The sun., 1903-11-14
Mr.. GREEN, THE GOOD CITIZEN.
PUBLIC SERVICES OF THE MAN
AN ASSASSIN HAS SHOT.

tor OF Central Park-Executor Of T1lden
/, Chartty-Leader Against Tweed Ring
-S8 Years Given for the City's Good.
Andrew Haswell Green, upon whom his
fellow citizens, by unanimous consent, had
conferred the title OF Father Of the Greater
New York." was born at Green Hill, near
Worcester, Mass. on Oct. 9, 1920. He
came to New York when mere boy. His
| life In this city. from the time he came to
| full manhood, was an unceasing fight for
the good Of the city as he saw 1t.
To Mr.. Green, more than any other one
| man, the city owes the existence OF Central
Park In it's present state. Many OF the
other parks and boulevards ofthe city were
| suggested by him. In the establishment of
museums, libraries and all institutions OF
! similar character, Mr.. Green was at the
front.
In 1888 he began snglehanded, the fight
| for the consolidation of New York, Brooklyn
| and the communities 81 rounding them
in this State into one great city. The
| fight ended thirty years later with success,
In all his public works he was characterized
by tireless pertinacity, such as he displayed
in this. He made up his mind what ought
| to be done, and then, without gush or
twaddle, he whaled away at it until he
accomplished what he sought He often
said Of late that If he lived long enough
another of his favorite plans, the erection
Of public bridge from New York city to
| New Jersey would be accomplished.
| Mr. GREEN'S parents were we'll to-do;
| the family had lived for years in Green
Hill Several OF its earlier members had
been prominent in the Revolutionary War.
| 1t was planned that Andrew. should go to
West Point. He was nearly prepared for
| the West Point examinations at the Worces-
| ter Academy when the plans were changed.
He came to New York to become a clerk in
| a mercantile house in 1885.
T1LpEN LAW PARTNER.
| The panic two years after he entered
| business troubled him. He convinced his
| family that he might earn his living better
| in some other way. He travelled in Cuba
| for some time and then came to New York
| to study law in the Office of Samuel j. Tuden.
As soon as he was admitted to the bar he
| became Tiden's partner. The association
| between the two was close and intimate
all through Mr.. Tilden's life.
Mr. Green was at Mr.. Tilden's right hand
all through the Tweed Ring fight. When he
could help the city by taking office, he took
Office. But when, in 1875, the nomination
for Mayor on the Citizens independent
ticket was offered to him, he declined to TAX .
it on the ground that his acc ceptance would
intefere with Mr.. 1ilden's chances of being
elected President. 1t is told that MIR. Green
met illiam Nj. Evarts III the street while
the contest between ilden and Hayes was
still undecided. and that Mr.. Evarts said
TO him:
III Mr.. Tilden Is elected you will be hi
Secretary of the Treasury. II Mr.. Hayes
is elected will be his Secretary Of State
MIR. Green was an executor OF the Will
OF MIR. Tilden and under it had large re-
bequests. The consolidation Of the New
York Public Library on the Astor, Lenox
and Tiiden foundations was at his sugges-
ton.
MADE OUR PARKS BEAUTIFUL.
Mr.. Green's first public office was that Of
the Board of Education in 1857 and began
an attack on the looseness OF administra-
ton into which his Office gave him an in
sight. In 1857 he was appointed com-
missioner Of Central Park: and pth; then pa presai-
Then the office of comptroller OF the Park
was created for him.
He was responsible for the extension
of the northern boundary OF the paI Ik from
l06th to 10th street ana ne INSISTED
as many of it's natural features as possible.
His genius for the administration OF i'm
provenents In the growing city became
so apparent that his commission received
authority from the Legislature to lay out
all the northern part OF the CITY ana much
| of the annexed district.
He planned the Museum Of Natural
| History and the Metropolitan Museum OF
| Art as part OF the educational equipment
| to be added to the Park. Not all OF nus
| Green's labor was restrictive rather than
constructive. He fought fercely the effort
! to dedicate Central Park to the purposes
| of worlds fair. When Washington
Bridge was first planned, it was designed
to be an ungainly monstrosity.. MIR, Green
caused the substitution OF the present
beautiful and dignif'ed design.
FOUGHT POLITICAL CORRUPTION
| While he was Central Park commits
sioner Mr.. Green, who was intensely prac-
| tical and never joined noisy reform move.
ments for the exploitation OF the personal
| virtues of the leaders thereof, issued an
| order to the Park employees mich has
been much quoted. 1t declared that men
are employed by the commissioners Of the
park to work for their regular wages and
for no other consideration whatever, and
| forbade any contributions for political
| considerations to he given or solicited by
| the men under him.
| When the Committee OF Seventy got
together in 1871 to fight the Tweed ring Mr..
| Green was forced on Comptroller Connolly
as Deputy Comptroller. Tweed acknowl-
| edged with sorrow that he could not pre-:
| vent the appointement or hope to control
| the appointee. When Connolly resigned
Mr.. Green became Comptroller. by force
Of public sentiment rather than by will
| Of the Mayor
| HIS CREDIT BEAT TwEEDs MALICE.
| He bore the brunt of all the hatred which
| was poured out by the dlsgruntled accom-
| plices and the secret allies Of Tweed. The
courts were successfully invoked to keep
him from receiving or paying out any
money for the city. Mr.. Green went to
the banks and, on his personal credit, raised
$500 900 with which he paid the policemen.
the firemen and the other city servants
until the tangle had been unravelled.
He fought all bills which he considered
unfair with an angry hostility. The great
responsibility of his duties caused him to
view almost every claim with suspicion.
Men who felt themselves to be his friends
and who believed that he could not pos
sibly have any doubts of their honesty