New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-22

Of the Eayaid 'dinl.v, Nis bPNNHu We nu'N""''
between the Eowcry and broadway. aid stretching
IN To- As,or Place was occupied by the famous
vauxhall Garden. q resort much ianNod by TIE gay.
An emiaencc In TIE garden was known as baVaFd
Mound. or Bunker li!li. and probably more w'd"y
known by the latter name al that tine than 'he h''
toiic ground where the first sacrifices were oHe:ru
TO tho cause Of American liberty. Tals Naaha''":
Bunker HI Is now leve.lcd. and near tie po!"i
where It's crest arose passes Br01mest III. III TIE
oldcn time. when the wasting century was yoN2-. re
Usage Indians used - camp on The III IN the cara ~
bnild council fires and hold pOw-wows. All tae town
went forth see. ard Dr.. samuel Lat@rop Ni'cHe.
who loved nothing much indian folklore. ana
who was hrh in The regard - tic osages. used 10
interpret the proceedings TO the pale'Ace groups
The Indians had Il song with which they were wont
10 fire aaow tie nlcaering spaik Of hope ana am
biiion. TA!s was the refrain. as voiea By Dr.
Mitchell:
The sin 50 in night: the s'e:' sam the DIV;
Eat glpry unfiding can never decay.
II may have been u false song IL may have h'd
out hopes that never 10 be realized. Eat II ap
pealed TO fine sentiment. and something OF the same
spirit which moved the Indians 10 protest the inmor-
tally OF their fame now urges old New workers. all
who are OF the past and who find pleasure IN asso'
cation and "reminiscences 70 CIV out against the Tam
many vandalism which has doomed the City Hall.
For Itself n thing of architectural beauty. as
q building OF exquisite proportions. imposing In ire
appearance II presents from the outside. and exceed
ingly lovely inside with Its lons corridors. rs sphe
rcidal dome. It, winding staircase lis galleries ana
handsome chambers.-loOke at merely aS IA specimen
OF the builders art in the years preceding our sec
ond british war. II should be- saved while from the
historical point OF view. seeing how Il links the new
New York with tie old It's destruction VIII be nothing
less than n pablo crime. Since It's corner stone was
laid New York has grown from city OF 10000 PEG
pie 10 u city Of nearly 100000. If that historic
block had TO and tongue TO tell IL
could give an of the great duel between Ham
Nton and Burr the prince of statesmen and the prince
q, Adventures IL could describe the acting OF
Kean and Mathews George Frederick Cooke and Mrs.
Oldmixon. II could describe the proud hSure o! De
Wit Clinton. he poured the waters OF Lake Enc
into the Atlantic Ocean, and saw his great "of"
done" the union oI our American Mediterranean
with the sea-" q; work that even the hr-sigh,cd
Jefferson had ridiculcd shaving been begun cen
tury too SOON II could tell Of the visit Of Lafayette
bringing into the famous Governors Room memories
Of the dark days Of Brandywine, the brilliant das III
Monmouth and the final triumph at Yorktown.
In the stately chamber where Mayor Groy and his
master now figure the millions Of plumber to be gained
from the destruction Of this old City Hall ana the
erection in lis place OF Tammany pile. there nave
sat such men Edward Livingston MarlnuS Wilie't
william Pauldng. PHILIP Hone, Waiter Bovine, James
Harper Cadwallader Golden. Isaac L. Narian ana
william F. IIavemeyer While up and down It's marble
steps and along It's corridors have passed six genera
John Jacob Astor In his prime when the City
Hall was built and could have watched Its gradual
rise frcm the windows OF his house In the centre OF
the block where the Trinity farmhouse used TO be
and the Aston House now Is. Colonel Burr. Avlng
In state at Richmond Ill., was still powerful, II not
popular. though In the ten years that passed from
1909 10 1872. while the City Hall building. his
fortunes underwent all the changes madcap fate
could invent The brown, free stone OF which the
foundations were built s,lll lying around the
park when on that fa,eful July morning in 1904,
Burr and Hamilton met at Weebawken II was the
last OF Hamilton but it was also the last Of the
duel as an American method OF determining private
ouarrels and In a most mOurnful sense 1t was the
last OF Burr.
Escaping the vigilance Of lamOn's friends. he
hurried back TO Richmond Hill. declaring that he
"d!dn't think the little fellow hurt much. any
how and while angry pursuers were securing the
country around Iloboken. in the belief that he had
attempted 10 escape through New-Jersey lie was
calmly lying In HE bath at Richmond Hill reading
Ro,sseau's "COnfessiOns.'
Stone rising upon stone and the outlines OF
the city building were easily seen when bGfr was
dis,ing his dreams O' conquest and empire into the
ardent mind Of Blennerhasset. stepping falsely with
each move until be lodged himself utterly bereit
Of fortune and friends. In a Federal Jail ut Kch
m, nd After his gcquttal and flight to France
whence with every mail came storms Of angry de-
nunciations OF those who hud abandoned him ana
piteOus appeals to his creditors. he lived the nope
less Life Of an exile. detested and poverty striken
But his was the mete that Knocked adversely, and
he returned In full time TO witness the construction
Of the cupola the placing Of the statue Of Justice
On its azure height lie had sold Richmond I'LL
10 John Jacob Astor but with Characteristic craft
had inserted In the deed clause providing for It's
return to him under certain conditions The original
Aston was not often caught, but Burr caught him.
and held him firmly. AstOr's neglect to read that
wifi new
lust about the time when Mayor De Witt Clinton
moved into the City Hall, Purr began anew bis
struggle against fate. At the last 1t was compro-
mise. lie had lost public respect. his intensely
loved Theodosia and his grandson. her boy, on
whom all his finest hopes were fixed. But he won
money and such as money could buy.
The appearance Of New.York during this period. or
taking the years 1sO5lO proper mean. was little
suggestive OF wonderful metropolis which surrounds
the City Hall to-day. The population was about
10000, and the annual municipal expenditure about
SlS0,0OO, about 81 per capita. Now we nave
fewer than 1000 900 Of people and spending very
nearly $50 900 900 year. about S2o per CAPITA
something OF q difference. Then there no public
debt. Now we nearly Sl0O,O00OO0; having
added &10OOOOO0 last year and arranged 10 add ten
and perhaps fifteen more In 1893. These are The
blessings Of Tammany government. In THIS oldch
time the City Hall Park marked the extreme northern
limit Of the town proper. There. were 8 number Oh
country houses in the estates beyond but they were
remote from the hum Of trade and passage. Broad
way was paved almost TO Leonard'st. and with Pearl
n ana Wan Street. constituted the promenade OF
fashion. The Park had ceased 10 be q scrubby com
mon. II contained all the space between Park Row
ana Broadway from their Intersection TO Chambers
st. II was filed with majestic trees, famous BABY
lopian willows noble oaks. sycamores. horse chest
nuts and Lombardy poplars. There a splendid
move OF willows. The children OF ages the plot
where the Posofce stands TO offend and DISTRICT
hat &c cale Cd the Hall 40 ReF0
lived IA those days debtors prison and
wos kept reasonably well flied. On the broadway
ds Of the park. opposite the debtors prison. stood the
ola Brdewell. or city prison. and the almsholse had
occupied the plot where the City Hall build
Ing The municipal Offices for many years tad been