The Press., 1914-07-29
A Dutch Girls Choice Being a Story of New
 Amsterdam
By E. A. MITCHEL

WQOSG IaLQer was dn OySLSEAndA anu owned the lot on which he lived, never dreamed that if she could return to life after a couple of centuries she would see the struggling shanties about her home replaced by tall buildings and the street full of people, rushing hith- CT and thitheF in such hurry as was never seen in the old Dutch town. At the time Anne lived in Wall street even the wall or palisade from which it was named had not yet been built. But there was a cattle guard just north of her humble abode com posed of the branches of trees for the purpose of keeping the cows and the pigs and other animals within bounds. It was no great walk for her to go down to the river on the east or the river on the west.
 Anne was drawn in both directions, having a lover, young man owning small farm at the foot of King since the revolution of the colonies called Liberty-street, while near the foot of Wall street dwelt another wooer, a sailmaker. Nicholas Oothout, the farmer, was a Dutchman, while Samuel Monk, the sailmaker, was an Englishman. Each man possessed cer- tain advantages over the other. Monk owned a plot of ground near the foot of Wall street, or, to speak more cor rectly, what was afterward called Wall street, and the town was growing In that direction. But his sweetheart spoke or understood very little English, and Oothout, being a Dutchman, could pour love into her ear, while his rival must be content to look what he felt. Both men were young, of good habits and equally attractive or unattract1ve, according to taste.
 In those days stood windmill to the westward of where Anne lived, near the present corner of Broadway and Wall street, and on summer evenings Anne used to meet her Dutch lover there and, sitting under its great wings, listen to his tale of love. North eastward of her home was the Collect, a pond, and on other evenings she and the Englishman would sit on the bank holding hands, while Monk looked at her wistfully. The windmill and the pond have both long since disappear ed Gas have the three persons to whom this story relates), but old prints of them remain among the New York Historical sOciety's records.
 Anne's father favored Monks suit because the plot of ground he own ed was increasing in value, while Oothout's little farm on the North riv- CT seemed destined to remain forever farm. There was then no use for an avenue extending nOrthward, and Broadway did not reach as far as Wall street. The bank of the Hudson contained no buildings, while the street on the East river was being built upon, and the slips or docks con- taining the shipping were located there. Had these people lived cen turies instead of scores of years Got hout's farm would have won old De Heere's apprObatiOn to the owners suit for the hand of his daughter, for today the east side in New York is of little value compared with that far ther west. They not only lived lives too short to take in these changes, but Anne was of a marriageable age and would not remain so.
 While 1t was known that De Heege favored Monks suit, no one knew which of her two lovers Anne pre- ferred, for one evening she would be seen sitting under the wings of the windmill with Oothout, the next on the bank of the pond with Monk. One day she would be out in a boat on the North river with the farmer on a trip to Communipaw, on the Jersey shore, the next skimming the East river in father did not know which one of the two men she would accept. True, those were days when parents did not ask their children whom they preferred to marry, choosing for them themselves. but De Heere knew that his daughter could not be forced to marry against her will. He only feared that she was so in love with both that she could not decide upon either and that she would remain maid.
 Indeed, this was Anne's weak point She loved to listen to the-to any one except a Hollander-jaw breaking pas sages in which OothOut expressed his tender feelings for her and to see Monks fine blue British eyes turned upon her for a like purpose. It was not that she did not in her heart pre- fer one of the two that she put off de ciding between them. but that she did not relish giving up the lovemaking of either.
 But what was fun for her was har- rowing to the rivals. In those days the Dutch and English peoples were in no good humor with each other, and it was not to be expected that Dutch man and an Englishman could long be rivals for the hand of girl without a scrap. They met one day near the fort and began to pummel each other. There was a cry for the watch. and by the time both the cOmbatants had be- come exhausted a fat man came run ming down Broadway with a number of dogs and children at his heels ana arrested them on a charge of breach of the peace. They were let off with a small fine, but soon met again, with the result of another fight, this time being both put in the stocks.
 They had not long been liberated when they were at it again, but this time old De Heere took the matter up and promised the magistrate that there should be no more breaches of the peace on his daughters account, for he would answer for it that she decid- ed between her suitors immediately. They were let off. Oothout promising not to come east of the Presbyterian church on Wall street. between what is now Nassau street and Broadway, while Monk agreed to keep east of what was later Hanover street. This, however, was temporary restraint to last till the little Dutch girl should stop the war permanently by choosing one or the other of the contestants for L T.