New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-10
OLD NEW YORK.
THE c1ry,s PARKS AND BURYING GROUNDS.

blossom as the rose. IS by no means hoN'iN' noi
Is It new thing desire to make Governor is''"U
a Measure ground for the public Inc Guy o"''
several of It's pretty squares and smaller parks 10 the
fact that the presence of the dead has saVcu he o
the shade and trowel of the builder and traditions are
stnl ey,ant NJ Measurable days Of sporting cOurshp
and idle recreation spent the little island OF the
Battery whore yawn the black mouths OF caihon'
and where the warike notes Of drum ana pugie WAKE
Tho song Of the occasional thrush. That there Is
nothing new under the sun have been warned by
all philosophers from the time of solomon
According to the vcracOus history OF Diedncn
Knickerbocker the early Dutch settlers had modest
a,r. NJ Governors Island, because they doubted
mnch il might be the abode OF demons and spirits
which in their DAYS did greatly abound thIouehou'
this savage and pagan country But the small ooS
of the period had such fears 1t did not take MN
long TO discover that its chestnut trees were Huilui
and that it abOunded other nuts and berries Hence
came its early name Of Nuten" OF NuttinG lsianu
The West India Company made the island State prop
ertv and It was always considered one OF the Cow
ernor's porluisites SO much indeed, that wheh ue
Colonial Assembly had placed 1900 pounds at inc
dismissal of Lord Cornbury for foTtifyng the haroor'
that pleasure loving gentleman expended II lor
the purpose of erecting country mansion "n VI.
island, to which ne could retro from uie cars Va
state and amuse himself with horseraces, cocknghS
and other like diversions. The CITY al .i'at UNIV
stretched all the way from the Battery 10 "as|' anu
tho burden of its cares well the roar OF It's ac
made occasional retirement necessity TO the s'aps
in office. ,.
ppt Lord Cornbury's race-course on Governors
leland was not the first which had been opened under
Gubernatorial patronage The Eng!ishman OF %Uo
wears ago was as fond Of his horse and HOUNDS as To-
day. and one of the first things done by Governor
Nicors after the conquest Of New-Amsteruam was "
initiate the serious Dutch burghers into the mysteries
of the race-rack The Governor was shre"d ana co'l
cuatorv and after selecting tract at Hampstead
l. L. Oh the land then and for many years ai'eT"a'u
known as salisbury Plain he named the course New
,nsr,ot as a compliment to the mother country, ana
aatered the vanqushed by making provision that the
Governors Plate" should be run for every year. ior
the expressed purpose of improving the Du'ch OF
Flemish breed of horses. which the pride OF the
provincial farmers. The taste thus implanted mas
mover been lost on tho evacuation of New-York and
its harbor by the British forces, Governors lsIahd
became the perquisite of Governor George Clinton
who for some years before and afterwad subscribed
himself as the head of sovereign and Independent
State commander-in-chief Of Its army ana admiral ol
us navy and always stood stoutly on his pclosaNc>'
He leased the island TO DR.. Price, and this gentle
man proceeded TO pull down the earthworkS ths' ha'
been erected by the patriot and British forces from
time TO tme 10 build hotel, plant shrubs ana uce''
lay out a racecourso, and invite redeemed New-forA
he'd there for several years the lads and asses swan
in the exhnarang SURF the lovers promenaded under
the willows and though the lessee made money WHO
all the world Of tho little city enjoyed ITSELF Cover
nors Island had become TO all intents and purposes
public park
Before the century had closed the lurld light OF the
rcd warclouds in Europe was reflected on our de-
fencelcss coasts and amid rumors Of invasion Gov
errors Island was turned over TO the Federal Gov
ernment and city and nation joined in overthrowng
Its peaceful aspect 1t wild time and the panic
infected the staidest Of citizens. The professors and
students of Columbia College shouldered pick and
spade, took ship across the harbor. and laid The
foundations Of Fort Columbus as it stands To-Day.
Doubtless It would be stin gratifying TO the fac
uy and undergraduates Of today 10 restore the shrubs
and the gravel walks Of ninety years ago. and the
an!eaned would admire the sight of the scholastic
brain at work but the contractor-the great modern
power behind the thronc-w doubtless claim this as
bis pclquisite and he IS the style Of mortal wo Is not
afraid OF all the demons and spirits that dwell between
Communipsw and He'll Gate
Every inch Of the Battery Park is historic ground
Tie old fort from which It took its designation was
an eptome Of the history Of the little city and It's
changcfui fortunes. 1t bore the successive names OF
Fort Amsterdam, under the Dutch; Fort James under
The Duke Of York; Fort William Hcndrich during the
five years Of the Dutch restoration Fort James again.
unQef OONeflOT AHUIOSs was N"A'''~''N% ~ '4'- i'
governor Leisler Fort William in honor Of the Prince
Of Orange: rebaptzcd Fort william Henry at the
hands of Governor Slaughter, and finally settled down
10 Fort George under permanent English Occupation
The Mayor Aldermen and Commonalty" Of the days
that followed the Revolution had no taste Tor an
oulties and being of utlitarian turn OF mind voted
the removal Of the ancient structure In 1888, ana
planted trees on its site. IL was Just as well for TWO
generations made good of its pleasant walks, and
effp MIA fop nl
vocatve of many excellent matches, even among the
most cded sclons of Knickerbocker stock, until II
was invaded by the patois and bundles Of the immi-
grant and the sh1ll shrek of the locomotive. Within
the walls Of the old fort had stood church and the
Governors official residence, and In and about the
church had been buried some of tho chief mon Of tie
colony whose dust bad made It a sort OF Westminster
Abbey Here was buried Lord Bellemont, who died
IN Office as Governor of the colony in 1901, and here
he scpt oundy amid the tumult Of successive wars,
for more than fOuIscore years. When the fort was
taken down and the ramparts eyeiled his lcaden
coffin was removed and buried IN St Pau's church
yard.
Back OF the old almshouse and the Brdcwell. IN the
present City Hall Park, which known 10 the In
habitants Of New-Yori Of the last century as the
Common and was sometimes spoken Of as " In the
feldso stretched for many years neglected strip
Of ground overgrown with weeds and tho receptacle
for all manner Of rubbish, which was known as tho
Negro Buryins Ground. Hero were Inferred tho
bodies Of slaves feons and paupers, and the victims
of visltatlons of smallpox and yellow fever. until
such time as the city set apart the ground now
known as Washington Square rs a Poticrs Feld.'
These graves OF the unknown occupied the site
Of the new Court House and most OF tho
land on either side of It now devoted to
park purposes. and stretched across Chambers-st.
into the site Of tho stewart Building The City Hall
Park would have been much smaller than it IS now
but for the fact that the ashes Of the ctys paupors
projected the ground from the Spectator and pre-
served it for the delight OF the people. The grass
does not grow less grecnly nor the flowers show
less brilliant color because they spring from ttc
obliteraed graves Of the forgotten poor. And The