New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-31
WHAT BROOkLYN TALKS OF.
TOPICS OF GENERAL INTEREST On HE
LONG ISLAND SIDE OF THE
EAST RIVER

than DR.. Van Dyke. His death was even more sudden
than that OF Mr.. Pratt, few weeks ago. and Is all
the more startling because IT followed that SO coseS
ana came not long after the deaths OF MI hur'ns
and Dr. Kretzschmar, both Of whom were Ill only
short time. So far observation went DR.. Van Dyke
was In fine health. Certainly he looked forward to
years Of active life and work. his acceptance
Of his recent election to professorshp in the Union
Theological Seminary showed. Although he was an
earnest believer in the revision Of Westminster Con-
esscn of Faith, no questioned his orthodoxy
and there not the shadow of possibility that the
General Assembly In session at Detroit would have put
veto upon it. The approval of his appointment
would have been simple matter Of course. While
man Of much learning and an authority on questions
of ecclesiastical law and polity, DR.. Van Dyke took
little part In public afairs-no such part for example,
as the late Dr. Crosby did in New-York Brooklyn has
never been blessed with a minister endowed with the
same sort of public spirit that which animated DR..
Crosby Mr.. Beecher, of course. felt profound In
terest in large public questions, but devoted
himself to matters Of local concern or put forth special
efforts to improve the condition Of the city give IL
better administration. II IS no reflection upon DR..
Van Dyke to say this, for his activities turned in
different channel. He for almost forty years
pastor in Brooklyn, and his death Is loss to
the church to which he minstered and to the Presby
terrain body at large
The unwilling of the statue of Mr.. stranahan next
Saturday afternoon will be an occurrence Of great
interest TO multudes of people in Brooklyn. and II
the day is fair there is doubt that big
crowd will assemble at the main entrance Of Pros
pect Park to witness the ceremony and listen 10 the
eloquent words Of DR.. Storrs who is TO deliver the
Grafton. No more fitting selection of orator could
have been made. DR.. storrs has not only known Mr..
stranahan long and intimately but be has been
Park Commissioner himself. There has been some
criticism Of the site for the statue and II
certainly seems that better choice could have been
made. II Is not uniting. however, that the bronze
figure Of the creator Of Prospect Park should be the
first object to greet the visitors eye he enters the
Park gates. But that Is not point at which visitors
will be likely to pause and study the features Of the
Magician" at least those in carriages cannot well
do So lest they be ordered by the police 10 move on
because Of their obstruction Of the drive. II is not
often that public man enjoys the satisfaction Of
seeing his own statue erected by his admiring fellow
townsmen during his lifetime. That experience will
be Mr.. stranahans; and Of course Brooklyns First
Citizen will be the observed of all observers at the
exercises saturday. which everybody hopes he will
be able 10 attend
The streetcar lines which to Prospect Park have
had rush Of business on three days recently such as
they do not often have to deal with The crowds which
were attracted TO the Park a week ago yesterday,
when the coaching parade took place simply
enormous. Every open car that could be put In COM
mission used TO its fullest capacity and though
there necessarily good deal Of crowding and
Hundreds Of people had 10 stand, the utmost good
nature seemed TO prevail No accidents reported,
though when saw the number OF people about the
Wilnk entrance IL appeared almost impossible 70
prevent some Of them from getting hurt 1t was
uncommon thing for ninety or one hundred passen-
gers to be rung up7 single car when men,
women and children were hOmeward bound after the
show was over. As coaching parade the affair in
the Park was not much Of but the display OF
n uhfc vrprp
richly adorned with flowers was worth seeing II is
estimated that there $4,000 people in the Park
To one who saw the at the Flower Garden and
along the drives the southeast and south Side that
estimate does NOT soem exaggerated Anniversary
Day, on Wednesday, also drew many people PARK
ward and yesterday another big day. The 6tran-
ahan statue ceremonies will attract sill another mul
ttude next Saturday, though some OF the car lines
which carried so many passengers week ago will not
be available then. they do not run near the main
entrance Of the Park. In fact. there Is no direct way
of going from the Seventh, Twentythird and TWEEN
ty-ffth Wards or from the Eastern District, to that
mart Of the Parka defect Of transportation facilities
in Brooklyn that calls for a remedy
Those oueer creatures the Aldermen, have assumed
the responsibility of supplying themselves with direc
tories at the public expense. In public orce It Is
easy TO see that city directory is necessity and Is
no more than proper that the city should furnish the
various departments ponce sldtlOhs' OV'-' WIN WIZ
work Of reference SO, too, there would be no ooec
ton TO placing one in the Common Council chamber
To give each Alderman directory, however, Is simply
an absurd waste of money They might as we'll ask
the city to furnish them with set OF Dickens apiece
or with such literary works are presumably more ID
the style of the average Alderman. The matter Is
made all the worse by the provision that each OF the
nineteen Aldermen should also have an Elite Drec
tory so-called. at the public expense There seems
n he little doubt as 20 whether this last provision was
really included in the resolution adopted but the ex
pectation that the taxpayers will be called on 10 pay
for this extravaganza well as for the reguIay CITY
directories It is suggested that the Aldermen VIII hnd
the Elite Directory" Of value in learning the NAMES
of their aconsttooents.' That expense might be
saved however by furnishing them with lists Of the
registered voters which printed in pamphlets one
for each ward before every election.
The Bridge is a topic that will not down 1t is |
aluavs with u.s. The opinion of the New-York |
CORPORATION Counsel 10 the effect that in the matter OF
the recent increase Of salaries the trustees had no
mower TO delegate authority to committee Is both
interesting and important, and 1t may have farreach
ing consequences So far IN the increase OF salaries IL
concerned the action Of the committee Is dead letter
Cor the trustees did not their special meeting on
wednesday approve the report but laid on the table
The term of the present trustees expires to-day, ana IL
is uncertain how many of the members Will be re
appointed In the interest of the public none OF
them ought 1t not likely that the new Board
bowsoever Il is made up, will be eager TO take up the
a,arv question al an early day. What will be done
sbort the money already paid TO Bridge employees on
the new salary scale remains 10 be seen Since MI
Carks opinion was given it has come to light that the
trustees have for years delegated fun powers to their
committee the acton Of which has not been raul
fed at the trustees monthly meetings On the new con
str,c+ion of the law al this has been Illegal out IL
80 not annear that there is any 10 legalize 1t, u
lass po-sibv the approval of the finance committee
work in lump might be viewed as satisfactory Soin
ton of the difficulty.
Inst what the Long Island Water Supply Company Is
mn 20 now is not precisely clear. That there Is some
scheme on hand is certain. This is shown concm-
sively by the publication OF the correspondence DC
he