j^EW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS 1609-1871. A LIBRARY OF INFORMATION, Pertaining to the great Metropolis, past and present, with Historic Sketches of its Churches, Schools, Public Buildings, Parks and Cemeteries of its Police, Fire, Health and Quarantine Departments of its Prisons, Hospitals, Homes, Asylums, Dis- pensaries and Morgue and all Municipal and private Charitable Institutions. BY REV. J. F. RICHMOND, (FIVE TEARS CITV MISSIONARY IN NEW YORK.) Illustrated -with upwards of 200 ENGRAviNGa J^EW YORK: E. IB. rrZER-El^^T, SOS :^3rostci-'C7^st3^- A- L. BANCKOFT & CO., San Francisco. H. C. WKIGHT & CO., St. Louis. J. H. HXJMMEIi, New Orleans. W. T. KBEISTER Chicago. 1871. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S71, by E. B. TREAT, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ■3 StercotypeJ at the WOMEN'S PRINTING HOUSB. PKKSB of CdSHINO, BiBDUA & Co. 644 & 646 Broadway, N. Y. PKEFACE. " It is too late in the history of the world," one has said, " for an author to apologize for publishing a book ;" hence few are now guilty of such affectation. Nevertheless, the causes that led to a produc- tion, the manner of its preparation, and the object sought in its publication, are often matters of interest and profit to a thoughtful reader. The volume now offered to the pubKc is uot the result of an empty desire to make a book, but to furnish in a concise yet sufficiently extended form for ordinary use a history of the American metropolis, with the origin, objects, growth, and present condition of its niunerous institutions. Many excellent works beariug on this subject have been issued during the last twenty years by various publishers and authors, and by the separate corporations, varying in si2;e from the large quarto to the thirty-cent guide-book. Some of these have traced minutely the early history of the island, others have sought to exhibit New York as it is, some have traced the history of the churches or of a single institution, and one has traced the career of most of the societies devoted to private charities. As no one of them has, however, attempted to cover the whole subject, a small library of these books has been indispensable to one wishing to be tolerably conversant with the history of New York and its institutions. The author has often felt the need of a comprehensive volume, giving information ia relation to the prisons, dispensaries, the municipal institutions, the cemeteries, hospitals, schools, the parks, markets, quarantine, etc., etc. While informing himself on these subjects, he was induced to write a series of articles, describing the islands in New York harbor and many of the institutions, which were published in one of the monthlies of the city. The brief his- tories of a few of the institutions given proved highly satisfactory to some of the managers, and at their suggestion he at length decided to undertake the preparation of this work. In examining the several institutions, the author has endeavored to dismiss all denominational prejudice, and present honestly the history and merits of each. He has in every place looked for some- thing commendable, and almost invariably found it. The two hun- dred institutions of New York, many of which are colossal enter- prises, are highly creditable to the humanity and benevolence of our people. The author does not endorse the idea so often advanced, that " we have too ma/ny cha/ritahle institutions,''^ nor does he believe that they coidd or should be greatly consolidated. Institutions, like armies, may be too large for successful management. Many of ours are already as large as they ever should be, and the younger and smaller ones, if well conducted, are certain to rapidly increase in magnitude. We believe every denomination should provide its homes for the aged, and found asylums for its orphans. We have contemplated with high satisfaction the march of events in this direction. It has not been our purpose to present any new theory for the establishment or management of an institution. An imperfect system has often proved eminently successful under judicious administration, while the most perfect has repeatedly failed through mismanagement. Hence, abstract discussions of theories or systems are of uncertain value. No one can wade through many hundred published reports of the institutions, as we have done, without being impressed with the fact that in the minds of all these managers there is a manifest desire for progress and great efficiency. While the his- tory of our institutions discloses the fact that provision is made for every class of imfortunates, and that the benevolence of the people is rapidly increasing, it exMbits, also, most noticeably tlie recog- nized power of mind and of moral instrumentalities. Brute force no longer reigns. Public justice is no longer a revenge, but an ex- pedient for the safety of community, and the reformation of the criminal. Sixty years ago truant youth were hurled into a prison, where, Tinder the tuition of mature criminals, they soon became hopelessly corrupted. Now, in a Refuge or an Asylum — a school with a sanctuary— they are impressed with ideas and moral motives, and soon rise to usefulness. The blind and the deaf-mute are educated, asylums rise for the reformation of fallen women and the inebriate, while the halls of the hospital and the prison resound with the ministrations of religion. The most advanced in evil are still considered -within the reach, and susceptible of, moral influence, and for whose recovery scores are wi l l i ng to toil. For much valuable information in the preparation of this work, the author cheerfully acknowledges his obligation to "A Picture of New York in 1848," " Valentine's History of New York," Apple- tons' " American Cyclopedia," the " Gazetteer of the State of New York," the " Manuals of the Common Council," the " Charities of New York," " Half-Century with Juvenile Delinquents," " Public Education in the City of New York," " Watson's Annals of New York," Miss Booth's " History of the City of New York," and to the printed reports of the several institutions whose histories are briefly presented. Also to the managers, superintendents, chaplains, and physicians of the institutions, who, with a few exceptions, have manifested an interest in his \mdertaking, and promptly furnished such information as was within their reach. The author has gath- ered his statistics from the most reliable sources, and trusts they will be found very generally correct. Of the labor and difficulty in preparing a work of this kind in a great city of strangers, where things are changing with kaleidoscopic rapidity, few have any con- ception who have not undertaken it. Of the style, he has only to say that he has labored to present the largest amount of matter in the smallest space; and has sought to minister to the understanding, rather than the imagination. In tracing the early history of the island, and the colonial history, lie has sought to select, and so group the principal events, as to make them readily found, and easily remembered. He has not sought to unduly encumber the volume with the names of oflB.cers, or with unimportant statistics. It has been his aim to present a portable book, richly illustrated, within the reach of all ; containing all the information that the masses care to read, of the development of the city, the origin and work of its institutions ; in fine, a comprehensive work and guide, acceptable alike to the citizen and the stranger. How far he has succeeded he leaves for others to judge. The volume has been prepared amid the duties of a laborious pastorate. During the last five years he has visited, as occasion has ofiered, each of the institutions described, and to many of them he has been called to ofier consolation to the suffering. The reports, statistics, and other items, have been thus collected, and any missing facts supplied, when possible, through correspondence. The chapters have mostly been written nights, after conducting an evening service. The labor of its preparation, notwithstanding the numberless perplexities such an undertaking involves, has been a pleasant and profitable one — and he can only wish the reader a simi- lar experience in its perusal. Hoping the fruits of these snatches of time and toil may be made to minister in. some degree to the intelligence and good of the people, we send this volume forth on its mission to the world. J. F. RICHMOND. New Yobk, August, 1871. CONTENTS. en AFTER I. PAGE Early History of Manhattan 17 The Great ]\Ietroi)olis 17 Original Settlers of Manhattan 19 The Advent of the Wliite Man 21 The First Grave 22 Hudson explores the River 23 Founding of the Dutch Dynasty 25 Peter Minuits, the First Governor 26 Wouter Van Twiller 26 William Keift 27 Peter Stuyvesant, the Last of the Dutch Governors 28 The Surrender of the Dutch Dynasty 30 Manners and Customs 32 CHAPTER II. English Colonial History 36 Successful Administration of Colonel Nicols 36 Recapture of Manhattan by the Dutch 37 The Career and Tragic End of Leisler, the People's Choice. 39 Captain Kidd, the iSTe-w York Pirate 46 Rip Van Dam 52 The Trial and Triumph of Liberty 54 The Negro Plot of 1741 60 Triumph of the Anglo-Saxon 65 Ti-oublous Times Approaching 68 OHAPTEE III. Important Incidents op the Revolution, and later His- tory OF New York 72 XU CONTENTS. PAGF New York Government at Sea 72 Plot to Assassinate Washington 73 Shocking Barbarity of English Officers 74 Hale and Andre, the Two Spies 80 Arnold in New York 84 British Evacuation 89 The Burr and Hamilton Tragedy of 1804 90 Eobert Fulton, and the " Clermont " 96 Public Improvements of 1825 98 CHAPTER ly. New York As It Is 101 1. Description of the Island 101 2. Population at Different Periods , . 103 3. Streets and Avenues of New York 105 The Plan, the Pavements, and the Modes of Travel. WaU Street. Broad Street. Broadway. Fifth Avenue. The Boulevard. 4. The Architecture 114 Hotels. Astor House, Fifth Avenue, St. Nicholas, Grand Central. Cooper Institute. Academy of Design. Theaters. The Astor Library. American Bible House. Publishing Houses. The Park Bank. Life Lisurance Buildings. The City HaU. The New York Court House. The New York Post Office. Stores. Stewart's, Claflin's, Lord & Taylor's, Tiffany's, etc 5. Business in New York 131 Causes of Business Failure. Business in Real Estate. Classes of Rich Men. Politicians. f CONTENTS. XUl PAcni! Speculators and Stock Gamblers. Success of Great Men. 6. The Churches of New York 142 Reformed Dutch. Protestant Episcopal. Lutheran. Presbyterian. Baptist Methodist. Jews. Roman Cathohcs. . Other Denominations and Missionary Societies. 7. Parks and Squares 158 8. How New York is supplied with Water 166 9. The Schools and Colleges of New York 169 10. Public Security 180 MetropoUtan PoUce Department. Metropohtan Fire Department. The Health Department. Quarantine Department. Maritime Defences. United States Navy Yard. 11. New York in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. 198 12. The Libraries, Monuments, and Markets of New York. 206 13. The Cemeteries of New York 214 The Early Cemeteries. New York Bay. Greenwood. Cypress Hills. Evergreen. Calvary. Wood Lawn. CHAPTER V. Institutions op Manhattan Island and Westchester Co. 281 Asylums 281 1. New York Institution for the Deaf and Dumb 281 2. Institution for the Improved Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb 287 3. The New York Institution for the Blind 289 4. Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane 294 5. The New York Orphan Asylum 299 XIV CONTENTS. PAGE 6. The Colored Orphan Asylum 302 7. Orphan Home and Asylum of the Protestant Episcopal Church in New York 305 8. The Sheltering Arms 308 9. The Eoman Catholic Orphan Asylum 312 10. New York Asylum for Lying-in Women 315 11. New York Magdalen Benevolent Asylum 317 12. Society for Half-Orphan and Destitute Children 321 13. The Leake and Watts Orphan House 325 14. The New York Juvenile Asylum 328 15. The House of Mercy (Protestant Episcopal) 333 16. Hebrew Benevolent and Orphan Asylum Society..,, 336 17. House of the Good Shepherd 339 18. St. Barnabas House 341 19. The Institution of Mercy (Roman Catholic) 344 20. Orphan Asylum of St. Vincent De Paul 347 21. Society for Destitute Roman Catholic Children 349 22. New York Foundling Asylum (Roman Catholic) 354 23. The Shepherd's Pold 356 24. Woman's Aid Society and Presbyterian Home for Training Young Girls 357 25. St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum 359 Hospitals and Infirmakies 360 1. The Roosevelt Hospital 360 2. The Presbyterian Hospital 364 3. St. Luke's Hospital 367 ' 4. New York Hospital 371 5. The Hospital of St. Francis 374 6. St. Vincent Hospital 375 7. German Hospital and Dispensaiy 379 8. Mount Sinai Hospital 382 9. Bellevue Hospital 386 10. The Nursery and Child's Hospital 389 11. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary 394 12. The Woman's Hospital of the State of New York. . . 399 13. Institution for the Ruptured and Crippled 403 14. House of Rest for Consumptives 408 15. New York Infirmary for Women and Children 410 CONTENTS. XV paoe: 16. New York Medical College and Hospital for Women. . 413 17. The Hahnemann Hospital 415 18. The Stranger's Hospital 417 19. The New York Ophthalmic Hospital 419 20. The New York Aural Institute 419 21. Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital 421 Homes 423 1. Association for the Relief of Respectable Aged Indi- gent Females 423 2. Ladies' Union Aid Society of the M. E. Church 426 3. American Female Guardian Society and Home for the Friendless 430 4. The Home for Incurables 434 5. Samaritan Home for the Aged 436 6. The Colored Home 439 7. The St. Luke's Home 442 8. The Presbyterian Home 446 9. Union Home and School for Children of our Volunteer Soldiers and Sailors 449 10. The Female Christian Home 452 11. The Home for Friendless Women 453 12. Women's Prison Association of New York (The I. T. Hopper Home) 457 13. Roman Catholic Home for the Aged 461 14. Chapin Home for the Aged and Infirm 462 15. Baptist Home for the Aged 463 16. Home for Aged Hebrews 464 17. Ladies' Christian Union, or Young Woman's Home. . 467 18. Hotel for Working Women (A. T. Stewart's) 470 19. The Water Street Home for Women 471 Missions, Industrial Schools, and Miscellaneous Societies 477 1. The Five Points Mission 477 2. The Five Points House of Industry 483 3. Woman's Boarding House 486 4. The Howard Mission and Home for Little Wanderers. 488 5. The Midnight Mission 492 6. Wilson's Industrial School 494 7. The New York House and School of Industry 497 XVI CONTENTS. PAGE 8. The Children's Aid Society 499 9. Society for tlie Employment and Relief of Poor "Women. 604 10. New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor 505 11. Young Men's Christian Association 508 12. New York Prison Association 511 Prisons and Dispensaries 514 1. The City Prisons 514 2. The New York Medical Dispensaries 519 CHAPTEK Yl. Institutions op Blackwbll's Island 523 1. The Islands and the Authorities 523 2. The Hospitals of Blackwell's Island 527 3. The New York Penitentiary 531 4. The New York Almshouse 536 6. The New York Workhouse 541 6. The New York Lunatic Asylum 545 CHAPTER yn. Institutions of Ward's Island 551 1. The Buildings of the Commissioners of Emigration. ..551 2. The New York Inebriate Asylum 557 CHAPTER YIII. Institutions of Randall's Island 562 1. The New York Nurseries 562 ! Buildings for the Healthy Children. Infant Hospital. Idiot School and Asylum. 2. Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents 568 CHAPTER IX. Institutions on Hart Island . . 572 The Industrial School, and the School-Ship "Mercury".. 572 CHAPTER X. New York Institutions on Staten Island 578 1. Sailors' Snug Harbor 578 2. Seamen's Fund and Retreat 582 /|,;iT:iiiiiiiii,i'iiiniiniflf"l *i77 ~i ' t ^ NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. CIIAPTErt I. EARLY HISTORY OF MANHATTAN. rilE GREAT METROPOLIS — ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF MANHATTAN THE ADVENT OF THE. WHITE MAN THE FIRST GRAVE — HUDSON EXPLORES THE RIVER FOUNDING OF THE DUTCH DYNASTY PETER MINUITS, THE FIRST GOVERNOR — WOUTER VAN TWILLER — WILLIAM KEIFT PETER STUYVESANT, THE LAST OF THE DUTCH GOVER- NORS THE SURRENDER OF THE DUTCH DYNASTY MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. THE GREAT IVIETROPOLIS. I — 1 "~" '^^v YEW YOEK is the most populous, wealthy, and splendid city on the American continent. Its location, cli- mate, surroundings, and connections have all ^ l»cen favorable to its growth and greatnes-. ]' r^i It stands on the little island called by the I Indians Manhattan, but Brooklyn, Williams- nirgh, Greene Point, Jersey City, BLoboken, Yon- p^ I - -^; ,, Ivcrs, and Tarry town, are but its suburbs, containing ISX^fe' ^'^6 residences of its laborers, clerks, and merchant JM^fel pi-inces, 'Among the earliest localities to feel the tread of the European stranger, it has through all its history been deservedly popular as a landing depot, and now receives fully five-sevenths of all entering the country. About live thousand vessels annually enter its bay, which is suf- 18 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. ficiently broad and deep to anchor the collected navies of the world. Its imports and exports are more than fifty per cent of the whole United States, and amount to five hundred mil- lion dollars per annum ; while the aggregate trade of the city reaches nearly four thousand millions. Nearly three hundred railroad trains make daily communication with its suburbs. The taxable property of the island reported at less than half its value reaches nearly a thousaud millions, and the annual tax about twenty-five millions. New York is the great store- house of the nation's wealth, the centre of its financial oper- ations, and of its political, industrial, economic, scientific, educational, benevolent, and religious enterprises. New York furnishes most of the newspapers, periodicals, books, pictures, models of statuary, architecture, machinery, and handicraft, for the numerous great States clustered around it, and for the broad Canadas. There is poverty in Nevv^ York, deep and squalid ; but it is offset by wealth, countless and dazzling. There is ignorance here, profound and astonishing; but there is learning also, brilliant and extensive as can be found on the globe. There are sinners in New York, black and guilty, as ever disgraced the world ; but there are saints also, spot- •less and benevolent, as ever adorned the Church of God. All extremes meet in this great metropolis. Here are the denizens of every land, the babblings of every tongue, the productions of every clime, the inventions of every craft, and the ripened fruit of every desire. At a single glance can be seen, as in a vast mirror, pictures of age and infancy, beauty and deformity, industry and indolence, wealth and beggary, vice and sanctity. New York, with its immense libraries, art galleries, daily press, literary associations and lectures, its benevolent institu- tions, and architectural wonders, is one of the richest fields of human culture in the known world. There is on every hand something to interest, please, and profit everybody, of what- ever country, talent, or temperament. It is a luxury to tarry in New York, though it be but for a month, a week, or a day, ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF MANHATTAN. 19 to listen to the rninble of its wlieels, the whistle of its en- i^ines, the clicking of its telegraphs, the voice of its orators, the chime of its bells, the strains of its music, and the roar of its artillery. Whose inind is not enlarged as he contem- plates the progress of its growth, the rush of its improve- ments, and the majestic sweep of its commerce? Who can stand upon its elevated observatories and closely contemplate its leagues of solid masonry, everywhere thronged with im- mortals as important and hopeful as himself, without such emotions as he never experienced before? Who can press through the whirl of its daily activities, without thinking of eternity ; through its neglected sinks, without thinking of pandemonium ; or its cultivated parks, without thinking of paradise ? All do not live in New York, nor can they ; yet every thoughtful American should visit it, snuff its ocean breezes, contemplate its massive piles, peep into its institu- tions, and gather inspiration from the rush of its activities. For any who wish to visit it, or who do not, this book has been written. To obtain a correct and adequate knowledge ■of New York, let us begin at the foundation. ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF JIANHATTAN. iind 1 rfOR many ages Manhattan lay buried in these western solitudes, separated by a wide and stormy ocean from all the bustling activities of the civilized world. During a long period it is now known to have been the favorite resort of the Indians of the Hudson i-iver country who gathered here in vast numbers, built their rustic vil- and spent the summer months in lishing, baking clams, untinir. Centuries before civilization found its way to 20 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. these shores, the broad bay now whitened with the sails of a hundred nations was dotted with the canoes of an ingenious race, whose history is now too nearly obliterated. Their lands they owned in common, the only divisions being between the different tribes. Their habitations were constructed of sap- lings and bark, with no windows, floors, or chimneys. Their villages were located on spots of ground naturally clear of wood, and contained from twenty to several hundred fam- ilies, which in time of war they surrounded with a fence or stockade. To agriculture they gave no attention, save the planting of Indian corn, beans, peas, and pumpkins. Both sexes were exceedingly fond of display in dress, illustrating the old saying, that " man in robes or in rags is a proud little animal." The Indian women wore long, black hair, plaited and rolled up behind, where it was fastened with a band. Their petticoats were ornamented with exquisite taste and skill, and would bring a fine sum in our day. This gar- ment hung from a belt or waist-girdle made of dressed deer- skin, highly ornamented with Indian money called sewant. Pendants hung upon their foreheads, necks, and arms, and handsomely trimmed moccasins adorned their feet. The men were no less attentive to dress. Upon their shoulders they hung a mantle of deer-skin, with the fur next their bodies, while the outside of the garment displayed a va- riety of designs in paint. The edges of the mantle were trimmed with swinging points of fine workmanship. Their lieads were variously ornamented ; some wearing feathers, and others different articles of a showy character. Their necks and arms displayed ornaments of elaborate workman- ship. They painted themselves in a variety of colors accord- ing to their peculiar tastes, rendering their appearance gro- tesque and frightful. They were tall and slender, had blacic or brown eyes, snow-white teeth, a cinnamon complexion, and were fleet and sprightly. They had no care but to provide for present subsistence and secure pleasure. They were very superstitious, believing in dreams, signs, and various omens. THE ADVENT OF THE WHITE MAN. 21 They had crude notions of the Great Sj)irit and the Spirit L'lnd. When one died they placed his body in a grave in a sitting posture, shielding it from contact M'ith the earth by a covering of boughs, and from the wild beasts by a burden of stone and earth. Byhis side in the grave was also placed his implements of war and pleasure, some money and food to serve him on his journey to the Sjnrit Land. The science of war was his greatest accomplishment, and to die without any <;lis|)lay of weakness or fear, his highest virtue. Oratory was considerably cultivated among them. When first discovered their manners and habits contrasted so strangely with every- thing in Europe, that they Avere supposed to possess few, if in- deed any, of the affections and higher emotions of humanity, but to be more closely allied to tlie lower orders of creation. Time has, however, shown their native i-egard for integrity and h(;nor, and under the appliances of mental and moral culture, the Indian head and heart have proved capable of high at- tannnents. THE ADVENT OF THE WHITE MAX. HE wants of the race had fairly out- ,^^ grown the cai)acities of the East. An J accession of new ideas was demanded; human liberty could not be realized amid the crushing despotisms of the Old World, and benevolence, the divinest grace of the soul, languished for want of a broader theatre on which to work out and exhibit its sublime de- velopments. Divine Providence opened the gates to this western world. Varrazzani, a Florentine in the em]>loy of the Frencli Govern- ment in the sixteenth century (1525), is believed to have been the first white man who sailed through the Narrows, and looked upon the placid waters of the New York bay and its green islands. In 1609 Henry Hudson, an intrepid English 23 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. navigator in the employ of the Dutch East India Company^ sailed from Europe in search of a northwest passage to the East Indies. The vessel in which he sailed was a yacht, called the " Half Moon," of about eighty tons burthen, and would be considered a very diminutive thing for an explorer in our day, when canal boats carry three hundred and fifty tons. His crew consisted of fifteen or twenty sailors, partly of Dutch and partly of English birth. He traversed the American coast from Xewfoundland to the Chesapeake bay, and then turned again northward to explore more carefully the country thus passed. On the 2d of September he rounded Sandy Hook, and on the 4th he anchored near the Jersey shore in the south bay. As the waters swarmed ^vith fish, a boat was lowered to catch some, and the crew is believed to have landed on the foam-fringed beach of C-oney Island, and to have been the first white men vrho ever set foot on the soil of the Empire State. It is not wonderful that Hudson forgot his mission, and I)e- came enchanted witli the gorgeous scenery everywhere spread out before liim. Majestic forests, that had slumbered on through the solitudes of the ages, waved on the shores ; the little hills were crowned with grass and a variety of fragrant flowers; the waters swarmed with finny tribes, while birds of strange plumage and song flitted through the air. A hither- to unknown race, with strange manners and showy trappings, came to his ship in their canoes with corn and other vegeta- bles, for which they received from the generous commodore axes and shoes, which they hung about their necks for orna- ments. THE FIRST GRAVE. Hudson continued at his anchorage al)out a week, and on the 6th of the month dispatched a boat to explore the harbor. The little crew passed through the l^arrows and took a view of the green hills of Manhattan, after which it sailed out to- ward Newark bav. On tlieir return an unfortuiiate collision HUDSON EXPLORES THE KIVEE. 23 occurred between the party and the natives, and an Eui^lish sailor named John Coleman was struck in the neck by an ar- row and killed. Two others were wounded, Coleman had long been associated with Hudson on the seas, and his death was greatly regretted. It is probable that the sailors were the lirst aggressors. A grave was dng on Sandy Hook, and on the 9th of September he was mournfully interred, and the spot has since been known as Coleman's Point. HUDSON EXPLORES THE RIVER. On the 11th of September Hudson sailed through the Nar- rows, and after anchoring one day in the New York bay pro- ceeded up the river to the present site of Albany, hoping to find the long-sought passage to the East Indies. Unwilling to believe he had reached the head of navigation, he de- spatched a party to sound the river higher up. They pro- ceeded eight or nine leagues, and finding but seven feet of water they returned with the unwelcome intelligence. The voyage up the river, though a disappointment, was a pleasant excursion. The rocky Palisades, lofty Highlands, and the majestic curves of the sweeping silver current, appear to have lingered long in the minds of these bold adventurers. The natives gave them a friendly reception, spreading befoi-e them the best the country afforded. The country was indeed rich. Hudson declared that in one Indian village he saw a quantity of corn and beans suf- ficient to fill three ships, and that the neighboring fields were Iturdened with luxuriant crops. Two unfortunate occurrences in this voyage tarnish the character of Hudson and his crew. They communicated to the red man the fatal, intoxicating bowl. Sailors must always have a revel while on shore, and one occurred during their stay at Albany— the first on the banks of that beautiful river. Secondly, he had rudely captured while at Sandy Hook two natives, whom he designed to carry with him to Holland. lK)tli escaped on his passage up the river, (m- at 24: NEW YOKK AND ITS INSilTUTIONS. their drunken carousal, aud with manly courage collected their forces to resent this breach of faith on his return. A fleet of well-filled canoes at Spuyten Duyvil attacked and at- tempted to board the vessel. A nuisket shot from the ship killed one native and scattered the rest. Opposite Washing- ton lleio-hts the attack was renewed as the vessel floated down 'HAIF MOUN ASCliNLUMt 111 the stream. Another vollev of musketry stretched nine more in the c.ld embrace of death, after> which they desisted. The thunder of the white man's weapon, and the deadly plun-e of his missile, was more than they could understand. A little caution and moderation would have saved tliese stains from that otherwise brilliant record of this peerless naviga- tor. On the 4th of October Hudson set sail for Holland, to make known the facts of his wonderful discover^y. FOrNDING OF THE DUTCH DYNASTY. 25 FOUNDIXG OF THE DUTCH DYXARTT. 