The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-12
"SALT GREEN"
A Sic Gent Trip TO Yorkvillc I'm the
brave Days OF Old.

To THE EprroR OF THE suN--sir. Man
haitian" is right about the salt creek that
he remembers as being near Yorkville
In 1871. though II wasn't a creek, and II
wasn't where he thinks 1t was, some
where In the vicinity Of Eighty-sixth
street"
The salt meadows did. however, extend
little way to the westward OF Third
avenue. and occupied the whole OF the
ground between that thoroughfare and the
East River, from about Sixty-seventh
street to somewhere near Seventy seventh,
and even further UP and downtown on
the river front. In 1871. h~~ever tn.
city had begun to I'LL In the waste spaces
by utilizing them as a dumping ground
for refuse OF various kinds thus laying
the foundation OF the artificial soil that
was afterward cut up In streets and build
ing lots.
The best way there was at that time
to get a view OF these meadows was to
board a Third avenue horse car In front
Of THE SUN Office and ride uptown. IL
took exactly an hour and twenty minutes
to reach the Third avenue bridge across
the Harlem River. never more and never
less. for the excellent horses that fur
nished the motive power were broken to
a gait that never varied. 1t took Just a
minute to go two blocks, and the average
was never broken, stops being allowed for
In the reckoning
You paid six cents for the entire trip,
though II cost only five to 90 as far as
the car stables AZ Sixty-third street,
where you had to pay second fare unless
you had secured a transfer by paying the
extra cent. If II was a short car you
got out and waited for the next but II
II was a through car you sat still. There
was straw on the floor to keep your feet
warm in cold weather, but otherwise the
cars were unheated. 1t was cold ride
In winter.
After you passed the car stables you
came speedily to the salt meadows but
before that you observed Jones's Woods
on your right, picnic ground OH the
banks of the East River that was al
ready degenerating into resort Of more
or less disorderly characters. though II
had been formerly a favorite playground
for families when II was desired to give
the children an outing
On summer nights from midnight to dawn
there would be on some OF the Third ave
nue. cars crowds OF rowdes and their girls
who had caroused in Jones's Woods till
they were sometimes quarrelsome and
almost always noisy. Sometimes they
paid their carfare. When they refused TO
do so the conductors seldom insisted very
strenuously.
II must have been somewhere near
Seventy fourth street that you came 10
that Manhattan" remembers as creek
Not far away. on the left. was higher
ground, and this was already built up to
some extent. Central Park being already
laid out. but on the right there were only
few shanties here and there to break
the view OF the East River and the OPP
posite shore.
Eighty-sixth street was already well
built up. being indeed the real centre OF
what was called Yorkville for n long time
after that. On the northeast corner stood
what was considered quite an imposing
stone building. In which was located Pa
repa Hall, concert room which was
noted as having the worst acoustics ~
any concert room In the United States.
1t was puzzle TO architects. and much
money was spent In vainly endeavoring
to correct n condition that was never ex-
planned before the attempt was finally
abandoned In despair.
Above Yorkvllle. in which were many
other points OF local interest, came an
other stretch OF low ground. partly salt
meadow. beginning near Ninetieth stree;
and reaching to the southern boundary
OF the village of Harlem near Doth street.
To the west OF that lay Manhattanville.
the name Harlem not then including so
much ground rs 1t does to-day
The city limits had already been ex-
tended to include portion OF Westches- |
ter county. but before that the Harlem
River was the boundary line. and all these
villages, together with Greenwich. were
portions of the city proper though II was
not always easy to realize that fact when
strolling through country roads that later
became streets.
|; does not take a very old man to re-
member when New York was a very diff |
ferent place from what II s now. The
ladies I knew In Brooklyn when I was
boy used to complain that when they
came TO New York they had to 60 further
north than Canal street 20 do their shop
ping. Even then the city was changing
as wonderfully as II still IL.
DAVID A. CURTIS.
New YoRK lime II