New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-27
LITTLE OLD NETWORK.
Some Odd Phases of Her Narch to
Greatness.

Many transformations have taken place in
buildings which over one hundred Years ago
occupied prominent places in old New-York A,
Introduction to this weeks chronology OF
the city one VIII be mentioned Of interest to
many people OF this generation-the old state
prison. This institution was erected IN 1896. on
AmOs-st. (now West Tenth-stJ, and. while lts
outside walls still remain. reminiscent % the
days Of turmoil and trouble in the colony i'm
provements have served to give il a modern
appearance. The firm Of brewers which now
occupies this ancient structure has changed its
interior. but the inquisitive visitor may here
and there be reminded Of it's former use. When
it was erected the prison yard extended 10 the
river and all around Il fields. east and
west, north and south. The locality now is rec
Ognizable to only few old people. residents %
Greenwich Village. and one of these pointed out
to the writer the position of a sandy beach.
where in the old days the effect OF the sum
mer heat was lessened by a plunge into the
waters Of the North River. No executions took
place in this prison. as they do now. and in a
different way. I'm our present state prison. In
Dutch Colonial days. before Greenwich prison
was built outside the Battery on the beach
was the place selected for rewarding the unfor-
gfvable evtIdoer and under the English the
present City Hall Park Then the scene changed
TO Houston and Wooster SITS. and afterward 70
Washington Square. where the criminals Of thS
Amos-st. prison We're executed and buried IN
der the gallows as was the in each place
mentioned. A writer Of these days says. &c
Is a curious fact that most Of our smaller parks
were not reserved rs pleasure places but for
public use I'm the interment OF paupers." city
Hall Park was at one time pottsr's field. and
a negro burial ground adjoined IL. the limit oe
which on the north was the present stewart
Building at Broadway and Chambers-st. Msdi-
son Square was also resting place for tho
unnamed dead as was Washington Square. In
II in 1919 and 1922 yellow fever patients wers
buried. Who thinks Of that now, or that tbs
House Of Refuge occupied a site then known
as the Junction Of the Bloomingdale and Bos-
ton roads but now as where the Worth mond-
ment stands?
story is told OF inmate OF Greenwich
Prison who had been sentenced TO die on tbs
galIOv~ but at the last moment. through the m
nuence Of the Society Of Friends. had his SEN
tence commuted to life Imprisonment and was
placed in charge Of the shoe shop IN the prison
The Ouakers worked for his release. and. having
secured f. placed him In a shoe shop ofNhis own.
His business hourished, and he was prominently
Identified with the progress Of the times. He
had an itching palm. however. and after n
time he forged the names Of all his business
friends eIoped with the daughter OF one OF MS
benefactors and disappeared from the earth ap-
parentIv Murder will out" A few years after
the forger returned to the city and established
himself under an assumed name in the making
Of shoes forgetting however, to maintain COM
pIacency. nor thinking any one would recognizs
him. In a passion at what he considered th'
ca-elassness OF one OF his workmen regarding
the time some work should have been delivered.
he told the man he should not have promised IT.
init
the workman. YOU have disappointed me worss
than that" How. you rascal" When waited
n whole hour I'm the rain TO see you hanged
Now 10 resume our chronology Of New-Nors
and her peculiar phases
When Cadwallader Golden assumed authority
over New York for the second time as GoVern'r
in 176O. succeeding Governor Monckton. VINO oe-
sired pIeasanter pursuits, the contest between
Great Britain and her colonies. which culfni-
mated in the Revolution. was in embryo WINS
the colony was poor and struggling Tr-as
Britain let u alone. but when. through ihool"-
t,ab1a narseverance and courage. the Dutch set
Element had resolved itself into YOURSELVES
rroy,rce the usual course az that time was pur-
suad-to wrest il from the hands OF It's Duiio-
srs To do this 1t was necessary 10 incense tns
r.o,la and rigorous restrictions were impOsed
Cor the nurpose Under cover Of regulating
tho trade Of the colonies. Great Britain IeViet
/
heavy duties upon imports. and at the sans
time SUPPRESSED all attempts at home manu-
facture Nor were the colonists allowed 70 trad,
with foreign countries or 70 send 70 EngiahH
anv merchandise unless il was carried oy -Ellss-
usb vessels II was violation OF law To manu-
facture an axe or a hammer. though the country
was full Of iron and in order 70 limit the manu-
facture Of beaver hats two apprentices only "e's
allowed To each halter and hats could not .
sold from one colony TO another No cloth Sou'n
he manufactured except for private use OF eA-
ported from one town TO another. The ra" H'9-
teriaI must be sent 90 England for MANUFACTURE
and then come back as Imported cieth' VIM
heavy duty. Of course. Although the colony hdN
baaD taxed heavily for the carrying on or th9
French and Indian wars. and had been lett ou'-
/ dened with a heavy debt. the British Ministry
were Unsuitable in their desires and proposes
the massage OF a law 10 raise permanent reNV-
nue. from the colonies by direct taxatton-'aNpiS
various articles Of foreign produce and es'a"-
fishing STAMP duties. Every schoolboy Knows
how thts action resulted. how in loo the stamp
Act was finally passed. how the news OF ~.
massage reached New-YOrk early IN Apfu y.
that year: how copies OF the act were hawai-
| about the streets with deaths head aulSeN
| to eacn and under il the inscription. The FoHS
| Of England and the Ruin OF America. no" -