7UDSON had scarcely made known the - fj results of his voyage in Holland, ere ^^^J_[^ ti-ading vessels were fitted out by the enterprising merchants, and despatched to these shores to reap the golden liarvest held out in the valuable fur trade. These experi- ments were highly successful, and agents were stationed here to continue tlie business during tlie absence of the ships. These agents established their lieadquarters on the southern point of Manhattan Island. The '• United New Netherland Company," composed of a number of merchants, was chartered in 1614, for a brief period, and in 16'21 the "West India Company,'' larger and riclier than the former, was permanently incor];orated. This great company was invested with nearly all the prerogatives of a general government. They were allowed t(") appoint their own governors, settle the ends and foi-ms of administi'a- tive justice, make treaties, enact laws, and were granted the exclusive control of trade on the whole American coast. In 1623 a stanch vessel (tlie "New Netherland," which continued her trips regularly for more than thirty years) brought over thirty families to begin a colony These were landed at Al- bany, and a settlement began. Two years later (1625) another company came over in two ships, bringing horses, cattle, sheep, swine, agricultural implements, and seed grain, and ])e- gan a settlement on Manliattan. Tlie first fort was erected in 1615 by the traders, and stood in the rear of the present Trinity church, on the bank of the river, the tides then reaching where the western wall of the churchyard now stands. In 1751 some workmen digging in the bank in the rear of the church, discovered a stone wall which was afterwards ascer- tained to be the remains of the long-forgotten fort. In 1623 1 new fort, a block-house, was constructed a little south of 26 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. what is now the Bowlinnr Green, which served the matter of defence for ten years. PETER MLNTJITS, THE FIEST GOVERNOR. The affairs of the colony having become sufficiently impor- tant to reqnire the presence of a director-general, Peter Miuuits, of Westphalia, was appointed in 1624, and immedi- ately assumed the reins of government. To conciliate the Indians he purchased the entire island of Manhattan for twenty-four dollars. The Governor established his residence in the block-house, around which he erected strong palisades The imports into the colony in 1624 amounted to ^10,61)4^ and the exports, wholly of skins and furs, amounted to $V ,000, In 1631, the last year of his administration, the imports wcra $23,000, and the exports $27,204. During the administra- tion of Minuits the rival claims to territory between the English and the Dutch were started, but no adjustment was reached. Minuits, having been recalled by the company, waa in April, 1633, succeeded by WOUTER VAN TWILLER. Yan Twiller was a relative of Mr. Van Rensselaer, one of the principal directors of tlie company, and whose descendants have been exteusive landholders in America. It was this relationship that secured him his appointment, he having been previously but a clerk for the company. In person he is described as close-jointed, short, and exceedingly corpulent. As some one has said, "He looked as if Dame Nature had designed him for a giant, but changed her mind." His ad- ministration was marked by the rebuildiug of the fort on a greatly enlarged scale ; by the purchase from the Indians of "Nut" (now Governor's) Island; also two in the East river above Hurl Gate, now known as Ward's and Eandall's Islands. Everardus Bogardus, the first cleigyman of Man WILLIAM KEIFT, THE TIIIKD GOVERNOR. 27 hattan whose name has come down to us, is believed i'> have come over in the ship with the Governor, Daring this reign the first church edifice was erected. It M^as a wooden struc- ture, and stood on Pearl street, near Broad. Adam Roeland- sen, the first schoolmaster, was introduced about the same time. The town was but a hamlet of thatched buildings at that period. Hundreds of painted savages still roamed over the island, pursuing game through the tangled woodlands, and grew their vegetables in its mellow deposits. A steady trade with them was continued, in which they exchanged their furs and vegetables, receiving too often gin, rum, or glass beads in return. Indeed, one has well said, " The kind- hearted Dutchmen had conceived a great friendship for their savage neighbors, on account of their being pleasant men to trade with, and little skilled in the art of makina: a bargain." DO WILLIAIVI KEIFT, THE THIRD GOVERNOR. The ship "Herring" arrived at Manhattan on the 2Sth of March, 1638, bringing the newly appointed Governor. The affairs of the colony had progressed but slowly. It had been founded by a company of merchants, who weighed every- thing from a financial standpoint; high tariffs were laid upon the industry of the settlers, which produced dissatisfaction and led to frequent alter(;ations between the people and the authorities. They were held together, however, by the fear of a savage enemy constantly prowling around them. Keift's administration continued nine years, and became unpopular and unprofitable to the comj)any in consequence of the Indian war, into which he was unfortunately drawn. The first advance toward popular government was, however, taken under his administration. The people were allowed to elect eight representatives to assist the Governor in administering the affairs of the colony. Building lots were then first granted the citizens. In 1642 a stone tavern Avas erected on what is now Pearl street, which afterwards became the Citv Hall. A 28 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. stoiie cliurcli was also erected in the south-east corner of the fort. Governor Keift, having been relieved from office, set sail for Holland in the ship " Princess," July, 1647. Several prominent persons were on board, among whom was Dominie Bogardus, who had married a wealthy widow on Manhattan, but had resolved to make one mure visit to the fatherland. The voyage proved disastrous. The pilot mistook the chan- nel, entered the Severn, and wrecked his vessel on the coast of Wales. Of the one hundred persons on board but twenty were saved. PETER STUTV^ESANT, THE LAST OF THE DUTCH GOVERNORS. Success had not particularly crowned the undertaking of the company. It was computed that the West India Company had, between the years 1626 and 1644, expended upon the settlement over two hundred thousand dollars above all returns made to it, and that not more than one hundred men remained in the city, exclusive of the officers and employes of the company, at the close of the Indian war in 1645. Stuyvesant, it was hoped, would retrieve these losses, and secure the enlargement and stability of the town. He had been tlie director of the Dutch colony at Cura9oa, where, in a battle with the Portuguese, he had lost a leg. He was a brave man, with considerable breadth of mind and great force of character. He was also imperious, impatient of contradic- tion, absolute and despotic in his notions of government. He, however, excelled all his predecessors in efforts for the advancement of the colony, and the good of the people, among whom he settled after the English conquest, and re- mained a private and amiable citizen until the close of his life, leaving an honorable posterity not extinct at this day. His administration was characterized by great vigor, and the town soon exhibited marked improvements. As is usual, some of his subjects were pleased, and some dissatisUcd. Drunkenness and profanity were strictly prohibited, and no PETER STUYVESANT, THE LAST DUTCH GOVERNOR. 29 liquors were to be sold to the Indians. Other abuses were speedily corrected. In 1648 he established a weekly- market ; in 1(352 the city was regularly incorporated ; the next year the palisades on the line of AVall Street were erected, and in 1657 the streets were laid out and named. The population of the place had also wonderfully increased. But the martial tires of the old Governor still slumbered in his capacious frame, and waited an opportunity for an out- burst. This was soon given. Three nationalities had estab- lished their colonies on these shores. The English in Vir- ginia and Maryland, and on the eastern coast, had protested against the establishment of New Amsterdam, which divided their colonies. The Swedes established themselves on the banks of the Delaware, under the protest of the Dutch. The Swedes built Fort Christina as a matter of common defence, and the Dutch, to protect their own trade in that locality, erected in 1650 Fort Casimar, near the mouth cf the Brandy- wine, and iMit five miles from this Swedish fortification. Kegarding this an encroachment, the Swedish Governor in 1654 adroitly captured the fort, changed its name, disarmed and paroled the little garrison. The next year Stuyvesant received orders to recapture the fort, and drive the Swedes entirely from the river. This was a welcome message to the old M'arrior. The whole force of Xew Amsterdam was soon ali<'at in seven ships of war, with the intrepid Go\ernor as commander, and the whole Swedish territory speedily capitidated. But the victorious Dutch had no time to rejoice over their successes. Two thousand armed savages, taking advantage of the defenceless state of the colony to avenge the shooting of a squaw some time previously, overran stuyvesant-s seal. the town, after wliich they departed to Ilobokeu, Bavonia, 30 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. and Staten Island, and in three days murdered one hundred of the inhabitants, carried into captivity a hundred and fifty more, besides destroying property vahied at two hundred thousand guilders. Stuyvesaut soon returned, and while he made every preparation for a vigorous war against the In- dians, he at the same time so appeased them with kindness and presents, that from motives of fear and friendship they were glad to conclude a peace by the release of the captives. His power over the Indians was always wonderful. THE SURRENDER OF THE DUTCH DYNASTY. A Still greater danger had long hung over the Dutch colony. The English had from the first claimed the entire continent as having been discovered by Cabot. In vain did tlie Dutch urge their own discovery, their title honorably secured from the Indians, and the fact of possession. The Plymouth colony established at Kew Haven spread gradually over the country, until it held much of Long Island and AVestchester. The Virginia colony absorbed the territory on the Delaware so triumphantly wrested from the Swedes. Stuyvesant's appeals to the company for the means of defence were unheeded. The accession i>i Charles II. to the Eng- lish throne, in 1664, brought matters to a crisis. He granted to his brother James, Duke of York, a patent of the territory lying between the Connecticut river and Delaware bay, cov- ering the whole of the Dutch dominion in America. The Duke immediately despatched four ships, with four hundred and fifty soldiers, to take possession of the territory he had thus acquired. Late in August, 1664, the little fleet cast anchor near Coney Island. The soldiers were landed and took possession of the block-house on Staten Island, and soon cut off Manhattan from the neighboring shores. The resolute Governor made what preparation possible for defence, but the colony was not able to resist a siege. The palisades, effectual enough against the Indians, were of little use against English troops. The fort itself was a mere sham. The pop- THE SURRENDER OF THE DUTCH DYNASTY. 31 Illation aiiionnted to about lif teeu luindred, and conkl furnish but a few hundred, at most, able to bear arms ; and to crown all, not over six hundred pounds of gunpowder could be col- lected in the colony. The town, standing on the southern point of the island, was exposed from all sides to the rakino- lire of the fleet, and must have soon been one smoking ruin. Still, the brave Governor could not brook the thought of snr- render, and as soon as the fleet anchored in the bay, he sent a messenger to inquire what object they had in thus entering a friendly port. The commander returned a reply asserting the claim of Great Britain to the territory, and demanded an immediate surrender, giving assurances that all submissive inhabitants would be secured in their lil)erty and estates. Having promised to give a reply on tlie following morning, the Governor convened his council and the city magistrates, and informed them of the demand, but withheld the letter containing the terms of capitulation. A demand for this document on tlie part of the l)urgomasters greatly enraged the Governor, who dissolved tlie assembly and declared his purpose of defending the town. The English commander nnderstood the condition of the colony. Knowing its de- fence utterly impossible, and that secret heart-burnings had long existed among a portion of its inhabitants, he issued an artful proclamation to the inhabitants, and made arrangements for recruiting in the settlement. The landing of troops at Brooklyn to storm the town, and the anchoring of the ships in front of the fort, convinced all that the crisis had fully arrived. Crowds gathered around the venerable wooden- legged Governor, among whom was his own son, pleading for the stay of hostilities by the surrender of the town. For a time he was inflexible, saying, "iT^?/ I would rather he carried out dead ; " but he at length yielded, performing no doubt the most painful service of his life. On the morning of the Sth of September, 1664, Stuyvesant marched his troops outof Fort Amsterdam with the honors of war, and the English took pos- session and raised on the Aagstaff the ensign of their country. Thus closed the reign of the Knickerbockers, after holding 32 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, Manhattan fifty-five years, and establishing a flonrishing and interesting colony. Governor Stnyvesant soon after de- parted for Holland to give an account of his administration to the West India Company, after which he returned, lived STIT^-KSANT IIUYS. and died on a large farm he had previously purchased in the Bowery. A large pear-tree of his planting stood until three years ago at the corner of Third avenue and Thirteenth street. This monument of the good old days has now disap- peared — the last of the Knickerbockers. 5IANNERS AND CUSTOMS. s^T^^T^lHE first money in use on Manhattan was ' ' ' Warnpiom, i.e., small beads made of shells, sometimes wrought into belts and worn as ornaments. Wampum was of two kinds, white and black or pur- ple color, the dark colored being twice as valuable as the other. Wampum consisted of cylindrical pieces of testa- ceous fishes, (hard-sliell clams or oys- ters,) a quarter of an inch in length, and in diameter less thaii MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 33 a pipe stem, drilled lengthwise so as to be strung upon a thread. A piece of white wampum was counted equal to a farthing. The Dutch and English traders carried into the interior their knives, combs, scissors, needles, awls, looking- glasses, hatchets, guns, blankets, etc., and sold them to the na- tives for seawant or wamjpum, and with this wampum returned and purchased their furs, corn, venison, etc., on the seaboard, thus artfully avoiding the great labor of transporting the furs and grain through the country. This circulating medium was used in New England also, and was finally regulated by civilized governments. The Dutch kept five festivals, Kerstydt (Christmas), Nieuw jar (New Year), Paas (the Passover), Pinxter (i.e., "Whitsuntide), and San Claas (i.e., Saint Nicholas, or Christ- kinkle day). Christmas was a great day for shooting-matches. Turkeys and other fowls were placed at a long distance from the marksman, every one paying for his shot and bearing away all he hit. This festival is still continued in New York, the shooting having been superseded by Church services and festivals, in which the Christmas tree, containing a present for each expected to attend, forms the principal object of at- traction. Presents are given profusely in all circles. Mer- chants are expected to give presents to all in their employ, and often expend thousands of dollars in carrying out tliis costly programme. The ingenious stories of Santa Claus are not repeated as much as formerly, though the children are as much interested in them as were those of the preceding gen- erations. Paas was long very generally observed by the Dutch, and colored boiled eggs may still be found in many families in the city and country on the return of this festival. Pinxter is scarcely remembered. New Year was the great festival of the whole season. The tables were spread with cakes, cider, wines, indeed everything calculated to tempt and sat- isfy the appetite. Everybody received calls, and all went to see their friends. General Washington resided in New York 34 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. during the first year of his Presidency, in the Franklin House, at the head of Cherry street. On the first day of January, 1790, he was waited on by most of the principal gentlemen of the city. They were severally introduced to the President, who received them with marked cordiality, and after an agreeable interchange of thought they severally with- drew, greatly pleased with the appearance and manners of the President, to most of whom he was a personal stranger. In the evening the ladies came to call on Mrs. "Washington. The evening was beautiful, and many came. All were cor- dially received, and after being seated, coffee, plain and plum cake were served, which was followed by familiar conversa- tion, in which Mrs. Washington was conspicuous. The Gen- eral, who had been greatly pleased with the calls of the gen- tlemen, was present during the evening. Not being familiar with their nsages, he ventured to ask whether this matter was casual or customary, to which a lady replied that it was their annual custom, received from their Dutch forefathers, and which they had always commemorated. After a short pause, he observed, " The highly favored situation of New York, will, in process of years, attract emigrants, who will gradually change its customs and manners ; but let whatever changes take place, never forget the cordial, cheerful observance of New Year's day." Emigration has not changed this ancient custom. English, Irish, Scotch, Jews, and Gentiles, rich and poor, continue the practice ; tables groan under a burden of ri(;h viands and cakes, costly wines, lemonade, and rare fruits. Nearly every house is still open for callers, who begin their circuits in the morning, many of them continuing their travels until the small hours of the night. While there are some things pleasant and desirable in this ancient custom, it is also attended Avith so much excess, that the first day of Jan- uary closes annually in New York upon more tipsy dandies than can be found in almost any other city in Christendom. Thanksgiving is now very generally observed in New York, services beinsr held in most of the churches, and all MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 35 business is suspended. This custom originated in New Eng- land, and has gradually spread its way through most of the country. Independence Day, originating with the publication of the Declaration in Philadelphia, is a great holiday in New York. The incessant discharge of fire-arms from early morn 'till evening, is very distressing to people of weak nerves. The brilliant fireworks during the evening of tlie 4th of July, in the parks and squares, are not excelled in the world. The Dutch mansions were complete models of neatness and order. The floors had no carpets, and were almost worn out with repeated scourings of soap and white sand. Their par- lors were choicely kept, and their tables contained no rich plate. Dancing was a common recreation among the Dutch. The supper at a dance consisted of chocolate and bread. All marriages among the ancient Dutch had to be pub- lished three weeks beforehand in the churches, otherwise a license must be purchased fi-om the Governor. This latter was considered costly. A good suit of clothes worn at church was invariably taken off and laid awav on the return. The Dutch were fond of posterity. A father sometimes o^ave his son a bundle of goose-auiUs, telling him to give one to each of his sons. Gentlemen in good circumstances thouglit nothing of car- rying a bag containing a hundred pounds of meal through the streets, and would have been ashamed of a porter. It was the custom of the early Dutch merchants and spec- ulators to make their fortunes out of their customers and nothing from their creditors. Alas ! how the world changes ! NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. CHAPTER II. ENGLISH COLONIAL HISTORY. SUCCESSFUL ADMINISTRATION OF COL. NICOLS RECAPTURE OF MAN- HATTAN BY THE DUTCH THE CAREER AND TRAGIC END OF LEISLER, THE people's CHOICE CAPTAIN KIDD, THE NEW YORK PIRATE EIP VAN DAM THE TRIAL AND TRIUMPH OF LIBERTY THE NEGRO PLOT OF 1741 TRIUMPH OF THE ANGLO-SAXON TROUBLOUS TIMES APPROACHING, 'UCH dissatisfaction was very reason- ably expected with this sudden change of authority, though it proved, upon the whole, quite satisfactory to the Dutch colony. The inhabitants were confirmed in their right of property and their custom of inheritance; they were allowed to continue their commerce with the Holland merchants, liberty of conscience in matters of religion was not abridged, and they were prom- ised exemption from impressment in war service against any nation whatsoever. They were allowed to elect inferior offi- cers and magistrates, and any who were dissatisfied were per- mitted to leave the country. The first English Governor, Col. Richard Nicols, established the system of trial by jury, a hitherto unknown procedure in America. The Dutch Gov- ernment at that period was reputed the most liberal govern- ment in Europe ; but, unfortunately, the Government had never had control of the colony, that having been committed to the mercenary management of a private mercantile cor- poration. Every precaution to strengthen the hold of the new government on the inhabitants was taken. All grants of KECAl'TUEE OF MANHATTAN BY THE DUTCH. o7 Uiiid previously made were renewed or confinned, and all individual interests were carefully guarded. All property belonging to the West India Company was confiscated and sold at auction to the inhabitants. This linked the new ad- ministration to their titles, and made it essential to the posses- sion of their property. It was not until July 12, 1665, that the Governor felt safe in attempting any decided change in the government. On that day he issued his proclamation revok- ing the old system of burgomasters and schepens, intro- ducing in their place a Mayor, a Board of Aldermen, and a Sheriff, all of whom were to be appointed by the Governor, The name of the city was also changed to New York, in honor of the Duke. Colonel Nicols, after a successful administra- tion of four years, was at his own request relieved from duty, and was succeeded in office by Colonel Francis Lovelace, an officer of the English army. RECAPTURE OF MANHATTAN BY THE DUTCH. N' 1672 war again broke out between England and Holland. The sturdy Dutch having waited anxiously for an opportunity to re- cover their lost possessions in America, fitted out a squadron of five ships to cruise on the American coast, with instructions to inflict as much injury as possible upon the English colony aiid commerce. Though the authorities at New York :ere apprised of this fact, little preparation for defence was undertaken. Governor Lovelace appears to have been a moderate, good-natured genius, vastly more interested in trips of pleasure than the affairs of government ; hence, he scrupled not to leave for distant parts of the country, though the city was liable to be surprised at any hour with the appr<)ach of a hostile fleet. In his absence the fort was 38 NEW YORK A^^D ITS INSTITUTIONS. left under command of Captain John Manning, a white- feathered hero, full of pomp and bluster, every way capable of eating a rich dinner and of adjusting a pair of shoulder- straps, though quite incapable of conducting any ordinary correspondence or of resisting an attack. In February, 1673, a rumor reached the city that the en- emy's fleet had been discovered off the coast of Virginia. The Governor was luxuriating among his rich friends in "Westchester. A hasty summons from Captain Manning brought him to the city, where several hundred troops were mustered, but as no enemy appeared they were soon dispersed. In July he planned atrip to Connecticut. (A New York sum- mer vacation.) A few days after his departure, two Dutch men-of-war appeared off Sandy Hook. The affrighted Man- ning again sent a dispatch to the Governor, and caused the drum to be beaten through the streets for recruits. The only noticeable response was from the Dutch malcontents, who^ ovei-joyed at the sight of the flag of the " fadderlandt," on pretence of doing service, entered the fort and spiked many of the cannon, after which they departed, leaving the chicken- hearted captain to fight his battle on his own line and in his own way. Meanwhile the enemies' ships advanced in front of the fort, and after some interchange of communications, in which Manning exhibited the greatest imbecility, the city with its fortifications was surrendered without firing a gun in its defence. The pusillanimous conduct of Manning, in sur- rendering the city without the slightest resistance, was a matter of great mortification to the English people, who then, as now, prided themselves on their military prestige. After the English authority was again established on the island, Manning was arraigned and tried by court-martial for cow- ardice and treachery, and was convicted. His sword was broken over his head in front of the City Hall, and he was incapacitated from holding any station of trust or authority under His Majesty's government ever afterward. The Dutch commanders appointed Captain Anthony Colve THE CAREER AND TRAGIC END OF LEISLEK. 30 Governor, who changed the name of the city to New Orange and proceeded to reorganize the municipal institutions, con- forming them again to those of the fatherLand. Expectin^: an attack from the English to recover their lost territory. Governor Colve with commendable dispatch repaired the palisades, improved the fortifications, and placed the city in a good state of defence. But the Dutch were not long al- lowed to enjoy the fruit of this toil. The treaty of peace signed February 9, 1674, between England and Holland, re- stored Manhattan to the English crown, and on the 10th of November, 1674, the Dutch Government departed from American soil for the last time. THE CAREER AND TRAGIC END OF LEISLER, THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE. ^^S soon as the final cession of Man- hattan to the English dominion had been secured by the j^eace treaty with the Holland Government, the Duke of York applied for and recei\ed from his brother Charles II. the confirmation of his former title to the country, and immediately ap- pointed Sir Edmond Andros Gov- ernor of the province. Andros, though a man of ability, was the unscrupulous tool of his master, the Duke of York, and his arbiti-ary tyranny over the people soon rendered his government immensely unpopular. During his administra- tion seven public wells were dug, a new dock was constructed, new streets were laid out, and the " bolting act '' passed. This latter granted the inhabitants of Manhattan the exclu- sive monopoly of bolting flour, a business which, twenty years later, furnished employment and subsistence to nearly two- iO NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. thirds of the population. Andros was recalled in 16S3, and Colonel Thomas Dongan appointed in his stead. The death of Charles II., in 1685, brought the Duke of York to the English throne under the title of James II. The great polit- ical battles between Catholicism and Protestantism in Europe were now fiercely renewed, James seeking with every ap- pliance the restoration of the Eoman Catholic religion in England, as it had existed at the beginning of the reign of Henry YIII, The Ameriean colonies were largely peopled with Protestant refugees, who had fled the tyranny of the Old World, and who could but take a lively interest in the pending struggle. It was known that Governor Dongan, though a man of moderation and caution, was a zealous Catholic, who had received instructions from his master to favor the introduction of the Roman Catholic religion into the province. As the contest proceeded in England, the tides of public feeling ran high in this country. The climax was reached on the recep- tion of the news of the landing and proclamation of the Prince of Orange, and the abdication and flight of the former king. The revolution in England immediately extended to this country. The Bostonians rose to arms, deposed the Eng- lish officers, sent them back to the mother country, and estab- lished a popular government. New York was more conserv- ative. Governor Dongan, too tolerant in his policy to please the king, had been superseded a short time previously by Francis Nicholson, another Catholic, who, on the reception of the news, betook himself on board a vessel lying in the harbor, and sailed for England, leaving the colony without a ruler. Two political parties quickly came to the surface, each of which avowed its loyalty to the reign of AVilliam and Mary. One consisted of the members of the late Council, supported by a few wealthy citizens, and claimed that the colonial gov- ernment was not subverted by the revolution in England, or by the flight of the Governor; that the second in authority with the Council inherited the power to administer the gov- ernment, until matters should be deflnitely settled by the THE CAREER AND TRAGIC EXD OF LEISLER. 