New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-16
THE GRAGEs OF a HOUSEHOLDS.
,,rr,p FAMILY CEMETERY IN FIFTIErH-sT.


LITTLE FAMILY CEMETERY IN FIFTIETH-sT.
The traveller on the Ninth-ave. elevated rail-
wav will notice near the Fifteth-st. station little
Enclosure containing graves The headstones are OIL
brown stone, and one can easily read on then
the name OF Hopper. They are plain ana simpic'
merely records Of the losses OF family, WITHOUT any
nretentious rhymes or uncouth carving to attract
attention The grass grows long and green around these
quiet menentoes which apparently untouched by
the wild street boys Whenever passes In the tram
one sees only the modest little cemetery, with perhaps
an sparrow two hopping from stone 10 etoo
and stealthy cat gliding through the grass with the
obvious intention OF surprising bird But one never
sees any small boys, which is surprising for considering
the extraordinary places where these young enthusiasts
persist in playing baseball they might have been eA
pected to make an Eruption into this graveyard Some
thing 10 doubt is the fact that the grade OF the
place is higher than that OF the street, anu thV
isprbt ected IN two Of its sides by houses On inc '"o
that are open to street the supporting walls are aoou
eleven feet HIGH trne to street boy, but they are
covered with cement and smooth glass. Entrance
is obtained through of the houses In the rear Oh
| Nnth-ave.
There Is special romance about the Hoppers 1hey
have been NewYorkers for long time and represent
the British element which came to Manhattan isaho
when the Dutch sway passed away. In the vicinity CT
Ffeth-st east and of Broadway. was the Hopper
farm OF 300 granted to the FIRST Hopper py CIT
| Edmund Andres who appointed Governor Of New
York in 1914 upon the second and the nna surrender Oh
the Hoanders appears to have been the OF Chares
the Sec Dnd and of his brother the Duke OF YORK ana
Albany to whom the KING had made grant OF the sur
rendered Dutch colony that it would be good measure
TO encourage the immigration iuto the new territory OF
men OF stanch English yeoman type, so that the popu-
etion ali pud not be exclusively Dutch or Puritan The
Immigrants OF those far of days we're probably men OF
| higher standing than is generally admitted, and
the burghers OF NewAmsterdam ana the cOlonists OF
the of York persons OF education ana means
The first NewYOrk Hopper the grantee OF SIT E1lnuh9
An iros was. IL is likely, member Oh tne Engsn hnue1
gentry younger son of some stout cavalier VINO hao
fought for KING Charles lie seems 90 nave stteu MN
self down comfortably and as family without nus
tory is rroyer6aly happy family Is anS tnS
their share OF all the diversions golns we fnchg on
IIempstead Plains. the cOck1ghtng iox-nuntlng ana
all the sports in which the Cdvaller eeiet uelgneu
and AT which the cody Purtans OF the Ncw-HYen col
ony elevated their hands and showed the whites oi Their
eyes The three hundred acres oil squire Hopper ade
snug estate in those days IL was bounded east
ward by the great farm OF Dr. Girardns BeeRman
learned aud wealthy man. and westward by the Hu tson
River Northward and souihward was. crown lhnd
which alterw&rd was reeos'~eu Us ''o oo"No" minus
In i7i0 john Hopper, the grandson OF the original
grantee was n thriving with three sons. He built
for himself three stone houses. and divided
up the 800 acres into three farms one Tor eaen sou te
Youngest to live with MIN. The homestead was nj
broadway and Flfticthst aud was standing not many
years but the march oil Improvement ma Deeh pn
tcuar active In that region, aud has swept away the
oil ho G. and has spared tho row OF tail LOmbaIdy
Doninrs WHEN he planted in front They not fine
frees by any means that variety never prospers In
New-NOrk IL requires u wet cay SOIL end shouid
| ALWAYS be planted near water Trey grew gaun and
struggling seemed tenanted by ghosts and were any
thing hut cheerful IN appearance Inc mouse OF Tue GU
est son John was built by Lis father upon the slope OF
fhe Hudson River an It Is tire srykei Mansion
The house OF the second son. Ncs was 10 fity-nfH 81
between broadway aud Eghth-ave and has long since
disappeared The house of the eldest con- John Hopper
came the possession bf tue Siyker family ia tns
waye had an only daughter married Jmes Stry ser
from whom descended to Major General siry Kerr ms
eldest lie was gentleman Of rcnned t1ste nu9 m
| enlarged the original house and surrounded IL WIN
beautiful gardens lie lived there for more than hlty
years bnppy In his books business anc his trees,
| lawns and shrabs. From him the place descended 10
the present owner, and from Il was buried tue younS
] man who was drowned recently In Saratoga LAKE.