The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-07-07
NEW YORK LETTER.

trasts. The one with a very much
larger area contains 514 people whose
u aggregate wealth amounts TO 100000
600 The other, covering % per cent
less ground space, shelters 1888 per
sons, or six times as many as the rich
est block. And the aggregate wealth
of these 1858 persons is about $780,
600 or one-thousandth part as great
as the other. In the one each person
on an average $S00OO0 The
incomes on this, figured at per cent,
Is $50 1000 per annum for each man,
woman and child In the block. In the
other the average is about 500 per
son, or an annual income Of S4 figured
on the same percentage. The differ
ence Is startling enough to satisfy any
body.
The richest block is that bounded by
Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth streets
poorest is bounded by Second and
Third streets and Avenues Il and Z.
Within the limits OF the Fifth avenue
block live John d. Rockefeller with
his $500, 00,000, and DR.. Seward Webb
and H. Mckay Twombly, representing
between them $75,000,000 of the Van
derbilt hoard. Mr.. Rockefeller's resi-
dence is at No. A West Fifty-fourth
street, which is shown in the picture
The Twomblys and Webbs occupy the
entire Fifth avenue front of the block
with the exception of the space taken
up by st Thomas's Episcopal Church
on the Fifty-third street corner The
TWombly house is on the Fifty fourth
street corner, and Or. Webb is next to
the church. Mr.. and Mrs. George
Crocker, of the great millionaire fam
ily of California. live at No. Is West
Fifty-fourth. Henry T. Sloane, anoth-
er Vanderbilt connection, lives at No.
46 West Fifty-fourth. and the other
residents on this street, many of them
millionaires many times over are IL.
NJ. Alexander, John j. McCook. Will
liam Bryce, Jr., William W. Skiddy,
Edward La Montague, John w. Ait
ken, the famous dry goods merchant;
Isaac Seligman, o. d. Ashley, jay Solo
mon, John Il. Totten, William L. Par
IRISH, John NJ. Fraser, Frances Koch.
John L. Comey. And this list can be
swelled up to many more of the same
sort.
ON the Fifty-third street front of the
block lives the Rev. DR.. John Brown,
rector of st. Thomas's said to be the
wealthlest clergyman in America;
Theodore B. Starr, the millionaire
1eweler, of Fifth avenue; Benjamin
Stern, Of the famous dry goods house;
Julian l.. Myers, DR.. Ramon Gintero5,
and dozen or more other mlllonaires.
The 514 people in the block spend for
living expenses in one week as much
as the 3,35S in the East Side block
spends In year Despite this fact,
however, 1t is doubtful il the million
aires get as good time out of life, on
the whole. as do the East Siders. There
they work hard and make little, but
what little leisure they have they make
the most of in social way. leaving
worries TO take care of themselves.
Reduction in Death Rate.
The reduction of the death rate in
this city to 2l54 as against 2310 in
1895 and an average of 26.63 for the
five years Immediately preceding, was
due chiefly to the fact that the number
Of deaths caused by infectious diseases
was considerably diminished. 1t is
noticeable that the morality percentage
In diphtheria has been cut down from
30.46 in 1898 to 1883 in 1896. The
number of deaths in tenements was
less last year by I per cent. than in
1895 and less by nearly II per cent.
than the average for the five preced-
ing years. These and other facts ex=
hibited by the record emphasize the
value of an efficient and progressive
Health Department and also show how
he public health is benefically affected
by clean streets.
Horseiess Carriages.
Automobile carriages propelled by
electrlcity-wlll In a few weeks be
rolling through the streets of New York
In public service The Electric Car
rage & Wagon Company, represent
ing combination of New York and
Philadelphia capital, has perfected de-
signs for motor hansoms and coupes
The company expects the vehicles to
speedily demonstrate their success,
and will increase the number in ser
vice to several hundred, In the belief
that the electrically impelled hansoms
and cabs will largely supersede the
horse-drawn vehicles now in service
Clubs and Associations Multiply.
Judging from the surprisingly large
humber of clubs and associations that
have been formed in New York within
the last twenty years, the names of
which alone cover more than eight of
the finely printed pages of The City Di-
rectory, the impulse to cltb together
for some purpose must certainly be
strong. Whether this be for the trans
parent cornwall purpose of the eight
hundred and odd Raines clubs. SO
frowningly defined by Judge Beekman
in his famous definition of what con-
stitutes club. or for the more legiti-
mate If less apparent purpose of the
strictly social clubs, seems to make as
little difference as the alleged common
bond of singing does in the internal life
VI our olu 1eTludu CLUBS, the aFlOn ana
Liederkranz, as long as the main pur-
pose of meeting others of the same set
is attained.
How true this is may be inferred from
the fact that whenever some new sport
or fad creates new community of in
terests. clubs cultiyating such interests
at once spring up like mushrooms over
night. Thus. we have an untold num-
Der of bicycle clubs. few of which can
boast OF an age exceeding five years.
while in the face of such competition
no less than thirty golf clubs have re-
Gently been formed In the immediate
of New York with fifteen more
to come, of which only the St Andrews
and Shinnecock Hills date back further
than two years. CYRUS THoRP
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Prof. Starr, of the University of Chi
cago, insists that the American people,
n no txNtn Tn