The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
THE GROWTH OF NEW YORK
THINGS a CENTENhRIIN MIG lit
? TELL OF MS BOYHOOD.

ana Aspects OF View Work Ono Hundred
Hears Ago-A PIciure bJ the Engineer who
Latd It Out - Rich Mon OF Rnriy Days.
The last census showed that New York had
at least four centenarians among her inhabit-
ants. Should one of these attend tho proposed
Charter Day celebration no might tell an
interesting tale of the city's growth. When
no was born New York was the nation
al capital. with a population of 10000 who
lived mainly below the canal, which, ut its
intersection with Broadway, was crossed by q
stone bridge. In his boyhood there was where
tho Clafln warehouse now stands In West
Broadway a largo orchard in which ducls were
fought. John Jay tho first, who lived in Col
lcge place, had just returned from treaty maxi
ing abroad. to the anger of Spain, to which Gov.
eminent no treaty had been offered. Conse-
~quently, concurrently with the return OF Jay to
receive the plaudits of his fellow New Workers,
there had also arrived Don Diego Gordoqui-
an imposing-appcaring Csstilian-as Spain's
first Minister to tho infant republic. New
Workers were then disposed to DO friendly with
Spain. where Law their hope Of shorries.
Seville oranges, and olive oil. Don Diego was
heartily welcomed by President Washington
and taken into the House OF Representative
by Secretary Of State Alexander Hamilton and
duly received.
II the Now Yorker had friends to visit in
Brooklyn at the close of the last century he
took a rowboat at the river stairs at tho foot Of
Wall street. II he walked up Broadway
from tho Commons no would pause to I'D.
mire at Astor place and Great Jones street
a row Of young French poplar trees freshly i'm
ported rs a compliment to the land Of Lafay-
cite, the recent guest of New York. II he
paused to take breath at the head Of what we
now know rs Franklin street he would see on
either hand, east or west, steep declivities-re-
mains Of which can still be observed, notwith-
standing much grading. From that vantage
place on Broadway he could see at the foot Of
the hill at tho point where now is the Criminal
Courts building, q large pond. on which canoes
would be skimming along in summer, or IL it
were winter with groups OF skaters on it. That
pond was then known as "the Collect" 1t was
fringed with trees and bushes and thithcr the
laundresses would repair to do their washing on
the banks Of the pond.
Whom tho new century began New York
city. boosted OF 60. 1000 residents and was fast
arousing new jealousies in Boston and Philadel-
phia. Duane and Itcade streets had just been
laid out. and a race had set in on the cast and
the west sides OF the island between Washing
ton street and Cherry in their progress north.
ward. In 1900, where now stands ]. p, Nor.
gan &-Co.'s banking house in Wall street stood
a night-watch house. Where is now the Nor.
timer Building at Wall and New streets stood
BecKer's tavern. Opposite to where is now
THE Sun building stood Grenzeback's deli
%catessen shop. Where is now the Tribune
building stood a low frame building running
along Nassau street and known both as Mart
ling's long room and the Tammany Wigwam.
II the centenarian as a schoolboy wished to
treat II little sweetheart to ice cream he would
take her to n garden opposite the park kept by
John II. Contoit. who subsequently in his con-
fectionery business elsewhere amassed a for
tune which n son of his who recently died in
creased largely and divided by will between q
daughter Of the late Recorder Hackctt (who
married Contoits step-daughterJ and"Ned"Hall.
n clerk Of tho Court Of Sessions. Where the
Aston House stands then resided Vice. President
Aaron Burr and Mayor Livingston, and in later
years Mayor Philip Hone also resided on the
same site. AS a Columbia College boy no doubt
the centenarian Joined IN the grand procession
got up by. the Columbian Order or Tammany So
ciety for the burial with honors of the bones of
the II. 900 Colonial and Revolutionary soldiers
who were imprisoned by the British on the
prison ships anchored off the wallabout or
where the navy yard is now. Congress had
failed to make an appropriation to disinter and
rebury the bones under a monument. although
it had been widely petitioned to do so; where.
fore tho Tammany Society raised the money.
The cornerstone Of the monument was laid on
April Is, 1908. after a procession in which the
Tammany Society led and military companies
and citizens joined. Joseph d. Fay, a promi.
nent New York lawyer-he who was the law
preceptor of Charles O'Conor-deIivered an clio.
quent and impassioned Grafton. His opening
sentences were these:
Upon this day we lay the cornerstone of n
lombard monument sacred to the memory of the
IL 900 patriot martyrs who fell victims to Eng.
lish greed and oppression. Hitherto their ashes
have been blown about like summers dust In a
whirlwind. But here what remains of those
ashes shall reDose and over them shall rise a
marble column 10 tell to future ages the.story !
of those who chose death in preference to politi.
cal slavery. Moreover, the curious mariner
shall, as he passes at a distance, point hither IN
silent admiration, and ~posterity shall call it the
Tomb Of Patriots"
Within the following month the vault was
compl ,ted, and in 1t were laid the bones which
had been disinterred. In another procession I'm
honor of the dead Mayor De Witt Clinton of
New York, the Trustees of the village OF Brook.
lyn, Gov. Tompkins, members of Congress. and |
military and naval officers participated. The
embcrs OF Revolutionary fires still were alive. |
ready to be blown into flame. and Great Britain |
on the ocean was perpetrating outrages upon |
American ships and sailors, SO that patriotic |
memories were keenly alive In the popular
breast. The procession was headed by q herald
mounted on q black charger, and in
his left hand he carried a black banner on
which was inscribed in golden letters, "Mortals
10000 spirits of tho Martyred Brave
attend us. Approach ye the Tomb of Honor,
Glory. and Virtuous Patriotism" BENJAMIN
T~ammany's Grand Sachem. was
OF the day. and DR.. Benjamin Dewitt
an impressive Grafton, which. as
read in these days, sounds artificial, but then
great admiration from hearers and
Next, amid the dead March,
played by the Navy iard Band, The collins were
proprietors OF the .horscboat ferry and of tho
hundreds of rowboats which carried New
clined to receive pay for fcrriage. Perhaps the
centenarian, In thinking OF that Wallabout
funeral march, will realize best the growth OF
New York.
New York next. n few years later. magnihed
herself over the naval war with England. Com.
speaking. war has always improved
this city. n the naval. The Mexican and the
buyer and money circulated. and while some