The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-08
MRS. STEWARDS GREAT GIFT
GARDEN CTTY SEEN UNDER THE MOST
lVORABLE CIRCUMS TANCES.


aud UnIversIty Town-Many InterestiwG
Facts that have not been Generally Known.
When went 10 Garden City one fine day
last week had card OF Introduction to the
manager. Mr.. w. Il. Uinsdale. who unites the
duties. qualifications. and positions OF a civil
engineer. a scientific farmer. AN agent OF n great
enterprise. and the Mayor. Common Council.
and Board Of Police Commissioners OF Garden
City. went. too with a veteran editor; and as
he and Mr.. Hinsdale chatted listened.
The purchase of the Hampstead Plains by
Mr.. Stewart was one Of those accidental opera
tlons for which the great merchant was dis
tinguishcd. His attention was directed to this
property by Judge Hilton. who was himself
negotiating for its purchase on his own account.
Before they were in the real estate market.
about ten years ago tho town OF Hampstead own
cd tho plains, which were supposed to be barron.
rs we'll ~ unwntorcd and tho town OF Hemp
stead was in debt. Tho people of lempstead
wisely desired to sell their barren. treoless
plains for the best price thoy could got for thcm
Tho eyes OF several real estate operators
were on tho plains ut the same time that
the negotiations OF Judge Hilton for the prop
erty were going on. These were transacted
mostly in Mr. Stewards Office in New YORK.
Finally an offer was made from other par
ties to the townspeope OF Hampstead for
dollars more an acre than that OF Judge
Hilton and as tho terms were not sat
isfactory. the project was abandoned by
those gentlemen Mr. Stewart always kept
s. 100000 In bank. and he had unboundcd
confidence In the judgment OF Judge Hill
ton. He took up the negotiations i'm
mediately where thoy left of. and sent down
10 Hampstead that same day. through q
resident Of HOMESTEAD cash of1er OF
$3.50. 900. The other parties had offered more.
but in addition to the cash terms offered. the
people OF Hampstead preferred Mr.. Stewart for
a purchascr. trusting that the uses to which he
would put tho property would be Of more hd-
vantage to their town than those OF the other
bidders for IT, 1t was the intention OF the latter
to erect county poor houses and pcnitentiary
on tho plains.
As soon MS the offer Of Mr.. Stewart ar
rived in Hampstead, a town meeting was
called and the vote In favor Of the acceptance
Of the Stewart offer over that Of the other parties
stood GOO to 40. Thus was the town 81 Hemp
stoad relieved OF its debt. win handsome bal
ancc left in its Treasury. and MIR. stewart be-
camo the owner OF ten thousand ncre5 OF
Hampstead Plains.
We were on our way TO the well and water
works our carriage wheels rolling over the
graded street making the delicious swish
that they ALWAYS make on fine grAvelled roud-
way. us MIR. Hinsdalc told us this story, Tho
plnln on which Garden CITY Ia laid oil and built
In part is seemingly rs level as Moor. ...
Arc we above or below the level OF the sea ?"
asked one of our party.
Above H. one hundred aud five feet" an
ewered Manager Hlnsdale.
Is that So 2" the veteran editor inquired. l
have been under tho impression that these
plains were lower than the lands along the Long
1slaud shore. Is not that the popular belieff'
Yes. and, like many II not most popular
beliefs. all wrong-as great mistake as tho
popular notion that these plains are barren"
How did YOU discover that they were not
barrrn2" | asked.
BY the use II common sense" was tho reply.
vel noticed particularly that he said
I'VE - saw tho corn and oats and wheat
growing on the other side q u fence that en-
closed fields bordering on Hempstead Plains
and we naturally inferred that the soil on this
side must b, similar TO that on the other side Of
the fence. We tried the experiment. and will
show you the results before the day is over"
We noticed that there were no fences. The
cattle and horses are Mi herled when grazing
the sheep are tended by shepherd. There
are several hundred head Of stock OF va;
rious kinds on the place. and about hundred
the new grounds is very strong and
thick II is turned up with immense plouRh'
The loan looks black, friablc and rich. II is
Just such earth. apparently, as lady would &C.
