The New York herald., 1878-11-25
WASHINGTON SQUARES OWNER.

| DEATH OF THOMAS ARKwRIGHT, WHO IMAGINED
THE WEST SIDE RESORT BELONGED TO HIM
HE WILLS TT TO HIS HgrRs.
The little children who seek recreation in Washing
ton square every afternoon have for days past
missed one OF their best friends The tall, well made
old gentleman. who had such cheerful face and
such venerable gray hair and whiskers, who
talked to them merrily and gently, and who
lavished among them such treasures Of fruit and
sweetmeats viii not be seen again in Washington
square Their benefactor died last Thursday and his
body was conveyed to its last resting place on Satur
day. His name was Thomas Ashbel Arkwright; he
well known to all residing in the neighborhood
OF the square, and it is not the children alone
that will be greved to hear of his death. Though
of very eccentric habits and ideas
he possessed many sterling qualities Of heart and
disposition that all who knew him held friendly
feelings toward him, and regarded his strangest
peculiarities with sort of respect One of his most
singular notions, and that through which he became
most generally known. the belief that he was pro-
pretor in fee simple Of Washington square. This
dcusion dated from thu period when South Fifth
avenue was first laid out
VICTIM PROGRESS.
Born in 1909 at Pontefract, in Yorkshire, England,
he established himself in business wagon builder in
this city at early age His affairs prospered and in
short time he realized moderate Independence and
was able to purchase nice little house in Iaurens
:
hoping to spend the later years of his life
in quiet enjoyment Of the fruits of his industry.
pearea to npset the scheme OF his life with their new
tangled propositions They commenced an agitation
for the opening Of the thoronghfare now known as
South Fifth avenue. conservative by nature he
made most bitter fight against the street
Everybody knows the result. Lanrens street lives
oiaer opm on Inhabitants M @ Of % the city But Thomas
Arkwright's. mind never wholly recovered
TIa ko~n afa al Tho d.
scribed. and though he never made any active oppo
sition to the use of his imaginary property for
public purposes he watched it with urtiring
His family have couple Of hundred notebooks filled
with memoranda of broken shrubs, trampled grass
concernna which he from time to tine presented
memorials TO the Park Commissioners. These docu-
ments were always prepared in elaborate legal form
proprietor in fee simple Of the property known
as Washington square, uniustly deprived OF said
property but submitting to the wrong for the public
veal claim the right to make the following recon-
mcndations" His will affords another illustration Of
the txty of his belief that he was great public ben
cfactor. After dividing all his real property between
his son and daughter he enjoins them to allow the
city the Of the park ae long as it is needful He
permits themselves to enjoy it during summer but
forbds them in the most solemn terms to pay
cent Of taxes for 1t.
He cannot be said to have lived terms Of charity
with all men, The Park Commissioners were the es-
peca objects Of his wrath on account Of their neglect
Of his communications. which It is almost needless
to say. they never received. 'Tbey are parcel of
bleeding gropusses he would say, and that was the
worst he ever said Of any one. Tramps and inno-
vators ranked about equally in his black books.
Many lazy oAfer has deserted his comfortable scat
on the shady side of the square and shrunk away
from it's limits as the portly form Of Arkwright.
deeply engaged in his newspaper or in the inspection
of his estate. loomed in view. He had sharp
tongue, and those who once felt the weight Of his
sarcasm seldom risked repetition of the dose.
The last year of his, life was disturbed
by two dreadful bugaboos--the Washington
Square Armory and the elevated railroad.
section OF the railroad passed by the house in
Amity street where he resided for many years, and
he frequently came into collision with the employees
Of the road. He always much enragcd by their
jests and taunts and retorted with threats OF per-
sonal violence, which be perfectly able to exc
cute. owing to his splendid physique. The midness
of his nature, however prevented him from go
ing to extremes, and the term bleeding gropus"
generally exhausted the measure Of his wrath.
As to the scheme for the desecration Of his beloved
property it nearly drove him frantic. He went round
the square with petition against it, and canvassed
among the passers by for signatures This gave rise
to many jokes and the names of Bismarck. Napoleon
George Washington and W. Kidd, pirate, figured
the sheet opposite each Of which the aggrieved petit
tioncr had written. "Funny Boy! Hal Ha!'