New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-10
JOHNNY BOUQUETS WALKS.
MUSINGS AROUT TIIE METROPOLIS.

MUSINGS ABOUT TIE MElROfOLlS'
HOW NETWORK CARES FOR HER CITIZENS, LIVING
AND DEAD-REAL ESTATE sPECULAnoN-EAsr-
LAKE DECORATIONS IN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
AND HIS CABs-RguINIsCENCEs OF ALBERT GAL
IATIN-wuAT HE THOUGHT OF HIS CONTEMPT
RARIEs AND WHAT THEY ThouGir OF HIM.
A legislator from New-YOrk City recently said to
me: This is "A hearty city. The people will assist
stranger 10 any position he aspres 10, and delight
10 gee him in the front rank. But it is such busy
and mundane community that if the same favorte
should drop out he would hardly ever be mentioned
again. They do not know nor care much about Ma
tiona public life. wealthy banker, on my neihe
introduced to him not long ago, asked what part VI
the State of New-York represented. and was sur
prised to hear that | represented his own waiu'
Wealth is absolutely necessary TO ones s'a"ii's III
such city, 1t has less recognition OF It's own ueo
and of the antiquities of the city than any important
place in the world
This il a mart of the truth only. Antiquarian in
terest in New-York is confined TO limited number
Of families. and when they show disposition to
talk about the matter the average New Yorker
mentally yawns Brooklyn has just built large
stylish Historical Societys Building, sort of club
house but the old Historical Society temple IN New
York is rather object of dread TO the rlanoithe
day who considers. from its closed anu tomo-llkc
appearance and proximity to st. Marks Chureh'
that i, may have been the vault whence the bones
of merchant Stewart were stolen. The great mine
for ANTIQUARIAN writing about New-York is the City
Manuals of the late David T. Valentine, Clerk OF the
Board of Aldermen That venerable gentleman Oh
the old school published official directory oi the
CITY Government every year. and incorporated in'"
it histories of the leading streets. and lives OF the
Colonial Governors and Mayors, and mary othcr
pertinent matters but it gave him next to no grail
ap1h he W.
VALENTINE AND TWEED.
When VIM NJ Tweed was undergoing his last
confinement in Ludlow Street Jail, dropped III To
give him some fresh flowers one day, and remarked
after some talk: "Mr. Tweed why did YOU let the
good old clerk Valentine, be dischargedT
a He got TO be somewhat incorporate SAID MI.
Tweed
:" But he was of great use to the scholastic history
Of the city, sir His Manuals arc the only literary
monuments of your reign.
lyon mean the long dry papers he wrote about
dead people ?" said Tweed. "Oh, he wasn't mp To
the times At all.
Tweed. the last time saw his grave, was without
q stone. . name. or any memorial however slight;
vet il was only eight years ago that they were Tor
buildinp a monument Ia him. What a rcminscencc
have the sgncrs of that testimonial left III 1t to Their
children! A fulsome tribute to Nero would have
been hardly more besmirchng.
Poor old Valentine the clerk. is dead but his Illus
trated Manuals are in great request by library
makers and nayers of pictures III eXquisitcly bound
:nlumes | rccollcct to have seen at Miss Mary l..
Booths noble specimen of naylng upon her own
history Of Ncw-York City done hy some apprcciatl'c
gentleman and Valentines portraits stood out ever
and anon One can take up those old Manuals and
sec food for literature in every volume HIS figures
ON the prices of Ncw-York real estate from Colonial
10 b1Si for u
property in city real esta,c-a book neither un-
profitable unrOnantic
on TOWNS AND REAL ESTATE.
The first systematic dealer IN city real estate IN
America-that is. Spectator in twas the cccen-
tric bohemian draughtsmlan. Augustine IIccrmans,
whose picture ought to he i'll the Historical Society
of New-York He nonrishcd here about 1860 and
got together property now worth tens of millions 81
dollars but being sent to Maryland by Peter Stuy-
yesant accepted a grant Of land there which finally
descended the grandfather and uncle OF the pres
cut Senator Thomas F. Bayard, while the more I'M
perial New York city property was squatted upon or
resigned The New-lOrk Bayar'ls also accumulated
n 1uantity of real estate two hundred years ago nut
becoming Tories in the Revolution lost the "'io' oil
IT, and also the villa at lIoboken which the Stevens
family bought think, at the confiNcalon sale. In
course of time the Delaware Iiayaris through Colo
Stevens family. and thus Bayarls again in pos
session Of Castle Point General James Grant Will
son. of this city, has the Dutch Bible of the Bayards
and many early souvenirs Of that family.
John Jacob Aston at late date may he consul
cred the father of city real estate speculation ms
man. though without literary prctenslonS VAS one
of the most provocative spirits OF Literature ana
social science in the Western world Tie was Tor a
long while the backbone of Albert Gallatn and his
sound fiscal policy under President Jeiiersoii ami
when Gallatin succnmbed to public cutlery and un-
popularity Mr. Astor made a bank for HIM ana kep'
him i'm il till he died. Aston, also Is the parent oil
everything bet wccn the Missouri River and the
Pacific Ocean; his fur company developed the
routes, explored the region, trained the overland
guides and the Kit Carsons, turned the literary en-
crgies of Irving away from Spain and Barhary TO
the Yellowstone and the Oregon. and hc partially
supported both Irving and Iaeck, whose influence
with him exists in the Aston Library. He probably
WAS the first man to clearly comprehend and III
stantly take advantage Of the continental relations
of New York State aud City. He saw that the West
must find its outlet through Ncw-iork and ship ITS
produets at this city and here would he the mcrcan-
file enporium Of North America ~ long as EuroT"
WAS TO be our chief client and customer.
The older Holland Dutch families hst"r was a
GERMANY are not entitled to the same credit most
Of them merely kept, from want OF enterprise the
farms and bowcrics their forefathcrs received for
asking or for triilc of purchase money and the
metropolis took them in. Aston anticipated the
metropolis and made haste To be landlord OF great
substance in it and he also the parent OF the
American hotel system. The Aston House set the
model to the world.
1t will be found, however that the experiment OF
huge. comprehensive hotels was first made III The
wilderness interior Of the State of New-l"rk, ana
arose from the speculation in Ncw-iork State and
Massachusetts granted lands Alexander William
son, a Scotchman, agent for English capitalists III