Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-24
KNICKERBOCRERS' BIRTHDAY
Two Hundred and Fifty Years Old, but the
Town Doesn't Look It
HOW THE EVENT WILL Be OBSERVED
New Workers Invited to Celebrate the
A~nniversary of the Day New
Amsterdam was N
Civn Government.

49, 49, 1870 4A111a
out the week New York City will celebrate
In various ways the 10th anniversary of
the granting of the city's charter. II is
also known as home week" for the wan
dering sons and daughters Of the metropo-
lis and many of them are expected to par
ucipate In the festivities. There will be
no fatted calves prepared for the prodigals
officially, but there will be an abundance
of the necessaries Of life to make the visit
memorable. The Official menu is strictly
mental, consisting of public addresses, his
torical lectures and stereopticon exhibitions
Of scenes from the old and the new city.
Proclamation of Mayor Low.
The proclamation Of Mayor Low calling
attention to the celebration and It's object
s Of interest. Says the mayor:
''On the I'd Of February, 1868, Governor
Peter Stuyvesant of the province OF New
Netherland issued a proclamation granting
the privileges of city government to the
then city Of New Amsterdam. Two CEN
turtles and a half have been added to the
worlds story since then, and the little city
Of New Amsterdam, later known for a
season as New Orange, and now become
the proud city Of New York, still dominates
the noble bay and the stately rivers that
marked It for the site OF the great city
even In that early day.
THE handful of populatlon-about 1000 in
number-who greeted with acclaim the
proclamation Of Governor Stuyvesant es-
tablishing municipal government here, has
grown to be a vast multitude of more than
a,5O0,O00 souls.
Many vicissitudes have befallen Man
haitian island and our country in this long
interval. but the city OF New York greets
this anniversary year as a city that is in
spired alike by the stirring memories Of its
past and by it's conhden anticipations~ of
a still more glorious future.
In no spirit Of unworthy pride, but with
grateful recognition of the Divine blessings
that have made our beloved city what It is,
/ call upon the people Of New York to make
the week beginning May "a and ending May
30. which has been designated by the board
of aldermen for this purpose. a gala week
in this city, in vcelebration of this interest
ing event. During the whole of this week
the citizens are requested to fly their flags
from dwellings and buildings of every de-
scription; the newspaper press of the city
is asked TO bring home to the people a
sense of New York's long history. and the
ministers Of religion are requested at their
usual places Of worship to remind their
hearers OF the event that is being cele-
brated and to invoke the Divine blessing
upon the municipality.
1T is hereby ordered that the flags shall
be displayed upon the. school houses and
upon every city building during this entire
week, and the Board of Education is re-
quested to provide for special exercises in
every school in the city on the 18th Of May,
the day upon which the granting of the
FIRST city charter will be celebrated in the
aldermanic chamber, so that the children
OF the city may have a realizing sense Of
the long history OF New York and be filed
with the public spirited desire to be worthy
citizens OF such a city,
Ceremonies in AIdermanic Chamber.
The celebration will begin with the ON
cial ceremonies In the aldermanic chamber
In the city hall, Manhattan, on Tuesday,
May q, at 8 p. m. Mayor Low will preside
at these exercises and the grafton will be
delivered by General James Grant Wilson,
president of the New York Historical so.
ciety.
81 Among those who have been invited to
the oficial ceremonies are President Roose-
welt. the members OF his cabinet. Governor
odell, Lieutenant Governor Higgins, the
chief justice of the United States supreme
court, the chief Justice of the court OF ap.
peals of this state, all the ex-governors OF
this state, including. OF course, ex-Presi
dent Cleveland. SENATOR Plat and Depew
all OF the ex-mayors of the city OF New
York, and also OF Brooklyn. the member,
OF state senate and assembly. the rep
resentatives of this city In congress, tn,
former comptrollers Of the city of New
y York, representatives of the different DO
lltical parties. representatives of the well
known societies and the chief onicials o
the city.
After the official exercises in the city hal
the rest OF the week win be given over L
the lectures OF the free lecture department
of the Board of Education. to the stereop
ticon views and also TO the concerts In tn
small parks. which are another feature o
the celebration.
Beside the free lectures the Board of Ed
ucation is to provide for appropriate exer
cises in all the public schools OF the cit
during the week of the celebration.
The course of lectures which is to b
given In the public schools during the wee
was prepared by DIR. Leipzeiger, super
visor of>Sree lectures In the Board OF Edu
cation The lectures. which are to be give
in schools In all five boroughs which hav
been designated. cover everything of IN
terest pertaining to the growth of the city
Historic Interest of Lectures.
Among other things the Brooklyn lectuI
ers will tell Of the battle of Long Island
with Illustrations OF the movements Of IN
American and British armies. showing III
landing place at Gravesend bay, the d.
vision OF the c%ontending forces AZ Ne
Utrecht and Flatlands. the American fort
and the American line OF defense; Grant
feigncd attack on Lord Sterling early In n
battle. the British camp fires left burnin
Nt Flatlands and the route Of the march {
the British around to Jamaica bay, throug
Bedford to the rear OF General Sullivan
troops.
There will also be views Of the old Corte
you house. one OF the earliest Dutch hous'
on Long Island, which figured In the bait
OF Long Island. A shaft has been erect,
TO the memory OF the Americans who wei
killed near the old Cortelyou house adioii
ing which part OF the battle was fought.
Additional views Of historical interest
Brooklyn win be those Of the old Della
Bergen house. which was located ON Il
shore OF Gowanus cove. west Of Third av
nue.. near Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighi
streets This house was occupied In Il
by a prominent Dutch settler and sever
times was attacked by the Indians. The
will also be views Of the old municip
a. buildings OF the town of BushWick and