New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06


consider the question. and shortly after petit
toned the legislature for permission TO incor-
porate 4 society having for its object the es-
Establishment OF a free school for the education OF
poor children who do not belong 10 or are not
provided for by any religious society On
April 8. 1906, the petition granted by the
legislature and the society duly incorporated
Money was needed for carrying on the project
ana was TO be sought privately, so that II "as
not until May 10 1906. that the society sa"
the fulnInent Of its benevolent scheme. when
APARTMENTS were rented in house on "h@' -
now sSadison-st and the school begun 30
anxious were the people TO take advantage Oh 'iie
.o-,, ,s benevoIence for the education of their
o4ss-., that fl was only short time after the
,,,,s ,esta s,l.shment when il was overcroWoeo,
- larger quarters were. sought. Through the
Generosity Of Colonel Henry Rutgers TWO lois IN
E-s,-y-st were given TO the society, and a por-
ion ~ the excise moneys was set aside by the
legislature for the erection Of building on
tbe-n. Pending the completion OF the Henry-st.
school the corporation presented to the So
Getty a building in Chambers-st-' anc donated
s5oso 10 put il in repair. BY 1909 it had become
100 small TO accommodate the pupils and a new
school WAS erected in Chatham-st In 1910 the
-,,-,ar~-one Of the Henry-st. building was laid.
r-ba necessity for more schools became appar-
r+ and in 1911 the Trinity corporation gave
.u.o lots on the corner OF Hudson and Grove
sts for third school. In 1915 and 1919 two
African schools were built. one on ground in
yviIisrn-st. given by the corporation. and the
other - The Manumission Society on ground in
Nulberry-st.. which cost So 400" At this time
the population Of the city was 1861 and in
1920 had increased nearly , Per cent. so that
impetus was given the building of schools.
in 1870 the Hudson-st- school Go. B was ready
d
in-ton-st.. corner Of Pitt-st-, was opened. In
1924 No > in Mott-st.. between Spring and
Prince. was erected. and No. was occupying
the Almshouse. The following year No. Z. in
Chrystie-st. between Pump and Hester SITS,
was built and in lS2G No. s. in Grand-st, be-
tween Laurens and Wooster SITS. was opened
20 pupils. In 1927 three more schools were
opened. one GO % al Bloomingdale. one GO
lW in DUaae-st- and one CNo. III in Woos-
ter-st
ia 1922 the 1ociety that had done so much for
the youths of old Nev-York changed its name
10 the Public School Society. with the object
OF eliminating the idea OF charity and giving TO
the citizens that education which was cousd-
cred theirs by right.
Through the operation OF the State law passed
in 1906. BY which the proceeds Of 10000 acres
% land ere TO be accumulated until the income
should reach the sum Of $4,000 which should
he applied 10 the uses OF the schools Of the
-t.te. new measures were adopted for extend
ing the common school system Of the State. In
1919 the fund had reached the sum Of 81 100000
and in 1872 change of the constitution made
the school fund ''inviolable and inalienable to
other purposes" IN 1912 Governor Seward rec
commended 10 the legislature in his message that
"a LAW pe passed extending the common school
system Of the State TO the city, resulting in
t-- forming Of the Board Of Education. and the
Enlistment Of d wise systematic separation
a- church and state schools so far the be-
e-a.yaI of state moneys went. The existence OF
re old Public School Society ceased in 1853. and
an Us rights and belongings passed TO the Board
ar Education. The chronology:
Tho spirit Of public Improvement began TO
--,fra and the city 10 grow apace in 1890 The
---t progressive step was made in 1871. when
Rutgers right 10 fresh water pond Cthe site
o ra7ai-stJ was purchased by the corpora
rrr fer $3.50" Two hundred years after the
l.vtoa traders landed on the island that part
az The downtown district bounded by Broad
way and Centre-st- and Duane and Worth
s--- vas a lake Of clear water. The traders gave
d the name kalch, which afterward cor
rupIeI into Collect. and later called the Fresh
Water Pond 1t was the fishing ground of the
old New Yorker as has been mentioned in a
previous instalulent. A swamp west OF the Col
leCt and stretching away 70 the Hudson River
was held in lease by Anthony Rutgers on condi-
ton that he should pay for il "a moderate quit
rent" and that he should clear il and drain il
within year" Il was a dangerous ouagrnire
10 man and beast, and the city officials never
dreamed that Rutgers could fulfil the second
condition Of his lease. Rutgers, however. perse-
vered and drained the ground by cutting a |
ditch from the Collect TO the Hudson River The
ditch afterward formed itself into q canal which
was the source OF much trouble to the present !
cay city when improvements were making |
Toward the close Of the eighteenth century, |
when the city was extending northward the |
putting Of the Collect 10 some use by the people
vas considered. Its surface had been lowered |
by the cutting Of the drain, and its natural |
outlet had been dried up leaving il, some |
thought, an ideal centrepiece for q park. Plans /
with this end in view were frequently proposed, |
but never carried out, and by the year 1910 |
with the onward march OF the city it disap- |
peared. Some trace Of il may be found in the 1
cellars IN Canal-st-
Property on Broadway in 1871 not so /
valuable as il is to-day, for "one hundred lots |
Of ground, in Broadway and adjacent streets in /
The vicinity OF the New-York Hospital, % by 100 |
feet. were offered for sale at f25 per lot" This |
year yellow fever prevailed in the vicinity Of /
Burling Slip
March il, 1892. marks the incorporation OF /
the General Society Of Mechanics and Trades |
men. The object Of this society originally was |
the relief OF decayed and distressed mechanics |
and tradesmen." In 1921 the society erected |
he Mechanics Institute in Chambers-st.. be- |
tween Chatham-st- and City Hall Place, and a |
school and library were established for the edu- |