New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-16
RECOLLECTIONS or EARLY BROOKLYN
FARMING OF THE SITE OF The CITY HALIl-PIcKING
APPLES on IHE HEIGHTS.

FARMING OF THE SITE OF HE CITY HALL-PICKiNG
APPLES on HE HEIGHTS.
Mrs. James Chesley, an old lady who lives
with her niece Mrs. Israel Illes at No 242 Pearl ST.
Brooklyn recently told TRIBCNE reporter ne inter
esting facts about Brooklyn half century ago. Her
husband leased and worked for seventeen years farm
living around the site OF the present City Hall. Mrs.
Chesey is elghteth year. though sue docs not ap
pear TO he sxtyf aud Il In excellent health
though her eye sight is not so good rs IT once
81 lived in NewYork City from the time was three
wears old until married. ut the age of twenty two"
said he, "and though my memory is not very good Tor
dates, I remember some Of the surroundings Of my
gjrlhood About this time OF year little later we
children used to go nuttng stuyvesants Woods, bit
OF forest thai occupied ground about the present Bow
cry We young people also used 20 save oar pennies
during week order TO TO Brooklyn Sunday for
fruit We crossed III small rowboats and had to pay
two cents for the trip. The boats about the
present route Of the Fulton Ferry. remember We had
TO walk down narrow plank. with ceats nailed across
t. TO the boat and would take hold OF girls aud
nelp us down. Although II only cents
in the anytime the price at night to ve ten, twenty
five and even 1tty cents about midnight"
"were the Brooklyn people willing you should carry
of their fruit 7"
yes they would sit in their windows and watch
go and III hsndkerchefs, and never say anything
unless IL tell OF tree where could get
better fruit than elsewhere But the ground used to DO
In those days went TO the public schools whose
parents could pay tuition at private schools The public
schools closed at Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Little girls had take lessons in sewing The price
the tuition OF little children frca six to tweve cents
a week
"My husband from Portsmouth. n. IT,. and he
worked the farm In Brooklyn for years before
married him. We crossed the the night of our
wedding in row-boat and 1t cost ni:y apiece
The banks then grassy and and dotted with
trees. Our house the ground just back of the
houses between Pearl and Adams sts between Myrtle
ave and Futon-st Myrtle-aye. hardly street
then. A short way east OF the Town Hall and
the potters field. There then only few houses,
those little wooden ones, In Brooklyn. They reached
up from the ferry to Main aud Fulf0n-sts There
three cemeteries between tho ferry and where the City
Hall Is now. do not recollect lDw many
farL contained but kept forty besides horses,
sheep 0xen pigs and poultry. We sold good deal OF
milk. IL carted TO the ferry and the pals put In
small boats, aud when IL reached Sew York the mkmen
carried II about the streets having yoke their
shoulders and pail hanging from each end. In the
winter when the snow was deep they had 70 shorten the
cords TO keep the pals above tine We also raised
potatoes, for which thirty cents high price. and
turnips, which sold ut ten cents bushel Our orchard
occupied the ground Brooklyn Heights. where had
hne apples and pears. We used 10 gram
and get IL ground ut Denton's MIL forget just where
the mill was. but IL run by water power. brook
flowed then about where Third-aye Ia We rented
one year a time Mr.. johnson. the wished 10
sell of building lots Each year there was less land and
he made less and when moved We had only
the land which tbs house and barns stood and Inc