The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-27
IN HAARLEM LANE SOME SEW.
ENTY YEARS AGO.
An Old Lady's Recollections OF Nine.
Jumel, Commodore Vanderbilt and
Other Noted Persons OF Those. Days. |

Other Noted Persons OF Those. Days.
What Is now ST. Nicholas avenue
was in 1s49 called HARLEM Lane, and
was part OF the old Post Road to AL
bany, which ran through what Is now
Central Park and past st. Vincent's
Convent. A short distance below these
buildings the road wound down'the hill
between Fort Fish on the right and
the old breastworlks on the left till It
crossed 109th street, which was open
from Second avenue to the foot OF the
hill. All west of this was rough
woods. Harlem Mere covers what
was then a thrifty little farm where
potatoes and corn were grown. I re-
member hearing them say. "Oh, there
goes the post boy" and looking out I
would see a young man on horseback
carrying the mail TO towns above. I
also remember occasionally seeing
large droves Of cattle driven down
HARLEM Lane to the Allerton Broth
ers' stock yards at Forty-fourth street.
Allerton Brothers also had the Bulls
Head Hotel in that neighborhood. One
little sheep dog remember as very
sagacious and slkilful in rounding the
cattle. He would go ahead and pre-
vent their turning at street corners,
knowing well where they were to go.
One of my earliest recollections of
the Lane is Of going with an older sis
ter to say good-by and godspeed to
a young man. son of our nearest
neighbor. who. was going to California
by the Overland Route with two sons
OF Charles Graham and others from.
Harlem. The Rev. DR.. Lord, pastor
of the Old Dutch Church at 121st
street and Third avenue, invited them
all on the last Sunday evening to SER
vice in his church, when he gave them
much good counsel and advice. One
of the party, a promising young man,
was shot on the way to California by
an Indian.
Another memory is of Nine. Jumel
driving by our house in her finely ap-
pointed carriage drawn by four bead
tiful cream colored horses with postil-
ions, a coachman on the drivers seat
and two liverled footmen standing on
a narrow platform at the hack OF the
coach. holding on by a strap across
the top. 1t was quite retinue for
very plain looking old woman, who
leaned forward to look at three little
girls who stood on the porch of their
house close to the road and waved
their hands to her, which salute she
did not return, and one little girl said,
well, she's not very polite" and an
other one said. "I was really waving
to the pretty boys and the beautiful
horses"
About 1853 S. s. Dubois leased the
corner property at 10th street and
Sixth avenue and opened a road house
there. He graded around the house
and built horse sheds on three sides Of
the yard, adding a long piazza to the
side of the house overlooking the lane,
which was a broad level stretch of
road, with thrifty truck gardens on
each side and from the fences enclos-
ing them to the roadway the grass
grew bright and green. Even between
the wheel tracks the grass grew, so
little was the road travelled.
Then the fun began, for the lane
then became the popular driveway
ard was crowded every afternoon
l-sportsmen with fine horses, the
wealthy with elegant equipages, and
others with buggies and small traps
drawn by horses some of which might
well be considered Hobson's choice.
Among the finest turrouts was that of
handsome, fine looking gentleman,
who had gray side whiskers and bright,
dark eyes. He always wore a low
crowned. gray hat, a gray linen buster
and drove a pair OF iron gray horses.
One of the Dubois boys told us this
was Commodore Vanderbilt. Robert
| Bonner also drove here. He published
the first story paper in New York, the
Metz York Ledger, and what delight
it was to many! I recall the names
of contributors, Sylvanus Cobb, Mrs.
| Sigourney and others. Henry ward
Beccher wrote a continued story Tor
IL. and Fannie Fern had spicy article
| in each number; then Sfhere were
answers to correspondents that were
a source of amusement as well as IN
struction,
Soon after the Dubois House was
| opened Edward Luff. "Uncle Ed,
as he was Familiarity called. left his
roadhouse on the Bloomingdale roso
and built another at 10th street and
Sixth avenue. opposite Dubois's. He
had large stable livery, sale and
exchange. and there were some ceie-
brated horses there at times, among
them Lazy Suffolk. once famous
] trot;er. who although past her prime
could still make good showing when
skilfully handled. About this time a
man named Rarey began giving eNhi-
bitsons of his method of tanning horses,
and one of his most wonderful
achievements was gaining control spr
Sultan, very handsome white stall
lion, unmanageable. vicious, having,
it WIS said, killed seven mon. After
Rarey's treatment he became docile,
and l remember seeing him brought
out for exercise, no longer villain
but gentleman.
As the country here was most pic
turesque II was decided to extend the
park to 10th street, and the convent
of the Sisters OF st. Vincent removed
TO the Edwin Forrest estate in Yon-
ikers. Then the Park Commissioners
had their headquarters in the old con-
vent buildings. Here, also, Frederick
Law Olmsted lived, and one after
noon when Haarlem Lane was crowded
with carriages we saw a covered shut
ter carried by six gentlemen past our
house. Mrs. Luff, who was just Their
passing, stopped to tell us that they
were carrying Mr.. Olmsted, who had
broken his leg, to his home in the con-
vent building. There were then nc
telephones or ambulances for such
emergencies, and friends were taking