New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-01
NEW-YORK FIFTY YEARS AGO.
RECOLIECTIoNs OF AN OLD MAN.


GARRIsH CUEmER on HIS FIRST VISIT FROM
NEwBURYPORr.
Nearly fifty-fOur years have rolled by since
the schooner Rising sun. from Newburyport, Mass,
sailed into NewYorK harbor. and anchored off the Bat
terry. Her first officer still minor, the son OF one
Of the oldest families Newburyport. Mass. He re-
Gently made his second visit here in his seyentyhrd
year. having exchanged the title of captain" for that
Of honorable" Enoch Garrish Currier exeollector
ofNewDurypOr has died that Office undor Presidents
Lincoln, Johnson and Grant lie the guest OF his
son, James W. CUrrier. OF Mason & Hamn Organ Com
pany, who resides in Harlem.
One has to specify 10 distinguish Currer OF New
buryport from his relatives for in the language Of
Of them they thick there the sands Of the
se" and M two pages Of the directory, all coming from
the same stock Every family OF them has been in the
habit Of enriching society witch twelve fifteen chill
dren. Ex-colector Currier and wife exceptions to
the rule their children numbering only six. But they
have been blessed in other ways They live In the
stately ana historic mansion which Prince Taleyrand
bought and occupied. HIS name is written with da-
mond on o. the window panes. Tne old house adj
.onin, was the home Of Lord Timothy Dexter. Caleb
Cushing was a ncighboT. Whittier lives three miles
away. The late Arson W. Burllugame was a frequent
visitor when IN the country. at the home OF the then
collector aud had weakness for Mrs Currier ana re-
formation tea" potent ingredient OF which Is ginger
Ex-colccor Currer, before he was twenty, relin-
ouished the fs of a sailor for school teaching, and he
las always been remembered BY the searng friends
Of his youth OF how they killed the Tailor" Conyers-
ing about his VISIT to New-York in 1925, he said:
~ was nineteen years OF when sailed as fret
officer In the schooner Rising sun. good many vessels
LETT Newburyport that Spring 10 fish for mackerel be-
tween Cape Cod aud Cape May. We were among them
and into New-York with cargo Of m1ekerel about
May II. This my first voyage l think we passed
tue light snip twenty-five miles out There were hree
lights on Sandy Hook and lights at Neyersnk There
were steam tugs IN those days, ana the harbor was
fu of sails beating in We passed over the Brook
Ign SIDE below the heights which were not built up,
and were covered ceIsrs to pack off our mackerel
The Fulton Ferry was running two boats between New
York and Brooklyn, which looked Ike village there
being only few tue street mp from the Ferry
These boats were awkward looking objects On the
Brooklyn side there were several hundred cords OF
wood. used the ferry-boats. n ferry-boat which
crossed the North River to Ho5oken, worked by
three horses that turned tn, wheel! small steamer.
called the Bolivar ran between staten Island and Peck
sip.
We made a very brief stay In the harbor sailed
down the coast toward Cape May. and June came III
with another catch OF mackere which we disposed OF In
the same way. That timc lay OF the Battery, an
cnored for two or three DAYS. boat-race pro-
grc.s when we came up the harbor One wonld have
thought there were 900 small boats the water II
was gay sight The lay between whitehall boat
and Staten Island boat and the course was from on
the fort Oh Governors Island, five miles, think, down
toe bay to Staten Island. There four oarsmen and
coxswain each boat, and great excitement prevailed
when the whitehall boat won by about a boats length
People were talking about which had taken place
two or three weeks before between the Whitehall crew
and crew from an English mau-ofwar, called be-
leve, he tussar, ana III when the Lnghsmhcu "efo
One day I saw farmers washing sheep in the East
ca lie Garden OF brick and stood out in the water
The B3VDry. with the garden, ppeared to be fayoute
always, children playing. and ladies' and gentlemen
walking about. liberty pole stood In the middle OF
When was ashore the streets filled with bag.
gaze and express wagons and stages with no style about
them They were boxed up things. Pigs were running
oi,yaTs wore blue n 5bon tied ID "A bo,kuot to it, tail
s Pg Bstsy Tne cy Hall se5asd good ways up
town tnrn. i believe II was the only marDe building III
the country. AMI was great wonder IN those days
LAFAYETTE vas all tho cry in the country then.
had landed the pre-, Ous year. and during thS june or
which we speak. was 40 Boston laying the cornerstone
Of the Bunker iIil Monument
Tnorc was a grove OF very large poplars remember
on Governors IslInd. perfect forest OF maSts ana
spdrs was seen along the wharFes thlhk tnete was
NOR shipping in the harbOr then thaD now The ocean
steamships making quick trps ana carrying great
c5FgptS' axe Tue pace OF many Siihg ,esses; i GI
tho Liverpool packets were IN vogue, ana were OF ABOUT
400 tons burden. one seldom heard Of 300 Ton snip
There was one snip III ere haTD r. hiihed thr Spenu
OF 800 tons burden, and called the biggest mercnantman
from Albany The harbOr dotted with ships at
anchor and there always twenty or thirty SAL yes
more picturesque than now. sailors were seen every
where, and about the Battery there were marines III
hght-Diue blouses trimmed with yellow.
Whcn put 10 again we had proceeded only Sixty
miles down tn Long Island coast before furious
We turned back aud made those sixty miles IN
quick time great many vessels were lost IN the gaze
including two from NewburypOrt on which Twelve men
perishcd c.ught another rare Oh maIAetei IuhnS
back 90 NewbarypOrt Mackcrel were plenty at that
time; the nshiUg schOOners caught rs many ~ tbey
wished six men could catch and clean hlty b"Trtls
day. All hands would be called AZ o'clock the morn
INK JUST al day break, and would FISH win lines I'LL 10
then dress down. and by be ready 10 catch another
fare. Daring SIX weeks We caught 237 barrels, !
were doing very well either. Now mackeie |
are and very dear. The fishing scbOOners 20 |
MY vessels bouud Tor Labrador every year from New
buryport for cod. Last year one vessel the HaWatha
barrels OF herring The owners would not nave sent er
bus the fact mat lifted ont ana they didn't
know what else To do with her. gloucester ana CaRe
Ann have drawn away the cod nshlng interest, WINE
took NeWDurypI's commerce. There n SIN Il |
good deal Of trade with Porto Rico. Commerce Is at
lo8 stare, bat SewGuypOr Is still PHOSPHORUS nave
1--WE large cotton mills several manufacture and excel
tent schools snpDuldlng sun Prospers John CuIFer
vessels, ana hopes 20 live to bullu hundred; ms |
son suggests that no call the hmdrcdth sap |
old Hundred aud mark the bow the measure cor
responding 10 the words, Praise God from whom all
blessings fDw His ships rate very high in the regis
ter and eau always get cargo -
New York h. II fIr surpasse5 my expectation.
am a,tonished by the magnificent stores and ne mum
Der OF them, mad no idca that the trade OF Nrw1ork
extensive, ana dOnt see BOW 80 many wholesale
and retail dealers can 1--we. There are plenty OF cheap
looking places, too. went wtn nv son over on tho
East side Sunday, where hundreds OF boys were NY
ing kites in the streets. IL looked little out OF shape
TO me- should prefer to visit some Of those places on
the side by daylight rather than after dark and
suppose that within radius OF twenty miles OF New
York there rs many people as III the whole country
at tho time OF the Revolution"
THE OCEAN GROVE SERVTCES.