New-York tribune., 1903-02-10
PRAISE NEW PATERSON.
HER PEOPLE CELEBR4I TIE
Since Great Fire Ten City Squares
Haze Been Half Rebuilt.
1BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TnIBUNE.l


Paterson N j. Feb. 9.-Many merchants.
manufacturers and professional attended
the meeting in Sons of Veterans Hall tonight TO
celebrate the anniversary of the fire which de-
stroyed over S6,000,000 worth of the most I'M
portant business property in this city. Although
it was not So cold to-day as on that eVehtIul
day year ago, the wind was nearly as high
At the meeting tonight all was courage and
cheer 1t was held under the auspices of the
Business Mems Association. ]. A. Van Wlnkie'
president of the association, presided
The Rev. DR.. Charles D. Shaw was the hrst
speaker He said that 1t not novel thing
to celebrate A great calamity. 1t was this that
the Christian Church did in celebrating the
death of its martyrs So 1t with Paterson
The people of the city had reason TO coflmem-
crate the day when Paterson passed through
the furnace OF trial and came out pure gold ON
that day the true metal rang: we want no
charity no assistance. We will help ourselves
In one short year the city was practically re-
built. The old ramshackle places IN which the
city's business was transacted had been replaced
by buildings which ranked with any business
houses in the world.
Judge Francis Scott was the next speaker.
He said that Paterson was just 10 years Ola
and in that time it had become great city with
iron for its king and silk for its queen industry
One wear ago he had seen strong men with tears
in their eyes, overcome by their loss-the labor
of years reduced to ashes i'll few hours To-
day these same men had larger and handsoner
business houses and bigger and more lucrative
businesses than then. The energy and pluck
required to do this could not be told but 1T
reminded him of Thomas A Edison's definition
of genius per cent genius and 9S per cent
work Judge Scott then pleaded for purer
city government. Il believe in one man re-
sponsbity.' he declared.
The Rev. Dr. Isaacs, of the Barnert Memorial
Temple was the next speaker. He said the
spirit of pride in ancient times was seen in the
grand temples, the memorial shafts and the
medals This spirit, he declared. had aroused
the people of Paterson in the last year. and the
true monuments of industry and genius had
risen the ashes of calamity and suffering.
Congressma NEGLECT William Hughes spoke of
the honesty of the people. and referred to the
absence of looting at the time of the great fire
The Rev. DR.. David s Hamilton, the last
speaker. advocated the building of new high
school.
A wear ago to-day a territory equal to ten
city squares, in the heart of the city was a
smoking ruin. To-day. new buildings cover
more than half the area of the fire-swept sec
ton. A new and far more attractive city has
risen from the ashes of the old-a city of modern
buildings, with architectural attractiveness and
with many convenenCes which the tenants of
the old denied themselves.
The fire devastated territory beginning at the
Methodist Church, in Market-st. included the
buildings both sides westward to Hamilton
and Main SITS, swept everything both sides
of Main-st. north to half block beyond Van
Bouten-st, thence east TO Church-st south to
Eison-st., and half a block eastward of that
from Ellison to Market.
The south side of Market-st.. from Church to
Union now has only vacant building site. on
the north side. however, only the space east of
Church-st. between the Methodist Church and
II,II hao,, nhililt ant
Second National Bank building which was not
destroyed, has been repaired. The City Hall IS
still in the hands of the builders, but the work
is proceeding rapidly, and the editice VIII soon
be fully restored.
On the south side of Market St. between
Union and Hamilton, only one building has
been erected The Citizens Trust Company will
soon build on the Unon-st corner however, and
If Captain Curie erects the new hotel so much
talked about 1t will occupy the Hamiltcn-st.
corner and most of the space still vacant in
that block. On the north side the Hamilton
Trust COMPANY has erected attractive build
ing facing Washingtcn-st. and the City Hall.
and west of that the entire block has been re-
built to Main st.
In Main-st north from Market there are two
vacant building sites the west side to Van
Houten-st., and there is only to the north
ward of that thoroughfare- There are three
vacant sites the east side, on two of which
the construction of new buildings has been
begun.
There are three vacant sites in Washington
st on the west side. of which recon
struction has been begun On the east side of
Ellison and Van Houten sts is still vacant.
In Colt-st the short thoroughfare which sep
arates the Second National Bank from the City
Hall Square, nothing has been rebuilt, but the
new Colt Building large structure to front
i'm EIlison-st., will soon rise above the debris
of the fire.
Both sides of Church-st.. between Market and
Ellison, are vacant, except for the big Pruden
building on the f1lson-st. corner The new build
ing of the Hamilton Club just across Ellison
st, is one of the most attractive In the new
Paterson.
There are two vacant sites the north side
of Ellison-st. and three on the south. All the
latter will be occupied by new buildings
the plans for which have been prepared
Comparatively little rebuilding has been com
pIeted on either side of Van Houten- st. but
many buildings have been begun or planned for
! construction in the spring.
The site in Broadway, west of Main-st- where
| the fire started is unoccupied. Three new build
| ngs have been erected north of the Baptist
| Church In Broadway, which is the only point
| where the fiameG ate az far back as that tnor-
| oughfsre The First Baptist Church, at Van
| ffouten and Washington SITS. has been rebuilt