The New York herald., 1921-04-24

from Fifth avenue to Sutton place the
memories of former years crowd upon
me. recalling Incidents of my boyhood
days spent in and around the little set
tlement known as BeelSman Hill.
was pupil in Public School No. IA.
In Twenty eighth street, of which Lafay-
ette Olney was principal. As my car fare
money was usually spent In other ways,
generally walked to and from school
every day and at the top of the Hill at
Forty-second street and Second avenue
passed the house--a picture of which can
be seen in Valentines Manual of 1851
which was left high and dry on the
rocks when Forty-second street was cut
through. The few houses in the distance
composed what was then known as
Beekman Hill.
The centre OF interest was of course
the Beelsman Hill mansion. Fiftieth and
Fifty-flrst streets were cut through to
the river. The old house stood on the
high ground near First avenue and still
covered more than half the block toward
Second avenue. The BeeSman Hill
church adjoined the Beekman grounds,
but was only small Sunday school
building, set about seventy feet back OF
the fence line, and then came a row OF
brownstone houses to Second avenue.
The lower side OF Fiftieth street was
built up solid to First avenue with brown
stone three and four story houses, except
the Secor house, which was an old fash
ioned frame building about the middle of
the block and just opposite the Beck
man gates and was no doubt a part OF
the Beekman place in former years.
Fffty-flrst street was built up only
about half way from Second avenue with
brownstone houses. and then came
row of two story brick houses, the last
one Of which adjoined the Beskman
grounds. In this house lived the late
David B. Scott, principal of Public School
No. 40, in Twentieth street, and his son
Dave Scott was one OF the Beekman Hili
boys. A few doors below in the same
row lived a little girl who afterward was
we'll known as Miss Vernona Jarbeau.
the actress. and nearer Second avenue
In one Of the brownstones lived fam
lily where the late DaVlu 1. 'aieieiHe
was a fraquent visitor
He was the uncle of Miss Jessie b.,
very pretty and vivacious little girl. MT
Valentino was always ready to talk OF
old New York. but found most people
then. as we do now. only politely in
terssted. 1t was hearing him tell about
Hamilton Grange and the old Jumel
mansion that started me and three other
boys on a ramble Of discovery to that
then far off country.
We started early on n Saturday morn
ing. with much lunch but not much casn
stopped on our way through the park 10
SEQ the animals and reached the Bloom
inedaIe road without much trouble. Here
we were to take a car. There was Q
track at one side Of the road, and the
only car we saw was going the wrong
way. This car was a one horse anali
and the driver sat on top.
We passed tho Harsen house, the Glen
dening house, the Somerindyke place. ano
got to the Grange about o'clock. we
did not get inside. but We did see the
thirteen trees said to have been planted
bv the great Hamilton. We did not gel
to the Junel place; we were now very
tired. our lunch was all gone. and W.
lust had enough of cash to get back t'
Bloomingdale. the fare being eight cents
walking from there to Beekman hi
end arriving about 7 o'clock
The Beekman mansion was occupied
AZ this time by John Cuthbert. who lived
there in some state. He had fine team
Of grays, and remember well just how
ho looked as he drove through the gates
and swung around in Fiftieth street t
First avenue. which at that time was
dirt road.
The house was said 20 be haunted; a