New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-13
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH.

Coroner Michael J. FTaherty IS an active and
ardent labor man. He is secretary OF the Brock
lyn Central Labor Union Recently he began TO
build fine house IN Ocean Parkway. near Bev-
erley Road. IL I don't put away some Of my
salary in this way now" he said. Il won't have
any left when my term Of Office expires" Ard
he was right. because the corOners generous dis
position has always prevented him from laying up
money. Now. 10 the house: the coroner IS as
happy over IL as a child with new toy. he is
not member OF any Of the building trades HIM
self but he has taken tho deepest interest in every
joint Of the new structure Whenever he can get
an hour OF. he turns at once toward the
Ocean Parkway.
That any of the vyorlnen employed on the build
ing should not he members OF the union appar-
entity never occurred TO him. One day by chance
he happened 10 ask one of the men, win wh ION
he had talked on several previous occasions what
union be belonsed TO- I am a non-lglnlon man
didn't say anything TO the man but quietly went
around the building making inquiries Much 10
men an work who confessed that they were not
members OF any union ION 81 Ea va" 6ot maIV hours
before the builder knew all about it. When he
had told the coroner that the non-union men had
been discharged that worthy official breathed
easily again. At first FIaherty thought to keep
his friends as a good joke on himself.
Some unusual and trying demands have been
made on Borough President Swanstrom but he
has succeeded in pleasing almost everybody. He
has been unable however. to satisfy the following
request, which turned over to him by the Post
office Department as being heir TO all the troubles
OF the Town Clerk Of Gravesend. which became
part OF Brooklyn some ten years ago The letter
reads:
Aver Mass, Dec 5. 1908.
Town Clerk Gravesend. Long Island
settled in Your town in eis can You give me his
record and that Of his descendants from the date
Cannot say what month Of 1913 he settled in your
name on your record book Of that date would ike
his geneslogy What viii il cost me for your
1o1'-' George w STUART, Town Clerk
President swanstrom replied that he was sorry
but he never had the pleasure Of Mr. Illton's &C
ouaintance-
That is only a sample Of the queer requests that
come TO the various borough officers Here Is an
other sample, received by Inspector Patrick II
Mclaughlin. in charge Of the uniformed police IN
Brooklyn and Queens:
New-Bern. y. c, December S. 1908
To the Chief OF Police Of Brooklyn, y Y. J.,
there eT is Some Lad or her heres in Broovn mat
IS the heir Of Isaac Clifford or Sister Of John Gift
ford % North Carolina Craven Co; the Father was
find any such heires there and oblige, J E
R-orl1rner engaged in digging an artesian well
on the property of the American Sugar Refining
Company South Fourth-st. and Kent-ave.. the
other day. found q most peculiar coin II was
brought up from depth Of thirty-five feet. 1t was
IN the companys laboratory some of the original
. wording could be made out. II appears that the
coin was minted in France In the reign of King
Louis XVI. one Of the phrases seemed be
Colony Cayenne The coin was probably
dropped what used 10 be a sandy beach q hun
crec years or more ago
Some idea Of the magnitude Of the transfer sys-
TEN Of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and
Of the way in which transfers accumulate was
given the other night when Of the freight
cars OF the company was loaded with loose trans
fers a siding at the Borough Hall Several
wagons were engaged in bringing the cancelled
pieces Of paper from the company's office. They
were shOveled into the with big scoops while
a crowd or curious spectators watched the opera
lions. The transfers were being taken TO Of
the power houses 10 be burned. They accumulate
50 rapidly in the Offices that considerable trouble
IS caused in getting rid of them. They are not
burned in the cellar Of the Office building in Mon
tague-st for fear OF setting FIRE to the building.
The ruins Of the Academy Of Music have not yet
ceased TO excite considerable interest so much so
that the Sidewalk the opposite side OF the street
Is blocked all day. Attention is attracted chiefly
10 the wreckers. who take the greatest risks in
tearing down the walls. Climbing over the shaky
and fran looking fringes at the top. they fasteu
ropes 10 a certain part and then retire for forty
or nIty feet on the wall, while the other part IS
pulled down from below The possibility that the
wall. getting a start, would crumble all the way
along has frequently been remarked.