New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-01
VANDERBILT IMPROVEMENTS
HOW THE GREAT STATION HAS DEVELOPED
PROPERTY.

HOW THE GREAT STAIlON MAO DH' HHOA
PROPERTY.
THE CHANGES IN THE DEPoT-THE FUTURE Or
roRTY-sECoND-sT.-ANECDO OF THE HE'ioN'
BYA MAN ABOUT TOWN.
The improvements which have followed the buiidin. OF
the Grand Cenr, Depot have been something extraor
binary ComparatIvely few persons realize, that the
aenot itself 4, being duplicated. 1t is only
about twelve years since that immense structure
was erecte OH the site OF the old stookyards where hve
cattle we're sold butchers AT the time OF opening
IL peope who saw supcndous structure thought at
IL would he ample accommoda the business OF tho
vanderbilt roads for at half century yet there Is
already an imperative demand for more room. MI
Torcev tells me that there will I've thirteen al iOnal
track, in tho ne " building under way. The most
pressing demand occasOned by the great numDer Oh
local trains for suburban travel These run IN the early
and the late hours Of tho day. at intervals OF few
moments only. and often several simultaneously
seeking iugress and are In each others way
More room had to be provided for thom ut once
Mr. Toucey no Is negotiating with the elevated
road MANAGEMENT to bring about two muchneedeu ILL.,
proyenents at the Forty sscond-st terminus he
sbe, TO connect the elevated depot there with the
Grand Central 80 that passengers may not be compelled
to cross the street get from to the other He aso
she, them 10 run trains directly to the depot and Thus
avoid the change ut Thdave and Forty
st. Whom tho coliaon occurred there few years ago
the elevated company discontinued tho through trsinf
evidently they might have Nh annual crop OF
Major Harrolds rising up to get big damages from
them. Commuters on the roads nave suSgeste"
that a much needed Improvement inside the pres
ent depot would be the abolition of the Lying
switch" by which the tricks cross each other,
and which Is a great cause OF frequent and annoying
delays Mr. Toucey did say so. but fancy that ths
1, included among the other improvements going ON.
ia nota Droperty which the Central
Railroad has improved; tho whole region around the
depot has been augmented In value Forty seconi
from Broadway to Third-ave Is buster thoroughfare
than Thirty fOurtst 1t Is almost full OF activity "a
Twenty thir-sL surprised vt the hustle and COM
motion caused by trucks and business along this
once ouiet street The sidewalks cd with ladies
and children iooked about to ina the stores which
attracted thsm but the shopkeepers have not yet In
vadei the street in great nunocrs and mais busy
market IT, II IL safe TO predict however that within
u year OF two ontorprsns dry goods merchants
and jewellers will venture there after the fortunes
awaiting them. The pioneer has great chance there
The OF the limo through this street we're well
filled Oh the occ asion OF VISIT there The line
was a long time bndins. encountering. ~ 1t did. mani
fold loyal distractions and financial difficulties; so
thIt a pretty round sum to build It, The scrip
certificates OF stock selling six months ago at -
and are lower; but the road cannot TAIL
soon to earn money on its capital however large
Other avenues than Forty second-st. have felt the
healthy inauolco OF tue grand depot Il use the word
grand" ~ an adjective and not a n'un) PARK MAI
and Fifth have all felt II, and In way which
would have anticipated never could have been
led b believe nal ssen It for myself That elegant
private houses hotels would be attr 'cted to tho
close vicinity OF busy and noisy railway depot. BIT
this has proved TO bs tho Park-sve. has be1n
especially favored. partly because OF tho fact that
on high elevation. and partly because tho street rail-
way the residents therein Is underground
certainly did not expect md of the largest and
most hsics In the world within ono blosk OF the
depot Tais IL tho Murra, lin aotcI In Park-svc
Foreth aud Forty STA aud II occupies the
entire II Ia worth pilgrimage foot tho length
of tho tho rotunda alone. could grow en-
thusac the whole house wcro not for fear OF
appearing partial; but the handsome halls OF me
Fifth AYenne Hotel the Hoffman House could be
stored away grand hall Of the hotel Murray HILL
II is super Or 10 my mimi that OF the Windsor Hotel
even was iunch.ng there with exPostna
Thomas L. James when Mr. Han nond. OF the le--.es
came into tDr and asked him some questions
about the business. You have only ono feeder here
said; the Vanderbilt rosis." Well that would be
enough" he said. but there are other. The West
shore road at foot OF sends many
transient people by tho forty-secondst way. The
roads feeders for they bring hero many
people going Of town who wish 10 take the early
trains from the Grand Central and they stop over one
night with Bat We nave large nutnDc: OF per
uanent bosrdcrs; families who live with the year
round" HOW do you affect your Immediate nelsh5or
across the way r. aske abiding to the ancient
and less Imposing hotel the other corner. Mr.. Gar
rison the lessee" replied Mr.. Hammond. telling
only day that he thought opening aad
improved bs business. iIo showed me his books TO
prove lie often nils mp ton pages OF his register
day with OF his transient guests. We often have
TO turu people away during the early days OF the week
Visitors from the suburbs who to town shopping
generally Monday or Tuesdsy.-enrly In tile
week at any ratc-so to get away again and home
before sunday"
The owner of the Marry I'M Hotel Is Hugh Smith.
lie il % man about sixty Ave years OF age aud has
grown Immensely wealthy. His name frequently
on mems lips dozen years ago. lie was associated
| with Collector Thomas Murphy Peter Is. sweeny and
| william ~. Tweci in the purchase Of large plots OF
property the upper part Of the city thlk Mr. Smith
WAS tho only OF the quartet who got away" with
| any Of the property which proved OF nurh value.
Tweed scattered his In rotous living: Murphy wasted
his in politics. and sweeny did not stay to protect
his Mr. Smith indicted along with Tweed anu
Bwceny fol Of alleged completely with Them
| but hc not prosecuted.
Mr.. Hammond told me curious story about Hugh
Smith and the Murray Ill Hotel, which almost in
credible. The hotel somothrce years In building
| IL has cost enormous The plans were made
under Mr.. Smiths personal direction. lie decided upon
the style Of the decorations Of the halls parlor dining
rooms etc. but not OF The bod roms with the exception
OF suite OF nye which, under the lcasc Arc re-
served for himself and family; these he Is lifting up TO
crafty his tastes He lives and has for years past
lived In Thirtyfourth-st only about seven blocks away
from his magnificent property Yet he has never set
foot the building did he lay eyes ON 1t while
under construction since completion I asked Mr.
Hammond the for this extraordinary conduct
| He could give none. Is Smith q crsnkf" inoured
/ . n. Lao. L.
| quick and shrewd business man," I mentioned thi.
story to Me- Raht the architect sndIssked him II he had