The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
ALDERMEN OF THE A R
rHE oURFOUS BOARD THAT HEEIs
IN THE RAMBLE
Founded res Years ags with \ WeubsrShip OF
rive. usw rhere Are - Dppeu az WEIR. and
They nave FsuGht or the Police snd
an n,rr-aer. WureDt Once or Twtrr.

2 u ~ NI"MA
TIVE. usw rh~re Are - Dppeu sr Wsrr. and
Ther Have FouEht or the Police snd
All ratruaers Escept One, or rwier.
The casual visitor to Central Park and even
the regular habituS who boasts Of a familiarity
with its seuuestersd hooks and leafy highways
Ia perhaps unacauainted with one Of the Parks
most interesting features, the Board Of Alder
men. II Is the police who are most familiar
with this body. and they relate its history
with something like generation. The old gray
haired Park policeman with the stripes on his
arm. denoting a long service nut in on the Mail.
will tell one that it would not be the Park with.
out the Board OF Aldermen. Indeed. he likes
nothing better than to tell you its history.
1t was Just about ten years ago this coming
spring. according to the police. when a tall.
sedate-looking, whitc-haired German walked
into the Park and sat down on a bench at the
lower end of the Mall. Just as hundreds Of other
men Of the same description had been doing
aimee the Park was opened. But this old man
soon developed \ peculiarly in which he differed
from the others in the fact that he always took
the same seat. Hour after hour he would sit
smoking an old German pipe. reminding one OF
some good old Dutch Burgumaster. All day
long he would sit there by himself. blinking
through the thick smoke from his pipe. speak
ing to no one, content apparently in watching
the children playing in the sunshine. The
steady procession past him had no use for him
anu To MN they wore objects OF perfect inniner-
ence. Even the policeman CAME in for no snare
OF his attention. slight which was the begin
ming OIL a teud. ABOUT a week ne 't alone anu
then another old gentleman strayed from the
passing throng and sat down on the bench. He.
too, was a German and smoked the old pipe or
the Fatherland. An introduction was unneces-
sary. They we're friends almost at sight. Next
day both Of them appeared at about the same
time and sitting side by side they engaged in
b,atri discnssions .he smoke NJ chair mines
-. ...ai~...- - T,ta --.,.s.-
otteh ehVeioping them IKE some protecting
ALDERMEN. "a the old parry noIic,man will rail-
80, - - - - -. - -. -
you with many SNAKES OF MS heao "neh ne
thinks OF the trouble these seemingly inofrensive
old men have caused him.
Starting IN this unostentatious manner WIN
its two members the Board OF Aldermen has
,-,v, ipro n bo,v AZ IN, nj +,,oIr, E.v NJ ;tz
grown mo d oouy II zen q WE'VE. rev ol "s
louuuers II nulnoereu aLnonS THESE. Suue VI
them are lead. others have moved away, but
the r,r,pt sea-s m ~, bs,,b z,,rahn,v
a. - -.
Always reAuly nIied' ana TINS. ooo' "''houI inc
Formally of q waiting list. The two founders
NJ rho Venerable boIv did NOR star Iopp nm rho
go ..+ha rnn.a-~.t - 49, NJ w. 49,.
increase in numbers came the necessity Of get
hing mora commodious quarters and the nov.
year found them ensconced ON A longer bench IN
the vicinity OF the band stand. Here there was
n apr,atvhaf fp,yor aFar hue n nu,-a Tow ,nr
d 'omeWhHt longer stay ou' a Iesre 'or more
seciusioh ed tnem u move again Ih!s Time 20
sn;rit infac,ad ,.v nsnbs-s ~ rho b,, ~ A. IN.
-. .Ae 90 . : S"e
oider ones dropped out, anu so Tor ten years
they have steadily moved northward, keeping
,aca "a II vsr. with f., yr,,v,h NJ Tho c,,y
-" - =. T-o - -
ne Gau ue .Iunu y III u u~auiuiei oppo.ite
SevehtyLtourtn street. out whether their stay
mere VIII De IenHthy or nr.et Is not yet deter
ulineu. me 1oi!ceman on tne neat VIM IN.
uou'tOt- Ga "a SS"poeAlLuts lhaA nc > ~oiis
70 Set tnem our oy spring, o9t nlstory mas SHOWN
No one hns ever asked the Board OF Aldermen
wno IheE ar Inc ponce gave mem ~" ulSniIy
OF a name. Ii IS even q Question whether they
themselves, IRE aware Of their own tit!e. OF
necessLty tAe history or the members IS very
I'm nnIiacrrs., c1 wsss La = : naS 9esn; ny 'tuGr,
oe1n "at.eh 10 SHeir Gars: rom LAcss one
for its members mostly retired retail grucers.o OF
Lle .reEmnn ,fpc NAT . I3unu arphs me .o"er
por,tons or venues A ana q: ma they are
counIortanly. ennoWou Win TINS world ; goods,
anu n u.s. re n the torin or rea!
estate mere can pc no iouot- heh4 estate anu III
r.lie uLH SHemd-oT DhFt OF Insir
conversations. Fhe subject OF rea! estate Is al
Ways I1Aeh up at me commencement d the
hloIutiS Scss.on, iuu mos o. cue uAy = CON
Tnasa 10 ia ~ ~. ~ ~ y. .anu.
ilese ne tor tne most part on ne lower east
nouses. ocGaslona!Iy ne A.der'len assume I
very MYSTERIOUS ar IL Is a sign thar they are
a.seuHS'ns d lu!et J.p on a prospeStivh use IN
session. Large and vehement putFs ot smoEe
E7e mo me from me pipes. rOr ne A!tler-
men. IKE oIi S!CAoias edder; signify heir ap-
pronatlon or 1lsplsasure IN me frequency ana
Solurhe OF Their pu1s. Now ana men one VIII
maze tAe announcement mat ne mas Oought.
AIgy dppATeht,y aeNer sen.
me Regular session OF ne nohru oeSlns ABOUT
~ 'loch' II Is interesting 70 see tAn members
ssEassIInE n 70 me pnlhL az rendezvous. some OF
mem with me dignity " senator's. Others with
mat siouchlness ~ -RIi Indicative 9r men whose
means warrant 4 certain Negligence IN appear
tnCe. InSE never come together. eRSh or them
mas a cane anu pipe OF herman workmanship.
presumably a tribute TO the memory OF The
!ounueF OF me BOARD: WIN me exception OF a
WIZ u SreStI"s' nOLulnF - saIu intA the pipes
nave osen nIIeh. AFTER ms solemn ceremony 3
Gonctu.eu sne conversation Is starred; SenrrR.iy
upun 10 wfaSner' Out almost fnvhFlapIy ending
w WIN reh! esthte. a. noon \ recess is sakea.
anu INC Hemoers SLOWLY struggle away. They
~ n"CA Wy - cioGh n the same oti place. the
shMe torLn4-4tI or HIllnS inc pipes IS gone
IEnuih HtLni anu once more the air Is 1lIed
WI ILeIr TX
rug EohuitIoh OF ths farx IS carefully looked
MO .! me BOARD anu occasionaIly a short tour
or Inspection IS taken. The PARK policeman
GfItTllly DTlutnLlV retreat when FhA 81 hFr,ir NJ