The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-15
BUILT FORTUNE FROM s.,pwascks
william Hinman'. Death Recalls an Old
Traffc.

Tranfc.
In speaking Of the death last week OF
William Human the NAv York Journal
says:
When he was born. 4s years ago,
Brooklyn was little more tina n stray
Cling and struggling settlement. The
water needed for household urposes
all came from wells: what are now
high-priced residential and business
th~oroughfares were then cow-paths OF
neglected wastes. and the site OF the
Long Island railroad station at Flat
bush and Atlantic avenues was so far
out OF town that only few people went
there. except on mastering day" when
the local militia were put through an
exhibition drill there. That very place
Is now considered too far down town
for an armory site. and the old armory
OF the 18th regiment stands there va
cant and neglected.
His father, also a William Human.
was born In tao country place where
his Oldest son IL to be buried. A coun-
try village was too small for him and
he settled In Brooklyn about so yea =
ago. With his brother he started in a
unique business which made them both
wealthy In a comparatively few years.
and when. at about the breaking out
OF the civil war. zach found himself
the possessor of what in those times
was considered a ~burdensome amount
OF wealth they retired from active
work. although each vas In the suntime
OF life.
Almost all OF the silk. cotton md
wooden fabrics used i'm this country
then were imported from Europe in
sailing vessels. the number OF steamships
tr~aficking the Atlantic being inconsld-
cradle. The sparsely settled south side
OF Long Island had among its deni-
zens many desperately bad and bold
men. whose chief source Of monetary
supply was the profits which came from
saving the cargoes OF Incoming vessels
wrecked on the beach. Life saving
crews were unknown In those days; pi-
lots were few in number, and an eN-
hausted and half-frozen crew approach
ing the coast I'm a binding snow storm
or on an unusually dark night would
hail as a friendly beacon a light which
had been set af!ame to lure them to
shipwreck.
Wrecks were numerous between the
Shinnecock Hills and Rockaway Inlet.
and the prizes cast up by the sea were
varied and valuable. From these the
elder Humans selected carefully and
purchased those which women would
buy. Dress goods. linens. %cottons. Han
nels, napkins. table cloths. bed cover
ings. bolts OF cloth-anything, In fact.
in the line OF textiles were what they
readily DOuGnt. WIN the men VINO
acquired this stuff they had no relations
except as buyers and sellers. and their
interests terminated with such n
ton.
As the city grew their trade grew
with IL. and they removed their BUSH
ness place to Fulton and Sands streets.
where the Bridge plaza Is now. When
the demand exceeded the supply of sal
able goods from wrecked vessels re-
course was had to articles which a
been damaged by a fire I'm a store.
Such a business now would probably
not prosper. II was originated by the
Humans. so far as relates to Brooklyn.
and when they retired there was no
TO continue Il. Love OF the free
dom Of country life was "A strong char
acteristic Of the senior William Hin
man. and he established his home In
the old-fashioned mansion on the west
side of Vanderbilt avenue.