Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-01
BORN With THE YEAR
Advent of Greater New York Her.
aided With Great Glee.
no DIRGE FOR TIE DEPARTING CITY
Opportunity Of the Enlarged Mu-
nicipaIity for Good or Evil.
NEEDS OF NEW BOROUGHS
pecinl Correspondence Of The Evening Star

special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
NEW YORK. January ], 1898.
Inc chimes of Old Trinity seemed to take
on more mellow tone a more important
piteh last night, as they rang out to the
midnight hour; to the birth of a munici.
patty or more than three million souls:
| to the second city in the universe, and to
one OF the most mementous occasions in
the history Of the new world. No dirge
was sung to the death of the old city: there
was festival of joyousness and music
on every hand to the birth of the new
| A great city was swallowed I'D, a greater
arose, and the people held a carnival of
neo. Gathered around the central
point or celebration was a solid mass of
humanity, packed so closely that IL seem
ed almost impossible at first glance to
extricate each individual Everywhere
was music and din; order and disorder; but
everywhere was spirit manifested to
extract as much glorification out of the
occasion as possible. Strains of beautiful
melody would be lost in the blare of tin
horns or the sharp whirr Of rattles; the
marchers of the professional line would
De joined by the marching spectators
pandemonium taking the place of harm ony
and scramble the place of organized ef-
Tort. The usual voluntary New Year eve
outpouring of the people had something
besides Trinity's chimes to enthuse over,
and their effort was above reproach.
How many of the bowling. shouting thou
sands realized the exact significance OF
the passing and coming of the two cities?
How many realized that while they were
tearing up the atmosphere with demon
STATIONS of enthusiasm, that the name ~
their domlcile was changed and the centers
OF population and area were moyed with
out motion or disturbance. With the ring
ing of the midnight hour the geographical
center OF New York was moved from Mel
| rose station. in the borough of Bronx,
eight miles south, to the crossing of Metro
Eolitan and Grand streets, in the borough
of Kings: the center of New Yorks pOpu-
lation. formerly at 42d street and Park
! avenue, was moved TO the intersection of
houston street and Avenue b.
Held I'm Tammany's Paws.
And over this vast. new city the Tam
many tiger has today spread a soft. velvety
paw. OF course there are long. sharp claws
concealed in their velvet sheaths, and
sooner or later the new city is expected to
feel them in its vitals: but, today, they
We're carefully drawn in, and the beast. so
far as formal official ceremony was con-
cerned, purred gently and soothingly in sat-
:slaction and assurance. For the official
inauguration of Robert A. Van WICK as
the first mayor of Greater New York was
most democratic in its simplicity: the in
auSuration of Tammany, politically was
another thlng, and we will speak of that
later on. Whether for effect or from nat
ufal inclination Mayor Van Wyck would
consent TO nothing but the most informal
OF formal inaugurations, the total cost of
W1lch was possibly S}U0-the amount an
propriated by the board of aldermen for
decorating the interior of the city hall II
was the custom, years ago. for half OF the
city to visit the mayors office on New Year
day and shake the hand of the chief ex-
ecutive. But time began to make a change
| forty years ago, when ID. F. Tiemann was
mayor, and when William F. Strong took
ONCE the good old custom of New Year
calling was thing of the past. Hugh j.
Grant, when he took Office, in 1889 was
greeted by about a hundred of his friends
who paid tribute to him with punches and
horseshoes OF flowers. and the little cere-
mony performed by them in his honor was
the last piece of formality in connection
with the inauguration of a mayor. Today
there were few words of SURRENDER on the
part of Mayor Strong; brief reply by the
new executive; the greetings of few
friends, and then began business. for, ;.c-
cording to the pronouncements of Richard
Croker and his mayor, this is purely
business administration
Six Mayors Furnished by Tammany,
OF the ninety-two mayors of New York,
Mayor Van Wyek is the sixth to be drawn
from the Tammany organization in the last
forty years. This is not generally under
stood; IN fact, an erroneous belief exists as
to the frequency of Tammanys power. The
--'S eAoNiS pAVScuibS W ych were. JOhn
L. Hoffman, elected in 1865: A. Oakley Han
in 1865: w. III. Wickham, in 1874: Hugh j
Grant, in 1855. and Thomas f. Gilroy in
lS92 Others We're elected by Tammany
votes, but they were outside of the Tam
many organization, was the case with
Daniel r. Tiemann, who was mayor IN lS5s
and who still lives, hale, hearty and pic.
turesque at the age of ninety-three. with
recohections OF the laying of the corner
stone of the tigers lair; Smith Ely. who
was nominated by the Decorate Union and
lndorsed by Tammany. and Abram S. Hew-
ltt, VINO was nominated by Tammany al
thouSh ne was member of the county &C.
mocracy. Or the n.nety-one mayors OF the
old city OF New York, there are but ten liy-
ing. as follows: Daniel r. Tiemann, 1853
90: a Oakley Hall. ls69-72: Smith Ely,
r. Grace, 1SS1-'S2; Franklin Edison. lss3-'SI.
Abram S. Hewitt, 1SS1-'ss; Hugh j. Grant
1Ss9-'52; Thomas F. Gilroy, 1894: Will.
lam L. Strong. 1851
What the Change Portends.
So much fer the official Inauguration of
Mayor Van Wyck. Now let us look at the
political charge-the Inauguration of Tam
many.
The old cider changeth, yielding place
to rev." The republican reform admins
tration of Mayor Strong has been succeed
ei by the Tanmany Hall administration of
Mayor Van Wyck. The springing into be-
ing OF the SecC nd largest city in the world
has attracted general attention in all lands
January 1. 1898, will pass into history as
the greatest day in the history of the me-
tropolis of the western hemisphere. Natur-
ally people want TO know all about the
masters of this metropolis. They are anx-
ious TO know what use these public sery-
ants will make of the positions given
them; what they will do with the talents
turned over to their keeping. Since the
bitterness of the recent election has died
away, it is perhaps only fair to say that
leading republicans from Cnauncey NJ. De-
pew down are disposed to give the Tam
may Hall tiger fair show" 1t is useless
to disguise the fact, however that among
business men and students, men of Thought
and action there is an undercurrept of an
prehensiOn. This undoubtedly grows out Of
the belief that the tiger cannot change its
spots in day.
That Tammany Hall is stronger todav
than ever before in its history even repuh
licans admit That ii is stronger than !,
will ever be again even the members of
the wigwam admit New Year day. ISsS
witnesses the tiger at the height of its
strength, and Richard Croker the ..boss"
of the organization. at the zenith of his
power. Now, that the appointments of
Mayor Van Wyck have been announced.
now, that the disappointed and disaffected
elements will be given a hearing: now thai