The Portland daily press., 1892-02-15
On Topics Of Interest Suggested by
Recent Events.
New FORKS Uptown Flight-Death of a
Typical American Soldier-The Aston
Baby Will Be Rich But Not to
the Extent of Sc, 100000.
COPYRIGHT, 1921

example furnished lately of the rapid
ty with which New York is moving up
town. The Grand Central, which is
Just below Third street, is mile from
the Battery, and when it was built it
was considered too far uptown. In
point of fact, it was several years be-
fore business reached that point in its
upward march, so this hotel started in
by being too far up town, and
is now closed for all time be-
cause it is too far down town. The
property is owned at present by Eu-
gene Higgins, son of the wealthy
carpet merchant, and when it is again
opened it will be as business houses.
1t is valued at $1,5o0,0 900. To re-
construct the enormous building into
stores and offices will cost $3.50, 900. w.
a. Hayman and Charles Sprague, the
lessees, have been losing money for
some time, not through any lack OF
good management, but simply because
the town has been steadily slipping
away from them. That part Of New
Yorlz-excepting only the Bowery-be-
tween Chambers street and Fourteenth
SbIScb Is THEORETICALLY oCcd 0o LII io3 diiSA
this historic hostelry is about in the
center of the gloom. The rent is $4,000
a year, and there was not sufficient in
come to meet this rental and the ex-
pense required to run the hotel. The
site is excellent for mercantile purposes,
so when it is reconstructed it will again
return fair interest on the investment.
The Grand Central will be missed by
many visitors, particularly persons from
the south and west, with whom it has
been for twenty years favorite stop
ping place. The southern trade was
the last to forsake it It lost this,
as it did other trade, chiefly on
account Of its location, and also
because the southern people of late
years have recovered from the ca
tastrophe of war and are able to pat
ronize the newer and finer hotels up
town. During the past few years the
southerners have been found basking
in the more gorgeous sunlight-though
it is mostly electric Hght--of the Hoff-
man house, the Fifth Avenue and the
Brunswick. Not a few of them pick
their teeth, without any false pre-
tense, in the shade of the still
more expensive Delmonico's; so, it
may be said that the southern
people, when they come to New York
these days, have the best that's going.
The Grand Central has for years been
the headquarters for masonic bodies
visiting the city, and this, with large
baseball clientage, has been for some
time it's main stay. 1t was on this site
in 1850 that the freemasons held their
great meeting in Tripler's hail.
Thirty years ago or more the Lafarge
hotel occupied this site, and part of
the same property was Tripler's hall.
In this hall Jenny Lind was to have
made her debut in this country, but, as
it was not completed when she arrived,
the golden throated songstress was
brought out in Castle Garden, now fall
ing to decay. Tripler's was an immense
place, with three galleries, and, after
Jenny Lind dedicated it to music and
song, it was the scene of many notable
gatherings. Beauty and fashion, as
they existed in New York at that time,
were often assembled in Tripler's hall
at some festival of song or public func-
ton. A fire completely Quilted this
place, and the regeneration brought
the Winter garden, occupying the same
spot now occupied by the immense lob
by and reading-room of the hotel. AS
Jenny Lind had achieved her first
American triumph in Tripler's hall, on
the site of this property, SO Edwin
Booth, in the Winter garden,
met with his first success as an
actor. The late William Stuart,
who had more faith in Booth
than Booth had in himself, engaged him
for a season at this theater, and the
Young actor scored such pronounced
success that the engagement heightened
into years. 1t was early in this en-
gagement that Booth played Hamlet
for one hundred consecutive nights, the
first long run in this country of any
play with the exception of "Uncle
Toms Cabin" During his stay at the
Winter garden, under the management
of Stuart, he also played Julius
Cesar with his brothers, Junius Bru-
tus Booth and John Wilkes Booth, in
the cast. He played here after John
Wilkes had assassinated Lincoln, and
his first performance after the event
was received with much bitterness by
many in the audience, because of the
popular resentment felt toward the
name Police were stationed in the
parquet and galleries and also in the
wings on the stage. The draft riots
during the war took place in the street
in front of this theater, and at the cor
ner of Broadway and Third, immedi-
ately above, was the scene of the blood
lest work.
Edwin Booths engagement at the
Winter garden made both himself and
his manager comparatively rich men.
At all events, Booth felt able to build
his own theater at Twenty-thi-d street
and Sixth avenue, although he over
stepped himself in this business venture
| and lost the fortune he had made at the
| theater downtown. Before Stuart
| and Booth left the Winter garden
William E. Burton moved in with his
company from the Chambers Street
theater, which stood on the site of the
American News Company's present