41 crown. The other party, which embodied the masses of tlie people, maintained that by the overthrow of the late king, and the abandonment of the country by the Governor, the previous system of government was totally overthrown, and that the people were empowered to appoint a provisional government of their own. But in times of general and intense excitement there is little chance for discussion ; prejudice and inclination are immensely more potent than logic. The public money of the city, amounting to £773 12.?., had been deposited for safe keeping in the fort, which was garrisoned with a few troops. A crowd of citizens took possession of the fortification with- <5ut resistance, after which Jacob Leisler, senior captain of the trainbands, was unanimously appointed to take command of the same, with power to preserve the peace, and suppress rebellion until instructions were received from England. The gentleman tlius elevated to be the principal hero, and bear in the end the sad penalty of this exciting epoch, was one of the oldest and wealthiest of the Dutch burghers. lie had entered Mauliattan as a soldier in the service of the West India Company in 1G60, and soon after married the widow of Cornelius Yanderveen-, and thus became uncle of Stephanus Yan Cortlandt and Nicholas Bayard, who were afterwards the principal instigators in his execution. He had already held a commission in the colony, and fully demonstrated his capacity and loyalty. No sooner had he taken possession of the fort, however, than active measures were undertaken by the opposite party to subvert his administration. Nicholas Bayard became the principal opponent of the Leislerian Gov- ernment. Bayard was the cousin of Mrs. Peter Stuy vesant, of genuine Holland origin, had by mercantile pursuits amassed a large fortune, and had long been an active politician. He had served as Mayor, and was at this time colonel of the train- bands, of which Leisler was senior captain. His party having failed to get possession of the fort or custom-house, he next tried, but in vain , to disaffect the militia. Finding his influence gone, and alarmed for his personal safety, he, with Colonel 42 NKW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. Peter Schuyler, took refuge at xVlban^-, where they labored in- dustri(nisly to excite hostility to Leisler and his party. Leisler was supported by Massachusetts, and the General Court of Connecticut, by the citizens of other provinces ; but the au- thorities at Albany, probably through the influence of Bayard, refused for a period to recognize him. His administration appears to have been just, and considering the times, moder- ate. The first Mayor elected by the people was under his administration. France having espoused the cause of the exiled king, war broke out on the frontier between the French of Canada and their Indian allies, and the English colonies. The thriving settlement at Schenectady was burned, and nearly all the inliabitants massacred in one night. These depredations led to a general movement on the part of the authorities at Albany, New York, and New England, and two expeditions were fitted out, one against Montreal, and the other against Quebec. Neither of these accomplished their mission, and Leisler's administration can hardly be regarded a success though his motives were certainly only those of a genuine patriot. In December, 16S9, a messenger from the English Govern- ment arrived at Boston with a communication addressed *' To Francis Nicholson, or, in his absence, to such as for the time being takes care for preserving the peace and administering the laws in his Majesty's province of New York." Anxious to obtain possession of the letter and what authority it might confer. Bayard and one or two of his adherents secretly en- tered New York, and on the arrival of the messenger asserted their pretensions and demanded the missive. After some deliberation, however, the messenger delivered the package to those actually in power. The document authorized the person in power to take the chief command as Lieutenant- Governor, and to appoint a council to assist him in conduct- ing the government. Leisler carried out these instructions. A riot ensued, in which an attempt was made to seize Leis- THE CAREER AND TRAGIC END OF LEISLER. 43 ler, after which he issued a warrant for the arrest of Bayard and others, on the charge of high misdemeanor against his Majesty's authority. Ba^^ard was arrested and thrown into prison, and on the following day a court was called to try him for treason. Finding his affairs suddenly brought to extremities, Bayard confessed his faults, and supplicated for mercy, which was granted, though he was retained a prisoner for fourteen months. Early in his administration, Leisler had sent a report of his doings to the English throne. It was, however, written in broken Englisli, a language he had never mastered ; and as every disappointed English Governor stood ready to malign his motives and decry his usurpations, a violent prejudice was probably excited against him. Late in the year 1690, the Prince of Orange appointed Henry Slonghter Governor of New York, and Major Richard -In- goldsby Lieutenant-Governor, who set sail for America with several ships and a small body of troops. A storm separated the vessels at sea, and Ingoldsby landed two months previous to the arrival of his superior. On landing, Ingoldsby an- nounced the appointment of Slonghter, and demanded the fort for the accommodation of his troops. Leisler expressed his willingness to surrender the fort and his entire authority, but very properly demanded that previous to it the new- comer should produce his royal commission. The papers were, however, in the possession of Slonghter, and no sort of credentials could be produced. Leisler then offered the City Hall for the accommodation of the English troops, declining to surrender the fort until an officer duly commissioned ar- rived. Ingoldsby, with a haughty dignity, such as no wise officer sensible of the proper forms of authority would ex- hibit, issued a proclamation calling on the people to assist him in overcoming all opposition to his Majesty's command. This was bravely replied to by Leisler on the following day, charging whatever of bloodshed should ensue to his oppo- nent, and forbidding him to commit any hostile acts against the city, fort, or province, at his utmost peril. A cloud of 44 XEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. wild agitation and uncertainty hang over the city for seven long weeks, until on the 19th of March the missing vessel, with the storm-tossed Governor, entered the harbor. Slough- ter immediately landed, selected his coimcil from among the enemies of Leisler, and proceeded to the City Hall, where he published his commission. Having sworn in the members of his council, he directed Ingoldsby to demand possession of the fort, though it was now eleven o'clock at night. Leis- ler, to avoid any deception, dispatched Ensign Stoll, who had seen Sloughter in England, with a message to the Governor, charging him to eye him closely. A second demand was made for the fort, and Leisler dispatched the Mayor and another prominent officer to make to the Governor all neces- sary explanations, and to transfer the fort. On entering his presence they were, however, handed over instantly to the guards, without being allowed to speak. Another ineffectual demand for the fort was made, after which the matter was allowed to rest until the next day. On the following morning, Leisler addressed a polite and congratulatory letter to the Governor, asking to be released from duty, and offering tlie fort with all its arms and stores, expressing also his willingness to give an exact account of all his doings. An officer dispatched to receive the fort was ordered to release Bayard and Nichols, who were still in con- finement, and to arrest Leisler and his principal adherents. Bayard and Nichols were at once admitted and sworn into the council, and Leisler and eleven of his friends arrested. Two weeks later they were arraigned for trial. Leisler set up no defence, alleging that the court had no authority in the case — that the king of England only could decide whether he had acted without his authority or not. Leisler and his son-in-law, Milborne, who had acted as Secretary, were pro- nounced usurpers and traitors, and condemned to deatli. On the 16th of May, 1691, amid a storm of rain, while the dissi- pated Governor and his satellites were revelling at a drunken feast, they were brought out for execution. The scaffold THE CAREER AND TRAGIC END OF LEISLER. 45 was erected on the ground now covered bj the New York post office, and in full view of Leisler's fine residence. Mil- borne offered a prayer for the king, queen, and the officers of the province. Leisler delivered a long address, which dis- played the workings of a fine mind, and a good heart, after which he died without a murmur, amid the tears and lamen- tations of the populace. Thus closed the career of the first New York Governor elected by the people. Leisler does not appear to have been unduly ambitious for political honors. He was a patriotic, honest, high-minded Dutchman ; wholly destitute of the arts and intrigues of the modern politician. Chosen by his coun- trymen, like Washington at a later period, he devoted him- self with all his energies for the advancement of the common weal, and died a martyr to the cause he served. Possessed of great influence, he incited no insurrection to prevent his execution ; and wasted none of his vast estate in purchasing a pardon. He did not cringe and beg for life as his enemies had meanly done ; but asserting his sincerity, like an honest, brave man he expired, trusting in God, and praying for his enemies. His execution, ordered over the signature of a drunken Governor, was the first ripe fruit of that spirit of English usurpation which culminated at length in the numerous gory fields of the American Revolution. Four years after his death, his worthy son, after a series of well-timed efforts, secured from the EngKsh Parliament the triumphant reversal of the attainder, and the complete exoneration of his father from the charge of usurpation. 46 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. CAPTAIN KIDD, THE NEW YORK PIRATE. ,NE melancholy event in human history t(jo frequently givcB place to another still more ap- palling. The frontier war be- gun during the administration • >f Leisler, continued its ravages for a number of years after his death. Governor Fletcher wisely formed an alliance with the Iroquois Indians, who proved a valuable defence against these hostile inroads. It was clearly the design of the French Government to harass and cripple the frontier settlements, until such times as it could overwhelm the cities, and so wipe out the English authority from the country. During these per- ilous years, great losses and calamities were inflicted on the colonies, and the people sighed for security and rest. But another evil, equally disastrous to the development of the city, had long preyed upon its commerce. The slave trade had been considered legitimate since the founding of the colony, and the Dutch have the unenviable honor of introducing this iniquit- ous system. During the continuance of the Dutch dynasty, however, this trade appears to have been carried on by transient Dutcn traders, who ootained tne blacks from the Africao. kings, on tne coasts of Guinea, and to have formed no part of the regular business of the shipping mercliants of Manhat- tan. This continued policy of legalized theft and brutality necessarily corrupted the men of the sea, and fitted them for any undertaking of treachery and daring. It is difiicult in- culcating theft and honesty in the same lesson. During the continuance of the war between France and England, many privateers had also been fitted out from England and New York, to prey upon the French merchantmen, which greatly encourao;ed the licentious tendencies of the sailors. It is CAPTAIN KIDD, THE NEW YORK PIEATE. 47 said that many of these, failing to seize the legitimate objects of their pursuit, to prevent failure to the expedition, fell upon friendly vessels, which they plundered and sunk, return- ing in triumph with their booty. So difficult is it for adven- turous men, long trained in these schools of vice, and feasted with ill-gotten gain, to return to the walks of common indus- try, that at the close of the war the seas literally swarmed with armed pirates. Many merchants suspended business in consequence of these incessant perils ; and it is even hinted that not a few of them, as well as higher functionaries, in- cluding Governor Fletcher himself, became abettors and partners in these piratical enterprises. The American seas, with a thinly populated coast of two thousand miles, indented with numerous harbors, rivers, and inroads, and with a poorly organized government, furnished perhaps the safest retreat for these wandering corsairs. Their merchandise was largely disposed of through the Spanish merchants, who had been so deeply demoralized by their Central American plunders that they cared little whence they received their goods, pro- vided they yielded a satisfactory profit. It is probable that Xew York merchants, also, were not guiltless. Before the conclusion of the war, these depredations became so alarm- ing that many New York merchants l)esought the English ministry to institute measures to suppress pir^cv. Governor Fletcher, who had been accused on every siae ot comDiicity with these malefactors, was removed, and Lord Beiiamont appointed in his stead, with instruction to extirpate piracy from the American seas. As every English vessel was at that time engaged in the war with France, Beiiamont formed a stock-company, in which the King, Chancellor Somers, the Earl of Romney, the Duke of Shrewsbury, the Earl of Ox- ford, Beiiamont, and Robert Livingston, became sharehold- ers. A written agreement was made, consisting of several articles, which recited, in substance, that Beiiamont should furnish £5,000, this sum being four-fifths of the outlay in the undertaking, and that the remaining fifth should be 48 NEW TCiEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. supplied by Livingston, and the captain of the expedition. Livingston, at the opening of the negotiations, had introduced Captain William Kidd (sometimes called Robert Kidd), with whom he had just crossed tlie Atlantic, as a man well qualified for such an undertaking. Kidd Avas a Scotchman by birth, had followed the sea from his youth, had been captain of a privateer in the West Indies, and was at that time captain of a packet plying between New York and London. He was in the prime of life, and had several years previousl}^ married a respectable lady in New York, with whom he had since lived, in his own house, in Liberty Street, where he was re- garded a wealthy and lionorable seaman. It is said that the first rich carpet on Manhattan was in Kidd's parlor, though he is not believed to have been greatly dishonest until the last three years of his life. As he was an experienced and resolute commander, with extensive knowledge of the lurking places of the pirates, and of many of the pirates themselves, he was considered (forgetting the force of his old habits) the fittest person to take charge of the expedition. It is now easily discovered that two fatal mistakes were made in plan- ning this expedition. First, the vessel should have been a regular man-of-war, under the direction of the general gov- ernment, in which the captain had no capital, and from which no one expected a profit. On the other hand, though com- missioned by the king, and expected to promote the public good, it was the property of a private corporation, and ex- pected to bring large pecuniary returns. The prizes captured were to be taken into Boston Harbor, and delivered to Lord Bellamont. The parties agreed that if no prizes were cap- tured, the £5,000 advanced by Bellamont should be refunded, and the title of the vessel be vested thereafter in Livingston and Kidd. But as soon as Kidd delivered to Bellamont prize goods to the amount of £100,000, then the ship was to be- long to Livingston and Kidd. Bellamont and those he repre- sented were to receive four-fifths of the net proceeds, the remaining fifth belonging to Livingston and Kidd. The CAPTAIN KCDD, THE NEW YORK PIRATE, 40 second mistake was in the contract made witli the crew. Kidd agreed to furnish about one hundred men, who were to receive one-fourth the value of all captures, but who were to be enlisted with the distinct stipulation, " no prize, no pay." "\Yhile it was certain that these terms would secure a crew, it was also certain that few besides the most daring and fool- hardy would he induced to embark. The result was that his crew was made up of the most suspicious class, many of whom had probably been pirates themselves, and hence open to the most violent temptations when alioat on a foreign sea. A commission bearing the great seal of England was is- sued December 11, 1696, and the following April Kidd set sail for Kew York in the " Adventure Galley," a fine ship with sixty sailors, which liad been fitted out for the expedition. Here he visited his wife, and cruised for some time around the coast, capturing a French privateer, for which he received the thanks of the Assembly of New York, and two hnndi-ed and fifty pounds as a complimentary reward for his fidelity. "While here he continued to recruit his force until it ex- ceeded one hundred and sixty men, after which he sailed for the East Indies and the eastern coast of Africa. Up to this point his fame continued unsullied, and by what process the change in his career was produced is not certainly known. He afterwards protested that, failing in the pursuit of the pi- rates, his crew became mutinous and forced him, contrary to his will, into his career of infamy. It is more probable that, finding himself in possession of a strong ship completely armed, with a large and well-selected crew obsequious to his wishes, the temptation to prey upon the weak instead of en- countering the strong overcame him, and he thus became one of the most intrepid and successful pirates that ever hoisted the black flag on the seas. Upon the commerce clustering along the coasts of Malabar and Madagascar, he conducted a career of outrage and plunder, by which in a short time he amassed countless treasure, and inflicted such destruction as to render his name a terror on the seas, and a theme for every 4 50 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. future historian. Satisfied finally with his accumulations, he resolved to return. To avoid detection he exchanged his ves- sel, with a large portion of his crew, for a frigate he had cap- tured, and in 1C98 brought his vessel into Long Island Sound, and on Gardiner's Island buried a large amount of treasure in the presence of the proprietor of the estate, whom he laid under strict injunctions of secresy. He next repaired to Bos- ton under an assumed name, with the design, it is believed, of selling the frigate, after which he hoped to join his family and spend the remainder of life in quiet splendor. Appre- hended in the streets at Boston, he was arrested by order of Governor Bellamont, one of the chief promoters of the enter- prise, who had heard startling rumors concerning him, and had been anxiously watching for his return. He was sent to England for trial. It being considered difficult to substan- tiate the charge of piracy, he was arraigned for the murder of William Moore, one of his crew, whom he had unfortu- nately killed while at sea, by hitting him with a bucket for insubordination. After an unfair trial he was hanged in chains at Execution Dock, May 12, 1701. The rope broke and he ascended the scaffold the second time. Six of his ac- complices were executed the same day. Tradition says that after the capture of Kidd his crew returned with the vessel to Gardiner's Island, where they ascertained that two ships were in pursuit for their capture. In an attempt to escape they ran their vessel some distance up the Hudson river, where she was blown up and sunk, the sailors dispersing on the shore with such treasure as they could bear away. The buried treasure on Gardiner's Island was taken up by a commission appointed by Governor Bellamont, and con- sisted, besides considerable rich merchandise, of three bags of gold dust, two bags of coined silver, one bag of coined gold, two bags of golden bars, one bag of silver bars, one bag of silver rings, one bag of silver buttons, and one of jewels and precious stones, including agates and amethysts. The treasure was at that time valued at about two hundred thousand dol- CAPTAIX KIDD, THE NEW YORK PIRATE. 51 lars, and with this Kidd doubtless thought it would not be difficult to secure his release, if his royal commission, which he still held, proved insufficient. The treasure thus obtained was believed to be but a fraction of his accumulations, and various rumors concerning buried riches have been revived by every succeeding generation down to our day. Acres of soil have been dug over by eager gold hunters. A pot con- taining eighteen hundred dollars in money ploughed up in a coi-n-field at Martha's Vineyard over twenty-five years ago, was believed by some to be a part of Kidd's money. Several families on Long Island it is said became unaccountably rich, and were believed to have shared in his accumulations, though this is uncertain. In 1S44: an excitement was occa- sioned by the discovery of a sunken vessel near Caldwell's Landing on the Hudson river, supposed to be the one sunken by Kidd's sailors. A stock company to pursue the search was hastily formed, sinking the fortunes of many though it brought up nothing but mud. The affairs of the company, after being manipulated by designing men, were wound up with litigation, disclosing great deception, and the false im- prisonment of an honest man, who had been unwarily drawn into the association. Captain Kidd was not the" only American pirate. His roy- al instructions named " Captains Thos. Too, Jolm Ireland, Thomas Wake, Captain Maze, and other subjects, natives or inhabitants of New York and elsewhere in America, they being Pirates upon the American seas," as persons to be pur- sued and captured. His unusual notoriety arose from the facts that he was fitted out ])y several members of the English nobility, all of whom were tried for their lives, after his dis- grace, but acquitted ; from the valuable treasures discovered, and the summary punishment with which he was overtaken. His career forcibly illustrates the facts that sin brings its own punishment, and that " the way of the transgressor is hard?'' His wife and daughter continued to reside, though in great retirement, in Xew Tork for some years after his death ; but 52 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, as he left no sons, it cannot be supposed that any of the ex- cellent families bearing: the name are his descendants. RIP VAN DAM. M ^^^7fy?\URING the administration of the five ■A|i '.^jii? .1 colonial governors, immediately suc- ^^ ^^" •• - ^ ceeding Lord Bellamont, and reaching down to 1731, but little of general interest to posterity occurred, save their occasional mer- cenary usurpations, and an unsuccessful expe- dition fitted out at great expense against the French in Canada. Upon the death of Governor Montgomerie, which occurred July 1, 1731, the chief functions of government devolved upon Rip Van Dam, the oldest member of the council, and. ex officio, the second officer in the government. Van Dam was a o-enuine Holland Dutchman, his father having settled in the city during the reign of Governor Stuyvesant. He had acquired a considerable fortune in mercantile pursuits, and was at this time conducting an extensive foreign trade. He had long taken an active interest in public affairs, was famil- iar with all the machinery of the government, and as he sought the good of the people, being one of them, they were greatly pleased with his administration, and nothing exciting occurred during the thirteen months of his continuance in office. On the 1st day of August, 1732, he delivered the seals of government to his successor. Colonel William Cosby, former Governor of Minorca, who had just arrived with his royal commission. Cosby was despotic and avaricious, and had not sustained an unblemished character in his former administration. "While in England he had, however, opposed an obnoxious sugar bill, likely to seriously affect the colonists, which gave him a transient popularity on his arrival. The RIP VAN D.UI. 53 assembly then in session granted him a revenue for six years, and a present of five hundred and fifty pounds for the service he had rendered them in parhament. Yan Dam, during his administration, had performed the whole- service of govern- ment, and had accordingly drawn from the treasury the cus- tomary salary, amounting to about two thousand pounds. The English crown, at the request of Cosby, had, however, fur- nished him with an order requiring Van Dam to refund half of the money to his superior. One of Cosby's first acts was to produce this order, and demand immediate payment of the money, but soon found that, in the plucky Dutchman, he had really caught a tartar. Tan Dam expressed his perfect will- ingness to divide the salary of two thousaiid pounds, on con- dition that Cosby should also divide the six thousand pounds he had received as perquisites, since his appointment, and previous to entering upon the duties of his ofiice. Cosby soon brought a suit against Van Dam, before the judges of the Supreme Court, as barons of the Exchequer, functions which their commissions allowed them to exercise. This was lit- erally taking the adjudication in his own hands, as the gov- ernor was ex officio Chancellor of the Exchequer, and two of the judges were among his most intimate friends. Van Dam's counsel excepted to the jurisdiction of the court in the case, and demanded that the case be tried in a suit at common law. The validity of this exception was supported by one of the judges, but overruled by the other two. Van Dam's cause was thus declared lost, and he was compelled to refund the money. But the people declared that the cause should not rest here. This continued contempt, with which everytliing of colonial origin was viewed and treated by the English crown and min- istry, could no longer be silently tolerated. They were already growing weary of rapacious, tyrannical Governors, whose sole object was to repair their broken-dowm fortunes from the un- requited industry of their subjects. The judge who had sus- tained the exceptions of Van Dam's counsel was hastily re- 54 NEW YORK ^ND ITS mSTITL'TIONS. moved from office, and Van Dam suspended from the coun- cil. This arbitrary procedure, against one of their own long- trusted and honored citizens, aroused the indignation of the populace, whose loud murmurs were heard in all parts of the town. THE TRIAL AND TRIUMPH OF LIBERTY. P to this period, but one newspaper had been published in New York. That was The Neio York Gazette, by Wil- liam Bradford, started in October, 1725, under government patronage, by which it had been continued until this time. Supported by gov- ernment, it had, however, been a mere sycophant, and very naturally espoused the cause of Cosby in this controversy. During the progress of this trial, New York was startled with the issue of a new and independent paper, called the New York Weekly Journal, and published by Peter Zenger. This enterprising little sheet thought it entirely within its province to examine the affairs of government, scrutinize and advise the Governor, question the proceedings of the Court of Exchequer, discuss questions agitating the assembly, and present its own showing of the gi'ievances of the colonies. Week after week, its col- umns teemed with earnest, spicy, and witty articles, in which the cause of Van Dam was with marked ability maintained, and the policy of the Governor arraigned. Smarting under the scorn of the people, and wounded by the incessant dis- charge of these paper bullets, the Governor resolved to take the offensive. The columns of the Gazette had boldly stood in his defence ; but these were not sufficient : opposition must be suppressed. It was resolved to select four of the issues of the paper, containing the most obnoxious articles, which were to be burned by the common hangman, the officers of the THE TRIAL AND TRIUMPH OF LIBERTY, 55 city and the populace being required to attend the ceremony. Scarcely anybody attended, however; which convinced the mortiiied Governor that he had entered this paper warfare at his own charges. But one thing remained, and that was to crush the editor. Zenger was accordingly arrested on a charge of libel, and as an enormous bail was exacted, which he could not procure, he was thrown into jail, and denied the use of pen, ink, or paper. Here he continued more than eight months, without, for a single week, suspending the issue of his paper, giving direction to his friends through a chink in the door. His paper lost none of its vitality by his confinement. Its ablest articles are believed to have been written by Van Dam's lawyers, and other deposed officials. On the 4th of August, 1735, Zeuger was brought out of his cell for trial. Every preparation, it was believed, had been made by the Governor and his friends to secure his conviction. There were but three eminent lawyere in New York at that time — William Smith, James Alexander, and Mr. Murray. Suiith and Alexander, having been employed to defend the prisoner, were greatly surprised by the Governor, who, for a pretended offence, ordered their names to be stricken from the list of at- torneys. It now looked as if the court party were to have things all their own way. But the friends of Zenger were not to be thus outwitted. They had silently engaged the services of Andrew Hamilton, of Philadelphia. Hamilton, though eighty years of age, had not greatly declined in mind, was a man of warm and generous impulses, and one of the most brilliant barristers of his day. A more able or dignified ad- vocate could scarcely have been found in the world, and his appearance in the crowded court-room, just as the case was called, almost stunned the leaders of the prosecution. The case was tried in the Supreme Court, with a jury of twelve of the citizens. The prosecution produced certain statements printed in Zenger's paper, and claimed that they were libelous, and that the jury were required to render a verdict of guilty, when satisfied that he had published them. Hamilton admit- 66 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ted their publication, and proposed to introduce the full evi- dence of their truthfulness. To this the attorney-general objected, claiming that the truth of a libel could not be taken in e\ddence, and that a libel became all the more dangerous because of its truthfulness. The fact of publication having ipp nv\ HOUSE A^n i CORRl-^l DURING HIS TllEVSONABLE DtNti, \MTII AlOOLU. been now fully admitted, and all evidence on the part of the defence being summarily ruled out by the court, nothing re- mained but for the counsel to sum up the case for their re- spective clients. Hamilton proceeded in a bland and eloquent manner to state the case, after which lie labored to impress upon tlie jury that they were to be judges of the law, as well as of tlie facts in the case, and tliat they were not to be tram- melled by the interpretation of the court. Hamilton's address was so ingenious and pertinent that we cannot forbear intro- ducing a few extracts from it. " If," said he, " a libel is understood in the large and un- THE TRIAL AND TEIUMPn OF LIBERTY. 57 limited sense urged by Mr. Attorney, there is scarce a MTitino- I know of that may not be called a libel, or scarce any per- son safe from being called to account as a libeller; for Moses, meek as he was, libelled Cain, and who is it that has not libelled the devil ; for, according to Mr. Attorney, it is no justification to say that one has a bad name. Echard has ^ OLD CITY HALL. IN W.VLL STREET. libelled our good King William. Burnet h?