The record-union., 1896-04-26


shall employ them to fill, load and carry
away the same.
It will be noticed by the above laws
that slaves were still held in New York
City. They were not very numerous, II
is true, but the custom did not entirely
die out until several years later. New
York City had at this time about H.
600 inha bitants and about 1000 build
ings. Surely a very small town.
The institution of the carmen, as
mentioned above, is something of which
no vestige now remains. These were
the public carriers, and the prices they
were allowed to charge for carting loads
of various kinds of goods were carefully
fixed by law, and heavy penalties were
attached for the crime of overcharging.
These carmen were licensed by the
Mayor in 173S. the number being limited
to 100. 1t does not appear that they
paid anything for the license to work
under regulated prices, but they were
required to fill up and repair all holes
and breaches in the streets when de-
manded by the Mayor, without pay, or
else be turned out of their places
Some of the other curious enactments
regarding these Garments duties, show
ing that no detail was overlooked, are
as follows.
And be it further ordained, that each
cart employed for the carrying of any
goods, merchandise, firewood. or other
things, within this city, shall be two
feet, eight inches wide and three foot
high, under the penalty of three shil-
lingS.
And be it further ordained, that no
carman presume to ride or drive his
cart within this city above an hour
after sunset nor above an hour before
sunrise, without special license from the
Mayor, under the penalty of twenty
shillings.
Be it further ordained, that no car
man do ride in his cart in any of the
streets within this city, nor drive his
cart a trot in the street, but patiently,
under the penalty of twenty shillings.
Be it further ordained, that no boys
or negroes do drive any cart for hire or
wages within this city, under the PEN
atty of three shillings.
The said carmen shall carry good and
sufficient loads( that is to say, as much
as can be conveniently slowed on their
carts and is reasonable for horse to
draw, under the penalty of three shil-
lingS. And that no carman do pre-
sumo to load or carry in his cart at one
time more than one hogshead of rum
or one hogshead molasses, one hogshead
of sugar, one pipe of wine, or hogshead
or pipe of any other strong liquors, and
that no greater quantity of liquors shall
be loaded or carried in cart at one
time in smaller casks than what will
contain 40 gallons, under the penalty
of six shillingS.
If any carman shall neglect or refuse
to ride and employ his horse and cart
for any person when required (when he
and his horse and cart are not other
wise employeO, such carman shall for
every such offense forfeit and pay the
sum of six shillings, current money OF
New York, to the party grieved, with
such costs and charges as shall accrue
in the recovery thereof.
If any carman within this city shall
neglect or refuse to carry away out of
any of the streets, lanes or alleys of
this city on the south side of the Fresh
Water any carrion, CUTS, garbage,
oyster shells, dunghills, ashes, dirt, soil
and filth, being thereunto required by
any of the inhabitants of this city, shall
for every such offense forfeit and pay
the sum of ten shillings, current money
aforesaid.
The following law, however, is one of
the most surprising and singular of the
lot. 1t refers to the old custom, long
since abandoned, of employing persons
to extend invitations to funerals.
Evidently these "inviters," as they are
hon Of oh I'M o.
exorbitant fees, for the corporation saw
fit to regulate the practice, which it did
in the following peculiar manner, not
by the number of persons invited, but
by the age of the deceased.
Be it ordained, that the fees of the
persons who are the Inviters of Funer-
ais be and are hereby regulated and es-
tablished in manner following, viz: For
inviting to and attending at the funeral
Of every person of 20 years of age and
upwards, eighteen shillings. For every
person above II years of age and under
20 years, twelve shillings, and for every
person under u years of age, eight
sf1llings, current money of New York,
and no more; and that the said In
viters shall take notice hereof and con-
fern themselves accordingly.
No persons but freemen of the city
could keep a store or do mercantile
business, as seen in the following law
which also regulates the price to be
paid to become freeman of the city.
Be it ordained, that no person or per-
sons whomsoever, within this city and
liberties thereof, do keep shop or sell or
expose to sale any goods or wares by
retail, or exercise any handycraft, trade
or occupation, but such as freeman
thereof, or so admitted by the Mayor
Recorder and Aldermen, or by the
Mayor or any four or more of the Alder
men in the Mayors court or in Common
Council (after legal warning given to
the contrary, under the penalty of five
pounds for each offense. And all per-
sons hereafter to be made free of this
corporation shall pay for the freedom
thereof as followeth, to wit: Every
merchant, trader or shopkeeper, the sum
Of three pounds of current money of
this colony, and every handycraft
tradesman the sum Of twenty shillings,
of like current money, for the use of this
corporation, with the customary fees,
on being made free, as aforesaid.
The style of the Bowery fences was
also regulated by law. I'm recent years,
however, the fences have been of a
totally different character, but also
regulated by law. In 1913 it was or
dered that all the fences in the Bowery
division be made and upheld in manner
following: The outside fences to be not
less than four rails and four foot and
half high, and the partition fences to be
not less than four rails and four foot
high. And all persons concerned are
hereby required to take notice accord
ingly."
An early traveller Professor Kahn