The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-02
THE CUSTOM IS An ANCIENT ONE
Why the Doors of New York's Ex-
cutive is Always Lighted
Established by Anthony Wander Donk.
When He Vas Mayor of New AM
sterdam-The Custom Localized BY
an Ordinance Passed During Mayor
Gilroy's Administration.

"Grietje, mein vrouw," said Antho-
ny van der Donck, coming home to his
midday dinner soon after his appoint
ment by the governor of Nieuw Neder-
landts as mayor of Nieuw Amsterdam.
'Gr1etje, ist dein mann then mayor
of the day only and not Of the night,
as well?"
Grietje's little colorless face had usu-
ally about as much expression as a
summer squash, but her admiration for
mighty intellect of her husband round
ed the small, fiat, blue, eyes and flush
ed cheeks till she was radiant, while
her loyal Dutch tongue made haste to
declare hat not only by day, blu. by
night also her husband was in very
truth Hauptman Of Nieuw Netherlands.
Then" said Anthony, with decision,
will hang GU not one, but two Ian
terms, the n on the poplar tree on
the right of mein house, the other on
the maple to the left; so shall the
world know hat he who lives in the
house with the yellow and black tiled
gable end is none other than the ruler
OF he city-but now, mein Vrouw,
haste thee to the house of Van Corlear
n take into thy service his eldest
daughter, Jacoba, that her strong red
arms may help thee with the candle
dipping. Thou wilt need 365 more
candies this year than last, when thy
husband was only a private citizen
with n lantern at his door,"
That very night, for the first time,
two candles blazed in two brass Ian
terms, hung N on each side of The
front steps of Mayor van der Donck's
house in the Bouwerie:
New Amsterdam was in cOmmOtiOn:
as late as eight o'clock that night The
citizens by twos and threes traipsed
past the mayors door, talking Of this
reckless extravaganza in the matter of
light.
Meanwhile, the shining black anG
yellow tiles which adorned the gable
end which was toward the street shone
with sudden CLEANS from the w lam
terms as the wind stirred the leaves of
the trees from which they hung.
Since then nearly $50 years have
gone by, but during all that time the
custom originating in the brain of An
thony Won der Donck has obtained. and
W lamps of varying degrees of bril-
liancy have blazed beside the -ront
door of every mayor of New York ex-
cept one. Sixteen of those in office
since the Revolutionary wal we're ap-
pointed by the governors Of New York.
There were twenty-five elections AMI
ten reflections of men who already
held the office or had held it before so
that were all their lamps trimmed and
burning at this moment, with those
which the lampless one should have
had, there would now be 80 of these
lamps in commission, the 10 re-elec-
tons, of course, diminishing the num-
Der of lamps by 20.
The blank space on the wall OF the
Doges palace at Venice where Marine
Fallero's portrait used to hang is read
lily explained. He was a traitor, he was
beheaded and his portrait burned. But
why this dark space before the door
of one of the city's rulers? Why was
Mayor Van Wyck's house left in dark
ness? Why, oh why! was the first
mayor ofEreater New York d1scrimi-
mated against?
And now remains,
AudI we uuu ouL t11C CduSt vi ILLS L
feet
Or rather say the cause of this defect.
For this defect defective comes by
cause."
Surely, no c~heeseparing economy On
the part of the consolidated city ex-
plains the matter. Surely, the mayor
himself did not wish to pose as 4 re-
former in so slight a matter. Oh, no,
the mayor declined the honor, but he
declined solely on the ground that he
was a bachelor.
About the time when the British
took possession of the province and
island and changed the names from
Nieuw Ne%derlandt and Nieuw Amster-
dam to New York, oil lamps on wooden
iampposts took the place of lanterns
and candles depending from trees
These were replaced by gas lamps in
the year 1925, despite the protests OF
many citizens against the ecklesS eX-
pense involved in he use of the new
light.
BEFORE the introduction of OH lamps
the mayors lamps were like vOtlve OF
ferings on the Acropolis, an expense 70
the one honored. but with oil lamps
the custom became both an honor and
emolument of office, for from that Time
the city has not only installed he
lamps and kept them in repair, but has
furnished the light supply, lighted the
lamps at night and put them out IL
the morning.
Unlike all other political honors in
this country, this one is not granted
for the official life only, nor even for
the mayors natural life. It is heic in
perpetuity by his descendants, the en-
tail being to any of his family who
may continue % live in the house OF
the father, grandfather or great grand
father to the latest generation. q
In 1898 Mayor Gilroy was moved to
inquire into the basis n source of the
not cutie American privilege enjoyed
by himself and his predecessors in Of
fee. The muse of history has no OFF,
cial residence at the city hall. but she
has brushed with her right wing the