*s libelled, among others. King Charles and King James, and Kapin has libelled them all. How must a man speak or write, or what must he hear, read, or sing, or when must he laugh, so as to be secure from l)eing taken up as a libeller. I sincerely believe that were some persons to go through the streets of New York nowadays and read a part of the Bible, if it were not known to be such, Mr. Attorney, with the help of his innuen- does, would easily turn it to be a libel. As, for instance, the sixteenth verse of the ninth chapter of Isaiah : ' The leaders of this people [innuendo, the Governor and Council of New York] cause them [innuendo, the people of this province] to err ; and they [meaning the people of this province] are de- stroyed' [innuendo, are deceived into the loss of liberty, which 58 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. is the worst kind of destruction] . Or, if some person should publicly repeat, in a manner not pleasing to his betters, the tenth and eleventh verses of the fifty-sixth chapter of the same book, then Mr. Attorney would have a large field to display his skill in the artful application of innuendoes. The words are : ' His watchmen are blind ; they are all ignorant ; yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough.' But to make them a libel, no more is wanting than the aid of his skill in the right adapting of his innuendoes. As for instance, ' His watchmen [innuendo, the Governor, Council, and Assem- bly] are blind ; they are ignorant [innuendo, will not see the dangerous designs of his excellency] ; yea, they [meaning the Governor and his Council] are greedy dogs, which can never have enough [innuendo, of riches and power.] ' " He then proceeded to show that these illustrations were perfectly in keeping with the case under trial, and urged the jury to decide for themselves concerning the truth or false- hood of Zenger's articles, after which he concluded as fol- lows: "You see I labor under the weight of many years, and am borne down by many infirmities of body ; yet, old and weak as I am, I should think it my duty, if required, to go to the utmost part of the land, where my service could be of any use in assisting to quench the flame of persecution upon information set on foot by the government to deprive a people of the right of remonstrating (and complaining too) against the arbitrary attempts of men in power — men who injure and oppress the people under their administration, provoking them to cry out and complain, and then make that very complaint the foundation for new oppressions and per- secutions. I ^vish I could say there were no instances of this kind. But to conclude, the question before the Com*t and you, gentlemen of the jury, is not a small or private concern; it is not the cause of a poor printer, nor of New York alone, which you are now trying. No ! it may, in its consequences, affect every freeman that lives under the British Govern- ment upon the main of America. It is the best of causes ; THE TEIAL AND TRIUMPH OF LIBERTY. 5l> it is the cause of liberty ; and I make no doubt but your ■upright conduct this day will not only entitle you to the love and esteem of your fellow citizens, but every man who prefers freedom to a life of slavery will bless and honor you as men who have baffled the attempts of tyranny, and, by an impartial and incorrupt verdict, have laid a noble foundation for securing to ourselves, our posterity, and our neighbors, that to which nature and the laws of our country have given us a right — the liberty of both exposing and opposing arbi- trary power, in these parts of the world, at least by speaking and writing the truth." The venerable barrister closed amid a general outburst of satisfaction and applause, and the attorney-general offered but a weak response. The jury were charged that they were judges of the fact, but not of the law, and that the truth of the libel should not enter into their deliberations. After a few minutes' absence, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of " not guilty^'' The anxiety of the assembled populace being thus happily dismissed, their joy burst forth in loud and continued cheers, which rent the air, carrying everything before them. Hamilton was seized by glad hands, and borne from the court-room on the shoulders of the people. On the following day a public dinner was given him by the inhabi- tants, and the freedom of the city was presented to him in a magnificent gold box, and when he set sail for Philadelphia it was amid the roar of cannon. The spirit of independence brought out so emphatically in '76 had already begun to work in the minds of the people, and Hamilton's earnest utterances fell upon their hearts like sparks in a magazine. Whether this triumphant defeat of the Governor affected his health or not, we cannot tell, but he was shortly afterwards reported sick, and expired on the Tth of March, 1736. This great and decisive battle for the liberty of the press, so ably contested in the face of such frightful dangers, has had its influence on the government and inhabitants of Manhattan to the present day, and we cannot tell how deeply we are 60 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. indebted to the burning appeals of that brilliant orator, and the fearless decision of that faithful jury. THE NEGKO PLOT OF 1741. n ' --^~'^^",«r^i^OPI]LAE panics rank among the most Mr ^yi/r^^ ^^^^^ disasters that can overtake a peo- ! ; 'iM'iJvJ P^^' "^^^^ frenzy of wild and excited -; ) iU/f ] masses in a populous city, like the com- H '-^2» ^'^^stion of vast stores of inflammable p^ ^»/ aiaterial, is truly frightful. In such ^: ^^^'^ periods neither age, nor rank, nor sex, ■"'"^^^ ' nor condition, can be said to afford any ])ledge of permanent security. Among others, the celebrated Popish Plot concocted by Titus Gates of England, and the no less singular Witchcraft delusion of New England, may be mentioned as examples. The Kew York negro plot of 1741 may be ranked with the preceding, and deserves a pass- ing notice in this chapter on colonial history. The lapse of the one hundred and thirty years which have since intervened has thrown so dense a haze over the period that nothing can be certainly known concerning it, save what has been trans- mitted to us by successive historians. It is impossible for us to determine how many grains of truth found place in that storm of prejudice and passion, which resulted in the heartless slaughter of a multitude of ignorant and defenceless beings. The population of New York at that time amounted to about ten thousand, nearly two thousand of whom were colored slaves. Having grown up in ignorance and moral neglect, they were considerably addicted to pilfering and other vices, and often caused their masters considerable anxiety. The most stringent measures were adopted to prevent their as- sembling together; yet, as in all slave communities, a latent THE NEGRO PLOT OF 1741. 61 fear filled the minds of the whites, which every now and then burst forth into a matter of public alarm. Some time in the winter of 1740-41, a Spanish vessel, manned in part with black sailors, was brought into the harbor as a prize, and the negroes sold at auction, having previously enjoyed their freedom, and not relishing their changed relations, it was but natural that some complaints and threats should fall from their lips which were not particularly lieeded at the time. On the 18th of March, 1741, the Governor's house in the fort was discovered to be on fire, and despite the efforts to save it the flames continued to rage until the building, the King's chapel, the Secretary's office, the barracks, and stables, were wholly consumed. The Governor, in reporting the matter to the Assembly, declared that a plumber had left fire in the gutter between the house and the chapel, and that from this circumstance the accident had probably occurred. Some days later the chimney of Captain "Warren's house, situated near the fort, took fire, but no damage occurred. After a few days a fire broke out in the storehouse of one Yan Zandt, and was said to have resulted from the carelessness of a smoker. Three days later a cow stable was discovered to be on fire, but this was soon extinguished ; and the same day the house of Mr. Thompson was found on fire, the fire having begun in the chamber where a negro slave slept. Coals were discovered the next day under Jolm Murray's stable on Broad- way. On the day following two more fires occurred, one in the house of a sergeant near the fort, and the other on the roof of a house near the Fly Market, both of which were ex- tinguished with slight damage. It now came to be believed that these fires were the work of incendiaries, and who the guilty parties were became a matter of earnest inquiry. Some wise head conceived that these Spanish slaves had undertaken to destroy the city, while others believed the whole colored population of the island had conspired to burn the city and massacre the whites. One of the Spanish ne- groes, living near where a fire had occurred, on being ques. bZ NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. tioned, was considered a suspicious character ; the demand for the arrest of the Spanish negroes became general, and they were accordingly thrown into prison. Another fire oc- curring during the afternoon, while the magistrates were in consultation, the panic became so general that negroes of all ages were arrested by the wholesale and thrown into close confinement. Search was now instituted for strangers, but as none were found many families concluded to escape from this threatened Sodom ])efore it was consumed. The stampede to the suburbs and regions round about became general, and every available vehicle was drafted into service. On the eleventh of April the Assembly offered a reward of one hundred pounds and f nil pardon, to any one who would turn State's evidence and make laiown the plot and the names of the conspirators. This was far too tempting a bait for a class of terrified, ignorant negroes, who saw nothing but the dungeon and a frightful death before them, unless by some revelation they were to regain their liberty, and such wealth as they had never aspired to. For the investigation of the case the Supreme Court convened on the 21st of April, Judges Philipse and Horsmanden presiding. Robert "Watts was foreman of the grand jury. It soon became evident that the liberal reward offered ten days previously was destined to be fruitful in results. Those days and nights had been spent by the wretched prisoners in gloomy meditation, and nearly every one was ready to make disclosures. Among the first examined was Mary Burton, a colored servant girl inden- tured to John Hughson, keeper of a squalid negro tavern on the west side of the island. Mary testified that Caesar Yarick, Prince Amboyman, and Cuff Philipse* had been in the habit of meeting at the house of Hughson, talking about burning the fort, the city, and murdering the people, and that Hugh- Bon and his wife had promised to help them, after which Hughson was to be the governor and Cuff king. She stated that no whites had been present at these times except her * Slaves then bore the aiirname of their masters invariably. THE NEGBO PLOT OF 1741. 63 master and mistress, and Peggy Carey, an abandoned Irish woman living at Hughson's. Peggy was next brought before the court and promised pardon on condition of general con- fession. She, however, denied all knowledge of any con- spiracy, or of the origin of any of the fires, and said that to accuse any one would be to slander innocent persons and blacken her own soul. The law at that time was that no slave could testify in a court of justice against a white person. Yet Mary Burton, a colored slave, here testified to mattei-s implicating Peggy Carey, a white woman, which she, Peggy, emphatically denied. But the city had gone mad, and Mary Burton, who a month previous would have been spurned from a court-room, had suddenly become an oracle, and on her tes- timony poor Peggy and the negroes named were found guilty and sentenced to be executed. Death now staring Peggy in the face, she became greatly alarmed, and begged for a second examination, which was readily granted. She now testified that she had attended a meeting of negroes held at a wretched house near the battery kept by John Romme, and that Romme had promised to carry them all to a new country and give them their liberty, on condition that they should burn the city, massacre the whites, and bring him the plun- der. This ridiculous twaddle, evidently fabricated for the occasion, was received as proof positive, and the persons named (except Romme, who fled for life, though his wife was arrested) were severally brought before her for identifica- tion. The work of public slaughter began on the eleventh of May, when Csesar and Prince were hanged, denying all knowl- edge of any conspiracy to the last, Hughson and his wife having been found guilty, were shortly after hanged, in con- nection with Peggy, who had been promised pardon for her pretended confession, every word of which she solemnly re- tracted with her dying breath. We will not follow the details of this strange investigation further. Suflice it to say that, finding confession or some new disclosure the only loop- hole through which to escape, nearly every prisoner prepared 64 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. a story which availed him nothing in the end. Every attor- ney volunteered to aid the prosecution, and thus left the ter- rified slaves, without counsel or friend, to utter their incoher- ent and contradictory statements and die. From the 11th of May to the 29th of August, one hundred and fifty-four ne- groes were committed to prison, fourteen of whom were burned at the stake, eighteen hanged, seventy-one trans- ported, and the remainder pardoned or discharged. The loqua- cious Mary Burton continued the heroine of the times, depos- ing to all she knew at the first examination, but able to bring from her capacious memory new and wonderful revela- tions at nearly every sitting of the court. At first she de- clared that no white person, save Hughson, his wife, and Peggy, was present at the meeting of the conspirators ; but at length remembered that John Ury, a supposed Catholic priest and schoolmaster in the city, had also been implicated. He was at once arrested, and on the 29th of August hanged. The panic now spread among the whites, twenty-four of whom being implicated were hurled into prison, and four of them finally executed. Personal safety appeared now at an end ; everybody feared his neighbor and his friend, and the Eeign of Terror attending the Salem Witchcraft was scarcely more appalling. We cannot conceive how far this matter would have extended if the incomprehensible Mary Burton had not, inflated with former success, begun to criminate many persons of high social standing in the city. While the blacks only were hi danger, these persons had added constant fuel to the fire ; but finding the matter coming home, they concluded it was now time to close the proceedings. The further investigation of the case was postponed, and so the matter ended. That some of the fires were the work of in- cendiaries (perhaps colored) there appears to us but little doubt ; but that any general conspiracy existed is not proba- ble. The silly story that a white inn-keeper should conspire with a few negroes to massacre eight thousand of his own race, that he might occupy a subordinate position under an TRIUMPH OF THE AKGLO-SAXON. 65 ignorant colored king, is simply ridicnlous ; yet for this he and his wife were hanged. The trials and executions were a frightful outrage of justice and humanity, presenting a mel- .ancholy example of the weakness of human nature, and the ease with which the strongest minds are borne down in peri- ods of popular delusion. TRIUMPH OF THE ANGLO-SAXON. ^^^S-^lfe*A^V#l -^^■^ scheme of kingcraft to make the ""'* ' ' n authorities independent of the people, ^ by securing a permanent revenue, was again and again introduced by the Colonial ^^ "^ I f wji G^o^'Crnors, but as often resisted by the Assem- ""^"^ mif^^™| bly. Sir George Clinton, having alienated the ])eople by his unfortunate administration, was su- perseded in 1753 by Sir Danvers Osborne, who had received royal instruction to insist on a per- manent revenue. This being emphatically re- sisted, the dispirited Governor, who had just buried his wife, seeing nothing but trouble and failure in the future, terminated his existence by hanging himself with a handkerchief from the garden wall of John Murray's house in Broadway. He was succeeded by Lieutenant-Governor James Delancey, whose accession was hailed with delight. It M^as under his administration that Kings (now Columbia) College was founded, the charter being signed by Delancey, October 31, 1754. The same year the scheme for a public library was projected, and the Walton House, long the ]>alace of the city, erected. This building, erected by Wilh'am Walton, a son-in-law of Delancey, was four stories high, built of yellow Holland l^rick, with five windows in front, and a tiled roof encircled with balustrades. This edifice, 5 66 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. which would attract no imusual attention now in a country village, was then considered the wonder of America, and had a wide European fame. It is still standing on Pearl street, and contrasts sadly with the magnificent iron-fronted busi- ness palace of the Harpers, now nearly opposite. The city was now being enlarged ; new streets were laid out and con- structed, and piers and ferries established. But the most exciting topic of this period was the war with France, which resulted finally in the conquest of Canada. The establish- ment of French and English colonies on this continent re- sulted in incessant friction between these rival powers, and led ultimately to a gigantic struggle between the two most warlike nations of the world. The English, having planted themselves on the Eastern seaboard, advanced westward, claiming all between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, while the French, possessing Canada in tlie north, and the mouth of the Mississippi in the south, claimed all lying be- tween. These incessantly interfering claims for rich terri- tory, which neither owned, led to numerous bloody wars, extending in their influence from the St. Lawrence to the Ganges, for the possession of a country which, twenty years after the cessation of these struggles, passed fi-om under the control of both. The peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, closed the third colonial war, which had been prosecuted with great vigor, and which had resulted in the capture of Louis- burg by the English arms. By the treaty, however, this captm-ed territory was restored to France, leaving things again in statu quo, and ready for new hostilities. In 1749, George II. chartered the Ohio Company, granting six hun- dred thousand acres of land, in the vicinity of the Ohio river, to certain persons of Westminster, London, and Virginia, thus paving the way for new national troubles. It was in 1753, to avoid an open rupture which was rapidly approach- ing, that a young man of Virginia, destined to be heard from (George Washington), volunteered to carry a letter of ineffec- tual remonstrance, several hundred miles through a dangerous TKIUMPH OF THE ANGLO-SAXON. 67 country, to the French commander. In 1755 three expedi- tions were fitted out against Canada — one under General Braddock, to dislodge the French from Fort Duquesne ; one under General Shirley, for the reduction of Niagara ; and one un- der William Johnson, a member of the Council of New York, against Crown Point. All three signally failed, though Johnson, gaining a slight advantage over the French, wounding and capturing their com- mander, magnified it in- to a victory, for wliich he was rewarded by the English Govern ment with £5,000 and WASHINGTON AT THE AGE OP FORTY. the title or baronet. The preparations of 1756 were more extensive than in the preceding year, the Governors of Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland uniting in the campaigns, and pledging nineteen thousand American troops. This year closed also with the success of the French arms. Prep- arations for war were renewed in 1757, on a greatly enlarged scale. Four thousand troops were pledged from New England alone, and a large English fleet came over to take part in the struggle. Yet this year ended again in disaster, with a loss to the English of Fort Henry and three tliousand captured troops. The affairs of the English colo- nists had now become very alarming, filling New York and the whole country with intense anxiety. The English colonists outnumbered the French by nearly twenty to one; yet, as they were divided in counsel, their expeditions had either 68 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. been overtaken with disaster, or beaten by the French, who, united under a single military Governor, had so wielded their forces, and attracted to their ranks the Indians, as to have spread general disaster along the whole frontier. It was in this critical exigency that William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, was called to the helm of State, and so rapid were his movements, and comprehensive his plans, that the three years of disaster were followed by three of brilliant victory, culminating in the reduction of Louisburg, Frontenac, Crown Point, Ticonderoga, Niagara, and Quebec, thus obliterating forever, after a doubtful struggle of one hundred and fifty- six years, the French dominion from the country. The triumphant conclusion of this long and anxious struggle was the occasion of great and universal rejoicing in New York. The merchants had long looked for the enlargement of their commerce, and the citizens for the expansion of the city. TEOUBLOUS TIMES APPROACHING. HE year 1760, which so honorably closed the war, was also marked by k'j. the death of Lieutenant Governor 2i ^M"* Delancey, who was succeeded by Cad- wallader D. Golden, a zealous royalist, who continued in power five years. It was during this term that the noted Stamp Act was passed, which rendered his ad- ministration a very stormy and unpleasant one. The news of the passage of this Act was followed in New York by the issue of a new paper called the " Constitu- tional Coui-ant," which first appeared in September, 1765, by the placarding of the streets with " The Folly of England, and the Ruin of America ; " by the organization of the TROUBLOUS TIMES APPROACHING. 69 " Sons of Liberty," and the appointment of a " Committee of Correspondence," to secure unanimity of action among all the merchants of the country in resisting the aggressions of Eny-laud. While there existed in the nature of the case many reasons why these colonies should eventually rise to independency, it is also certain that proper treatment on the part of the mother country would have long delayed such an event. The colonists had no desire to sever their connection with the home government ; indeed, they long clung to its usages and authority. In the bloody campaigns against the French they had sacrificed the lives of thirty thousand of their sons, and burdened themselves with a debt of thirteen million pounds, sterling. An honorable acknowledgment of their undoubted interests and rights would have permanently cemented them to the English crown : but these were persistently denied. The colonists were regarded as greatly inferior to the people of England. Pitt, the friend of America, once said in Par- liament, " There is not a company of foot that has served in 70 NEW TOEK A]SrD ITS INSTITUTIONS. America out of which yon may not pick a man of sufficient knowledge and experience to make a governor of a colony there." This underrating of the American intellect led to the appointment of weak and tyrannical Governors, which yielded at length its legitimate fruit. The colonists resisted taxation because they were not represented in the English Parliament ; but the matter of taxation was not so grievous as the whole- Bale suppression of manufacture. America abounded with iron ; but no axe, hammer, saw, or other tool, could be manu- factured here without violating the crown law. Its rivers and marshes teemed with beaver, but no hatter was allowed to employ over two apprentices, and no hat of American manu- facture could be carried for sale from one colony to another. No wool could be manufactured save for private use, and the raw material could not be transported from one colony to another. Everything must be sent to England for manu- facture, and return laden with heavy duties. The colonists were prohibited from opening or conducting a commerce with any but the English nation, and every article of export must be sent in an English ship. The repeal of the Stamp Act was followed by the duty on tea, glass, etc., — legislation equally obnoxious to the colonies. The British naval officers were petty lords of the American seas. They compelled every colonial vessel to lower its sails as it passed, fired into them for the slightest provocation, boarded them at pleasm-e, and rudely impressed into tlieir service sailors who were never allowed to return to their families. These things could but yield a bloody harvest. The failure of the Governors to secure a permanent revenue was followed by the quartering of troops in Xew York, which the populace felt was another scheme for the destruction of their liberties. The citizens of New York were first to resist these aggressions. It was here that the Sons of Liberty first organized, and raised the first liberty pole. The Manhattan merchants were first to cease the importation of English goods — a contract grossly violated by other merchants in TROUBLOUS TIMES APPROACHING. 71 America, but rigorously adhered to in New York, to the ruin of many strong houses. Here the first blood was shed in behalf of liberty. It occurred in a conflict between the citizens and the English soldiers, January 20, 1770 (over five years before the battle of Lexington), on a little hill near the present John street. It was in relation to the liberty pole, and long known as the battle of Golden Hill. New York was the scene of the greatest suffering during the Kevolution. Early captured and partly burned, it lay seven years in ruins under the heel of the conqueror, who had here established his principal headquarters, and monopolized all its churches, public buildings, and many private residences. Here the first Federal Congress was organized in 1785, the federal constitution adopted in 1788, and President Wash- ington inaugurated in 1789. First to espouse the cause of independence and organize defence, though its commerce was wholly ruined, and its inhabitants lay starving and bleeding through perilous years, it uttered no murmur of complaint ; and since the establishment of independence its citizens have been second to no others in promoting the in- terests of their country and of humanity. 72 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTirUTIONS, CHAPTER III. IMPORTANT INCIDENTS OF THE REVOLUTION AND LATER HISTORY OF MANHATTAN. NEW YORK GOVERNMENT AT SEA — PLOT TO ASSASSINATE WASHING- TON — SHOCKING BARBARITY OF ENGLISH OFFICERS — HALE AND ANDRE, THE TWO SPIES ARNOLD IN NEW YORK BRITISH EVAC- UATION THE BURR AND HAMILTON TRAGEDY OF 1804 — ROBERT FULTON AND THE " CLERMONT " PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS OF 1825. NEW YORK GOVERNMENT AT SEA. ILLIAM TRYON, the last colonial Governor, entered New York July 8, 1771. He occupied the house in the fort, wdiich had been rebuilt after the excitement attending the negro plot subsided, and w4iich was now again destroyed by fire. His family (except the servant girl, who ^vas burned alive) barely escaped wnth life, a daughter leaping from a window of the second story. As revolution w'as brewing, business was so generally prostrated that no public improvements were made during his administration, except the founding of the Kew Y'ork Hospital. Tryon having returned to England, the gov ernment again devolved upon Cadwallader D. Golden until his return, which occurred June 24, 1775. The next day Washington entered New York on his way to Cambridge to take command of the Provincial army. The country was now fully in rebellion, and Tryon found his bed filled with thorns. The idea of rocking his weary frame and aching head into repose on the billows of the bay appears now to PLOT TO ASSASSINATE WASHINGTON. 73 have been suggested, but the fact that rest for a Crown Gov- ernor could only be found on the other side of the Atlantic was not yet so manifest. He, however, continued at his post, and kept up a semblance of authority against the Provincial Congress, until the latter part of August, when he removed his headquarters on board the " Asia," an English man-of-war, from which he for some time kept up a communication with his friends on shore. He also caused the principal archives of the city to be placed on board the ship " Duchess of Gor- don." These were carried to England, but again returned by royal order in 1781. PLOT TO ASSASSINATE WASHINGTON. BOUT the 24th of June, 1776, a most barbarous plot was discovered among the tories of New York, including the Mayor and several of ; General Washington's guards The plan was, upon the approach of the British troops, to murder Washing- ton and all the staff officers, blow up the magazines, and secure the passes of the town. About five hundred persons were eTijraged in tlie conspiracy, and the Mayor acknowledged that he had paid one of the chief conspirators £140, by order of Governor Tryon. One of the soldiers belonging to Washington's guards being convicted was executed "in the Bowery, in the presence of twenty thousand spectators. Severity to the few was doubtless mercy to the manv. 74 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. SHOCKING BARBAKITY OF ENGLISH OFFICERS. HE condition of the captured soldiers of the Continental army, and of many of the inhabitants of New York, during the Revolutionary period, presents one of the most melancholy chapters of human suf- fering in the history of the world. The several churches were con- verted into prisons, hospitals, mili- tary depots, and riding schools The Bridewell, in its half -finished condition, the new jail, sugar-houses, and various prison-ships, were filled with soldiers and political prisoners promiscuously huddled together. In winter, without fii-e or blankets, they OLD PROVOST, NEW YORK. perished with cold, and in summer they suffocated with heat. In the burning season every aperture in the walls was crowded with human heads, panting for a breath of the outside world. SHOCKING BAKBARITY OF ENGLISH OFFICERS. 