New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-05
JACOB SHARP DYING.
AN ACTIVE AND TROUBLED CAREER CLOS
ING.


STARTING OUT FOR HIMSELF At AN EARLY AGH
MOST OF HIS MONEY MADE IN BUILDING
AND RUNNING STREET RAILROADS
THE BROADWAY SCHEME
The life OF Jacob Sharp was hanging by q thread
late hour last night. lie had been gradually sink
ing for fortyeighi hours, and his family hal given up
all hope Of his recovery. lie hal been un,orscous
since late on Monday night and when aroused he had
been dcliriogs HIS death was only question OF .
few hours, his physician said.
Mr. Sharp bad not left his house since the Saturday
following the blizzard lie had gene up 10 his farm
near Rome, n ", on the Saturday before the great
storm and caught thore lie returned on the first
train arriving In this city on the following Thursday
He went out the subsequent Saturday to buy .
pair Jf shoes taking Of LIS old line OF horse cars
to sixth-ave. He caught heavy cold on returning
from Rome and his grew gradually worse, the imam
nation extending down the bronchial tubes. On
Friday last this reached the lungs, when Mr. Sharp
took 10 his bed. The complication OF heart disease
and diabetes with the low vitality OF the patient made
DIR. Loomls, the family physician, shake his head
gravely when he called In. For two days Mr.
Sharp took nourishmeni, and cuppng had 10 be re-
sorted to In the hope OF drawing tui the Inflammation
on Monday Mr.. Sharp reused himself little In tho
morning then he fell int" y harry fros Which he
was with difficulty aroused
ROUSING HIMSELF TO ANSWER A QUESTION.
That evening when Re visited oy rrs Barker
whether he as Ill a his counsel asserted Mr..
sharp surprised his family by the which ho
OF his comstose condition and wered the
physicians questions. They had barely let the house
when h. sank into unconscioGsress, and from that
time on lehargy and deliium characterized his cond
ton. Dr. Loomis relying on Mr. sharps constitu-
ton and will power, cheered Mrs Sharp with the hops
that he would recover although the physician said
that he would have hope for any other man under
the same circumstances.
Tc the last Mr.. sbsrp's mind had hung upon the
fortunate history OF the last two years Of his life Al
one moment he would cry out some reference to the
scheme Of a railroad In Broadway, and declare 1t
great public benefit then he would turn 10 another
phase, asserting that the newspapers had not done
him justice. "AI ask is justice" he would muttet,
adding: "Oh, II the newspapers would only do mo
justice.'
At p. m. yesterday DR.. Alfred L. Loomis called at
the house. lie found that Mr. Sharp had been sinking
rapidly and at his experienced eye told him that
it useless to hope longer lie conveyed his Views
guardedly and delicatey to Mr.. Sharp's daughters,
who In turn broks the intelligence to Mrs. sharp
Her grief acute and deep. She and her daughters
would have trained nurse; they insisted on taking
the sole of the dying After DR.. Loomlss
departure In the afternoon, the sorroyng family be-
came death-watchers over the husband and father
Mr. Sharp grew weaker ard weaker, his breathing
heavier and shorter, his mutterings moro and more
feeble, and late hour his death looked for 40
any moment.
HIS BIRTH AND ORIGIN.
Jacob Sharp born in Montgomery County on
July g. 1917. AS Is well known, he had early
adv antages In the way of education beyond those
afforded The common schools Ills fathers family
poor and he had to shift for himself early In fs
He passed his boyhood and early manhood in Troy,
Schenectady and other places In that region. He en-
gagged in almost any kind OF work TO which he could
turn his hand. When he was twenty years old his
father died. 1t when young Sharp was twenty
years old that he made his entrance into the city
where he destined to pass nearly all the rest Of
his life and become identified with Of the great
phases of the cltys deveopmentshorse railroading.
lie came In a most simple manner. his vehicle being
Hudson River log raft, he himself only hsnd' In
the employ of others. But he got view of the city
sufficient to visions Of money making in his mind
and the ways to get to It, After making these trips
for time, young Sharp went In his own account
to deliver logs and timber contract then, turning
opportunity into golden sands he added the purchase
and sale of logs and timber for his benefit to hs
transactions. Next, still turning his discernment In
business advantage sharp Identified himself with
the growth of this city by using his timber and lumber
to build piers and bukheads along the East and North
rivers. 1t was In this business that no laid the
foundation of his fortune.
HIS WORK WITH STREET RAILROADS.
1t was In the raj oad business, however, that Mr.
Sharp made the most OF his money, as a contractor
and promoter He constructed the EasC River and
Dry Dock Railosd hs first venture IN that line,
and then followed with the Oh istOpher aud Tenth
Street, the Blee ker sieet the Twtn y bird street,
the Broadway and Seventh Avenue, aid finally his
pet scheme Of thirty years and the source VI his
misery, the Broadway Surface Raj road
1t In his endeavor to secure the franchise for
horse railroad In Broadway, between Union Square
and the battery, that Mr. Sharp displayed all the re-
sources of his skill and exp rence IN managing men
and measures. He had the scheme In mind as part part
Ra Iroal, Which built 10 is6l SO that It was
nearly Thirty years ago when the 3" old man'-as no
or | ncls Jacob" a. he termed by othe Son
ceiyed the Cea of tn Broadway rad He knew
larry Iecause of the value o. the Rse and OF tho
conf Q .tioI which would te nvo we'd. II was
way into lower BrOadW a, for horse railroad and IL
was over the General sqriace RaiLoa Ac, thai ma Mr:
sharp exerc SEQ ali his ingenuity, ia and lnnu nee
at Albany. Then came the struggle for the hanchss
the super6c a. features OF With are well known.
INVESTIGATING THE BROADWAY SCHEME
The investigation into the broadway surface Rail-
road franchise matter begun by the Senate Rail-
road Committee, senator Low chairman, early In
February, 1856 The result Of the investigation Is
well known. Mr.. Sharpe always Insisted, even TO his
Intimate acquaintances, that he had no hand In the
bribery Of Aldermen His conviction IN June, 1857,
resulted In his being placed in the Ludlow street JAIL
In his delrium Mr.. Sharp has exclaimed: They
wanted to get me into the TOmbs, but they didn't;
no, they ddn't!' lie remained there until the do
clson of the Court of Appeals In November, when no
was liberated bail. With the exception OF few
weeks passed In Rome, Mr., sharp has lived quietly at
his home, No. 354 West Twenty b ST., since that
time. lie had been living al No 80 up 10 The ume
incarceration He took his house soon aiter
Liberation. lie leaves wife and two daughters, Mrs:
stevens, the wife OF Mayor stevens, OF home, ana
Mrs. selmes. George Sharp is the son OF Mr. eharps
only son. who died several years ago from consumption,
his wife dying soon sfter~ ard ,
Mr. sharp has declared all along since his H0enuon
from PRISON that he could never stand the strain OF
another trial Ills illDe,s has undoubtedly been in-
creased by his anxiety over tho last proceedings In
his case lie Insisted that he ought TO have change
of venue, and Monday morning his lasI unclouded
thought was turned toward Mr. Bourke Cochran in his
efforts before Justice Paterson lie was too III TO
realize fully what the physicians who called were
after lie believed that with change of venue, and
I'm view OF the decision OF the Court Of Appeals, Q
second trial would result In his acgulttaL