The sun., 1916-10-08

of historical value and re-
nninders Of events and personaIi-
ties dear to its citizens are not
numerous in the greater city OF
New York. BEFORE a series OF eyolutions
known as progress many Of the slories
OF New York have been swept away to
make room for revenue producing prof.
eets such - homes. business buildings.
amusement places and the like. Instead
Of cosey old buildings which marked inn
. rortan' events in the history " the city
and the country, bronze tablets erected
by historical societies tell poster.ty that
On the spot marked history was made.
IL Europe. and for that matter In many
parts Of the United States no; SO given
~ commercial enterprise aud material
Things. historic. relies are preserved and
venerated.
lip to a few years ago there were
about thirty buildings in the greater
city which had weather<d more thar q
century. Most OF these We're In the out
lying sections. particularly Brooklyn
aud Richmond Manhattan seemed to
nave been swept almost clean of its
relics. Brooklyn was rich their with
ulaces about which were facts and
legends. But that was before Brooklyn
had a subway RAINING beyond Atlantic
and Flatbush svenues. The new transit
scheme has intersected every section OF
the borough. Some OF the routes ~ this
System are already in operation. With
the definite, settlement of the rapid
transit system builders went into the
old ~neighborhoods of the borough. parts
which because of lack OF good transit
had been passed By fiat house builders.
and bought up large areas Of land OF
which they built fiat houses and small
dwellings,.
There is no more ruthless man Than
a builder. Most times he sees only the
money that he can get out OF u property.
rs historic value IL not tangible, 80 IL
receives very little consideration Since
ne conclusion OF the rapid transit plan
ming many OF ~Brooklyn's historic places
and Observation-Disclosures which have
TODD since the Dutch managed the gov
srnment affairs In this part Of the world
have been removed. Az the rate at
which they ave been cleared away
there will be as few In Brooklyn in the
next few years as there are in Manhat-
an to-day. The Brooklyn Trust Com
Dany Of IA Montague street has just
issued a booklet entitled "Rambles
About Historic Brooklyn" tn II are
photographs of old homestesds still
standing n others which were closely
associated with historic Kings county.
The book Is a collection OF facts. legends.
traditions and "reminiscences, Many rare
prints and old photographs are repro
duced In the book. which contains hfty
interesting pages. Through the courtesy
OF the Brooklyn Trust Company. THE
Sun is able to. reprint. some OF these
prints and stories OF historic Brooklyn,
The first step In the settlement OF
Brooklyn was made in the year 1875.
when william AdrIaense Bennett and
Jaques Bentyn bought from the Indians
$40 acres OF land at "Gowanus,' About
a year later George Jansen DE-, Rapolje
bought a piece Of land lying near the
Wallabout Bay. De Rapeljs was a
farmer. He titled his land and occupied
2 house on It until about 1854. Tradi-
ION says his daughter Sarah was the
FIRST white child born on Long Island.
aud that she was held in great esteem
moth ny the Dutch and the Indians. This
'ss"rtion has been modified by later
a s'orians. who say that Sarah de Ra-
pelle was the first female white child
born In the New Netherlands colony,
Cabins were built on the Long Island
shore, n eventually communication
vas Established with Manhattan by one
'vrue:s nircksen. who. having the adj
'antago OF holding land Oh both sides
~ TN" river. ~onductcd a ferry "
We two plaoAs, lie was by
means Of a horn that hung on a con-
~FriiioIt tree, ready for the traveller TO
DO" when he wished to cross, "Thc
rsrry" on the Long Island shore later
n''ain" tho popular resort for the set
'le's, 4 road led from II to the heights
~h"f" the village Of Brcuckelen was
'N'lhIng, which was supposed to have
i''"iNed III name from the Dutch, and
means "hrokcn land II clustered close
anout tho site OF the present Borough
Isil, ana followed the cOurse OF FULTON y
,lrset' which no doubt was originally an
ndlan trail.
Host Of the old and historic places