lect to Oil her pots Tor house plants.
when We reached tho water works. was aston
ished beyond measure AZ the great stenm pump
pumping up the water at the rate OF three mil
lion gallons a day The water is contained In q
circular well nj the side Of the building. covered
with a circular rooted and glass lighted well
diameter The surface OF the water is moi
more than twelve or fourteen feet from the
top OF the brick curhing Of the reservoir, on
the p"bbly bottom. depth appur"utiy Of ten
feet but really twenty below the surface Of tn,
pool. 1t IL the clearest water ever SAW. except
that OF Niagara RVvr or Lake WlnnipiseOgee
Two oblong patches OF yellow sum ignt fell on
the pool. taking faint grecnish-bue tint TOT
each ray ~ Il passed through the water 10 the
bottom OF the well. Upon our return TO The
office we were given n table showing the com
paratiye purity of the Garden CITY wnter with
that Of twenty -one other cities OF this country
and Europe noted for the purity Of their water
supply. Tue comparison shows that tho Gar
den CITY watHr is by considerable odds pureI
and reer from organic, vointllr, and inorganic
matter than any ono Of the others.
Mhrrr d0,s the water come fromi
To make this ~ clrar a. possible quote from
one oil the Iapcrs furnished by NJ. Hinsdalr
II is an extract from an article in the monthly
organ Ul u mcdiro- legal society OF this city:
The water supply ofthe region is wholly from
three inches "A year. II has been estimated thA
three-iourths Of his sinks into the porous soil
The surface waste is certainly small, md Or
ours in winter. when the ground is iroz"n
The subsoil which holds the water is clear
slicious gravel and sand, and free from
luminous and calchreous matters. Ihes'
sands now constitute u vast reservoir OF water
from rainfall nearer perfection than am
that human ingenuity has conlrved. Weili
sunk INTO the saturated sands arr inexhaustl
Bile The one at Garden City is ii.ty feet in iii
ameter: the surface II the water in II is twenty
nve feet below the general level OF the plains
at the place where Il Is situatrd-i IN valley tour
teen feet below the general surface-so that ih'
depth Of the we'll. or reservoir To the surface o.
the water Is only eleven feet. TIL deIth ~ thu
water is twenty feet, and rises from the bottom
mono gets m through the sides OF the reservoir
Water ia conveyed to all the houses Of GarieI
City boy the Holly system, the pump being Hde
QuHto to DISCHARGE 5000 900 gullOns u day"
Three miles out of Garden City. On the Stew
art pur base. Il - meadow watrrrd 10y Onr %
several streams whirh flow out OF tho grrH
sandy reservoir described aboyc Meadow
Brook is the name 81 this wrll-kuoWn locality
AMONG a;her uiuj Is Tor improving tho en-
yiruns II Garden CIV 1t is int ndod To- CONVEX
this meadow into 70 lake, covering GOO arr =
stock II with FISH, and cover i with ~ fleet o
pleasure loats. The water will be supplied boy
the brook running through the meadow
Tho sewerage Of q .rd u Cay. when the nov
works arc cOmiiotcI, viii he model for I'll
other cities IN" ulnns submitted To my in
Bpe1tiOn would require too mu'n pace 10 BE- &c.
Bcribed H. this paper. Sufficient To say TINT thu
entire solid mass ol the sewage VIII be con
vertgd into slul.so,' as u is termed 10 t'chni
cal language. # OdoriY"d. and dis'h0tsrd int
cement,d sludg" pts. tom which II is forced int
Rir-tiSht roc.utH 'l,- mounted on whesla. aut
removed 10 bc used ~ a fertilizer. The sy7
tenn how ia us t'''Gl .1rary oLlyl Is Of cemrutrt
cess pools for ra0r!ttirs from wnteh the Sow
Az is removed o' ., rkly 90 possible, ma u-et
Tor itrt!'l i.urt N-rs. Inc ccs-pQOls are as,
properly v"uiil lrd hy tubes from Just below
The eli 9 ~ 60 tn roofs oi the houses.
Nothing can bc moro delightful than tho sens
N coaniurss, order. and purity thHt pr
Tades the whole IlI'c. The fountains In tl.l