New-York tribune., 1902-06-08
Special Sale of Mems Made to Order and Ready Made Suits
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH.

There is some historical interest attached to
Owls Head, the estate of E. w. Bliss, in Bay
Ridge. to which public attention has recently been
directed by a somewhat groundess report that it
would be presented to the city for park purposes
The mansion itself is fitted up in such a as
to make it of the finest private residences in
Brooklyn The library is the room which appeals
particularly to lovers of history On the wall is
copper tablet upon the surface Of which is en-
graved the following:
AT conference held in this room on the second
day of December. A D. 1866, between Henry G.
cu a asreeen t. was ed da ahc resuted in
the passage Of an act by the he legislature Of Of the the
construction Of the New-York and Brooklyn
The tablet is framed. and bears. in addition to
the nscriptioni the seals of Kings County BROCK
Murphy was the former owner Of the estate.
To most persons not old residents of the city
who know little about the history of the bridge
except that it was opened in 1885, it will be sur
prise to learn that the idea of bridging the East
River first proposed in 1873 In that year
Thomas Pope an engineer with considerable
perience in bridge work, constructed a model for
single span bridge, which should reach from
Fulton-st., Brooklyn to Fulon-st.. Manhattan, and
be 6 ed m to ope pbhed 5de 5o G It
plotting his idea and soliciting funds for the work
of that day published editorials denouncing the
enough
arouse public sentiment IL favor Of a suspension
bridge was held. AS already stated, on April is,
1867, the bill providing for the erection Of the
bridge was passed. Less than a month later
May %, John A Roebng appointed chief n
gneer Of the company formed to carry out the
project. In the latter part of the work of survey
Mr.. Roebing's foot crushed in ferry slip and
he died Of blood poisoning in 1859. All the plans
had been definitely prepared. however, before his
death. and his son, Washington A. Roebling,
ceeded him and carried the work to a successful
end. Actual work was begun on January 2, 1872,
Unexpected obstacles were encountered however
and the bridge was not formally opened until May
pieted since and the Brooklyn plaza laid out Al
afford connecting link between the two boroughs
the original the old Brooklyn Bridge, will probab bly,
always carry the bulk Of the traffic.
Few people come to this city for the first time
without taking a trip over the bridge promenade,
time permitting. At time during the day can
a walk be taken from borough to the other
without encounterng scores of people who have
obviously out the bridge for recreation
and sightseeing. Many of them studying the
wonders of the steel marvel for the first time and
For residents of both boroughs the bridge prone
accustomed. IN pleasant weather to take occasional
some We'll known man has said that walk from from
end of the structure to the other and back
that may be, hundreds get pleasurabe exercise and
Soong @ a9fg ing 5ae Poad ard ~ T The
scopic scenes in the river below add in no small
to the popularity Of the bridge promenade.
Recently, however, the bridge has come to be
place be Stunned rather than sought. For this
the coal strike be held accountable the strike
which has caused the factories harbor craft to
resort the Of soft coal. The clouds of smoke
blowing out over the river from the factories on
side other, according to the direction of the
wind, are bad enough TO spoil the view and befoul
the atmosphere but the constant beching forth of
blankets of inky from the putting tugs and
other river craft they pass under the bridge
the span cars is now disagreeable enough and
thing to be dreaded but passing over the prom
enade is a thing to be avoided, and is of the
question as far as obtaining any pleasure is
cerned. Forecaster Emery of the Weather Bureau
said the other day that he found it impossible to
distinguish the bridge towers from his lofty office
Such conditions, he declared, had never existed in
the city before
1T Smith, grocer of Lovett, Ind, evidently has
queer ideas of the duties Of metropolitan Police
Department. He believes that the collecting of bills
is one of their functions. shown by a letter
which he sent Chief Inspector Mclaughlin
Gently In this letter it narrated that a certain
man in Brooklyn, whose address was given had
written TO Lovett. saying that he commission
merchant in the WaIlabout Market. and asking
that some eggs be sent to him to sell commits
sion The eggs were sent to the address given
case on March ! and another a week later. 'Mr.
smith wanted to know II Inspector Mclaughlin
could IL that some squire collected the
price of the eggs, as nothing had been heard
from the alleged commission merchant The letter
was handed over detective, but he did not sue
ceed In discovering the whereabouts OF any OF the
eggs or of the man who received them.