New-York tribune., 1919-10-15

AHe mile OF BTOAQWny Wnlcn 1or
more than $50 years has been the
property Of one family, the Van Cort-
landts, was parcelled off yesterday. sold
at auction and to-day is the posses
sion of perhaps $50 men and women
whose bids for the lots totallcd $685.
375, which is an average Of $4,000 6
lot
Thousands and thousands of bids
were shouted at j. Clarence Davies
and Bryan L. Kennedy, agent and auc-
tioneer, during the eight hours which
the sale lasted. They came from
builders, spectators, investors, house
wives, thrifty workrien, army officers,
prosperous business men and men
, whose faces were tanned by years of
sun and weather in our countryside.
1t was a great crowd which crowded
every inch of floor of the auction room
and hung on the words of Major VII
liam Kennedy, who only few months
ago was Provost Marshal of the Amer
lean army in Italy, as he read the
terms and conditions of the sale. His
message that Mr.. Van Cortlandt would
permit 60 per cent Of the purchase
price to remain on mortgage at per
cent was welcome one to many, es
pecially the small moneyed man and
woman, and there were q number Of
them on hand, as it meant q saving in
carrying charges.
Fully 1900 Persons in Attendance
IL was estimated that 1000 persons
were on hand for the start of the sale,
and great many remained throughout
the day and saw the auction through
tct,,. 4ott1 ca
uel Goldsticker, Leroy Sober, Hamilton
! H. Paul Greenwall, and many other
builders, investors and spectators we're
in the crowd. Detectives George Ham,
mel and Peter Lynch, Of the Greenwich
Street police station. were also in the
room and prepared for any emergency
that might occur. Outside the door
stood big policeman, also there by
orders of the Commissioner. who
thought it wise to have some Of his
men on hand to protect so large a
crowd, which was loaded down with
rreenbacks, Liberty bonds and bank
books, as every one came prepared to
buy lot on Broadway.
Sale Of Historic Value
Aside from the real estate impor-
nothing short of an epoch in real es-
tate conditions in the upper extremity
of New York City, the sale is Of his
torir value, as it marks the passing of
the last great landed estate on Broad
way, the liquidation of q property
which was granted to the selling fam
lily by the first rulers of this city. 1t
is part of an estate which stretched out
east and north through Yonkers and
along the Hudson for many miles. Van
Cortlandt Park is part Of this grant
fho r,,,f k,,t l,a,
that automobilsts must have noticed
just north of Ossining, on the north
side of Croton River, whose construc-
ton forces one to think of the days Of
the Indians, when men were brave and
strong.
Property Gift of Dutch Crown
The mile on Broadway is about all
that the Van Cortlandts retain in this
city of that extensive grant, the gift of
a Dutch government satisfied witt the
services Of the Van Cortlandts. They
built a number Of attractive homes on
the property some twenty years ago,
which were rented to folk who have
occupied them ever since, and what is
particularly interesting in these days
of skyrocketing rentals, the rental has
never been boosted, it being the same
to-day as before the Spanish War.
These houses, which rent for $50 a
month each. were sold yesterday with
the land. In most cases they were Sc
cured by the tenants, who, perhaps
have not been asleep to the advantage
which they had over those who were
not so fortunate as to rent houses from
the Van Cortlandt family.
The sale opened with the offering OF
the northwest corner of Broadway and
Spuyten Duyvil. a lot 25 feet wide on
Broadway, 76.7 feet on the plaza
formed by the Junction of Broadway,
the Parkway and the Post road On
the latter street the lot fronts q
feet. On it and the adjoining lot is
building which is rented at $500 q
year until next July, the rental be
ing based not on current values in the
section.
What an bid for this corner?"
asked Mr.. Kennedy. "It is the first