Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-29

Frederic Maskim' S Letter
RENOvATINc BOHEMIA

offer tho early settlers. Washing
ton square was originally q swamp
In the midst Of which grew cram
berries, and on the edges Of which
were extensive blackberry, rasp-
berry and strawberry patches. All
about It was . deep fringe Of woods.
tangled with grape vines, and con-
tanning. great ilocks OF Wild tur-
keys and herds Of deer. which. &C.
cofding to the diary of one early
enthusiast, were $50 fat In the early
autumn as to spoil their meat"
Later. Minetta brook flowed past
Richmond hill. which Washington
made his headquarters, and which
later became the residence Of Vice
President Adams. Subsequently
Aaron Burr became Its owner, liv-
ing there in great splendor for 10
years and finally going forth from
its dignified shelter to slay Alex
ander Hamilton ut the expense Of
his own brilliant career.
At this time Greenwich was q
village Of almost a. much impor-
lance and Of much greater fashion
than New York, which then cluster
ed raggedly about the battery
Washington square, swampy and
uninhabitable, ,had been turned into
q potter's field. where the poor and
the unknown and the victims Of
epidemics were buried, much to the
disgust Of the fashionables who
were compelled to pass it and the
mournful paupers' funerals on theil
otherwise jolly drives from New
York to Greenwich. Not until 1872;
was the square laid out along It'll
present lines, the paupers excavat.
ed, and their remains carried to q
more appropriate resting place.
In these days New York wat
swept with frequent yellow fevel
land smallpox epidemics, which
couriously enough. Greenwich die
not appear to share. The village
at least bore the reputation Of be-
ing immune, SO that every time Al
epidemic broke out along the bat
terry, q large part Of the population
Immediately moved across to thu
other side of Minetta brook ant
settled down In Greenwich. II
this way the village grew enor
mously both in residents and IL
prestige.
Minetta brook was still ffowini
As briskly ~ ever, but not 80 full
of trout, when the University o
New York was built on Washington
square. Here, you may recall, Pro
fessor Morse perfected the elec
tro-magnetic telegraph, and Johl
w. Draper took the first daguer
reotype ever made OF the human
face. Think how much the thea
trical profession alone owes to tn
villageD
! The Minetta was also there II
Thomas Paine's day, the said Thorn
as living in q house on Bleeche
street not far from the brook wher
he spent his days. according to on
Of his contemporaries, in continu
Gus reading before his front win
dow. Perhaps the volume owe
which he pored SO persistently wa
his own age Of Reason" which
while shocking most Of the. churcl
going population. made such = "a
lvorable impression on q few of hi
Greenwich neighbors that the
named ! street Reason street" i
his honor. The street was unabl
to keep the name, however, bu
became "Raisin street." and late
was changed unrecognizably int
Barrow"
/ Minetta brook, which flowe
through SO much Greenwich I'll
lage history, was filled in years az
to provide hard street surface, bu
, 1t still manages to assert itse,
occasionally in the form Of floode
, cellars and excavations. Heav
! buildings built along its cours
} must be reinforced by huge piling
Similarly, has the old Greenwic
, of family, fame and fashion bee
/ obliterated, with only an old woot
en- house or two, scattered fnfr,
, quently about its streets, to te
the story. OF the later period {
: gentility there are still many arcl
, itectual reminders. but most I
, them are now in the hands Of boart
ing house keepers who would muc
prefer practical furnaces to carve
Areplaces.
II Thus, Greenwich village is graz
ually becoming strictly Goth cel
: fury. Even the Minettas, wit
| their subterranean broo wkda,n
r their subterranean brook, and the
, unsavory past, are yielding to Il
: modern influence Of tie New Yol
: real estate agent and the demand
Of the artists who are willing
: admit that art is by no meaI
l handicapped by plumbing.