The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-06-11
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

The Disappearance of Old Landmarks
Leggetts Old Curiosity Shop Gone-The
Man who Never Moves-The Anti-Slavery
Mecca-Dr. Springs Church-A Wonder
full Building-A Russian Romance-A
Girls Desperate Attempt at Suicide
-" Trubble in de Co1ored Zion Poor
Pay, Poor Preacl,-City Gossip, ETC., etc.
New YORK, June 4, 1881.
EDITOR CHIEF:
One after another the old landmarks
are being blotted out, and the New
Yorker who returns to his home after an
absence of year will find himself
stranger in the land of his fathers. On
the corner of Beekman street and Nassau
stood for years tue Chemical Bank, one
of the most stable and reliable banks in
the whole United States. Alas! it stands
there no more; it has been razed to the
ground-not one brick is left upon an
which has just been leyeled was Clinton
Hall, once one of the most famous lecture
halls in the city. 1t was here that Wen
dali Phillips and Lloyd Garrison sent up
their cry of liberty for the slave when all
the churches of New York were..closed
against them; and it was here too, only
few months later, that Lewis and
Arthur Tappan, with a few faithful
friends, stood trembling while the crowd
without was bowling for their blood.
On the corner of Theatre Alley was Leg
gett's old bookstore, where pilgrims from
all parts of the land came to replenish
their libraries. A rare place was this
same old bookstore, on the crowded and
dusty shelves of which the wisdom Of the
world seemed to have congregated.
Busy, abstracted, dusty old bookworms
pored over it's treasures from morning
till night, occasionally unearthing some
precious old work, whose value could
scarcely be measured by its weight in
gold. Sad souvenirs were to be met
with herc-remnants of royal libraries,
collected through years of sacrifice, and
now, after the owners death, scattered
to the four winds of heaven. Up this
little alley Went George Frederick Cook,
Edmund Kean, Edwin Forrest, and Fan
ny Ellesler, and hosts of others not un-
known to fame.
When the grand reception was given
to Charles Dickens, nearly forty years
ago, George P. Morris and N. z. Willis
received the great novelist on the corner
of the alley, and escorted him to the back
door Of the Park Theatre, where a grand
ovation was given him. While ON this
subject, there is a piece of property on
the site of the old Park Theatre, which
is one Of the mysteries Of New York,
which, like Lord Dundreary, "No fellal,
can find out" The property is magniii-
cent store with brownstone front, five
stories high, and, at very moderate
valuation, worth 100000; it is one of
the finest business situations in the city /;
opposite the Post Office, right in the
centre Of trade, it would rent easily for
$4,000, per annum, yet it has not been
occupied for fifteen years, and, singular
as it may seem, it is not the only piece OF
property owned by the same person
which is in exactly the same situation
he has splendid store near the corner OF
Spring street on Broadway, and three
stores just above it, between Houston
and Prince, and not one of them has been
occupied since the war. The owner is a
DR.. Brewster, said to he relative of DR.
Brewster, of Paris, who was SO famous
us Il tooth puller in the time of the En-
pire. 1t was in his charge, when she fled
from France with her infant sou, that
Eugenie left all of her jewels, and, to his
credit he it recorded, he was faithful tG
his trust, and in due time restored then
all to the fallen Empress again. Since
the war this DR.. Brewster (who is know,
to many as Crazy Brewstcr) has paid III
repairs and taxes about $4,000, ant
from the property lie has never received
cent. Ii anybody comes to rent lii
rate is so exhorbitant lie drives then
away. He must get money from some
where, for every year he pays his ten ol
twelve thousand dollars taxes; and i
now looks as though it might he tiftee1
years more till he gets Il tenant for hi
houses.
1t was just across the way from Leg
gets that Jacob Leisler was hung for hi
rebellion, and forty years ago, i'll quie
enclosure surrounded by grand old trees
was the temple where the famous Dr
Spring for many years dealt out th
bread Of life. The church and the paste
have long since disappeared and on it
site are the offices of the New York Time
and the Uorld, while the rest of tn
building is surrendered to all sorts Q
profane business, in many Of which til
- is supposed not to have an nn
profitable share. The new building whic
is now being erected is the property c
Eugene Kelly, the father-in-law of til
millionaire, Senator Jones, OF Nevada
Whatever modern science has contriL
uted to the convenience of man is expeo
ted to be put i'll this wonderful building
5 Electric lights, electric bells, super
heated water for cooling and heating
pneumatic tubes connecting with til
different express offices and tue Post
T Office, telephones, zero ventilators an