75 while the ghastly eye turned anxiously from the misery and death within, in quest of a green leaf or a friendly counte- nance. Sick, wounded, and healthy lay on the same floor, ren- dered putrid with filth, and vocal with the sounds of human agony. Jailers and guards exhibited a love of cruelty hor- rid beyond expression, and many are said to have been poisoned by these fiendish attendants for their watches and silver buckles. They were not regarded as prisoners of war, but as pinioned rebels, to be starved and tortured until killed or goaded into the royal army. While a few remonstrated against these shocking inhumanities, the friends of the minis- try cried out, " Starvation, Starvation to the Rehels ; nothing but starvation will biing them to their senses." The old sugar-house, one of the chief dens of human tor- ture, was constructed of gray stone, and stood in Liberty street, east of Nassau, and immediately adjoining the Middle Dutch Church, or what is now the old Is ew York Post-office. This sugar refinery, erected in 1689, had passed through an honorable career from the days of Leisler downward in its legitimate use, but was now, under foreign rule, destined to depart from the good old way ; its sweetness to be changed to gall and bitterness, and its cheerful business hum to the sighs and wails of the suffering and starving. The edifice con- tained five low stories which were each divided into two rooms. The walls were very heavy, and the windows small and deep. The yard was encircled with a close board-fence nine feet high. Within these walls were at times huddled 400 or 500 prisoners of war, without beds, blankets, or fire in winter, wearing for months the filthy garments that covered them on the day of their capture. Hot weather came, and with it the typhus fever, which prevailed fearfully, filling the dead cart on each returning morning with wrecks of wasted humanity, which were rudely dumped in the trenches in the outskirts of the city. The meagre diet of these suffering patriots con- sisted of pork and sea biscuit ; the latter, having been damaged by salt water, were consequently very mouldy, and much worm- 76 NEW YORK AND ITS ENSTITUTIONS. eaten. We present a cut of this memorable structure, which stood as a monument of the several periods through which it had passed until 1840, when it was demolished by the march of modern architectural improvements. This cut and several others in this volume were engraved by Alexander Anderson, M.D,, when in his eighty-eighth year, and were ob- tained, with valuable information in relation to the prisons of the Revolution, from Charles I. Bushnell, Esq., of New York, who has perhaps taken a deeper interest in the study of that interesting period than any other writer of our times. THE OLD SUGAR-HOrSE IN LIBERTY STREET. But dreadful as were the prisons, and the old sugar- ho use in Liberty street, the prison-ships are of still more terrific memory. In 1779 the "Prince o£ Wales" and the " Good Hope " were used as prison-ships. The " Good Hope " being destroyed by fire the following year, several old hulks for- merly employed as men-of-war were anchored in the North and the East rivers, and were called hospital ships, though it soon became apparent that they were but wretched prisons for captured Americans. Among these may be mentioned the " Stromboli," the " Scorpion," the " Hunter," the " Fal- ■5 aj SHOCKING BAKBAKITY OF ENGLISH OFFICERS. Yi mouth," the " Chatham," the " Kitty," the " Frederick," the " Glasgow," the " Woodland," the " Clyde," the " Persever- ance," and the " Packet." But none attained such appalling notoriety, as a monstrous crucible of human woe, as the " Jersey." This vessel was originally a British line-of-battle ship, built in 1736, and car- ried sixty guns. She had done good service in the war with France, and had several times served as a part of the Medi- terranean squadron. In the spring of 1776 she sailed for America as one of the fleet of Commodore Hotham, and ar- rived at Sandy Hook in the month of August. She was sub- sequently used as a stoi-eship, then emploj'ed as a hospital ship, and was finally, in the winter of 1779-80, fitted up for a prison ship, and anchored near the Wallabout in the East river, near what is now the Navy Yard, where she lay until the close of the war, when the day of reti-ibution arrived, and she was broken up and sunk beneath the muddy waters of the East river to rise no more. Dismantled of her sails and stripped of her rigging, with port holes closed, with no spar but the bowsprit, and a derrick to take in supplies, her small lone flag at the stern became the appropriate but unconscious signal of the dreadful suffering that raged within. Hundreds of captured prisoners were packed into this small vessel, where, with but one meal of coarse and filthy food^^er diem^ without hammocks, or physicians, or medicines, or means of cleanliness, they wretchedly perished. Thousands of emaci- ated skeletons were during these perilous years cast into the billows of the bay, or left half covered in the sand banks and trenches. The bones of the dead lay exposed along the beach, drying and bleaching in the sun, whitening the shore until washed away by the surging tides. About twelve thousand prisoners are believed to have died on these vessels, most of whom were young men, the strength and flower of their country. The spirit of Yankee adventure was not wanting, however, even in those floating dens of pestilence and famine. The 78 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. prisoners on board the " Jersey " secretly obtained a crow-bar, which they artfully concealed and used on windy and stormy nights to break off the port gratings, when good swimmers would plunge into the water and make their way to the shore. Thus numbers escaped to their friends, to tell the sad story of their sufferings and reveal the still sadder fact of the num- bers who had died. A singularly daring and successful feat was undertaken in December, 1780, by some adventurous New England captains suffering on the " Jersey." The best boat of the ship had returned from New York about four in the afternoon, and was carelessly fastened at the gangway, with her oars on board. A storm prevailed, and the wind blew down the river, producing an immense tide. At a given sig- nal a party of prisoners placed themselves carelessly between the ship's waist and the sentinel, while the four captains en- tered the boat, the fastening of which was thrown off by their friends. The boat passed close under the bow of the ship, and was at a considerable distance from her before the senti- nel at the forecastle gave the alarm and fired at her. The second boat was manned with much dispatch for a chase, but she pursued in vain. One man from her bow fired several shots at the deserters, and a few guns were discharged from the shore ; but all to no effect. The boat passed Hell-gate in the evening, and arrived at Connecticut with her precious fi'eight the next morning. Very few deserters were captured. Civilians also suffered with the soldiers. On one of the coldest nights of the century a party of British troops crossed the Hudson river on the ice and proceeded to Newark. After capturing the little garrison they burned the academy and rifled many of the dwellings. They then entered the house of Justice Hedden, and carried him from his bed a prisoner, with no clothing to screen him from the dreadful blast save his shirt and stockings, wounding his wife in her head and breast, who remonstrated against this inhuman procedure. Fortunately, a few militia pursued them and rescued the Jus- SHOCKLXG BAKBAKITY OF ENGLISH OFFICERS. TO tice, who was dreadfully frozen, and must have perished long before reaching New York. When the traitor Arnold entered New York, he speedily procured the arrest of more than fifty of the warmest friends of independence, who were hurled into dungeons and other places of confinement, where they long continued. The poor prisoners were kept in profound ignorance of the progress of the war, and were led to believe that their cause was hope- lessly lost. Imagine the feelings of one of these sufferers, in the old sugar-house in Liberty street, as he one day stood leaning in bitterness of soul against the high fence which surrounded it, when a citizen, passing near by, without halt- ing or turning his head, said, in a low tone, " General Bur- goyne is taJcen, with his whole army. It is the truth ; you way depend upon itP His sinking hopes revived. He hob- bled back into the gloomy den, to whisper in palsied ears the cheering truth, and raise, even in those death-glazed eyes, the thrice welcome vision » of a country saved. That friendly informant would have suffered severely if discovered ; but his contribution to these wasting patriots was more valuable than the gold of Ophir or the affection of woman. But the plant of liberty does not die of hunger, or thirst, or naked- ness, or reproach, or contumely. Nay, these but accelerate its immortal development ; and, amid the sufferings of the prisons, the privations of the camps, the wails and sobbings of widows and orphans, it continued its sublime expansion, until, at length, bursting through every opposition, it spread its benign shadow o'er all the land. In the midst of these appalling sufferings, the British offi- cers of New York amused themselves by planning a theatre, consenting themselves to become the comedians — a practice which they continued, in the edifice in John street, for sev- eral years, the tory population attending and applauding their entertainments. 80 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. HALE JlSB ANDRE, THE TWO SPIES. ORTiTUDE under the smart of un- merited sufferings is one of the i-arest traits of humanity. War is not only characterized by general suifering and disaster, involv- ing nearly every family of the country, but by personal adventures and sacri- fices, wliich not unfrequently leave a sting to rankle. in the minds of successive generations. There is a moral sublimity in one's voluntarily casting himself between his country and its fiercest enemies, uncovering his own brave head to receive the blow, that by his sacrifice kindred and posterity may glide unscathed and peacefully down the stream of time ; but this sublimity is greatly inten- sified when young men of brilliant abilities, stainless reputa- tion, and of undoubted worth to society nobly assume responsi- bilities attended with extraordinary perils, and likely soon to culminate in saddest failure and ruin. The career of Nathan Hale and of John Andre, two of the most brilliant and virtu- ous young officers representing the opposing forces of that stormy period, presents one of the most striking examples of this kind in the annals of time. Hale was born in Coventry, Conn., June 6, 1755 ; graduated with high honor, at Yale College, at the age of eighteen years, and soon became a suc- cessful teacher. His parents designed him for the ministry ; but the crash of arms at Lexington so aroused his patriotic impulses that he immediately wrote to his father, stating " that a sense of duty urged him to sacrifice everything for his country." He soon after entered the army as a lieuten- ant, and was, a few months later, promoted to the captaincy. ^Yhile stationed with the troops near Boston, he was noted as a vigilant officer; and, in the early part of September, 1776, when in xsew York, he, with an associate, planned and cap- HALE AND ANDKE, THE TWO SPIES. tured a British sloop laden with provisions, taking her at midnight from mider the guns of a frigate. Just before the capture of New York, Washington became exceedingly anxious to ascertain the plans of the enemy, who were encamped in force on Long Island. A council of war was held, and an ap- peal made for a discreet officer to enter the enemy's lines and gather informa- tion. Captain Hale, who was only twenty-one years of age, came nobly forward and offered to undertake tlie perilous mission. He entered the British lines in disguise, examined the island, made drawings and memoranda of everything most important, ascertained their plans, conducting his enterprise with great capacity and address, but was accidentally apprehended in making his escape. But while Hale was making discoveries at Long Island, a portion of the British army had crossed the East river under cover of the fire of their fleet, and had captured New York, General Howe taking up temporary headquarters in the vicinity of Fiftieth street. Llale was brought to the head- quarters of Howe, who delivered him to the notorious Cun- ningham, oi-dering him to be executed on the following morning, unless he should renounce the colonial cause. He was unmercifully hanged upon an apple-tree, and his remains cast into an unknown grave. Andre was born in London, in 1751 ; was educated at Geneva, after which he entered a counting-house. Disap- pointed in love, he abandoned business and entered the army, where he rose by the intrinsic worth of his character to be .captain, major, and finally adjutant-general, under Sir Henry 82 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. Clinton, chief commander at New York. As he had read extensively, had a \dgorous memory, brilliant powers of con- versation, understood several languages, wrote poetry, and was a fine singer, he became naturally a universal favorite in all select circles. His enthusiasm for the loyal cause was unbounded; and Sir Henry Clinton appears to have com- mitted to his pen the treasonable correspondence which was conducted for more than eighteen months with Benedict Arnold. Their letters were written in disguised hands, Ar- nold using the signature of " Gustavus," and Andre that of "John Anderson." Some of these letters are believed to have been written in the Kipp Bay House, a cut of which is in- serted on page 56. This edifice, erected of Holland brick, in 1641, was considered a mansion of such respectable grand- eur during the revolution, that in the forced absence of the proprietor, who was a whig, it was made the headquarters and place of banqueting and pleasant resort, of British ofii- cers of distinction. Here Sir William Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, Lord Percy, General Knyphausen, Major Andre, and their satellites beguiled many a weary hour. It was at this house that Major Andre partook of his last public dimier in New York, and with his characteristic conviviality sung at the repast a song beginning : "Why, soldiers, why, Should we be melancholy boys, Wlwse business His to die? " etc. In ten short days from that time this gay and accomplished officer was a prisoner, and found it his sad " business to die " as a malefactor. But we have somewhat anticipated our story. Andr^ was selected to ascend the Hudson, have an interview with Ar- nold, and complete the arrangement for the capture of West Pohit. From the " Vulture," an English man-of-war, he landed near Haverstraw, at dead of night, held the expected confer- ence with the American traitor, lay concealed for some time HALE AND ANDEE, THE TWO SPIES. 83 witliin the American lines, but was captured at Tarrytown, in an effort to return to New York. After an impartial trial he was, at the age of twenty-nine years, executed as a spy, at Tappan, October 2, 1780. While there are some points of similarity in the career and fate of these accomplished young men, there are also re- markable contrasts in the treatment administered to them by the authorities into whose hands they fell. Neither of them contested the principles upon which they were sentenced, but manfully recognized the importance of these rules of war, though Andre begged that the application of the rule might be changed, and he shot instead of hanged — a matter to which Hale was profoundly indifferent. Hale was approached by the authorities with advantageous offers, on condition that he would join the enemy, which he resolutely spurned, at the loss of his life ; but Andre was subjected to no such temptations. Hale, captured in the afternoon, was executed at day-break on the following morn- ing ; while Andre was granted ten days to prepare for his approaching doom. Hale, during the short period of his confinement, was made in every conceivable manner to feel that he was considered a traitor and a rebel. He saw no friendly countenance, and heard no word of respect or compassion. The hasty letters he wrote to his father and sister were destroyed, and he was even denied the use of a Bible and the counsels of a clergyman at his execution. On the other hand, the generous Americans, half -forgetting the treachery of Andre, lavished to the last their attentions and affections upon his accomplished person, Washington shed- ding tears when he signed his death-warrant. Andre, as he was going to die, with great presence of mind and the most engaging air, bowed to all around him, thanking them for the kindness and respect with which he had been treated, saying, " Gentlemen, you will bear witness that I die with the firmness becoming a soldier." Hale had received no respect, and no kindly attentions ; hence, he had none to 84 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. return. He was a mere youth, but with a manly courage, mighty in death on the scaffold, exclaimed, " I am so satis- fied with the cause in which I have engaged, that my only regret is that I have not more lives than one to offer in its service." Wliile we can l)ut respect the attainments and admire the bearing of Andre, we are no less favorably impressed with the manly accomplishments and fortitude of Hale, several years ]iis junior, who passed through one of the most trying ordeals in the history of the world, and whose name has not had its deserved prominence in American history. ARXOLD IN NEW YORK. yfiMOXG all the blackened names that k^yfli\ darken the pages of New York his- ./^^"^ tory, no one has stood forth so con- spicuously, or been so emphatically g a hissing and a by-word among all ^^ classes, as that of Benedict Arnold. He was born of respectable parentage at Norwich, Conn., January 3, 17-iO, where he received the usual common- school education of his day, being designed by his friends for a mercantile career. His early associations and habits gave evidence of an unprincipled, adventurous, and changeable ARNOLD IN NEW YORK, 85 nature, which unfortunately grew worse and worse tlirough all his career. His greatest talent was doubtless in military pui-suits, where he always appeared as an intrepid, dashing, and successful chieftain. Among the first at the outbreak of the Revolution to abandon business and mount the sad- dle, he was during the early northern campaigns more con- spicuous than any other, exhibiting everywhere a genius and fortitude challenging the respect of friend and foe. But his treacherous and selfish nature, his vanity and extravagance, were everywhere as conspicuous as his military successes, re- sulting in repeated perplexities and difiiculties, rendering him forever unpopular and an object of public suspicion. Overlooked and slighted by Congress in its army appointments, convicted of peculation and reprimand- ed by his superiors, and strangely ambitions for lux- ury and display, he satani- cally resolved to betray his country's cause, and sell his influence for a bag of gold. He was probably long re- strained from this traitor- ous undertaking by the counsels of Washington, who highly appreciated his abilities, though he disapproved of his unscrupulous conduct. Eecovering from a wound re- ceived in battle, he was appointed to the command of Phila- delphia. Here he married for his second wife Miss Margaret Shippen, whose father was subsequently chief justice of Penn- sylvania, and was at that time considered one of the chief men of the State, though strongly attached to the tory interest. His wife was one of the chief belles of the city, and probably added some stimulus to his extravagant temper. She had been an intimate friend of Major Andre, with whom she con- 8G NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. tinned to correspond after lier marriage, and which probably paved the way for the nndying dishonor of her husband. Having resolved on great treachery, Arnold sought and obtained from Washington command of West Point, one of the principal bulwarks of the country and the key to the interior. His iniquitous correspondence with British officials is believed to have been continued for eighteen months be- fore its detection. In this he proj)osed to so dispose of the troops at West Point that the place, with all its forces and munitions, would fall an easy conquest ; for which he was to be rewarded with a General's commission in the royal army, and a purse of £10,000 of English gold. Deserting his country which had raised him from obscurity, robbing her of his in- fluence and service, seeking with artful strategy to enslave her patriots and desolate her plains, in the period of her deepest poverty and distress, he committed one of those unpar- donable crimes which the world has never been able to over- look. Twice he narrowly escaped capture ; a singular pro- vidence, however, ordered that his crime should not be wiped out with his blood, but that, through the twenty-one years of his ripened manhood, his dejected crest should be blazoned with the marks of his infamy, and that he should live and die a despised exile from the land of his nativity. He would have been captured, and humanly speaking should have been, by Washington at West Point, had it not been for the unac- countable stupidity of Colonel Jameson, commander at North Castle, to whom Andre was given after his arrest. The papers found in his stockings, containing plans of all the West Point fortifications, a description of the works, the number of troops, the disposition of the corps, etc., etc., were all in Arnold's handwriting. These Jameson dispatched to Washington, but insisted on sending a letter stating these facts to Arnold, which apprised him of his danger and led to his hasty flight. The letter from Jameson was received by Arnold while at breakfast with his wife and several oflicers. He was greatly startled, but quieted the officers by stating ARNOLD IN NEW YORK. 87 that his presence was needed at the fortifications, and that he would soon return. His wife, with her infant child, had come from Philadelphia to join him at his post of duty but ten days previously. Summoning her to their private room, he informed her of his crime, and the necessity of his immediate flight. Overwhelmed with the announcement, she screamed, swooned, and fell upon the floor, and in this perilous condition he left her and fled for his life. Gaining tlie " Yulture," still anchored in the river, he proceeded to New York. Here he received his royal commission, and at length the stipulated price for his treason ; but his crime was too naked and wanton to secure respect even from those for whom he had sacrificed his honor. He soon caused multitudes of patriots to be arrested and cast into dungeons, but in his precipitate flight from West Point he had left all his papers, and hence could produce no evidence against them. Covered with scorn, he lived in partial concealment, sometimes in the Yerplanck House in Wall street, and again on Broadway, near the Kennedy House, Clinton's residence and headquar- ters. To save him from utter contempt when he rode out, English officers attended him, though it is said many of them thought it an ungracious task to appear at his side in the streets. While here, a plot was laid in the American camp for his capture, which nearly succeeded. The American troops were so stung with the disgrace he had brought upon their arms, that many were ready to enlist in any feasible enter- prise to bring him to speedy retribution. Sergeant-major Champe, of the American dragoons in New Jersey, was the daring spirit of the band, who, by a connivance with his com- manding officer, deserted the ranks and galloped toward the Hudson, but so hotly was he pursued by several troopers not in the secret that he plunged into the river and swam across to New York. His perilous adventure gave the strongest evidence that his desertion to the British was genuine; hence, he was warmly received by all. He thus gained free access to Arnold's residence in Broadway, and adroitly matured a 03 NEW TOEK AKD ITS mSTITUTIONS. plau for his capture. His comrades were to cross from New Jersey in a boat opposite the house, under cover of darkness, pass up through an adjoining alley, enter the garden and gain access to the rear of the dwelling, seize and gag the victim, carrying him by the same route to the boat. Champe had loosened the pickets of the fence, the hour was appointed for the midertaking ; but unfortunately, on the day previous to its execution, Champe's regiment was ordered to embark fen* Chesapeake, and Arnold removed his headquarters to another dwelling. Champe's comrades were punctual at the rendez- vous, where they waited several hours for his appearance ; and then returned in disappointment to camp. Not long after Champe made his escape from the southern army, and returned to his friends, to clear up the strange mystery that had hung over his conduct. Arnold left New York to com- mand an expedition against Virginia, and afterwards led one against New London, Comi. ; and is said to have watched with fiendish cruelty the burning of the town, almost in sight of the place of his birth. At the close of the war, he went to England, where he died unlamented, in 1801. It is said that he once expressed the sorrow that he was the only man liv- ing who could not find refuge in the American Republic. ^,cy^<^l-^ri^. .y^^^ BRITISH EVACUATION. 89 BRITISH EVACUATION. CORNWALLIS. HE surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, on the 17th of October, 1781, with seven thousand English troops, was really the signal for terniin ating the weary struggle. Lord North, the English Premier, was compelled to resign the following March, and Rock- ingham, the leader of the peace party in Parliament, was appointed to fill his place. Negotiation followed for many months, ending in the complete emanci- pation of the colonies from British rule. On the 25th of November, 1783, at 12 m., the British flag was taken from the staff on the fort, the troops embarked, and the long ex- patriated citizens were allowed to return to the full possession of their city and property. Washington tarried until the 4th of December, when he took his farewell of his officers amid such expressions of profound sorrow as have rarely been exhibited in army circles. The city, seven years a prison and military depot, had greatly sunken into decay ; commerce was wholly ruined, and general desolation brooded on every side. Though escaped from the boiling caldron of war, it was long disquieted with civil feuds growing out of the late struggle. Its population at the close of the war amounted to about twenty-three thousand, and though nu- merous improvements were contemplated, so deep and uni- versal was the poverty of the population that little of public enterprise was undertaken for more than fifteen years. 90 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. THE BURR AND HAMILTON TRAGEDY OF 1804. EEVOLUTIONARY period opens a wide theatre for the development of the rarest genius, and for the grandest display of all the richest qualities of the human soul. And while it is true that great benevolence, patriotism, or self-sacrifice at such times glows with a richer coloring, it is no less true that selfishness, peculation, and treason, are branded with a deeper infamy. The stirring events of the American Kevolution brought to the surface a multitude of able and brilliant men, some of whom by directness and sterling integrity towered higher and higher through all their history, while others equally gifted, choosing the tortuous paths of stratagem and guile, sunk into national contempt, and blackened their names with undying disgrace. While few names in American history, on their bare announcement, suggest more than those of Aaron Burr and Alexander Ham- ilton, it would be difiicult to find two young men whose early circumstances presented more numerous points of similarity, or upon whom nature and providence had more profusely lavished their gifts and opportunities. Born in the middle of the eighteenth century, with but eleven months' difference in their ages, educated in the first circles of the times, fortu- nate in their matrimonial alliances; both small of stature, beautiful in person, courtly in carriage, rarely gifted in mind, distinguished for gallantry on the field of battle, and for suc- cess at the bar, they certainly had opportunities wide as the world for the realization of the highest worldly satisfaction, and for immortal renown. Hamilton was born in the West Indies, where he lost his mother in childhood; his father early failed in business, con- tinuing through life in poverty and dependence, leaving his son under the charge of relatives. The Revolution found THE BUKR AND HAMILTON TRAGKOV OF 18U4, Ul young Hamilton a student in King's (Columbia) College, where he displayed such extraordinary qualities of mind that he soon rose from obscurity to shine through life as a star of the first magnitude in the politi- cal and intellectual world. Having adopted New York as the city of his residence, he espoused the colonial cause unfalteringly, and early entered the army. He took part in the battle of Long Island, retired across the Har- lem river as a captain • of artillery un- der Washington when New York w^as abandoned to the enemy, shared the dispiriting retreat through the Jerseys, bore honorable part in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, and assisted at the capture of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. He early became aide-de-camp to General Washington, whose confidence he always retained, conducting much of the Gen- eral's correspondence during the war, receiving from him the appointment of first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, and assisting him in the preparation of his memorable Farewell Address. In all the early conventions in which the principles and forms of our government were settled, and in the pamphlet and periodical literature of his times, his in- fluence was scarcely second to that of any other in the coun- try. The practice of duelling, rife in his times, and by which he lost his eldest son, a youth of twenty years, two years pre- vious to his own sad death, he utterly condenmed ; yet, yield- ing at last to the persistent demands of a false honor, he was mortally wounded at Weehauken by a ball from Burr's pis- tol, July 11th, 1804, and expired on the following day, in his forty -eighth year. The rise of Burr was not so completely from obscurity. His father and grandfather having been pre-eminently dis- tinguished for both moral and intellectual greatness, he inherited the prestige of a great and honored name. Grad- 92 E\V YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. iiating with honor at Princeton, in 1772, at the early age of sixteen, lie had two or three years for reading and observa- tion before the outburst of the Revolution. The times were fraught with great events, and the military ambition with which his whole soul was aglow soon burst forth in rapid and dashing strides for glory and renown. In those perilous northern campaigns under Arnold, he bore a distinguished part ; and, though a beardless youth, he had the honor of carrying General Montgomery bleeding from the field, and RICnMOND IIIITi nousH of supporting his dying head. He was for a short time associated with Washington as one of his aids, the connection being soon dissolved with mutual disgust, which never after- wards suffered any abatement. At the close of the war, Burr and Hamilton, neither of whom had spent much time in the study of law, on being admitted, began to practice in New York, where each rose with the rapidity and brilliancy of a rocket — entering regions which rockets could not. The old members of the bar being mostly legally disqualified on ac- THE BCER AND IIAJNIILTON TRAGEDY OF 1S04. 