The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-10-19
NEW YORK AS 1T WAS.
"Reminiscences Of washingto ton Quincy Mo.
tons Boyhood.

The recent death of Washington Quincy
Morton, one of the sons of old General Nor.
ION, recalls many interesting stories. He
was a schoolmate of the Morton boys and
played with them on the Battery, for their
father lived in State Street, which was then.
rs it is now, the most desirable part of the
city for residences, although, it has been
~monopolizcd by shop-keepers and inferior
tenants. b General was c~ommnnder-in-
Jiicf of the forces of New York at the
'ime OF the breaking out of the last war
with Great Britain. There happened to be
n British vessel lying in the stream off the
Battery. 1t was the duty of some one to
80 aboard and demand the surrender of
the vessel. To send for the Captain to
come ashore would SAVIOR Of cowardice, and
IL tho vessel were boarded with sufficient
force the enemy might pull up his anchor
and carry AWAY the boarders. Colonel Cur
%tenius, Of General Morton's staff, was detail.
cd for this duty, and stepping into a gig.
boat at whitehall, where now the steps at
pier No. i East River are fixed, the Colonel
went boldly on board the vessel aud de-.
manded the surrender Of the Captain.
Without protest the Captain went down
the vessels side. and the captor and cap
tive were soon rapidly approaching tho
shore. On the way it occurred to the Cap.
tain to ask the Colonel how he dared come
on his ship with such q small force. Tho
Colonel pointed to the open portfolios of
Castle William and said 81 had but to
raise my handkerchief and your vessel
would have been blown to atoms, for those
guns are shotted, and telescopes are watch.
ing us, and General Morton stands by to
give the word" "Ah, 1 understand said
the Englishman "then you arc bullet
proof yourself ?"
About this time, too, WHOM the city was
waiting the hourly expected arrival of q
British heet in the bay, a little school Incl
dent occurred. The Rev. DR.. Crane, a
Baptist minister, was our teacher in n
schoolon Bridge Street. He had hung up one
OF the Morton boys by the thumbs in the
school-room. The other brother slipped out
and in a few moments returned with his
foster-father, and a very lively scene GU
sued between the man of peace and tho
man OF war. The boys did not 60 to that
school any more. This DIR. Crane was, how.
ever, an improvement on his predecessor.
But the ~schoolboys had their little re.
venges, and the Morton lads wcrc as ready
as any to engage in a frolic. There Gro
perhaps a half-dozen other old schoolbcys of
Gotham who will recall the watch box that
used to stand upon the corner of Rector
Street in front of the high iron railing of
Grace Church, which then was the most
iasnionaDie In the city. 1t had no bell and
was a very modest chapel. Now the boys
had no particular affection for that watch
man, who might go to sleep and yet pretend
to be looking out. There were holes OIL
the sides of the box-watch- holes-so that
when awake the man could see up and down
broadway and down Rector Street. The
boys prepared a moose, not exactly to hang
him, but to keep him safe. They did not
have to wait long to find him asleep, and
all things being ready one boy climbed to
the top of the tall iron railing in front of
the chapel and as another shut the door of
the watch. box the boy on top dropped the
moose and the others drew it and tied the
rope. They then upset the box and rolled
i down Rector Street towards the river.
BY that time. of course. the Waterman in
side was awake. But the boys did not care
and rolled the o until they heard the
tramp Of help coming along Lumber Street,
then a quiet little cross street. back of
Trinity, but now n wide street with the
elevated cars running through it. The
boys then made off. perfectly delighted
with their evenings sport. After that the
Waterman kept a sharp watch upon them.
Correspondence Of tie N. y. World.