Morning journal and courier., 1883-12-12
NEW RAVENS FILMS AND GREEN. Descriptions, Historical Items and An ecdOtes of Persons and Things Con-
 nected ThereWith.
BY HENRY HOWE.

BY HENRY HOWE.
 Copyrighted 1888 by Henry Howel
 IN ABOUT THIRTY CHAPTERs-CHAPTER XVI. J The Old Cottage MarsfOn Water
 Street Built on OYster-Shen Fields Ralph 1saaes-Ifon. RAIph |. 1nSersOil and the Cznr NichOias-The UnHOrtu- nate BrOomes and Their DOuble-Head-
 ed CradIc-Captain Daniel Greene and
 the Famous Voyage of the NeptRne-
 Bachelor Hospitality.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The old Cottage mansion spoken of in our last chapter on the north side of Water street, on the square west of Sargent's facto- ry, is the most unique dwelling in our city. Like the Benedict Arnold mansion on the same street half mile still farther west, it may be classed as one of our historical dwell Iings; the last named, noted as the home ef 8 once patriot and then a traitor, and the othSr famous in our early maritime history as the home of various gentlemen who loved good cheer and had it too. The land there was sold in 1769 to Ralph Isaacs, and is de- scribed in the town records as being part of the "Oystsr-ShelI Fields.'' Mir. 1saacs was a heavy ship owner, having at one time nine ships a1oRt on the high seas. He built the old cottage there and sold it in 17S4 to Samuel Broome and moved to Branford, where he ended his days, aged about fifty years He was considerable of ''bon vi vant" He lived in the mansion there occu- pied nearly thirty years since by General Schuyler Hamilton and now standing. Isaacs was an important aid in building the old Episcopal church in that village. This struc- ture was noted for the size of it's windows, and the anecdote told about them is that Isaacs volunteered to pay for thsm, where upon the trustees, taking advantage of his generosity, put in windows of an enormous size, which showed that while those gentle men had no objection to the light being reli-
 eious, they did object to Ca dim religious light"
 Ralph Isaacs, as the name indicates, was of Jewish stock, but, like Paul, had become Christianjzed and was & stauneh churchman. He WAS, either himself or his father before him, 8 London merchant. He was the ma ternal grandfather of Hon. Ralph Isaacs h. Qersoll, the only citizen of New Haven that had the distinction of serving his country as foreign minister. In the reign of the CzRr Nicholas he represented us at the Russian court, his son Colin being secretary of legs- ton. The Czar in conversation with Mir. InRersoll took occasion to compliment our country as possessing, like his own, a genu- inc government. Russia, he said, was true monarchy, ours a true republic while 8 constitutional monarchy like that of England was neither fish nor Resh but mongrel government. On first meeting with the En- peror he seemed to Ar. Ingersol like an old acquaintance, for in his personal appearance he so strongly resembled Avery Babceck, one of New Havens amisble and portly oiti- zens, and sc impressed was MT. Ingersoll that he at once wrote Citizen Babcock to that effect, whereupon that gentleman re- ceived it with philosophic equanimity taking no offence on being informed that he looked like a despot. Indeed, he seemed to be pleased, for he showed the letter around to his neighbors and then continued to walk our streets with his accustomed Ilscidity and ease of bearing We'll he might. ''rhe Emperor Nicholas, Czar of ali the Russias,' ? says our informant, was giant every way, nearly seven feet in height and the most magnificent looking, perfect mass of human flesh I ever beheld. I've seen him put his hands under the arms of young military ca- dets and lift them up one after another to his lips and kiss them as father would his children, their slender little legs in the mean while dangling in the air" And why should he not? By his theory his government was on paternal foundation, which is thing l that elsewhere is supposed to move by alter l nate thrashing and kissing.
 Samuel Broome, to whom Isaacs sold, was a prominent merchant of the firm of Broome & PIatt who carried on an extensive busI- ness at store on what was after yards called Greenes wharf, opposite the mansion. In | the era of the revolution twin boys were born to Mir. Broome. and they were rocked | in double-headed mahogany cradle now in possession of our historical society. It IS about five feet long, with a canopied head at
 each end, and the infants were put in it with
 their heads placed in reversed directions. The tradition as to their naming is curious. Two American generals passing through our town were invited to dinner by MT. Br0ome, and as the little fellows had not been named, they were requested to name them, which they did and after themselves, viz. George Washington Broome and Horatlo Gates Broome. Broome eventually failed and the boys came to 8 sad end. George Washing ton was drowned in the Delaware near Phila- delphia, and Horatio Gates sunk into the condition of hostler in stable attached to hotel in New London. Later and when an old man seventy-eight years Of age he was ekipg out miserable existence in Hartford by building fires and sweeping in some pub lie offices. In the southwestern corner of this old cottage grounds anciently was narrow inlet from the harbor- Captain Pe- ter Storer, who recently died in Westville more than ninety years old, said that when a child he was in there bathing with a nine year. old brother, when the latter, getting out of his depth, sunk and was drowned before his eyes.
 In 1792 MT. Broome sold the place to Cap tain Daniel Greene, who resided there until his death, about quarter of a century later.
 The ship in which Greene sailed on his last