The Forrest City times., 1891-04-17
RELICS OF OLDEN DAYS.
IMPLEMENTS OF WAR AND
 PEACE IN AN OLD HOUSE.
Just Beyond the Sounds of Busy Street tho Home of Royalists, Tories, and Whigs Appeals With
 Its "Reminiscences.

Hidden away, md surrounded by towering business buildings on all sides, a few blocks from the City Hall,
 Brooklyn, is probably the oldest and most picturesque structure on Long
 Island. In the center of that peculiar and yet somewhat triangular block
 bounded by Hudson and Fulton streets
 and De Kalb avenue, it is passed and
 rcpassed by thousands every day. It
 has been on that very spot more
 than n hundred and sixty years. It
 was quilt just as the reign of the first
 George of England came to close,
 and tho lintels over the ancient doors
 still bear the feathered plume of the
 second George when he was Prince of
 Wales and heir to the throne of the
 house of Hanover. It is, therefore,
 quite as ancient as the line of which
 Victoria is the reigning representative.
 It has been the home of royalists.
 Tories and Whigs. and it is owned by
 descendants of the original occupants.
 1t has never passed from tho family.
 The building is . typical dwelling
 house of q wealthy citizen of the early
 days of the eighteenth century. With
 its gables and slanting roofs and noble
 vcrandas winding clear around the
 dwelling, with the tiny window panes in what must have been the kitchen. but which is now twenty feet below the
 level of Fulton street. the thick walls
 of solid masonry, and the treasures of other days in every room in the house, it is truly a plscc of memories and of contemplation.
 The fine old building was first owned by tho Debevoise family. then by the Maccombers, and now by tho Powers family. all lineal descendants ot tho first householder, Squire Debe- voise. Edward J. Sherlock. in his early life au ensign in tLe British
 navy. but for the last thirty years a true-blue Irish American citizen. is the present occupant Passing through a
 lane leading from Fulton street and hedged in summer days by dafrodils, marigolds, and peonies. the entrance Is reached. This looks like one of tho small doors in some Of the old English abbeys. and clustering above are run ming vines that have been there many years. The old-time chimney. tall and solid. was there before George Wash ton saw the light in his Virginia home. The solid mahogany door with its shining knob of brass was there when Patrick Henry fondtod his pink toes in his cradle with never thought of the heroics he was to hurl at the third George of England. Passing through this and through another door on the right the old front parlor of the Debe- voise and Maccombcr families. whole some in its dimensions, is seen. The striking feature Of this apartment is the great fireplace fiankcd by cannon
 left behind by Gen. Washington. when.
 on that memorable August night in
 l776. he slipped over to New York with his army out of tho reach of Sir Henry Clinton. Gen. Howe, and Lord | Cornwullis.
 Tho pillars and mantcl slab oi the great fireplace arc of black and white Italian marble. curiously carved by
 hand. and they must have cost pretty figure in those early days of American All ttltiQd&Ntd wal utttlH Pttu,
 with long handle and copper basin.
 hangs at one side of tho fireplace and
 looking sternly at 1t Is fine old paint
 ing of Old Hickory Jackson. beneath
 which is pinned n mourning badge | worn at his funeral. This is ot white
 satin. now ycllowed by time. with a
 border of black. md black rosette in ! tb., rnut.,r i,,,t hopaatn o hand r,f thc
 old hero. Revolutionary muskcts hang
 in the nichcs. Pushing aside the solid
 mahogany folding doors leading to the
 rear parlor. the second fireplace is
 somewhat smaller but identical in tho
 structure with that in tho front parlor.
 becomes tho interesting feature,
 On great shield. securely fastened.
 ero cutlasscs used at Trafalgar. black | Brunswick cavc.ry sabres that cut maay \ swath on Mount Saint John at
 Waterloo. ugly sabres that whistlcd at ! Palo Alto. and broadswords that mas
 sacred the last hopes Of tho Stuarts at
 Collodea. Close by on other shields
 are Irish bikes. used when the Orange King William waliopssd tue fugitive
 Jaraes II. at Boyue just 2OO years ago; | Algerian cimetcrs. as clean cutting as
 when Decatur's marines were bafoee Tripoii- and scattered herc and there
 are old English clocks with wooden wheels and mellow bells as sound As in tha.r youngest days. The moon's I phases aro depicted on one of thesA
 clocks. hut probably the choicest of tko sinc,piecas is tho clock built for the | olI Gardiner farm on Long Island in
 i7io Looking peacefully down on
 this >ceno is the great long telescope
 used by Paul Jones when. with the battered old Boa Homme Richard. he
 tackled tho crack English i4-gun Ser | Apis in the Straits of Dover.
 1, la delightful contrast to al these
 martial rotics Is dainty patten found when Mir. Sherlock first took possess
 sion. ], Is now covered sacrcdiy by glass. and the pink satin ribbons that
 fastened Il 10 the tiny foot arc almost
 As brtgh. as when in use. You can fancy the ptnk.chceked maiden. or tho l tender matron in powder and patches
 and tremendous hoops. tripping into
 her carriage to hc jolted to the neigh boring SQusre's homestead. and tho dainty manner wi.h which she slipped of the pattcns and In the high-hecled slippers of those days. far moro tower ing than those worn by tho most fash iouablc bello of today, joinod in the graceful minuet. Those pattcns were of leather. and were worn somewhat e sl nf AA1 ->~A