93 count of their former disloyalty, these intrepid young military celebrities, with scarcely more than a single bound, placed themselves at the forefront of the profession, from which they were never subsequently displaced. Burr, in particular, from his family associations, soon became immensely popular, drawing numerous and wealthy clients, in whose service he speedily amassed a fortune. In the meantime his success in politics was equally brilliant. In 1TS4 he was elected to the State legislature, and the following year appointed Attorney- General of New York. In 1791 he entered the United States' senate, where he continued six years, when he was again sent to the State legislature. Here he fought a blood- less duel with Mr. Church. The electoral college of ISOO, having by some mischance cast an equal number of votes for Burr and Jefferson, the House of Representatives, on its thirty-sixth ballot, elected Jefferson President, leaving Burr the Vice-president of tlie United States. It was during this term that the fatal duel occurred between him and Hamilton. Burr had purchased the famous Rjchmond Hill mansion, where he lived with his family in much splendor. This building, erected previous to the Revolution, stood on a fine eminence, on what is now the corner of Yarick and Charlton streets, then far out in the country, and was sur- rounded with richly cultivated gardens and parks. It had been the headquarters of General "Washington, and at a later period was occupied by one of the British Generals com- manding New York. Hamilton owned a fine country resi- dence on the Kingsbridge road (near Central Park), but at the time of his death lived in Park Place, near Broadway. Burr's popularity having much waned, and seeing no pros- pect of being returned to the presidency, sought to be elected Governor of New York. In this he was also over- whelmingly defeated. Hamilton was virtually the head of the opposition ; and Burr believed his failure owing to cer- tain disparaging utterances made by this distinguished oppo- nent. He accordingly demanded a general and uncondi- 94 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. tioiial retraction, which, not being instantly complied with, was followed by a challenge for a duel. Burr had been observed by the boys of the neighborhood for some time, to be practising with a pistol in his park ; and while Hamilton in the encounter innocently discharged his piece in the air, the aim of Burr produced deadly effect. These facts, coming to the knowledge of the people, produced the belief that he had sought the deliberate murder of Hamilton, who had long HAMILTON'S RESIDENCE. been his victorious opponent. Burr was found several hours after the occurrence in his arbor, reading one of his favorite authors as composedly as if nothing had happened, and even refused to credit the statement that Hamilton had been injured, and was then lying in a dying condition. The re- mains of Hamilton w^ere interred amid the sis-lis and wails of ROBERT FULTON AND THE " CLERMONT." 95 the people, in the grounds at old Trinity, where they still remain. Having slain the nation's favorite, the indignation of the populace burst forth against Burr with such intensity that he was glad to abandon his palace home and seek refuge in the Southern States. AVe cannot trace minutely his later career. Arrested soon after and tried for treason, he con- sumed all his means in making his defence successful, after which he sailed for Europe. Sunk in deepest poverty and distress, he begged a passage back to the States in 1812. His wife had died some years previously, his only daughter, Mrs. Governor Alston, of South Carolina, and her son being the only surviving friends to claim his affection. About the time of his return from Europe, Aaron Burr Alston, his only grandchild, was laid in a little grave. The mothep of this boy, a gifted woman, with unchanging affection for her doting father, soon after started North to visit and console him in his despised and wretched condition. But she was lost at sea, and never heard from after embarking ; and her sorrow-stricken husband, after long, anxious, and disappointed search, expired suddenly under a burden of woe. By a singular providence. Burr lived on and passed his eightieth year. Like a shrivelled and fire-scorched oak, he still lifted his guilty head and looked down upon the des- olation of his business, his popularity, his honor, his family, and his hopes for time and for eternity. What a sad and melancholy comment upon the insecurity of worldly fortune, and the unhappy fruit of deliberately abandoned principle ! 96 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ROBERT FULTOX AND THE "CLERMONT." THE '-CLERMONT " OW long and anxiously the world waited for human ge- nius to control and utilize material nature ! How slow is jjliilosophical progress ! Though the properties of steam were treated of, and mechanical effects produced by its agency, more than two centuries previous to the beginning of tlie Christian era, the steam engine proper was not patented until the time of Watt (1768-9), and not successfully applied to the use of navigation until 1807. It is amusing, in these days of rapid travel, to think of the early ferries of New York, and the slow progress made on all the rivers and lakes. Until 1810, row- boats and pirogues were the only ferry-boats plying between New York and Long Island, or used anywhere else on the rivers. Horse power was introduced in 1814, the boat being constructed with a wheel in the centre, propelled by horses, who operated on a sort of horizontal treadmill. The first steam ferry-boat was the Nassau, constructed by Fulton, and placed on the ferry bearing his name May 8, 1814 ; but as steam was considered too expensive, no additional boats of this kind were added for more than ten years. Experimenting in steam navigation had been going on in New York under the direction of Stevens, Fitch, and Eobert R. Livingston, for more than twenty years previous to the successful attempt of Fulton. A monopoly had been granted to John Fitch in 1787, but in 1798 the legislature of New York transferred to Chancellor Livingston, who claimed to be the discoverer of this new power, the exclusive right <»f steam navigation on all the waters of the State for twenty years, provided that he should within the next twelve months PUBLIC DIPEOVEMENTS OF 1825. 97 place a boat on the Hudson river, with a speed of not less than four miles per hour. This he failed to do. Several years later he made the acquaintance of Fulton, in France, who, though born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and essentially an American, had hitherto gained all his notoriety in the old world. Fulton had studied painting under Benjamin West, the ncAV canal system under the Duke of Bridgewater, had been intimate with Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, had invented machines for making ropes, spinning flax, ex- cavating channels and aqueducts, and had spent much time in inventing and patenting a torpedo. Fulton has been described by those who knew him as tall and slender in form, graceful in manners, simple in all his habits, and so intelligent and prepossessing as to readily captivate the young and win golden opinions fi'om the talented and learned. Entering into an arrangement with Mr. Livingston, he returned to Isew York, planned and launched the '" Clermont," the first steam- boat that ever ploughed the Hudson, and thus obtained the monopoly on the waters of the State. The vessel was con- structed at Jersey City, amid the jeers of the populace, who derisively christened it " the Fulton Folly." Scarcely any one believed he would succeed; but he knew the fate of men wlio live in advance of their time, and coolly proceeded with his undertaking. On the 7th of August, 1807, he announced his vessel ready for the trial trip to Albany. Thousands of eager spectators thronged the banks of the river, to mingle their glee over the long-predicted failure ; but as the ma- chinery began its movement, and the vessel stood toward the centre of the river, the cry of " ske moves ! she moves ! " ran all along the line, and it is said that some sailors on vessels anchored in the river, and not acquainted with the secret, fell down on their knees and prayed to be delivered from this wheezing monster. The passage to Albany was made in thirty-two hours, the banks of the river being thronged much of the way with excited thousands, witnessing with peculiar pleasure this marvellous triumph of human genius. But 98 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. while Fulton won the first laurels with the " Clermont," Mr. John Stevens, and his son, E. L. Stevens, launched the Phoenix immediately after, which they ran to Philadelphia, gaining equal notoriety ; and as soon as the State monopoly was abolished they launched an improved steamboat with a speed of thirteen and one-half miles per hour, thus producing a complete revolution in the system of navigation. Fulton died suddenly in the plenitude of his powers, February 24th, 1815, in the fiftieth year of his age. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS OF 1825. A PITAL is one of the mighty engines of national progress, and internal developments can only keep pace with the ac- cumulations of the people. Our city rulers now expend more on pub- lic Nvorks in a single year than our fathers did during a lifetime. Still, we must pause to chronicle a few of the prominent events that transpired in the earlier part of this century. Passing over the events of the war with England, in 1812-14, when the city wore a martial air, and the populace almost unanimously engaged in constructing the fortifications at the Narrows, on the islands of the bay, and elsewhere ; and the imposing reception of General Lafayette, in the summer of 1824, we pause to glance at the internal improvements of the following year. The year 1825 was the beginning of a new era in the devel- opment of the city, since which its population has more than quadrupled, and the volume of its commerce enlarged at least twenty-fold. The great event of this year was the opening of the Erie Canal, commenced eight years pre^^ously. The PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS OF 1825. 99 first flotilla of boats, containing Dewitt Clinton, Governor of the State, and many other distinguished gentlemen, left Buffalo October 26th, and arrived at New York on the morn- ing of November 4th. The triumphant starting was signaled by the discharge of a cannon, which was replied to by another and another all along the line, the report reaching New York in eighty minutes, and the return salute finding its way back to Buffalo in about the same time — the raciest telegraphing of that period. The construction of this great artificial thoroughfare, as well as its subsequent enlargement, was an unpopular measure with a large minority of the people, on account of its costliness ; but in 1866 it was ascertained that, besides enlarging many of the principal cities, and adding to the comfort and wealth of nearly all the people of the State, it had returned into the public treasury $23,500,000 above all its cost, including principal, interest, repairs, superintend- ence, etc., etc. It was in May, 1825, that tlie first gas-pipes were laid, by the New York Gas-light Company, which had been incorpo- rated in 1823. No system for lighting the streets was intro- duced uutil 1697, when the aldermen were charged with en- forcing the duty that " every seventh householder, in the dark time of the moon, cause a lantern and candle to be hung out of his window on a pole, the expense to be divided among the seven families." At a later period, the principal streets were dimly lighted with oil lamps. This first gas-pipe inno- vation extended on either side of Broadway, from Canal street to the Battery, and soon grew into public favor, so that in 1830 the Manhattan Gas-light Company was incorporated with a capital of $500,000, to supply the upper part of the island. A network of gas-pipes now extends over the en- tire island, conducting this brilliant illuminator into nearly every building. The same year were introduced the joint-stock companies, which were speedily followed by great commercial disasters, almost paralyzing the commerce of the whole country. 100 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. The Merchants' Exchange, and other architectural monu- ments, were begun the same year. Marble was then first in- troduced for ordinar}^ buildings, the City Hall and the Amer- ican Museum being the only buildings then standing on the island in the construction of which this material had been employed. The records of that otherwise bright year were somewhat darkened with the introduction of the Italian opera and the Sunday press. In this connection we may also add that the !New York and Erie Railroad was opened to Goshen in 1841, and through to Dunkirk in 1851. The Long Island Railroad was opened in 1844, the New York and New Haven in 1S4S, the Harlem to Chatham Four Corners in 1852, the Flushing in 1854, the Hudson river to Peekskill in 1849, and to Albany in 1851. All these have greatly enlarged the commerce and growth of the metropolis. The first telegraphic communication with New York was established by the Philadelphia and Washington line in 1845, and was the second in the country, one having been estab- lished the previous year between Washington and Baltimore. ■'t(j III! 1^ m^^^: i-^ ,wti r-au, •. ji-.'^;^! DESCRIFnON OF THE ISLAND. 101 CHAPTER IV^ NEW YORK AS IT IS. I. DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND. 'EW YOKK Island is situated in the upper New York bay, eighteen miles from the Atlantic Ocean, at the moutli of the Hudson river, which forms its western boundary, is separated from Long Island by the East river, and from the rest of New York State by the Harlem river and Spuyten Duyvel creek. The island is thirteen and one-lialf miles long, two and one-half wide at its extreme point, contains fourteen thousand acres, and is by survey divided into 141,486 lots, tM'enty-five by one hundred feet each. Its original surface was diversified by broken rocky hills, marshes, and ponds of water, and by arable and sandy plains. The rocks, which consisted principally of gneiss, hornblende, slate, mica, limestone, and granite, have been, for the most part, too coarse and brittle for building purposes, but have been employed to advantage in grading and docking. A bold rocky i-idge, starting on the southern portion, extended northward, branching off into several spurs, which again united, forming "Washington Heights, the greatest elevation anywhere attained (two hun- dred and thirty-eight feet above tide), and ending in a sharp precipitous promontory at the northern extremity of the island. A body of fresh water known as " Collect Pond," nearly two miles in circumference, and fifty feet deep, covered the territory of the present Five Points, and the site of the 102 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. Tombs, and was connected with the Hudson by a deep outlet on the line of Canal street, from which the street takes its name. This lake was encircled with a dense forest, and was tiie resort of skating parties in winter, while in summer Stevens and Fitch experimented in steam navigation on its waters ten years before Fulton's vessel skimmed the Hudson. Deep rivulets supplied by springs and marshes cut the surface in many directions. Up Maiden lane flowed a deep inroad from the bay. In the vicinity of Peck Slip ran a low water- course, which in the wet season united with the Collect, thus cutting oif about eight hundred acres on the lower point, into a separate island. A deep stream flowed down Broad street, up which boatmen came for many years in their canoes to sell their oysters. The sources that supplied tliese lakes and streams still exist, and these waters are carried off through numerous immense sewers, covered deep in the earth, over which thousands tread daily, unconscious of their existence. The lower part of the island has been greatly widened by art; the whole territory covered by Front and Water streets on the east side, and by West, Greenwich, and Washington, on the west, including the whole site of Washington Market, was once swept by the billows of the bay. The chills and fever, with which liundreds of families are afflicted at this writing, result doubtless from these numerous covered but malarious marshes. Civilization introduced gardening and farming. At the sur- render of the Dutch dynasty the city occupied only the ex- treme southern portion of the island, a high wall, with ditch, having been thrown across it on the line of Wall street, for defence. All above this was for several years common pasture ground, but was afterwards divided into farms. The Governor's garden lay along what is now Wliitehall street ; the site of St. Paul's (Episcopal) Church was a rich wheat-field; the site of the old Kew York Hospital was once a fine or- chard; the Bible House and Cooper Institute cover what at a later period was devoted to luxurious gardens. The central POPULATION AT DIFFERENT PERIODS. 103 portion of the island was during the English colonial period mapped out into rich productive farms, where men of means settled, became rich, and left their names in the streets that were afterwards constructed. The city proper now extends from the Battery northward, and is compactly built for six miles, and irregularly to the Harlem river. The few vacant lots below Fifty-ninth street are being rapidly improved, and a vast amount of building is going on much farther up. Gardening is still conducted on a splendid scale on the upper portions of the island, though these green plots are being constantly encroached upon by the advance of the mason and the joiner. On the west side, through Bloomingdale, Manhattanville, and Washington Heights, may be found still some of the old country mansions and yards of the good lang syne, and many modern palatial residences glittering with costly splendor. II. POPULATION AT DIFFERENT PERIODS. IHE growth of the city has been rapid, as g^ a few statistics will show. In 1656 the population amounted to 1,000, in 1664 to 1,500, in 1700 to 5,000, in 1750 to 13,500, in 1774 to 22,750, in 1800 to 60,489, in 1820 to 123,706, in 1830 to 202,589, in 1840 to 312,932, in 1850 to 515,547, and in 1860 to 813,669. In consequence of the high prices occasioned by the war, and the disorganized condition of the various industrial pursuits, the census of 1865 showed a decrease in the popula- tion, which amounted to 726,386. The census returns of 1870 place the population of the island at 942,252. It is proba- ble that the population of the island will eventually reach a million and a half, and perhaps even more. Many portions 104 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. of the city have long since been deserted by the better classes of society, but their departure has been speedily followed by a much denser packing of the localities thus deserted. In 1800 the fashionable part of the city was in "Wall and Pine streets, and between Broadway and Pearl. It has gradually moved northward, lingering in our day long around Union Square, which has at last been deserted, and it is difficult deciding where tlie matter will end. When the plan for the erection of the City Hall was made, about seventy years ago, it was urged that the city would never extend above Cham- bers street ; hence the rear wall of the edifice was made of sandstone, and not of marble like the rest, because it was said it would never be seen. To fill the entire island and suburbs, would produce an immensely smaller change than has already occurred since that time. Tliere are now about sixty-five thousand buildings on the island, many of which cover several lots, and not a few twenty or thirty each ; and as fully one thousand acres are covered by the parks and reser- voirs, there is not as much vacant land remaining as many writers have supposed. The vicinity of Central Park is now considered the most eligible part of' the city; but who can tell but even this may yet become a grand commercial theatre, as many places already have which w^ere once held sacred by a generation long since departed ? Some sections in the lower wards are now packed with a population amounting to the appalling figure of two hundred and ninety- thousand to the square mile. If this should become general, the island would contain over six millions. Hundreds of residences are annually rising on the upper parts of the island, but an equally large number farther down are being converted into places of business ; and this, we opine, will continue until the entire island is one vast centre of com- merce, manufacture, and storage. Thirty years will proba- bly entirely drive the Slite from the island. The bridges and tunnels now in immediate prospect will Iiasten this result, make the surrounding country for miles the real sub- STREETS AND AVENUES OF NEW YORK. 105 nrbs of the metropolis, and iill it with wealtli and palatial splendor. Already many tlionsands doing business here daily, reside in other places, not a few thirty, and some fifty miles up the Hudson. It has been estimated that two hundred thousand persons daily cross the East river, while not many less cross on the other side to New Jersey, Staten Island, or depart on the railroads running north. The construction of a railroad on the west s^de of the Hudson, and a bridge across the East river, at Blackwell's Island, will open eligible sections for suburban residences hitherto inaccessible to the business public of Manhattan. These enterprises cannot long be delayed. III. STREETS A^TD AVENUES OF NEW YORK. THE PLAX, THE PAVEMENTS, ANB THE MODES OF TRAVEL — WALL STREET BROAD STREET — BROADWAY FIFTH AVENUE BOULE- VARD. iT^y^^HE early settlers of Manhattan had no conception of the propor- tions the town was ultimately to assume, and, hence, formed no comprehensive plan for its ontlay. ^^filsi^j.j-jfe.:^^ j/ 'nM In 1656 they resolved to lay out qSjli^^^^^jm the streets of the city, which was I^iljl4i*SS^^^^^ff clone in a most grotesque manner. l.Ml«^U^^P^;5^«8 Washington Irving ludicrously describes the occurrence thus: " The sage council not being able to determine upon any plan for the building of their city, the cows, in a laudable fit of patriotism, took it under their pe- culiar charge, and as they went to and from pasture, estab- lished paths through the bushes, on each side of which the 106 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. good folks built their houses, which is one cause of the rambling and picturesque turns and labyrinths which distin- guish certain streets of xs'ew Tork at this very day," Many of the streets in the lower part of the city have been straightened and improved at vast expense. On the 3d of April, 1807, an Act was passed, appointing Simeon Dewitt, Gouverneur Morris, and John Rutherford, to lay out by careful survey the whole island, which was accordingly done, and the map of the same filed in the secretary's office in March, 1811. To the commendable forethought of these gentlemen is the city indebted for the admirable arrangement of its uptown streets and avenues. Tliis survey extended to One Hundred and Fifty-fourth street, but it has since been extended to Kings Bridge. Below Fourteenth street much irregularity still exists in the streets, and probably always will, to the infinite perplexity of strangers ; but above that point the avenues and streets run at right angles to each other, the direction of the former being nearly north and south, and the latter east and west, from river to river, and numbering each way from Fifth avenue. The avenues number from south to north. The streets, avenues, squares, and places on Manhattan now number nearly seven hundred, about three hundred miles of which are paved, and are illuminated at night by about nineteen thousand gas lamps. The first pavements were laid in what is now Stone street, between Broad and Whitehall streets, in 1658. Bridge street was paved the same year, and several others running through marshy sections soon after. These pavements were of cobble-stone, without side- walks, and with wooden gutters running through the centre of the streets. Broadway was paved in this manner, in 1707, from Trinity Church to Bowling Green. In 1790 the first sidewalks on Manhattan were laid. They extended along Broadway, from Vesey to Murray street, and on the opposite side for the same distance along the Bride- well fence. These were narrow pavements of brick, flag- STREETS AND AVENUES OF NEW TOKK. 107 stone being yet unknown to the authorities. No plan for numbering the streets was considered until 1793, when a crude system was introduced. The old cobble-stone pave- ments have been succeeded by the Belgian or square-stone ; and of late the Nicolson and the Stafford, different styles of wooden, have been introduced. A concrete pavement, com- posed of gravel, broken stone, cinders, coal ashes, mixed in definite proportions with tar, pitch, resin, and asphaltmn, has been spread over the streets, with tolerable success in some instances, and perfect failure in others. Eighty-five miles of the Belgian have been laid, which probably gives the best satisfaction of any introduced. It consists of blocks of bluish trap-rock, made slightly pyramidal in form, and set in sand with the base upward. It is very even and durable. The avenues, from First to Twelfth, numbering fi-om the East river, are designed to be eight miles long (except the Sixth and Seventh, which are cut oft" l^y Central Park), are one hundred feet wide (except Lexington and Madison, which are eighty feet), and one thousand feet apart. The cross streets are from one mile to two and a half miles in length, sixty feet wide (except one in ten, which is one hun- dred), and two hundred and sixty feet apart. The first city railroad was constructed in 1852, and opened with great cere- mony, the President of the United States officiating. There are now seventeen lines of horse cars, and numerous omnibus lines, which carry in the aggregate a hundred million passen- gers annually. These run continuously in all directions, though most of them pass or terminate near the City Hall, which is still the great centre of business attraction. The one hundred and ten monthly magazines, the thirteen daily, and the two hundred and forty weekly, newspapers are nearly all printed within sight of the City Hall, Park Eow and Printing House square producing many of them. The City Hall, the centre of the city government, the Court House, the Hall of Eecords, the printing, the general Post Office, the principal wholesaling, insurance, and banking 108 >rEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. houses, being clustered in the lower part of the city, make it the business centre toward which everything still converges. The principal ferries to New Jersey, Staten Island, and Brooklyn make their landings opposite this locality ; and op- posite this point is now being constructed the lofty East river bridge. Streets in this locality are crowded with cars, carriages, omnibuses, loaded carts, and wagons of every de- scription, from dawn 'till dark, at all seasons of the year, heat and storm but slightly interfering with the busy programme. Bankers, merchants, clerks, agents, in line, persons of both sexes, and of every age, calling, and country, go rushing by with such rapidity that the modest countryman, though anx ious to cross one of these surging thoroughfares, finds himself much in the situation of the rustic in Horace, who stood wait- ing on the bank for the river to run by. The two principal lines of uptown travel are through Hud- son street and Eighth avenue on the west, and Bowery and Third avenue on the east. The elevated railroad, the track laid on iron posts about sixteen feet above the i^avement, passes up Greenwich street and Ninth avenue, Yarious methods for securing rapid transit are being agitated at this time. The plan for the " Pneumatic Tunnel " involves the construction of an underground road, commencing at South Ferry, extending under Broadway to Central Park and above that point, together with a Fourth avenue branch to Harlem river. The company claim that, when the road is completed, they will be able to transport more than twenty thousand persons per hour each way. The " Underground liailroad^'' proper, is another inde- pendent and separate enterprise. The " Arcade Railiuay^'' if constructed, contemplates the use of the width of the streets and avenues under whicli it passes, excepting five feet on each side, to secure the founda- tions of the buildings. The road will contain sidewalks, roadway, lamp posts, telegraph wires, hydrants, and sewers, the whole covered with arches of solid masonrv, rendered WARREN ST Lndeb Broax)\vat— Intekior op Passenger Cab. THE BROADWAY PNEUMATIC U^TDERGROUND RAILWAY. WALL STREET. 