New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-12-21

Inc TWO nodded, drew apart the
allotted distance and faced each
other.
1t must have been entirely in the
imagination Of the spectators. but
1t seemed to them as if the skv
knowing the melancholy character
OF the tragedy about to be enacted
took on more somber hue as the
principals waited for the word,
The four stood in a cleared space,
surrounded by a tangle of cedar
trees, from which good view could
be had of Manhattan Island. Below
the grassy ledge, at the waters edge,
rode the barges in which the two
parties had crossed the river.
/ In one Of the barges man, obvi-
ously physician, from his surgical
and medicine kit, kept casting anx-
ious chances in the direction of the
t spot where the armed men confront
ed each other.
For an event Of such nation shak-
ing Importance, the tragedy on the
grass ledge was over in surpris-
ingly short time.
One Of the Seconds" She was at
terward identified as Nathaniel Pen
dleton--stepped forward and asked
the two men with the cold, set
faces II they were ready" Both
nodded assent. Pendleton sharply
cried, "Presentw and almost stimuli
taneously shot cut through the
| deathly stiffness, followed almost i'm
mediately by another.
At the sound of the first shot one
Of the men rose slightly on his toes,
turned little to the left and fell
! fat on his face
The "big scene" in the tragedy
was over, and with it reality flashed
back upon the sentimental little man
standing on the sidewalk in Wall
Street, reminding him of his ex-
! pired lunch hour and waiting duties.
"Goodness" he said, coming to
himself with start, 81 must hurry
back to the Office or I'll be late"
The item responsible for the side
walk reverie" was printed in The
Tribune on December II last. 1t
read, In part:
"The Manhattan Company, Of
which Aaron Burr was the founder.
and the Merchants National Bank,
founded by Alexander Hamilton.
Burr's opponent in the fatal duel
under the Palisades, were united
yesterday by vote of the directors
of the two banking institutions.
:. Stephen Baker, president Of
the Manhattan Company, will be
president Of the united banks
Raymond Jones, president OF tho
Merchants National Bank, will be
ranking vice-president"
A great many persons other than
the sentimental little man were at
tracted by it. 1t had such an i'm
mediate relation to what had long
been regarded as Americas great
est political tragedy. 1t conjured up
so many visions of the past-visions
which are sacred to the nations his
tory because of the personages in
volved and the issues effected.
Washington, Daniel Webster, Burr,
Hamilton, De Witt Clinton - giant
figures and giant struggles which
had shaken the very foundation Of
tho nation-peeped out Of the past
at the call Of that newspaper item.
You saw again Bowling Green as
the center of the residential section
of the city, where gentlemen engaged
IN the game of bowls. Fulton had
not yet made his first trip by steam
between New York and ALBANY. 1t
cost 8 cents to send a letter COM
posed Of single sheet of paper
over distance of forty miles or I'M
der, and rs cents to send it 500 miles
Wall Street was a residential thor
Cuehfare more than a business