The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-11
ROMANCE IN DIRECTORIES.
10 1HS INITIITED, PICTURES OF
THE PAST 7HhONG 7HEfR pIGE.

In the whole range OF product from tho
printing PRESS" said n reflective New Yorker
the other day. there is nothing that seemins-
ly provides dryer or loss inviting material for
consideration than q lot OF old city directories
You will DO surprised. therefore, II tell YOU it
Is fact that nothing that has boon turned out
by bookmakers furnishes such an aiuring
study for those who chance to be fond OF
studying tho past than the same unromantc-
looking collections OF names and addresses
They contain matter that l guarantee will
furnish heaps OF entertainment for every
citizen whose name nppcars In the col ccton
OF names. III no cares to take the timo to
ram1le through their pages. / refer to tho
certain clues that tho addresses give to old
residences and localities. I myself have Just
spent most delightful day tracing back
through the all-but-forgotten directories for
the places In which I resided in years gone by
and found 1t ono OF the most fascinating
tasks for n day OF leisure that have ever
undertaken. 1t brought back the scenes aud
Incidents and memorles Of my youth with
striking force. and gave me nn opportunity to
study the impressive evidences OF the march
OF Improvement that within forty years has
changed the town from its old-fashioned
aspect to the cosmopolitan city OF TODAY.
The method OF research I followed can
hardly nall to entertain any ono who has lived
in the town any considerable length OF time
and had his namo included In the directory
lists. 1t will insure tho awakening OF pleas
ant memories and recall old scenes to any one
who cnros to mako the experiment
My first task WAS to discover tho locality
and present appearance Of tho place OF my
birth. discovered that thirty seven years ago,
when FIRST saw the light my parents lived
at l24 Spring street / went down there and
found that big SIX story brick business build
Ing. covering throe city lots at tho corner OF
Spring and Greene streets. had supplanted
the old-fashioned three-story and basement
brick dwelling that had been told stood
there when cnme into tho world.
Six years later. tho directories told me. tho
family Of when was the younge.t member
moved to "a Spring street. Ave doors west Of
my first place Of residence. This building Is
still standing and its appearance Is almost the
same rs then. A jewelry store replaces the
dwelling rooms on the first floor but other
wise the house is practically the same. The
sight OF the old-fashioned building brought
back the first memories Of the Gotham Of my
boyhood. Old scenes came back with singula
vividness. ! recalled the famous Domocra ratio
ratification meetings that were held in tho
heat OF rolitical campaigns in Union square,
Ana Enm how was taken TX, by my father who WAS
IO9 H. =, Tho war had lust broken ,3us
@ delightful boyish pastimc in the Old, fash.
were rosns Affairs hs c 1oM s'nr ns h hns
CHANGED since: Tor we don't have anything like
owe also sssxs slcEnn as
Burnum's Museum at Ann street with its tx:
ThuYS aod tho a the M s end
sS %p a OH F 'Ss
and one other wondors We're rcssied 9 az tho
lively x HyS Than there was the old TS
on F aSos thor us
sssssSps man VnS ND his sta9d Gs
ncroseopes set up on te tabes s ABOUND ihe
Whs5s T shs SDud
water or a. mystiiyas view Of IA mos "rat
aHd saturn through tho bis brass tube Of the
lived. was lined In those days with old. time
h" H. s mnds tSnnt with eol%rsd
Van Amberg' : circus whore Il man came out
In tIGnts and aston shed the small boys in his
Trusting his head in lion mouth nDh '0o' Ny
dross S74 Canal street. a building YET stand;
ing. but changed into a busin place. and
lions soS DAYS Ss"s S8s Ere DS
things in town in tho minds OF the juvenile
small to to R Rs s s
lsksdI ~ ~ ss%s 9thSs small ny for rim:
with loss, Violence md loss q blood, Tho ii:
family dwelling place to sli Br"adw S" asros 81
the way from which was tho gambling house.
81 May tnt an s "ns
visit to the spot last week showed that tho old
cumbcd to tho march OF progress Tho build
ing i nov "eeIniSd as ~ business pac. BY
been torn away to give pIace to y big. show
window 1t THs w Treit LIVED at 81 that
had seen tho attack on Mayor ondyke's
BACK t. me as i It ind occurred
down side street to tho avenue. and that
Tho mob dropped tho, bricks they had gath.
cred to ret ! i TIE b, residence and smash the
renrmbsr distinctly ' seenE tho S'a posemen
charging with drawn clubs upon the crowd
and TINT ono PARTICULAR hluecoat took me BY
SS from mn yam and NJ" ear Hsf me- ne
around thG snf and dropped DOWN
the cop said in kindly tone: You'd better run
home. to your mother. Scont as soon as IN"
crowd goes nr tn. avenue Then he went back
took his advice and scootodn rs soon as got tho
chance. Somewhere. about this timn Jak,
SHARP undertook to lay tracks for a railroad
on Broadway. These tracks stopped n: Four;
tecnsh street. and Wore subsequently ripped
up unceremoniously by indignant tJwnspeo-
lle. who did not then dream that business
would over .nncroach upon the district above
the square. This wasn region that was thon re-
gnrdnd as out OF town. and whcr" ] remember
well that once got hopelessy lost in IN after
noon rumple Tho square was Il hand some spot
In those old days, surrounded 10y the homes Of
wealthy citizens. who wore rcjoiced when the
Jake SHARP, hacks came up. some, blocks
down Broadway was then situated the first
home OF tho San Francisco minstrels. hallowed
by. memories OF those unctuous fun makers
Billy Birch and Charley Bnckus. and tho sweet
Of juyenlIs thoptregoers, Near iIh,is temple Of
lqne whore George L. Foxes Humpty
Dumrty' broke tho record OF. pnntommo
runs. which visited hundred times as II hoy
during thu pantomimes memnranle run.
The directory OF lSG, records II further
change Of residence to Fourth avenue aud
Twonty- eighth street. II region that has with
stood the changes of time s well ;lS some of