109 water-tight, and supported by heavy iron columns. The routes selected are the line of Broadway from the Battery to the intersection of Ninth avenue, thence to Hudson river ; also branching at Union square, and following the line of Fourth avenue to the Harlem river. It is estimated to cost over $2,000,000. The " Viaduct Railway ^^ is another style of elevated road. This wealthy company proposes to erect its lower depot at Tryon Row, causing its road to form an easy connection with the East river bridge. This road, if constructed, will run through the rear of the blocks, have a line on the east- ern and one on the western side of the city, each extend- ing to Westchester County. It is to be built on brick arches, supported by heavy iron columns, which will them- selves stand on inverted arches of solid masonry constructed in the ground. It is estimated to cost from $10,000,000 to $20,000,000. One of these roads is certain to be constructed at no distant day. Nassau, a narrow and gloomy street, has long been the trade centre of cheap and miscellaneous books, though much of this has lately found its way up town. WALL STREET. Wall, a short and crooked street, though immensely straighter than many who spend their time in it, is the great financial centre of the country, and is lined for the most part with magnificent banking-houses. On the corner of Nassau, stretching from Wall to Pine, and fronting on each, stands what was originally the Custom House, now the Sub- Treasury, a white-marble fije-proof building, ninety feet by two hundred, with a rotunda sixty feet in diameter, the dome supported by sixteen Corinthian pillars. The building occu- pies the site of the old Federal Hall, where President Wash- ington was inaugurated ; it is a partial imitation of the Par- thenon at Athens, and cost nearly twelve hundred thousand 110 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. dollars. Here the Governraent deposits its one hundred millions of 2^old, and here its great monetary transactions are made. In the basement is the pension bureau. Farther down, and on the opposite side of the street, stands what was built for the Merchants' Exchange. It covei-s an entire block ; its portico is supported by twelve front, four centre, and two rear Ionic columns thirty-eight feet long, four and a half in diameter, each formed from a single granite block weighing forty-five tons. The rotunda is eighty feet in diameter, and the crown of the dome, which rests on eight Corinthian columns of Italian marble, is one hundred and twenty-four feet high. It was built many years ago, by an incorporated company, and cost $1,800,000. It was pur- chased by the Government several years since for $1,000,000 and is now the United States Custom House. As London is England, so, in a sense, Wall street is New York, if not America. Here " Bears " and " Bulls " in sheep's clothing meet in frequent and fierce rencounter, and alternately claw and gore each other. Beneath the frowns of the lofty spire of old Trinity, these calculating votaries of mammon play with fortunes as bo^^s do with bubbles, and while a few rise and soar, many decline and bui-st. Wall street seldom contains above fifteen millions of gold outside the Sub -Treasury, but the nec- essary and speculative transactions in this alone armount daily to seventy millions, and on the 24:th of September, 1869, amounted to several hundred millions, one broker alone pur- chasing to the amount of sixty millions. The gold transac- tions of 1869 are said to have reached thirty billions, and the aggregate business of Governments and stocks, to have also exceeded twenty billions. The rapidity with which money is counted, and vast amounts of stocks, bonds, and miscellaneous securities exchanged, is perfectly astonishing. Most of the counter-trade is performed by young men and striplings, the advanced and calculating minds spending most of their time in the private ofiSce. The most crowded and busy centres of BROAD STEEET — BEOADWAT. Ill New York appear cheap and tame, after spending an hour in Wall street. BROAD STREET. The continuation of the narrow Nassau proper south of Wall street, having all at once strangely widened, is called Broad street. During the last few years brokers and specu- lators of every description have crowded into its silent pre- cincts, until it has become the most noisy and tumultuous speculative centre on the island. Here stands the elegant marble structure containing the far-famed, gorgeously fur- nished Oold Room, where the daily sales take place, often amid such excitement and din as we cannot describe. The Board of Brokers was organized in 1794, and the entrance fee lias risen from fifty dollars to three thousand. The Board numbers about fom- hundred and seventy members in good standing. Each member has a safe in the vault, with a combination lock. The Board claims to be composed of honest and honorable men only. Besides this there are various other specific boards of all kinds of ^^eawXo.tovQ—stOGh'hroJcers (jold-hroliers^ oil-hroTfers^ and cliques — uniting and dissolving as occasion may offer opportunities of gain to ambitious and unscrupulous men. Among these originate the gold scrambles, the railroad wars, the raid on the banks, and other panics which crowd the streets with well-dressed, but frenzied men, some flushed and violent, some pale and staggering, turning prematurely gray over the wreck of their earthfy hopes. BROADWAY. Broadway begins at Castle Garden, the extreme southern point of Manhattan, unites at the Central Park with the Boulevard, making the longest street on the island, thirteen and one-half miles, and is lighted by over one thousand gas lamps. This street is eighty feet wide, and contains many 112 NEW YORK AND ITS ESrSTITTJnONS. of the principal bnsiness houses, hotels, and places of amuse- ment. Not a few of these cover an entire block, are built of marble or iron, are five, six, and sometimes seven stories above ground, and two below, with well-lighted vaults extending to near the centre of the streets. Broadway is the glittering promenade of wealth, beauty, fashion, and curiosity. FIFTH AVENUE. While Eighth avenue is the principal avenue for business purposes. Fifth avenue is distinguished for the splendor of its private residences, to which, with the exception of a few magnificent churches and institutions, it is entirely devoted. It begins at Washington square, near the centre of the city, and extends northward in a perfectly straight line for six miles, and is pre-eminently the street of palaces. The build- ings are large, constructed of marble, or of the several varie- ties of free-stone, the fronts ornamented with cornices, entablatures, porticos, and columns, elegantly carved and sculptured. Everything is massive and expensive, and the surrounding streets so far partake of its magnificence that one may travel miles amid unbroken lines of palatial splen- dor. Here dwell the millionaires who control so largely the shipping, the railroad, the banking, and the legislative inter- ests of the country. Much unoccupied space still remains on this peerless avenue for wealth and genius to lavish their dazzling inventions. For the relief of Broadway, Laurens street is now being widened and made to connect Fifth ave- nue with "West Broadway. This opens another general thoroughfare for uptown travel, and will probably attract its share of business fii-ms. It will greatly disturb the quiet and, mar the beauty of the lower portion of this brilliant avenue, and already a number of its palaces, near Union square, have been converted into business houses. THE BOULEVARD. We live in a fast age, and Kew Yorkers are a fast people , hence, it seemed intolerable to some that the law regulating driving at the Park should restrict every man to six miles an hour, and arrest, summarily every blood who dared to disre- gard the rule. Nor was the private trotting course between the Park and High Bridge adequate to the demand. A great jjuhlio drive, broad and long, where hundreds of fleet horses could be exercised in a single hour, was the demand that came welling up from the hearts of thousands. One was accordingly laid out on the line of the old Bloomingdale Poad, beginning at Fifty-ninth street with an immense circle for turning vehicles. On the 21st of September, 1868, the work of grading commenced ; and during 1869 an average force of 740 men was employed. This street extends from Fifty-ninth to One Hundred and Fifty-iifth street, a distance of about five miles, is one hundred and fifty feet wide, with a nan-ow line of shrubbery and flowers extending through the centre, defended by solid curbstones. In the construc- tion of this street it was found necessary to remove, by exca vation and blasting, 350,000 cubic yards of rock and earth, and to provide and deposit 300,000 cubic yards in certain depressed localities, to perfect the grade. The bed of the street is formed of set stone, covered with pounded stone, after which it is graveled, rolled, and the surface otherwise improved. The sidewalks are very capacious. This street is expected to be one of the later wonders of Manhattan, and land is held at fabulous prices along its entire length. 114: NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. TV. THE ARCHITECTUKE OF MANHATTAN. HOTELS, ASTOR HOUSE — FIFTH AVENUE ST. NICHOLAS — GRAND CENTRAL COOPER INSTITUTE ACADEMY OF DESIGN THEATERS AMERICAN BIBLE HOUSE PUBLISHING HOUSES THE PARK BANK LIFE INSURANCE BUILDINGS CITY HALL NEW yORK COURT- HOUSE NEW YORK POST-OFFICE — STORES : A. T. STEWARt's — CLAFLIn's LORD & TAYLOr's TIFFANY & CO, NUMBER OF BUILDINGS. %/ Dutch celebrated it by drinking one hundred and twenty-eight gallons of liquor on the occasion. During the first forty years after the settlement of Manhattan, the old Holland style of architec- ture entirely prevailed. Some of these buildings had narrow foundations, with high peaked roofs ; others were broader at their base, one, and sometimes two stories high ; the gables, which always faced tlie streets, were sometimes of brick, but oftener of shingles rounded at the end. Many of the roofs were bevelled, projecting at the eaves sufficiently to shelter a small regiment of troops. The gutters of many of the houses extended to near the centre of the streets, to the great an- noyance of travelers in rainy weather. The front entrance was usually ornamented with a high wooden porch called a stoop, where the women spent the shady jiart of the day. MtiiiLilJ THE ARCnTTECTUEE OF MANHATTAN. 115 The more important buildings such as the ^^ Stuyvesant IIuz/s,''^ near the water edge, now Moore and Front streets, and the ^' Stadt-Huys " or City Hall, on Pearl street, were set in the foregronnd, to be more readily seen from the river and bay. The first bnildings erected on "Wall street were block-houses. But if this Holland style lacked elegance, it possessed the merit of durability. One in a fine state of preservation taken down in 1827, was marked 1698, and many after stand- ing more than one hundred years showed no signs of decay. The last of these Knickerbockers has now disappeared from Manhattan, though they still linger on Long Island, and up the Hudson. The English conquest introduced a greater variety, which has continued to change and multiply its forms until the present time. As early as 1670, stone and brick were principally employed ; iron, so extensively used at pres- ent, has been introduced during the last thirty years. A builder in Water street, about the beginning of the Revolution, exchanged leaden sash for wooden, a novelty too great for the times, for the trustees of Trinity after the great fire of 1778 still retained the leaden frame. The architecture at present may be said to be thoroughly eclectic, as nearly every style known to the student may be found, several at times blending, in the"same edifice. Trin- ity church on Broadway, is of the Gothic ; St. George's in Stuyvesant square, of the Byzantine ; St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal, on Fourth avenue, is of the Romanesque ; the City Hall is of the Italian ; the Tombs of the Egyptian ; while the Synagogues present the Moresque, and the distinctive form of the Hebrew style. Hotels. — The hotels form an important part of every large town, and in many instances one of their chief attractions. What would Clifton, or Saratoga, or New York be to the great traveling public, without their hotels. The hotels of Xew York rank among the largest and finest in the world^ Among them may be mentioned the Astor, Metropolitan, St. Nicholas, St. James, St. Cloud, Hoffman, Everett, Claren- 116 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. don, New York, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central, Gilsey, and a hundred more, many of wliich are of equal notoriety. FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL. The Astoe House was erected in 1836, by John Jacob Astor, then the richest man in America. It is a six-story granite, on Broadway, overlooking the City Hall Park, and covers the spot where Mr. Astor resided during most of his business life. The front extends across a narrow block, and tlie building affords accommodations for six hundred guests. Architecture on Manhattan has so decidedly improved since its erection, that its glory has long since departed. Its exte- rior appears sombre and heavy, its windows are small and unadorned, no balcony or colonnade tempts the inmates into public view, and its single massive entrance is not really in- viting. Under the management of the Stetsons it has, how- ever, long ranked among the very first hotels of America. THE ARCHITECTURE OF MANHATTAN. 117 Fifth Avenxte hotel stands opposite Madison sqnare, at the jnnction of Broadway, Fifth avenue, and Twenty-third street. The structure is of white marble, six stories liiijh, fronting on three streets, and after devoting, as is the custom, most of its first floor to stores, has accommodations for a thousand guests. It is beautifully located and forms a rich center of fashion and speculation. It was erected and is still owned by Mr. Amos R. Eno, formerly a New-England youth and the architect of his own fortune. The St. Nicholas, opened in 1854, stands on Broadway, between Broome and Spring streets. The structure is of white marble and brown freestone, is six stories high, with six hundred rooms, and can accommodate a thousand persons. The St. Nicholas is also a richly furnished hotel, conducted on the American or full-board plan, and has been the theater of many brilliant occasions. The Grand Central hotel, opened August 24, 1870, is the largest in the United States. It stands on Broadway between Amity and Bleecker streets, with a frontage of 175 feet, and extends to Mercer street, being 200 feet in depth. It covers the ground once occupied by the Lafarge House, afterwards the Southern Hotel and the Winter Garden Theatre. The edifice is constructed of brick and marble, is ten stories high, and covers fourteen full lots, for some of which Mr. Higgins paid eighty-three thousand dollars apiece. The dining-room affords space for 600 persons to sit at table at once; the plate and furniture are magnificent, costing half a million, and the arrangements for observation, health, and comfort, the most exquisite. The building is 127 feet high at the cornice, which is surmounted by a heavy Mansard roof, tlie top of tlie flag-staff being 197 feet above the pavement. Thirty miles of steam coil are employed in heating the edi- flce, the floors amount to 350,000 square feet, requiring seven acres of carpeting, besides an acre of marble tiling ; and the cooks, waiters, chambermaids, hallmen, and clerks amount to lis NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. GKANL) CENTUAL HOTEL, BROADWAY, OrPOSlTE bUJSD STiiEBT. a small brigade. The price of board is $3, $3.50, and $4 per day. Cooper Institute, a fine six-story brown-stone, covering a block between Seventh and Eighth streets, Third and Fourth avenues, is a munificent donation from the man whose name it bears, and cost nearly half a million. Its enlightened pro- jector grew up in poverty, with scanty means of culture, and the building is the fruit of frugal toil, coupled with a long- cherished desire to promote a knowledge of science and art among the laboring classes. It contains vast halls for lec- tures, a fine reading-room, evening-schools for young ladies, mechanics, and apprentices, galleries of art, and collections of rare inventions. The large lecture-room in the basement is the most popular public hall in the city, and has echoed to THE ARCHITECTUKE OF MANHATTAN. 119 COOPER UMON (Eig/Ufi street, between Third and Fourth avetuies.) the eloquence of the most noted men of this country, and many from Europe. It was in this hall that Eed Cloud de- livered his great address in the early summer of 1870. The first floor of the building is rented for stores, and brings an income of nearly thirty thousand dollars. The Free Night Classes in Cooper Union had an average attendance during February, 1871, as follows: School of Sci- ence, 276 ; School of Art, 643 ; School of Telegraphy, 35 ; Scientific Lectures, 545; Oratory Class, 100; total, 1,569. The new classes in English literature and the French lan- guage were attended by 200 and 100, respectively, bringing up the general total of attendance to over 1,800. The School of Design for girls and women has been attended by over eighty daily, and that of Engraving for women by 26. The 120 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTH)NS. number of visitors to the free reading-room was 29,383 ; mim- ber of books used, 4,509. ACADEMY OV DESIGN. Thp: Academy of Design, on tiie corner of Fourth avenue and Twenty-third street, though not particularly large, is still a building before which the observer will pause, to glance at its Gothic windows and marl)le walls of many colors, col- lected from various parts of Europe and America. The vis- itor is not slow to conclude that the exterior is, indeed, one of Theaters. — The first building erected for a theater on the island was in 1761, and opened with the tragedy of " Fair Penitent." The mob destroyed it during the excitement oc- casioned by the "Stamp Act," in 1766. The business has proved so profitable, that, notwithstanding the fearful havoc made among these houses of wicked amusement by fires and other casualties, they have always been too numerous, and far The Astok Library— La Fayette Place, near 8th Street. ( The above cut represents but half the present building.) THE ARCHITECTURE OF MANHATTAN. 121 BOOTH'S THEATER. too largely patronized for the interests of good morals. About twenty houses of this kind are now maintained ; many of them are of costly constructure, the Academy of Music, Fisk's Grand Opera House, Booth's New Theater, Niblo's, and Wallack's ranking among the first. The Astor Library Building, in Lafayette Place, with an imposing entablature, marble steps and floor, is the largest and finest library-room in America. It was projected by the bequest of John Jacob Astor, and afterwards enlarged by his son William B. Astor. The accompanying cut represents the original structm-e and but half of the building as it now stands. The American Bible House, a plain six-story brick, with cellar and vaults, was completed in 1853, at a cost, including ground, of $303,000. It covers three-fourths of an acre, form- 122 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ing a front on four streets, of 710 feet. The fronts on Fourth avenue and Astor place are divided into five sections each. The principal entrance on Fourth avenue is decorated with four round columns with Corinthian capitals and moulded bases, resting upon paneled and moulded pedestals, and semi- circular arches are placed between the columns to form the heads of doors, and all surmounted with a heavy cornice and segment pediments. The boilers are placed in the area in the centre of the building, so inclosed as not likely to endanger the operatives in case of accident. Fifty stores and ofiices are rented in the building, mostly to benevolent societies, bringing an income of nearly $40,000, and making the Bible House the principal centre of benevolent and reformatory movements for the city and State. The Society was organized in 1816, since which its receipts have considerably exceeded $5,000,000. It has printed the Scriptures in twenty-nine dia- lects, assisted in publishing and circulating many of the one hundred and eighty-five versions issued by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and has three times canvassed the en- tire United States, supplying hundreds of tliousands of desti- tute families with the Word of God. The Society employs about five hundred hands, and carries on every branch of its vast business in its own building. The Bible House is visited annually by thousands of strangers, and can scarcely cease to be an object. of profoundest interest. The Publishing Houses of New York form an imposing and interesting department of the city. The buildings of the Harpers, the Appletons, and of Charles Scribner & Co., are very extensive. The new Methodist Publishing and Mission Buildings, corner of Broadway and Eleventh street, are the headquarters of the most extensive denominational publish- ing interests in the world. The enterprise began in Philadel- phia in 1789, with a borrowed capital of $600. In 1804 it was removed to New York, and in 1836 was destroyed by fire, inflicting a loss of $250,000 upon the denomination. Besides paying for various chm-ch interests $1,335,866.25, the agents THE ARCIIITECTCKE OF MANHATTAN 123 in 1868 reported a net capital of $1,165,024.55, wliich lias since been increased to over $1,500,000. The new buildino-s MFTII I I III 1 I (Broadica>j, Eleventh street.) on Broadway were purchased in April, 1869, and cost nearly a million dollars. The structure is of iron, with five lofty stories, and a basement which extends nineteen feet under Broadway and fourteen feet under Eleventh street, and has a floor of nearly half an acre. Besides furnishing salerooms for books and periodicals, elegant offices for agents, editors, missionary secretaries, rooms for committees, preachers' meet- ings, etc., etc., enough is still rented to pay the interest on the cost of the entire building. Many of the periodicals of New York are issued from colossal iron-fronted structures, which would have been an astonishment to our fathers. The Herald building, covering the site of Barnura's old museum, is perhaps among the finest 124 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. of this class. The Times hnilding, erected several yeai-s earlier, is another fine structure, occupying a commanding position at the head of Park Row, that ominous center of compositors and printing ink. Near by stands Printing- KEW YORK HERALD BUILDINO AND PARK BANK. {Broadway, come, Ann street.) House square, in or around which are published the Trihune^ World, Ohserver, Sim, Day-Booh, Examiner and Chronicle, Scientific American, Evening Mail, Bajptist Union, Rural New Yorker, Inde2)endeni, the Agrictdturist, Methodist, Christian Union, etc. THE ARCHITECTURE OF MANHATTAN. 125 The Park Bank, adjoining the JleraM hmld'mg and facing St. Paul's (Episcopal) church, is an elaborate and (colossal niar- Me structure, erected at vast expense, and forms one of the most striking architectural wonders on lower Broadway. The interior is if possible more exquisite in its appointments tlian the exterior. The offices and business parlors of its chief •officers are cushioned and otherwise gilded and adorned in the richest manner. The Life Insurance Companies have of late virtually un- dertaken to excel all othei'S in architectural enterprises. The building just reared by the Equitable Life Insurance Com- 2>any, on the corner of Cedar street and Broadway, is an ex- ample of what men and money can accomplish, and may be termed one of the later wonders of Manhattan. It has a frontage of S7 feet on Broadway, is 187 feet deep on Cedar street, and is 187 feet high. Its massive iron columns and substantial construction give the surest evidence of perman- ency. The building of the N'evj York Life Imurance Com])any, corner of Broadway and Leonard street, is scarcely less strik- ing. It is constructed of white marble in the Ionic order, its chief entrance-way being richly ornamented. The public need not be alarmed at the report of the millions lavished by the managers of these companies on imposing business temples, as tlie demand for first-class offices is so great that a large revenue is annually realized from the investment. The City Hall, commenced in 1803 and completed in 1811, was for many years the finest edifice in America. It is 216 feet long and 105 wide. The front and ends are of white marble and the rear of Kew York free-stone. The Mayor, ■clerk of the common council, and many other officials occupy its rooms. On the second floor is the Governor's room, 52 by 20 feet, used for the reception of distinguished visitors. It contains General AVashington's writing-desk, on which he penned his first message to Congress, and is decorated with many fine portraits of the Governors of New York, and other 12G KEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. distinguislied Americans. The building is surmounted by a tower containing a bell weighing over 9,000 pounds, and a cupola in which is a four-dial clock of superior workmanship, and is otherwise ornamented with a figure of Justice. The building cost over half a million, a large sum for those days. In the rear of the City Hall, and fronting on Chambers street, the authorities have been for eight years engaged in the erec- tion of the New York Court-House. The building is 250 . feet long, 150 wide, and the crown of the dome when com- pleted will be 210 feet above the pavement. The walls are of Massachusetts white marble, the beams, staircases, and out- side doors are of iron, while black walnut and the choicest Georgia-pine are employed in finishing the interior. Some of the iron beams and girders weigh over twenty-iive tons each. The halls are all covered with marble tiling. The main entrance on Chambers street is reached by a fliirht of THE AKCHITECTURE OF MANJIATrAX. 127 broad steps ornamented with marble pillars. The architect lias suggested the idea of making the tower crowning the apex of the dome a light-house, which from its great heiglit could be seen from vessels far out at sea. The edifice is Cor- inthian in style, much larger and richer in finish than anj public building hitherto erected on Manhattan, and is costing the public vast sums. Many private purses are believed to have been unduly filled in connection with its construction. Oin POST-OFFICE. {Corner Nanaau and Liberty streets.) The Kkw York Post-Office, now being constructed at the southern point of City Hall Park, nearly opposite the As- tor House, will be somewhat triangular in form, with a front of 279 feet toward the Park, two equal lateral fa9ades of 262| on Broadway and Park Eow, and a front of 144 feet at the south-western extremity. The walls are to be of Dix Is- land granite, three stories besides basement and attic, the main 128 inSW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. cornice 80 feet above the sidewalk, and the crown of the central dome 160 feet. The windows are to be semicircular- headed throughout, the archivolts ornamented with voussoirs, and carried on projecting pilasters. The inside, which is to be devoted to the General Post-Office department and the United States Court, will have its appropriate appointments and cor- ridors, while its exterior will be adorned with a profusion of classic pillars, balconies, balustrades, and other marks of genius. It will probably take several years to complete it, and cost as many millions. The post-office department of New York is a colossal enterprise. Over one hundred tons of mail matter are handled every twenty-four hours. Many of the merchants of Manhattan are immensely richer than the ancient kings, owning stores the floors of which cover from five to fifteen acres, employ thousands of clerks, porters, and seamstresses, and count their income by the million. Me. a. T. Stewart's retail store, at the corner of Tenth street and Broadway, has eight fioors, which, if spread out singly, would cover over fifteen acres. His sales in this build- ing average $80,000 per day, and the daily ^dsitors number from 15,000 to 50,000, according to the season, Mr. Stew- art has just erected the most costly private residence on the continent for himself and family. It stands at the corner of Fifth avenue and Thirty-fourth street, is of white marble, and said to have cost over two millions. Mr. Stewart paid last year a larger income-tax than either of twenty-seven States and more than nine of our territories combined. This gen- tleman has also an immense wholesale store near the City Hall doing a vast business, and is in this line only excelled by H. B. Claflin & Co., who have not only the largest wholesale store, but are the heaviest dealers in dry -goods in America. Their store has a frontage of eighty feet, and extends from Church street to West Broadway along Worth street, a dis- tance of 375 feet. Beside many purchasing agents abroad, there are about five hundred clerks and other employes attending to the everyday affairs of this colossal business Cttstom House— Wall Street. States Treasury BuiLDixG-Cor. Wall and Nassau Street. THE AKCHITECTUEE OF MANHATTAN. 