New-York tribune., 1911-10-26
PARK EMPL0YE 50 YEARS SITE FOR ART BUILDING
John J. 0deII. Head BOokkeeper.
Wants To Be Retired.
ONCE STEAMBOAT CAPTAIN
Kinsman of Former Governor
Has Seen 55 Commissioners
Come and Go.

After a service Of thirty-three years In
the Park Department. John J. Odell. head
of the bookkeeping department. has asked
to be retired on half pay in view of the
recent amendment TO the charter provid-
ing for retirement OF persons In the en-
ploy OF the city for thirty years or more
The matter will come up before the Board
Of Estimate to-day.
Mr. Odell has seen service under fifty
FIVE Park Commissioners. Some of them
he regards highly. Others have faded In
his recollection with the termination OF
their official careers. one Commissioners
Of whom he speaks with much feeling OF
affection was the late Andrew IL. Green.
II was as Captain Odell that the now
retiring bookkeeper was known before MS
connection with the Park Department. lie
was master Of the vessel Isaac T. Smith
steamboat on the Hudson River carrying
passengers between New York city ana
Haverstraw lie was a captain for SIX
years. He always made il a point he
said Yesterday. TO eat when he had reached
Newburg at restaurant owned by Ben
iamin b. Odell. father of the former Gov
ernor. Of whom he is a relative
And | was IN business with Chauncey
Depew's father. too" said Mr.. Odell yes
terdav. CAPTAIN Isaac NJ. Depew, the
father. and a son. the brother OF the Sem
ator were I'm partnership with me In the
freight shipping business Oh the Hudson
River AT one time. We owned the Mo-
hican. a sailing vessel, which carried farm
ers' produce to New York markets.
When he was captain Of the Isaac :.
Smith. Mr. ,Odcll said he had participated
I'm many close races on the river with the
Sleepy Hollow and the Sunnyside' two
rival passenger boats.
Il was an eyewitness Of the burning OF
the steamboat Henry clay" said MI
Odell. That was on July 2S 49,, near
what is now Riverdale. The Henry Gay
was racing the Armenia. both bound 10
New York from Albany. There were many
lives lost before she was beached. was
q clerk then on the George Washington
and saw the whole thing from the deck
Of that vessel
When Mr.. Odell entered the Park De-
partment the offices were at NO. l6 Union
Square.
I'VE afterward called It the bear den, y
ne declared because some Of the PARK
Commissioners snubbed each other so
much and had so little regard for one
another's feelings. OF course, that was
nothing permanent
James T. Wenman, William {. Wetmore
Samuel Conover and Smith +. Lane, Of
whom the last three are dead, composed
the Park Board when Mr.. Odell entered
the city's employ. James r. Wenman was
president Of the board.
Colonel Clinton Smith entered the Park
DEPARTMENT a few weeks later than Mr..
Odou. OF the office force Edward A
Miller chief engineer has seen the longest
service. having been I'm the Park Depart
ment for thirty-eight years.
When the civil War broke out Mr.. Odell
said he sent substitute.
II had been married only a short time
and things looked too rosy to go to the
front. What became Of the substitute? I
don't know. never heard whether he
was shot or not
MIR. Odell has lived in Tarrytown for
many years. At his present rate OF sal
airy he would be retired on sl,iO0 a year
If the Board Of Estimate acted favorably
on his request
The veteran cmploye said with a smile
that he had seen. some "troublous times"
i'm the many administrations he had served
under. I've almost forgotten some Of the
numerous shake-ups in the last thirty-three
years. he declared