The sun., 1918-09-29

January 10, 1869, and is in the hand
writing of the first Town Clerk, Dr.
Johannis de La Montague. Strangely
enough, no records seem to have been
kept before this date, although the
New Village or Settlement at The end
of the Island" had been authorized by
Stuyvesant and the Council March I.
1858.
The reasons given by the Governor
for the establishment Of the village
sound prophetic: For tho further pro-
motion of agriculture. for the security
of this island as well as
for the further relief and expansion of
this City Amsterdam in New Neither
land" reads the proclamation. As Wall
street defined the north boundary Of
New Amsterdam and as the new village
was TO occupy "the end OF the Island"
there remained q considerable area for
expansion. The City Fathers Of 1858
took a long look ahead.
Montasne kept the records for ten
years. Following his death In 1871
Hendriok Jansen Wander Vim kept them
until 1884, when he died. Wander Wins
entries are written in beautiful clerkly
hand. His columns of figures, regular.
neat and accurate. will compare favor
ably with a hank ledger Of to-day. No
doubt Hendrick cut his own quill pens
and made his own ink from the iron
filings gathered around the village
smithy and stepped in a brewing Of nut
gals. His work still lives vivid and
clear. The aniline inks of to-day will
hardly look as we'll $50 years hence.
Wander WINS successor was Jan Tiebout.
a Fleming by birth, late School Master
at Flatbush." He served the town from
January. 1885. until 1929 with the ex-
ception OF the year 1690-1691. when
Guliaem Bertholf took his place.
In September. 1899, Adriaen Yer
mouls became Town Clerk and held this
position until 1908, when he was re-
leased from his duties at Harlem to take
the position Of Reader" at the church
in Bergen, now part Of Jersey City
Vermoule's records are also beautifully
yermoule In his secretarial duties until
May, I'LL, when Capt. Charles Con
greve. an Engllshman. took UP tho Town
Clerks work. He reported the town
| meetings and minor matters until 1713
his entries being In English, naturally.
From this time forward the entrie,
ara irregular and scattering. The ex.
PLANTATION for this 10 to DO found in the
| fact that real estate records, wills. con.
| tracts. &C, were required 10 be entered
in the various ofices In the city of New
York.
Another small paper covered volum,
contains the New Harlem Deacons
! Books. The first book. begun 20 July
| 1872. by Joost Van d'Oblinis with Dan
lei Tourneur. extends TO August IS
| 1878; then the records are missing un
| til April g. 1886. They end July
1894, Tho earlier book, begun by tn,
! Deaeons. seems to have been kept W
by Wander Vim. The last book is ir
the handwriting of Jan Tiebout. Tn,
latter book IL much mutilia ted.
There are useful and valuable topo
graphical maps Of the Netherlands ant
many notebooks filled with extract.
| from French and Dutch works In the
collection. as well as copious extract,
from early American sources, some o,
them not elsewhere available. All tn,
| data on which Riker founded hi,
annals OF Newtown' will also be found
here, also much Research into Ions
Island family history. including cople.
| Of town and church records.
All Of this material. while It Is Of
| enormous value to the history of oul
! city, would be completely lost In on,
of the city ofices In the custody Of tn,
| New York Public Library 1t will b.
! made available for the student