The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-01


 " Wal. s1 .'sssss: sass cal, %s'' sssaai 1sssi ss w CT asked me the other day. There are no more walls on it than on any other street." And when I put this question to several Wall street men, including a widely known finan- cial writer, I found that ignorance of the origin of the name of this historic highway of finance was deep and wide spread, even among it's denizens. A somewhat detailed explanation of the of more than local interest.
 There was once wall on Wall street, and there was great need of it. Less than 25o years ago Wall street was the northernmost limit of the city of New York and on the upper side of it were wild Indians, wolves, bears and all kinds of enemies of the little Dutch settle- ment which Adrian Jaris had planted on the lower end of Manhatta Island in 1923. Savages skulked in the woods where the municipal buildings stand nov carrying off the cattle which were tsr ed out to grass on the edge of the
  and scalping one of the Dutch inhabi- tants.
 So in 1644 Governor Kieft issued an edict that good solid fence" be erected across the island, along the line Wall street now occupies, and commanded that every man who wished his cows and sheep to be pastured in security should appear with proper tools and as- sist in the work. Those who failed to lend helping hand were to be lex cluded from the privilege of the inclosed meadow"
 In 1853 the city of New Amsterdam was created by royal proclamation. The Dutch and the English were then at war in Europe and the colonies of both races were as much excited by the old world conflict as the various brands of hyphenates are by the present war. Participation in the war by America was as much a peril then as now, and the Dutch West Indies company warned New Amsterdam to be on the watch for an attack on their settlement by the English of New England.
 The Dutch governor, Peter Stuyves- ant, acted promptly on the warning and called together the city fathers who as a first step toward preparedness voted to repair and strengthen the fort from which the Battery got it's name and to raise $2O0O for the building of great wall to replace Governor Kiefts fence.
 This was the wall which gave Wall street it's name.
 The money was promptly raised by popular subscription, to be repaid from taxes and within few days every able bodied man in the settlement was or dered to appear with proper tools and assist in the building of the wall under penalty of fine or banishment for non- compliance. Picks and shovels flew, hammers and axes resounded, and in very short time wall of palisades 12 feet high stood between New Amster- dam and it's potential foes from the east. The palisades were IS inches in diameter and sharpened at the top. Posts were planted rod apart and to them were nailed split rails, two feet from the top of the wall. Behind the wall was a breatstwork of earth four feet high and four feet wide, thrown up from a ditch of the same dimensions.
 At the point where the wall crossed the road now known as Broadway a great and imposing Land Gate" was erected and "Water Gate" was planned for the East river end of the wall. This Water Gate" which was not completed