Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-30
CROKER Hanks BACK
Birthday Talk on Ancient New
York City.
YOUNG AT 81 YEARS OLD
Came to an Oil Lit Gotham Sixty
Years Ago.
EARNED IN CENTRAL PARK
Errors in lopment-Expects to
See Limits UP to Poughkeepsie.
Would Have It Separate State.
EARNED IN CENTRAL PARK

NEW YORK. November 30.-Richard
Croker was sixty-seven on Tuesday lie
came to New York city from Cork. Ire
land, as a lad of seven. Practically, ne
has been a New York city boy all of his
days.
Speaking reminiscently of his life in
New York city. Mr.. Croker said in run
ming conversation at the Democratic
Club on his birthday:
1T was just sixty years ago that l
came to New York city as a boy OF seven
in 1s4S. from Cork. Ireland. and when l
think of the old days and the many
changes that have taken place in the
city since that time it all seems like
dream to me-
The city streets were lighted with
oil lamps then. so far they were
lighted at all. and Ior several years after
] came here l used to see the lampl1ght-
ers going their rounds at dusk with their
little ladders over their shoulders. They
had to climb up and light the lamps in
stead of simply turning a switch as they
do now.
The sidewalks were mostly brick
then. and we had pumps in the streets
in nv early days in this city. not n.y.
drants There were no horse cars, and
the only public means of transportation
was two lines of stages. one of which
ran from eth street and Sd avenue to
the Battery, and the other. a connecting
line. ran north from the same point to
Harlem. At that time the city was prac
tically made up of the five towns of New
York. Yorkville, Harlem. Manhattanville
and Carmansville, the last being on the
West Side just north of Manhattanville.'
Dick Cookers Family.
Speaking of his family, Mr.. Croker
said:
THE Crokers originally came from
France to Ireland. one family of them.
and. of course they spread out. The
Irish poet. Croker. 1 presume. was rela-
tive of mine.
'As a boy I first lived on 26th street
between Lexington and Sd avenues; that
Is. in 1850. when all was country around
there, practically all open country and
farms We boys used to come up on the
lots where st. Patricks Cathedral now
stands and shoot small birds, that sec
ton being known as the Bush lot. AS l
remember there was no particular indus
try in New York in those days; there
were lot of solid old mechanics, but
/ do not call to mind any trade that
might be called the principal industry.
The city was not much built up in my
neighborhood at that time. You know.
of course. that when the present city hall
was built they made the front of it very
fine because that faced the battery and
the greater portion of the city, and the
back of it faced uptown where there was
practically nothing. They never imagined
in those days that New York would grow
UP much farther.
Theater in the Old Days.
The Bowery Theater. now known as
the Thalia, was the principal theater in
New York then, and as a young man l
used to go there. l have seen Forrest
there many times. and Eddy-Edwin
Eddy. The boys in the gallery used to
call out for him, Eddy Eddy, Eddy"
IL you remember, but I cannot recall any
particular play in which he appeared, al
though he was a great favOrite with the
boys. Then there was George l.. Fox, the
clown and pantomime artist. and Maggie
Mitchell and many others.
Castle Garden, where Jenny Lind, the
Swedish nightingale. used to sing and
where Catherine Hayes, the great Irish
singer. appeared in the same bill, was a
faVorite amusement resort. / often went
there and used to hear them cheer for
Jenny Lind, and then Catherine Hayes
would appear and the Irish would cheer
for her just long and as loudly.
Yes. continued Mr.. Croker in answer
to question. Il was one of the volunteer
fremen. | belonged to two companies
l belonged to engine 2S at 4th avenue
and 9th street. and | was the first engi-
neer that ran steam fire engine in New
York city-that was when the new fire
department came in. / was a ma chinist,
and the day l came out of the shop, hav-
Ing served my time, l came out to rar.
that engine.
Boys Game Was Shiny.
The main amusements for the bows in