Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-06-18
NEW YORK CITY THEN And Now
Impression Are Sometimes Made Upon
Children'S Minds Which Last For Life
BY p. q. VAN SYCkEl,

Not being sensitive about telling
my age, would say that not far from
hfty-eight years ago, when but a
small boy, accompanied my father
to New York City, over the New Jer.
sey Central Railroad, when that road,
at that time, or short time previous,
did not extend farther than to Clin.
ton, N. j., as its western terminal.
Upon our arrival in New York City
we strolled up Broadway as far as
where Park Row now leads off from
Broadway in front of Trinity Chapel
and the Postoffice. There we stood
gazing for while at workmen busily
engaged removing old tombstones
and graves, to prepare the plot of an
old grave yard for the opening of
Park Row street, and for what has
later occupied that locality, including
the present Postoffice building.
The Brick Presbyterian Church,
which was removed to Fifth avenue
and Thirty-seventh street in 1858,
stood at that time on the corner of
Beekman and Nassau streets. This
was the church edifice, / imagine,
which then saw still standing to the
eastward, near this old burying
ground.
This scene often looms up in my
mind, when l contemplate the pres
ent immensity of New York City, the
most important financial and CON-
clercial centre in the world to-day.
with about 100000 people, and
growing rapidly.
At that time We would have quite
reached the northern boundary Of the
city in a few minutes walk.
But if we look back to 1926 we
find, at the extreme lower end of
Manhattan Island. only a few scat.
tered one-story and one-story and
half cabins among the trees, sur.
rounded by rocky and reed grown
shores.
These houses, history tells us, were
covered, sides and roof, with bark
or thatch.
Twenty-Five thousand acres of Man
haitian Island, on which New York
City now stands. had been bought
from the Indians at a price, in gilt.
tering beads, bright colored cloths.
etc, aggregating an estimated value,
in price paid, of s24, equal to about
one-tenth of a cent an acre.
To-day the same acreage is valued
at many, many millions of dollars.
Some years later the first church
erected on Manhattan Island stood
near the foot of Broad street Even
the extreme lower part Of New York
City to-day was then tract of pas
ture lands and swamps. What are
now streets in this part of the city
were then, in part, cattle paths.
Hence the crooked and winding
course of some of them.
One or two streets, Beaver street
In particular, was then drain or
ditch. A canal ran through Broad
street. Such huntsmen as President
Roosevelt could have found their big
game of deer, bear, and even wolves,
ment, not far from the extreme lower
end of Manhattan, even at as late a
date as 1880 to near 1900.
In 1850 there was a famous horse
race track on what was known as the
Church Farm, the southern boundary
of which was within a stones throw
from where the Astor House now
stands"
Horse racing was the chief delight
of the high gentry" of New Workers
In those days. The owner of the best
horse received what was then termed
a subscription plate prize" l as
sumo that betting, as now conducted
at the races, which Governor Hughes
} commercially warning with, was
not then INDUCED in.
But stride on, and look at New
York City of to-day. Space allowed
me in your columns, Mr.. Editor, will
admit of but glance at one aspect
of it. This, however, will throw re-
fective light upon what would fill
many columns, to relate the present
day proportions of New York City.
/ quote some of the monumental
public and semi-public works planned
and under way in New York City, to
be completed within, say, a decade,
an aggregation unprecedented in the
worlds history. The Grand Central
terminal, $4,000, 700; the Penna. r.
r. tunnel and terminals, 125,00O,-
900; the McAdoo tunnels, $50,O00,-
900; tho Battery Belmont tunnels,
$21, 900, 900; the Hudson River inter-
State bridge, 100000; six new
bridges to Brooklyn, $13O,OOO,OOO;
tw1nty-nine coming sky scrapers 700
feet high, as announced, $50,OOO,-
900; apartment hotels, $100,00C,-
900; other designated New York City
improvements underway or an
nounced to come within the next ten
years, 100000, 900.
This list alone aggregates an enor-
nous expenditure of hard on to one
billion dollars.
How much unannounced, and yet
under contract, which will come for
ward within the present decade, is
scarcely conjeCturable. - Irvington
IN. Y.) Gazette.