock street whore
lh' great lhud owner commenced trade. The
lul rs 80 10y 80. aud the price was cSJn From
TINS commencement Astor went on in a series Oi
fortunate purchascs until his death. in tho
spring " lsiS. The last conveyance Is dated
Feb. 2G lslS. and wns signed by John j. West.
erN 20. y. grin OF the city and county Of New
YORK. This was but "a few DAYS before tho nd
man expired. During his business career i'm
this city. which lastcd go years. Aston made 1903
purchases of real estate. being mt the rate ~
NOR" thnn ono every quarter day during tho
abONr-mentloncd term. Some men are happy
4" collect rent four times year. Aston. how
ever, averaged handsome purchase four timcs
yrar.
About six years ago the city Government
ordered sci Of ind 'No- 10 joe printed. and
% largo hunter Mrrr recently solid by auc-
ton for $50 per volume. They ara very con-
N'hi'nt 10 those who w -h TO rcler in "a ready
manner Ia ia" favored list of landholdors, and
by "a rciurcncc We 1nd that tho uunc Ol Murray
u''urs 2sp times. showing that this family
wa, oi NJ small importance in real o4tui" CON
nectinn. Bishop Hugh,- had 90 conNoyanoes,
which ind ''trS the incr'n-e in c..lr-iHsticai
wealth made during bis official career h thu
Church he served. The family OF smiths ia
mentioned in 300 convcvanrrs. Of which 81
are 10 John Smith. Besides this there are lGj
John Smiths with middle initial.