The sun., 1916-08-24

room Of New York. Granted that 1t Is
the City Of Cemeteries AZ well as
Churches. Granted that Its intel
lectual aura Is rather philistine and
provincial; yet you can't deny that 1t
Is a city Of masnificent distances.
Manhattan doesn't boast Of anything
so ~grandi6se as the Plaza entrance to
Prospect Park, with its Soldiers and
Sailors Memorial Arch. atop OF which
is the MacMonnies Quadriga. with the
I%talianate Water Tower. the Brooklyn
Institute Of Arts and Sc~iences-truly
a monumental %pile-and the vast sweep
Of the Eastern Parkway. To match all
this n must go to London, Paris or
Vienna. But we are holding no par
ticular brief for Brooklyn. 1t liz down
old Flatbush way hat we wander and
dawdle in these misty hot dog days.
F%latbush. which several centuries ~
seemed to the homesick eyes Of the
Dutch settlers a veritable Little Hol-
land. No wonder. Take any trolley
from the bridges and in less than an
hour you are in the Flatlands. A
casual windmill strengthens the illu-
sion. There you no longer marvel over
such names az New Utrecht. Canar-
sey-old neutrality-suspicious. Flats. New
Amsterdam. Reuters Hook. Midwout--
Wildwood -Amcrsfort tthere IL al
Amersfoort in Holland, not far from
Utrecht), Corlers: or the good old
Dutch names such as Cornelius Van
derveer, John Bennem, Johannes j..
Lott, Peter Stryker, John Vanderbilt,
Hendrick II. Suydam. Adrian Mar
tense, and how many others. Their
descendants still live in Flatbush-or
Midwout. as it. was called-and
various streets and venue comment
crate the names Of the hardy Dutch
settlers.
In "A quaint little book which We
picked up at a second hand book stall
We learned much about old F~latbush.
II is entitled The History of the Town
Of Flatbush in Kings County, Long
Island. BY Thomas NJ. Strong, ID. D.,
Pastor Of the Reformed Dutch Church
Of Flatbush." II bears the imprint Of
Thomas Il. Mercein. Jr.. Printer. 240
Pearl street. cor. Burning Slip. and the
date is 1912. Therein we learn the
origin of the name Coney Island. The
Indians killed in 1909 ono of Hendrix
Hudson's men. Colman. who was
buried on the island known as Coney.
n corruption of Colman Island. which
may or may not he the truth. But
the Dutch did settle Flatbush and in
1854 the project for building tho Re
formed Protestant Dutch Church was
inauCurated. This church still stands
at the corner of Flatbush and Church
n and n visit to its v%cnerated
graveyard may dampeH our aspira-
tons toward vain worldly glory.
Therein the dead quietly sleep, undis-
turbcd BY the hoisterous and bubbling
youth across the way in the castel-
lated Erasmus Hall High School on
Flatbush avenue The early Dutch
We're a fervently pious race and they
left their "Bouweries," or farms, of n
sabbath morning. from Canarsey,
Oostwoud. or as far as Brooklyn, to
worship in their favorite church. 1t
is beguiling If not convincing theory
that If only these same solid Dutch
burghers had gridironcd all our land.
then the goldfish balls of Plymouth
Rock would mob have made such a
Kissing in h puritanical frying pans
of the American cuisine. Certainly
there would he less hypocrisy, politi-
cal and religious, in our national char
acter. The Dutch strain always
makes for manliness and Is composed
of sincere stuff.
However, living, not dead, issues
interest us. and Flatbush is a vital
city. If necent Albany legislation
counts for anything, then this suburb
OF Brooklyn will be spared the fate
of The Bronx and other sections Of
Greater New York. Already the fiat
house is rearing its ugly head in the
midst of delightful gardens. Already
the anonymous horde of vandals is
running these pretty reservations with
their hideous noise. dirt. disorder and
squalor. Flatbush welcomes all, for
Flatbush is democratic to the core;
hut. let US not mince words. there are
people who are undesirable citizens
apart from all considerations of race
or creed. Why. ask the dwcllers in the
comfortable and picturesque cottages
and bungalows that dot all Flatbush,
why must they he swept out OF exist
ence merely to put money in the
pockets Of unsentimental landowners,
and turn this part Of the city into an
other East Side? II is poor munich
pal policy. Because New York In her
greatness is destroying her once SUI
perb residential quarter, that Is nc
reason why Flatbush should be butch.
cred to make a real estate dealers
holiday. Keep within your own baili-
wick, cries public opinion. and spare
Jul country homes from becoming a
replica Of the unsalubrious, crowded
streets of the metropolis.
When you stroll through the choicer
parts of Flatbush you will more read
lily understand the indignation of its
residents on this question of an UNI
welcome invasion. This doesn't mean
aristocratic or moneyed snobbcry. ON
the contrary. II Is a question Of clean
illness and decenCy. There are poor
people scattered through the place
also many OF mediocre incomes. The
wealthy class usually live W Ocean
avenus, or in Prospect Park South
There are few towns where you can
get so much for so little cash. Runga-