New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-28
THE LECTURE.

THE LECTURE.
am to speak of my recOllecti0ns of the
NewYoIk OF fifty to sixty years ago. and Of Of the
changes which have marked this more than half CEN
tury. Eighteen hundred and eighteen found me boy
in wholesale dry goods store, No. 804 Pearlst near
Peck-slip. My employers were two most worthy Quak
promise made by my father to the Junior part
ner that when he went into business was ~ be With
hi, will account for my leaving school so early 1t was
very different thing in those days, to De hoy In
store from what It is now. fear that many young
men, anxious get started would hesitate long before
facing such duties as had then to be performed My
father lived at that time at Noes William now the
OF Platt Wilam-st then the fashionable retail
centre at No. 80 stood Peter MOrons large store, the
fashionable family store Of that day. shall only at
tempt rapid glance at the different changes many Of
which in their Importance might claim entire lecture
There comparatively very few carts used by the
dry goods dealers most Of the business beng done by
porters with hand-cars and large wheelbarrows, who
stood at the different corners ready TO take or go for
load. Each had q heavy leather strap over the
shoulders, and brass plate on the breast with
his license number Their charges for any
distance below or above Chambersst were
1919 cents and 1sai cents respectively. There
were very few carts, and those of the old-fash-
ioned twowheel kind such heavy twohorse trucks and
large express and other wagons as now I'LL our business
portions Of the city were uDknown In those days.
The dry goods aucuonstores were mostly on the
When our employer would purchase o lot Of goods
at auction, 1t was our business TO 60 and COM
pare them with the bill, and II two OF us could carry
them home did it would save the shilling por
terage. 7 remember that while In this store carried
bundles Of goods up Broadway to Greenwich Village,
near what are nOwSeventh and Eghthaves and Fourth
to Tenthst crossing the old stone bridge at Canalsr
This had long square timbers either side in place Of
railing prevent fall into the sluggish stream-some
fifteen feet below-whicb came from the low lands
whore Centrest. and the Tombs now are II was called
the Colo Though its true nae was Collect, as IL took
the drainage Of large DISTRICT, and was the great
skating place in Winter Turning in at the left OF the
bridge took path through the meadows, often cross
ing on two timbers laid over the bitches where the
tide ebbed and flowed from the East River. At that
time there system Of sewerage, but the
water which fell was carried on by the cutters and by
surface draining.
remember wen the old Fly Market which commenced
at Pearl-st whore Maiden-ane crosses. There was @
very large arched drain. over which the market was
built extending from Pearl-st to the dock It was so
high that In passing along Pearl on the south sidewalk
one had ascend quite elevation to get over the arch
OF the sewer Mniden-lane then narrow at Pearl
st. as Lbcrty between William andits present Junction
with Maiden lane-only about fifteen feet wide In the
Winter, the streets running with the wash
of melting snow and ice, the mouth OF the sewer at
pearlst, would often clog up, and then the water
would eet back as far as Godst, the sidewalk being
OOn6tru0tOQ eOul6 TWO Itcb duONo foduWuyt
vide for the great flow OF water that came down from
Broad way Nassau, William and Lbertysts.
TuE DRY GOODS STORES AND THEIR STOCKS.
At this time the wholesale dry goods trade was con-
fined almost entirely to Pearlst., from Coenties
TO Peck-sips, though there were few firms
further up, and any party intending to commence
that business must first bo sure that he could
obtain O store Pearst. We now talk OF what Wall
st Is doing; them II would speak Of the dry goods
trade he would soy "thiugs active Tor dull y
in Pearl-st"
The retail trade was mostly in wiliam-s ana Maiden
lane except three fashionable houses that were the
steworts OF that day These. were all in Broadway
yandeyoort near Libertyst the Heights, near Dey:
Ct: and lothian Smith. who occupied the site OF the
Astor House. Stewart did not commence until 1924:
Tho cheap retail dry:goOds stores were In upper Pearl
SEd and Erons AZ tits t@e the trade
was mostly divided by sections some selling almost
and others doing what was called Eastern aud Long
trade Ts csDr Snq ss 81 o onS what sr
| now suggested by that term. firm Wild $1,000 70
capital SM SS0S sds sna Us ouS
! If there were half dozen persons VINO soia over 2
million Sac aSS NST Os ayi Of em over million week.
The styles OF goods also have GnanGoa very @ d5ca. mcn
ana nrnts came In square nairrunks, containing fty
pieces each; very few goods came IN boxes-ihey were
t1Smef tons m they were all woven by hand Powerooms
were not introduced till few years after our common
huns j" they had very strange names such as : Bar.
GurrOs etc hSss 10 81 them 70 Tees ass 'I, fbc sGaa aay
heavy At present nearly oil cotton goods soid are oI
M nohnS is the change greater than in the pro-
grrss and extent Of our manufacturers Inc wonderul
Improvement IN machinery has enaDco US 70 conpe.a
tGat has given encouragement 10 our nIan en0rs, We
naTe Tdr our own Consumption but to bes for
the trade OF other countries But lor ns pocs Oh p.o
lection TO own industries we should Lo-dsy nave
sImulY nation or producers IrOul tuc
Oyins UsyH other nations with raw material and food
sunpioa My firm conviction is that but for our tariff
our country would have never atane9 ts prosehs a
now call weslth its vast extent It's ei,es Ss t aMa
towns ts ability to feed other a.es
iron, with the exception Of rev SaarSo a,c
mHkSE aE IRON and hardware were imported Now the
aid OF mineral Goals We baye become nder our proec
s sS ysiety q uses 10 the world and the discoveries
Of qualities Of or Sss u 0on Sass Sns iss nm N
limited supply of anthracite and bitannous coal have
Impetus TO Of M Gn oSer eonnrs TSe pee
on OF manufacture Of most kinds OF hardware cop
pasks @ and ieSery cabinet and woodwork an patent
agricultural implements Is now attracting the admira
"SS ouT o. cloths and cassmeres were all imported.
Large quantities Of silks from France ana Italy,
Snd SToaso trOm India ana China Business Sas
peTodical had our Spring and ra trade trade YOS S
merchants to visit the city They generally came twice
East by the sound North River In soo2s and schoo1
and West by sage-coacbes It is very dieut 70 reals
Se what ii was TO como from Ohio, indiana Kentuek
illinois, and Missouri when the most OF tho long journey
MAS 0y stage-rdng night aud day; and even from cur
Southern states 4 was tedious TIP g s0%e polSS
| long Tourney less trying There were nnes g
sIiSs and sohooners running between Nori9ik iusSn{
bS these trips were often very long and the
| tiQps poor; . ,,s, ,ara n iarye number a