The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-16
THE UAIGHT FARM.
A Greenwich villagers "Reminiscences OF
Earlier New York.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The
very interesting letter from David A. Cur
tbs about the salt marshes OF Harlem in
the early '7Os calls recollections to my
mind. Al that time a patent attorney
named Albert Haight, an old bachelor. oc-
cupied an Office in the old World Building.
on the present site OF the Potter Building.
He lived between West Farms and West
chester, in an ancestral house, surrounded,
as recall. by nine acres.
Halght had an especial contempt for its
soil. ruined by generations of tobacco cul-
ture. the product being sold to the Loril-
lards, whose SNUFF grinding mill and store
house Is used az a workshop on the banks
OF the Bronx directly under the hill where
! the mansion stands. Up to about twenty
Ave years ago the grinding machinery
could lie seen through the doorway of the
mill. while a "spllway" from an upper
water course, now diverted, was on "A por-
ton OF the present path, and leading
| under IL to the water wheel OF the mill.
| Despite all the inconvenience of daily
! travel, Haight persisted in his residence
| through sentimental reasons fostered by IA
maiden sister. lie used to say that the
| property was unstable. He had three
means of travel in reaching 1t. From the
| foot of Fulton street to Harlem Bridge by
| the Sylvan Stream, sylvan Grove, Sylvan
| Dell or Sylvan Glen, which ran half
| hourly. Thence by n one horse car 10
| about 16jth street. and the rest afoot.
| The other means a horse car to the bridge
| in an hour and twenty minutes and the
rest OF the journey az above described.
Sometimes from Fourth avenue and Twen-
| ty-seventh street he took train to fremont
and prayed that AN alleged stage would
be there for further carriage.
Well about twenty to twenty five years
ago the land that he had despised In 1872
! sold at auction at an average OF S725 a
! Int haVn hapn situated about
the line of the present Haight avenue.
| With streets cut through, an acre yield
| ing about sixteen lots. the humble farm
OF nine acres realized over 100000. and
even II unimproved by buildings the prox-
| unity of the elevated and subway and con-
Meeting surface lines, since put In opera
ton. must have increased values threefold
since the auction sale.
But let us go back to 1880. a time wher
some OF the present philosophical CORE
spondents Of THE Sun were In tender
childhood. In that year. according &c
chapter 10, stephen Jenkins's STORY oil
the Bronx" most interesting history
there was issued handful which reads
| as follows:
! New York. West Farms and West Cheste
Stage stephen Valentine respectfully In
forms the Inhabitants OF West Chester and
West Farms that he has commenced running
a line OF post coa ches to the above places
| and hopes by strict attention ana goot
horses and safe Carriages to meet Will
liberal support Leaves West Chester ever,
day At '...,.. A. NJ. and No. is Bowery a
half past ......
Fare to West Farms. .............,. 5Oc
Fare to West Chester. .........,.,.. G2hc
Holy Texas! Now it's every three min
utes and for five cents. The voids n
times Of departure Indicate changes to b,
written In at different seasons OF tn,
year. OLD GREENWICH.
NEW YORK, June 10