New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-10
OLD NETWORK.
xvESrRABLr KS1cKERBoCKERs JOURNAL


a period which. though not long past SC lar as
wears count is so separated from the present time
NV tho swiftuess of modern progress as TO appear
voritahlv antique Born in $50, by his fortieth
r.ar no had made a fortune an auctioneer
ana he then did what must seem quite eccentric
N a more restless and acquistive gcneration-he
retired from business in the prime OF life. and
resnlved 10 enjoy his leisure thenceforth lie
had bought house on Broadway just below Park
Place. looking out upon the City Hall Park at
that time surrounded by wooden palings. The
situation was well uptown and fashionable. but
the upward movement had gone so far IN 1887
that Mr. Hone had to sell his house for business
purposes and then he built another for himself
at Broadway and Great Jones-st., which was at
the date mentioned as high as any one thought
it prudent to go. In these two mansions Phllip
Hone dispensed a generous hospitality, gathered
about him distinguished people OF all xmas, ana
lived busy, bustling useful and contented hie'
lie was. as his carly withdrawal from lucrative
business proves. a man who had no greed OF gain
Money for moneys sake did not tempt him. lie
onlv valued fortune as a means of promoting
sociabilty and refinement. He cultivated taste
for literaturo art and the drama lie owned q
box at the Park Theatre, and invited TO his u'nic
the various histrionic celebrities who came from
Europe or who grew into fame on their native
soil.
In politics he was first Federalist and then
Whig-to which party he gave its name Not
the least interesting entries in his diary are those
which are concerned with political events, Tor
Philip Hone was jealous and even fiery partlsah'
and is frequently to be found relieving his over
wrought feelings by vigorous abuse OF Ola
Hickory whom he most hea-1dly hated, or van
Buren,, whom he personally liked while detestlng
his politics, or Tyler, whom, hs regarded as "a
misohievous fool. He had great admiration
for General Harrison, for whose election he worked
assiduousy and successfully he was hrm
friend aud a warm admrer of Daniel Webster,
who frequently visited him. Chancellor Kent was
one of his Oldest and most intimate friends. He
was familiar with all the disting uished people
of his generation, was always prominent in CIVIC
affairs was esteemed and deferred to by the
merchants and sometimes reviled as an "aris-
tocratp by the lower element of Tammany Halls
following The two volumes given TO the
public FORM Mr.. Tuckerman states, less than
onefourth Of the original diary, which fills twenty
eight quarto manuscript volumes IL was Mr.
Homes practice TO enter in his journal consldera-
tions upon and extracts from the books he was
reading, and this matter has been omitted, to
gether with much else of purely ephemera interest
What has been retained constitutes highly
interesting running comment on the dlarlsts
times, o brief chronicle of the growth Of New
York, and incidentally political record and
social register. We read here OF deaths, marriages
births parties, balls, dinners, excurs ons pionicS
country jaunts together with occasional real estate
items showing the steady appreciation of landed
property on Manhattan Island. The momentous
occu rrences carefully noted. There is sum
married account of the cholera epidemic, OF the
financial disasters of 1887, of the great lire OF
ls45, sf tho many riots and outbreaks which IN
Those days were encouraged by the weakness OF
the police the supineness of the authorities, the
RIGHTEOUSNESS Of portion Of the press, ana the
reclxlessneas OF deinugogucs. The frequency OF
riots indeed must strike the reader of this diary
with surtrise AID however incllncd he may have
bssa TO pessimtsm he will be compelled 10 realize
that tbs advance Of NeOy-York in order and peace
fafness has been not les, during the last half
century tlrsn in extent Of improvements business
and population.
Philip Zone SAW the city develop from small
town Ct 90, 900 20 metropolis Of 500. 900 inhab-
tsnts He SAW the houses climb uptown as far
as Twentietl-su. lie saw the Croton water brought
into tho city. lis saw the development Of the
railroad SYSTEM and of steam IN OCEAN trans
portation. He saw the passage across the Atlantic
reduced to ten days. lie witnessed lie applica-
ton Of electricity to telcgraphinS In his day
gas was introduced as domestic illuminant, and
there was good deal of doubt entertained as TO
whether il could be applied generally for that
purpose. The panic of 1887, which Mr.. Hone
and most Of his business friends attributed %
Andrew JaclSsons war upon the United States
Bank and especially 10 the removal of the de-
posits, and which created wrath which Van
Buren, was TO feel long subsequently, crippled
the retired diarist seriously. He lost according
to his own statements, two-thirds Of his fortune,
and he was consequently obliged TO return TO
active busisess becoming president OF an insurance
company which was bankruptcd by the great
fire of ls45 Hone, then being appointed receiver,
wound up its affairs, and in SAC was commissioned
Naval Officer for the District of NewYork, an
Office held by him until his death in 1851. in
his seventy-third year.
Though crippled financially there is no evil
dcnce in these volumes that Hone ceased TO be
able 10 entertain his friends and to enjoy the
Injuries and comforts to which he had been &C
customed He was all through life eminently "A
clubable man." as DR.. Johnson has it, and the
Home Club, founded by him. and the Union
Club, of which he one of the projectors,
testify to his strong sociability. lie a man of
sufficiently clear and nimble wit. and perhaps
rather unduly addicted 10 punning, several not
particularly brilliant examples of his plays upon
words having been sIectionatey enshrined in his
journal. veteran diner-out he could make
neat after-dnner speech well as hold his own
on the platform at political meetings. In those
days man had TO be somewhat rcsolute who
went TO public meetings, even 10 the theatre.
for the times were decidedly rough, and New
York had not yet learned how TO keep her tough"
element III order The theatres suffered especially
from these rowdy outbreaks. which. however. were
for the most part excused on the ground that they
grew out of an excess OF patriotism. The modus
operandi' appears 20 have been Qener.
ally as follows When an English actor
was on his way here, the theatri
cal manager or the leading man of some rival house
would set afoat rumor that the stranger had