Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-03-24
MOO YoRK's 4 cAuEL PLACE"


Aunt Phoebe Ann Found city
Changed from 10 Years Ago.
II Is not every day that one can
come upon irst-hand Impressions Of
New York dating back to 1895. Most
OF the octogenarlans numbered among
Gotham's citizens do not remember
much Of anything Of those early days.
says the N. Y. Globe They lived here
or In large centers Of population aud
civilization In the interval and new
impressions have crowded out the old.
Aunt Phoebe Ann Du Bots, great
aunt Of Mrs. Henry Schenck. whom she
is visiting at Yonkers, Is the exception
in that after leaving New York In 1896
she has lived away from the turmoil
on a farm at Crookers. n. Y, where
the noises Of the great busy outside
world seldom find an echo. She has
kept her mind lucid and clear, unin-
numbered with complex Impressions;
her horizon has been filed with the
silhouette Of the village church, Of her
coy farmhouse and Of her barn. Put
ting up preserves, churning butter,
tending" her cows and chickens made
up the routine of her life.
Recently she came back to New
York. which she had not seen for sixty
nine years, and 1t was all very wonder
full TO her.
Aunt Phoebe is 81 years old, with
light hair pulled tight against her head
and tied In a little chlgnon in the back.
She is slightly deaf, but quite pert,
thank ye."
What had most impressed her were
the tall buildings. Thar amt any
use In talkin', the tall buildings were
certainly awful" Aunt Phoebe Ann
didn't remember much about the New
York she had known seventy years
ago. There was Castle Garden, she
remembered that, can ter think Of
them putin fishes In I'll"
The city hall she also remembered.
She had a distinct recollection of he.
Ing taken down in the summer Of 1891
to see 1t lighted up with red fire and
rockets. What the occasion was she
could not remember. She also remenl-
bered the cholera epidemic in 1882 and
1888 and the great fire two years la
ter, when more than 600 houses had
burned down. She also remembered
the festivities on the occasion of The
opening Of the Erie canal. Washing
ton Square was uptown then and used
as a parade ground.
Aunt Phoebe Ann was only little
girl then, but she remembered being
taken to the Park Theater to see Kean
In those days the curtain went up al
GAS o'clock and the theater was light
ed with oil lamps.
you could a seen oxcarts goin' VI
Broadway any day." said Aunt Phoeb,
Ann, IAN 1t was a mighty sight more
comfortin than them automobiles
you've got nowadays
The elevated railway, on which Aun
Phoebe Ann had ridden three time
was all right once you were in thu
cars. but she admitted that looking a
It from the street surface she wa
"afeered." She was lawful set agalns
riding In the subway. Her grandniec
had tried TO inveigle her into taking
!, trim THROUGH IF Int she 'reckoned" tina
she has "a sight more sense" tnan Z
do 1t. Goods sunlight is good nut
fer me-" said Aunt Phoebe Ann.
Another thing which had lmpresse
her was the absence of sailing vessel
from the harbor and wharves. "1hc
used ter look so grand" in her time.
moo York is cruel place." sal
, Aunt Phoebe Ann, "and l am goin' t
, hum to do some cranberryln'."