129 theater. The sales of the house have reached seventy mil- lions in a year, and one million in a single day. Mr. Claflin worships at Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. Lord & Taylor have just added another immense business palace to the Metropolis. It stands at the corner of Twentieth street and Broadway, is of the composite order, with a front of 110 feet, a depth of 128, and a height of 122 feet. Its solidity may be imagined from the fact that over a thousand tons of iron were employed in its construction. Though one of the most massive structures on the island, its front is so profusely and tastefully ornamented that one almost forgets that it is a place of business. Tiffany & Company have also just erected a line building on the southwest corner of Union square, on the site origin- ally covered by Dr. Cheever's church. They are said to be the largest dealers in jewelry in the world, their sales amount- ing to several millions per annum, and probably have the largest and finest store of its kind yet constructed. There are now about sixty-five thousand buildings on the island, of which about thirty-four thousand are of brick, t';venty thousand of stone, and eleven thousand of wood. Twenty thousand of these are occupied as tenant-houses and contain over half the population. Many of the churches are large and beautiful, worthy of the times and the people who built them, though it is not complimentary to our Protestant evangelical Christianity, that the three largest enterprises in church architecture undertaken on the island during the last ten years, should result in a Jewish synagogue, a Universa- list church, and a Roman Catholic cathedral. Choice architecture on Manhattan amomits to a practical science, which is much studied, and some intrepid genius is every year seeking to eclipse all his predecessors. At this writing the Free Masons are erecting a superb temple on Sixth avenue and Twenty-third street ; a fine building called the Seamen's Exchange is rising on Cherry street, at an ex- pense of §100,000, to contain a reading room, sa^-ings bank. 130 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. and other means for improving the condition of sailors. The Industrial Exhibition Company have purchased a plot of twen- ty-two acres between Third and Fourth avenues, at One Hun- dredth street, and are preparing to erect a vast crystal palace, the dimensions of which are to be so immense, that the crys- tal palace of nineteen years ago will be remembered as a mere " toy-house." What the next generation will undertake we shall not attempt to divine. BUSINESS IN NEW YORK. CAUSES OF BUSINESS FAILURE — BUSINESS IN REAL ESTATE — CLASSES OF RICU MEN POLITICIANS SPECULATORS AND STOCK GAJIBLERS — SUCCESS OF GREAT MEN. HILE it is true that business is essen- tially the same the world over, it is equally true that in a great city every- thing is accelerated. In great commercial I centers business is reduced to a sort of science, J and abundant scope is afforded for the play of tlie largest and rarest talents. Nearly every man in cities has his specialty, which he plies, paying little attention to the rest of the world. If one thought predominates over all others in the busy centers of New York, it is that of dispatch. Ev- erything is on a run, and everybody from butcher to baker in a hurry. A clerk fi-esh from the country, toiling for his board, can scarcely be tolerated on account of his tardiness. Steamboats, horse-cars, and stages are too slow to satisfy the desires of the rushing masses. Every scheme for elevated roads, imderground roads, river bridges, or tunnels meets with ten thousand advocates, through the ever-present desire to hasten travel and dispatch business. If you call on a busi- ness stranger, however important your business, you must be able to state it tersely and at once, or you will be summarily dismissed without a hearing. Everything goes on the old maxim, " Time and tide wait for no man." Men get rich in a year, and poor in a day ; " up like a rocket, and down like a stick." CAUSES OF BUSINESS FAILUEES. The number of business failures in the metropolis is over- wbelmingly large, and to a stranger almost incredible. Many people visit New York, witness its extravagance and glitter, trace the records of a few marvellously successful families, call on the poor boy of bygone years, and finding him a wealthy publisher or importer, dwelling in a palace of brown stone, return home confident that wealth in a great city is almost a necessity, and that the great misfortune of their lives ha& been in consenting to follow the slow and modest occupation of their fathers. But success is not the rule in New York. Indeed, it is the rare exception. Where one truly and per- manently succeeds it is almost safe to say ninety-nine fail. There are few houses established which do nil. matter, more than any other, connected with the happiness and success of their children. There are now ninety school-buildings owned by the city, besides numerous hired ones, which cover more than twenty acres of ground, and the floors above the basements of the same, about seventy acres additional. The old buildings were plain as will be seen by the accompanying cut, but many of those recently erected cover several lots of ground, are lofty and elegant structures, with several fire-proof stair- ways, and all necessary apartments for the complete accom- modation of two thousand scholars. The second cut repre- lib NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. sents the new building in West Eighteenth street, and contrasts favorably with the one erected in 1809. There are now besides the thirty-six corporate schools of the several benevolent societies, and which are partly under the control of the Board of Education, sixty -three Grammar schools, which are divided into forty-six departments for male scholars, forty-four for female, and six for colored students. There are fifty-six Primary departments, fifteen evening schools for males, eleven for females, and three for colored children. There are two Normal Schools, and one High School. The Board of Education employs over twen- ty-four hundred teachers, over two thousand of whom are females. The number of scholars on register during 1869 was 237,325, with an average attendance of about 103,000. The annual expense of the public schools amounts to about $3,000,000. The Board of Education appoints its President and Clerk, also the City Superintendent, and his assistants. The Superintendent grants two grades of certificates, to persons of suitable age, who have completed the course of study, after which they may be appointed to teach. The books and other requisites are purchased by the board in large quantities, stored at a central depot, and distributed to the several schools when needed. In 1866, the Free Academy was, by Act of Legislature, erected into the College of the City of New York, and be- came a separate corporation, the members of the board of Education being ex officio members of its board of trustees. Advanced students from the public schools are admitted with free scholarship, and the trustees are authorized to draw on the Board of Supervisors, who shall raise l)y general taxation a sum not exceeding $125,000 per annum, to defray the ex- penditures (jf the institution. Besides these general provi- sions for the benefit of advanced students, there are several Academies and Colleges belonging to the Roman Catholics, taught by Jesuits, and various orders of Brothers and Sisters. Columbia College, the oldest in the State, is situated on THE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES OF NEW YORK. 177 Fourth avenue and Fiftieth street. It lias departments for law and mining, and a separate college for Physicians and Surgeons. It is under the control of the Protestant Episco- pal church, and has a property of several millions. The Kew York University, a large four-story Gothic structure of free-stone, at Washington square, was founded in 1S31, has the several departments, and has graduated many students. There are two extensive theological seminaries in the city. KUTGi-RS iEJIALE COLLEGE {Fifth avenue and Furti/-Jirst street.) The " Union Theological Seminary " (Presbyterian), founded in 1836, and open for students from all denominations who have graduated at a college. The trustees of this Seminary last year purchased four acres of ground on St. Nicholas avenue, between One Hundred and Thirtieth and One Hun- dred and Thirty-second streets, and are now erecting new and more commodious buildings, which it will require several ITS NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. years to complete, and will involve an expense of about half a million. The students will occupy buildings distinct from the Professors. The library room is to be tire-proof, and will contain about 28,000 rare and valuable works. The city contains also the " General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church," established at New Haven in 1819, afterwards removed to this city, and located on Twen- tieth street, between Ninth and Tenth avenues. There is prospect of this being removed to Westchester or to some other location out of town. There are beside these, ten Med- ical Colleges and Academies, several Business Colleges, and a number of institutions of a high order for girls, Rutgers Fe- male College, on Fifth avenue, opposite the reservoir, rank- ing among the first. An effort is being made at this writing to secure an endowment of $500,000, to greatly enlarge and improve the facilities of the Institution. Much has already been secured, and the complete success of the undertaking is confidently expected by the friends of the enterprise. Besides he schools just enumerated, there are over 320 in- dependent ones, large and small, of a sectarian and miscella- neous character, with more than 1,500 teachers. It is to be regretted that so many parish and other schools, not con- trolled by the Board of Education, have come inxo existence for the perpetuation of antagonistic creeds and nationalities. The school property of the Board of Education has cost over five millions, and is now worth twice that amount. A care- ful examination has proved that 40,000 more scholars than ordinarily attend could be seated in the present buildings ; this is probably as man 3- or more than are taught elsewhere. We need but one system, and one organization, to control the ordinary branches of education. Our " Free^^ " Public^"* and '■'■ Common "^^ schools, notwithstanding all these diver- sions, have been the chief glory of our city for sixty years, and are eminently so to-day. Every movement toward the division of the School Fund, for the promotion of sectarian interest, should be zealously resisted by every thoughtful THE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES OF NEW YOKE. 179 American, Sectarian schools of a high order supported by private corporations, for a few advanced students, are emin- ently proper ; but the State should always control the secular education of all the children, compelling their attendance. Our children, representing, as they do, nearly every national- ity, should study the same books, in the same buildings, and play in the same yards. Thus only can that homogeneity be secured that shall give security and permanency to the Ee- public. The State also should ever, as now, encourage the reading of the Bible in the schools, that great and only true educator of the conscience ; not, indeed, in any sectarian spirit, but from great and manifest civil considerations. X. PUBLIC SECURITY. METROPOLITAN* POLICE DEPARTMENT — METROPOLITAN FIRE DEPART- MENT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT QUARANTINE DEPARTMENT — MARITIME DEFENCES UNITED STATES NAVY YARD. MtiHOfOblTAN POLICE UEAUwrAlU'liKS. (300 ifulberry street.) The Metropolitan Police service has grown, from small and imperfect beginnings, to be a great and effective department of the city government. Many experiments and numerous changes of government and reorganizations have contributed PUBLIC SECURITY. 181 to bring the force to its present efficiency. Twenty-eight years ago, portions of the city were patrolled at night by la- borers, porters, cartmen, &c., each carrying a lantern. When a regular police force was at length provided, it fell under the control of corrupt officials and rings, and was of uncer- tain service to the city, until the Legislature in 1857 took the matter in hand, and provided for the appointment of Po- lice Commissioners, independent of all city control. Since that, the department has rapidly improved in discipline and efficiency until now; but as the new charter of 1870 has again lodged the appointing power in the Mayor of New York, it remains to be seen whether the same untrammeled efficiency in the maintenance of public order shall be con- tinued. The metropolitan district was, until 1870, composed of the cities of New York and Brooklyn, and of portions of Richmond, Kings, and Westchester counties, which were didded into 43 precincts and several sub-precincts. At the close of 1869, there were on duty in New York, 2,232 ; in Brooklyn, 446 ; in Richmond Co., 29 ; and in Westchester, 22 ; making a grand total of 2,729, including captains, subor- dinates, and patrolmen. These patroled incessantly about 500 miles of open streets in New York, 350 in Brooklyn, the villages of Yonkers, Tremont, and Morrisania, while a few on horseback scour the suburbs of the two cities mentioned, and others floated around the rivers and bay. A squad of forty are on service at the various halls of jus- tice, called the Court Squad, and twenty-two are detailed for special service. Four are in charge of the House of Deten-' tion, at No. 203 Mulberry street. This is a prison for the de- tention of witnesses who are to give evidence in the trial of culprits, and one of the rankest legal abominations of New York. During 1869, 194 men and 52 women, or 246 wit- nesses, were detained in this gloomy tenement an aggregate of 10 years, 7 months, and 13 days. During the seven years just passed, 1,955 persons have here been detained as wit- nesses, and the aggregate of such detention has amounted to 182 KEW YORK AXD ITS IXSTITUTIOXS. 20,714 days, or nearly 85 years. Oue poor victim of this op- pressive law was detained 269 days awaiting the trial of the case, about which he was supposed to know something, leav- ing his family, wholly dependent upon him, to suffer every form of destitution. He was an honest mechanic, charged with no crime, but unfortunately knew something of the crimes of others. During 1869, 5 persons were detained over 100 days each, 16 over 60 days each, 25 over 40 days each, and 45 over 20 days each. It is due to the Commis- sioners to say, that they have again and again appealed to the Legislature for the modification of this system, by allowing the depositions of these witnesses to be taken in due form, after which they might be allowed to return to their homes and occupations. The Sanitary Squad consists of a captain, four sergeants, and fifty-seven patrolmen. A detachment of these look , after the safety and workings of the numerous ferry lines communicating with J^ew York, and tell us that about ninety million people cross on these lines to or fi-om the metropolis in a year. Others test hydrostatically at intervals, and by course, every steam boiler on the island ; causing defective ones to be repaired or removed. They examine and license suitable persons as engineeers. Othei-s execute the orders of the Board of Health. Still another detachment looks after truant children, compelling thousands to return to school, and conveying some to the Juvenile Asylum. Some members of the Sanitary Squad have ranked among the most pious, bene- volent, and useful men of New York. The Detective Squad consists of a captain and nineteen subordinates. These are all shrewd, adroit, and skillful men of good reputation, whose l3usiness it is to unravel the deepest schemes, ferret out the darkest crimes, and entrap the shrewdest villains. Their knowledge of polite thieves, counterfeiters, forgers, and bur- glars, is very extensive. Great thieves are continually watched by them, so that they know at once whether they were in a city at the time of a robbery or not. They scent PUBLIC SECUEITY. 1S3 crime across a contiuent, even across the ocean. A man hitherto considered reputable is arrested for forgery or burglary, and it comes to be known that the detective can tell how much money his wife has expended in the city for twelve months. Though living in private quarters all her movements have been watched, and all her purchases ascer- tained and recorded. They grasp at every clue, and follow it to its result, often discovering the perpetrator of crime from the slightest accident. When men who have spent their money set up the plea of having been robbed, the de- tective is sure to search them out, and expose them. Mil- lions of dollars worth of stolen goods are annually recovered by tliis force, but with all their art, some great rogues escape. Horrible murders and bold robberies remain veiled in im- penetrable mystery. Much of this detective work is per- formed by the " Merchants' Independent Detective Police," established in 1858, and by members of the several other de- tective organizations. The headquarters of the Police department are a fine mar- ble structure, at No. 300 Mulberry street, containing elegant offices for all the officials, with telegraphic communications with every station-house in the department ; rooms for the instruction of candidates for the force, and for the trial of offenders. The Commissioners are very strict with the mem- bers of the force, fining and discharging many for derelic- tion, intemperance, or other vicious habits. The pay of a patrolman is $1,200 per annum, but as he has no Sabbath, or other pri-sdleges, such as most men enjoy, his compensation is not large. Men are selected and distributed according to their fitness for the different undertakings. The tallest are stationed along Broadway, those with mechanical knowledge tend toward the Sanitary, and those of penetration and adroitness, toward the Detective squads. Their appearance is always that of tidy, well-dressed, courteous officers, erect and manly in bearing, and in the prime of life, the average age being about thirty-five years. 1S4 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. During the last nine years, the police hare returned over 73,000 lost children to their parents or homes, and found above 40,000 houses left open, through the carelessness of in- mates, affording unembarrassed opportunities for the entrance of thieves and burglars. That policemen are sometimes rash, unduly severe and evil, we doubt not ; yet the regulations and discipline of the department are so severe, as to render them generally effective, and without them nothing would be safe for a day. They are distinguished for their valor, and their numerous bloody encounters with rioters, and vil- lains of every grade, are well known and startling. During 1869 they arrested no less than 56,784 males, and 21,667 fe- males, making a total of 78,451. METROPOLITAN FIRE DEPARTMENT. Manhattan has several times been sadly impoverished with conflagrations. On September 21st, 1776, while the British were in possession of the city, a fire broke out in a wooden grogshop, near Whitehall Slip, and as there were then no en- gines in the city, and the men were mostly in the army, little resistance could be offered. 493 buildings were destroyed, reducing the impoverished population to great suffering. On the ninth of August, 1778, the second great conflagra- tion occurred. This began in Dock, now Pearl street, and consumed nearly 300 buildings. In May, 1811, another fire broke out in Chatham street, when nearly 100 houses were destroyed. In 1828 a large fire occurred, and nearly a mil- lion dollars of property was destroyed. The most destruct- ive fire, however, occurred in 1835. It began on the night ox the sixteenth of December, in the lower part of the city. The weather was colder than it had been known for over fifty years. The Croton had not yet been introduced, little METROPOLITAN FIRE DEPARTMENT. 1S5 water could be obtained, and that little froze in the hose be- fore it could be used. The buildings were mosth' of wood, IIEAUQUAKTKK^ NKW VuKK FIHK UEPAHTML.S (ITi Mercer utreet.) greatly favoring the work of destruction. For three days and nights the flames raged furiously, sweeping away 648 houses and stores valued at $18,000,000, and leaving 45 acres of the business portion of the city a desert of smoking ruins. To crown the disaster, the insurance companies unanimously suspended. On the 19th of July, 18-45, another great con- flagration occurred, second only to tlie one just described. It began in ^ew street, near "Wall, sweeping onward in a southerly direction, until 345 buildings were consumed, in- flicting a loss of at least five millions. The Fire Department of New York has, in some form, ex- isted since 1653, but never attained to any eminence in 186 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. point of discipline or quiet efficiency, until within the last few years. For many years it was composed of volunteer forces, who served gratuitously ; the engines were worked by hand ; the force, though large, was undisciplined, frequent collisions occurred between the different companies, and the noise, riot, and plunder at the fires became intolerable. On the 30th of March, 1865, the Legislature created the paid " Metropolitan Fire Department," the commissioners of which, after some litigation and much opposition, proceeded to reorganize and suitably discipline the force. This has gone steadily forward until New York can at length boast of as intelligent, disciplined, and vigilant a Fire Department as can be found in any city in the world. The force, at this writing, consists of a Chief Engineer, an Assistant Engineer, ten District Engineers, and five hundred and eighty-seven officers and men. Each Company consists of a Foreman and his Assistant, an Engineer, and nine firemen. Each Company is provided with a house, with appropriate rooms for rest, drill, and study. The basement of the building contains the furnace which keeps the water in the engine hot ; the horses are harnessed, and everything ready so that when the signal of a fire is received, ten or fifteen seconds only elapse before the whole company is flying to the scene. These twelve men accomplish with six times the dispatch, and with no noise, insubordination, or theft, what forty but poorly accomplished under the old regime. When on duty they have the right of way, taking precedence of everything, save the U. S. Mail, and their smok- ing engines go dashing through crowded streets at a fear- ful pace, but as everybody takes pains to clear the track, few collisions occur. The men undergo the most rigid examination, both physical and moral, before they are ad- mitted, and are only discharged on account of failing health or bad conduct. No nationality, political sentiment, or religious belief is taken into the account; but good moral aiETKOPOLITAN FIKE DEPARTMENT. 187 €Ouduet, tidiness, subordination, and fidelity to duty are always required, and compensated with timely promotions. The Department has thirty-seven steam-engines, second size, costing four thousand dollars each, and mannfactured by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company of Manchester, New Hampshire. It has also a floating engine which throws several powerful streams, which is used to extinguish fires on the piers, or in vessels anchored in the bay. The horses, which now number one hundred and fifty-six, are the finest and best-trained in America. They are large, well-formed, fleshy, and perfectly docile. They nnderstand their business as well as the firemen. The sound of the gong puts them on needles until they are fastened to the engine, which they whirl through storm, mud, or snow-banks with a speed which is often surprising. Occasionally an unhappy circumstance occurs. A false step in the haste of departure precipitates a poor fireman near the door of the engine-house, just in time to be crushed by the pondrous wheels of the engine in its rapid exit, and his sorrow-stricken comrades toil on for hours against the raging element, before they have a moment to return and shed a friendly tear over his remains. Sometimes New Yorkers sit down to their breakfast-tables, and glancing at the morning paper, read of an immense fire that has occurred during the night, where several devoted firemen were crushed beneath the falling walls, or went hopelessly down into a sea of flame from the roof or floor of a building, while in discharge of a perilous duty. Sometimes an engine bui-sts, spreading terror and death on every side. The means of public safety are attended with private toils and woes that would fill volumes. The signals are now mostly given by telegraph, and few people hear of a fire within a few blocks of their door, until all is over. The police have charge of the order to be ob- served in the vicinity of a fire ; they frequently draw ropes at a proper distance, inside of which none are allowed but the 188 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. firemen, and those directly interested. Though the city is- constantly enlarging, the loss by fires is steadily diminishing. In 1866, there were 796 fires, with a loss of $6,428,000. In 1867, there were 873 fires, with a loss of $5,711,000. In 1868, there were 740 fires, with a loss of $4,342,371 ; and in 1869, there were 850 fires, with a loss of but $2,626,393. But forty-three of the 850 fires of the last year extended to adjoining buildings, which gives some idea of the rapidity with which the work of extinction is conducted. The head- quarters at 127 Mercer street contain the offices of the Com- missioners, Chief Engineer, Secretary, Medical Officer, Tele- graph, Bureau of Combustible Materials, and Fireman's Lyceum. The last-named, organized quite recently, now contains a library of over 4,000 volumes, besides many curious engravings, and relics of the Department. Beside the thirty-seven eugine-houses, and fifteen truck-houses, the Department has a repair yard in Elizabeth street, where most of its work is now done, a number of hospital stables in Chrystie street, and eleven bell-towers. All fines imposed on fii-emen, and all imposed on citizens for violating the hatch- way and kerosene ordinances, go to the " Fire Department Relief Fund," for the relief of the widows and orphans of firemen. THE HEALTH DEPAETMENT. Every great center of population is occasionally overtaken with pestilence, and with various local and travelling diseases. Manhattan has not been the exception. In 1702, the yellow fever Avas brought from St. Thomas, of which over six hun- dred persons died, about one-twelfth of the entire popula- tion. In 1732, an infectious disease appeared, of which seventy persons died in a week. In 1743, a bilious plague prevailed, of which two hundred and seventeen died. In THE HEALTH DEPARTMEXT. 189 1745. malignant fever j)re vailed ; and in 1747, the bilious plague reappeared. Yellow fever returned in 1791, 1794, 179^5, 1797, 1799, 1801, 1803, 1805, 1822, 1856, and 1870. Over thirty-five hundred died of cholera in 1832, nine hundred and seventy-one in 1834, five thousand and seventy- one in 1849, three hundred and seventy-four in 1^2, and a small number in 1866. There are a few cases of cholera nearly every year. A great city, unless carefully guarded, soon becomes a sink of putrefaction, which not only aggra- vates but engenders disease. To prevent as far as' possible this unnecessary waste of human life, the sanitary interests of the metropolis have been for some years committed to the care of a Board of Health Commissioners, vested with large power, who have given their entire attention to this branch of the public service. The JN'ew Health Depaetiment, under the present charter, xjonsists of the Police Commissioners of New Tork, the Healtli officer of the Port, and of four Commissioners of Health, appointed by the Mayor, for the term of five years, with a salary of $5,000 each, two of whom must have been practising physicians in the city, for a period of five years previous to their appointment. The Department is divided into four bureaus. The chief officer of one is called the "' City Sanitary Inspector." This officer must be selected from the medical fraternity, having practised ten years in the city. Complaints against fat or bone-boiling establish- ments, or other questionable buildings or practices, are made to this oflicer. Another is styled the " Bureau of Sanitary Permit." This Bureau grants licenses for burials, without which a dead body cannot be brought into or removed from the city. Another is the " Bureau of Street Cleaning." The chief officer of the fourth Bureau is called the " Register of Records." This is the bureau of vital statistics. He records without charge all marriages, births, deaths, and the inquisitions of the coroners. It is the duty of every clergy- man, or magistrate, solemnizing matrimony, to report the 190 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. same to this officer, and of physicians to report all births and deaths occurring in their practice. The former Board of Health was very vigilant and nseful, guarding with scrupu- lous care the sanitary interests of the city, warding off chol- era and various contagious diseases, and rendering the me- tropolis so salubrious as to impoverish many physicians. The first year of the new Board has witnessed the ravages of yellow fever on Governor's Island, with a number of deaths. QUAKAXTIXE DEPARTIMENT. Every large city is compelled to provide a Quarantine, as a matter of self-preservation, especially seaport towns. The first measures for a Quarantine in New York were inaugur- ated by the passage of an act in 1758, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. By Act of May 4th, 1794, Governor's Island was made the Quarantine, and in March, 1797, a laza- retto was directed to be built on Bedloe's Island. The ravages of yellow fever led in 1799 to the purchase of thirty acres of land on Staten Island, five of which were ceded to the United States Government for warehouses, and on the remainder per- manent quarantine buildings were erected. The first build- ings were erected with the material taken from the demolished lazaretto on Bedloe's Island. In 1819, a long brick building was erected ; in 1823, a fever hospital ; in 1828-29, a small- pox hospital ; and such subsequent additions were made as the wants of the Institution required. The great increase of population on Staten Island, and the return of yellow fever in 1856-58, mau}^ cases occurring in the vicinity of the quar- antine, the long-cherished desire for its removal burst forth in a frenzy, of which the whole populace seemed to partake. On the evening of the 1st of September, 1858, Jthe buildings were entered by the excited multitudes, the sick carried on their mattresses into the yards, and every lo^ilding save the women's hospital destroyed by fire. This last-named edifice QUARANTINE DEPARTMENT. 191 was destroyed the following evening, making the ruin com- plete. Quarantine is now located on the east of Staten Island, several miles below Castle Garden, on artificial islands con- structed for that purpose. The sick, until a year or two since, were kept in vessels stationed in the lower bay for that pm'- pose. During 1869, the West Bank Hospital was completed at a cost of over three hundred thousand dollars. This is one of the largest and best-arranged quarantine buildings in the world. The foundation consists of crib-work of heavy timbers fas- tened together, filled with stone and sand, and sunk. The crib contains 15,000 cubic yards of stone, and 56,000 cubic yards of sand. The Hospital is a one-story edifice, divided into eight wards, each 89 feet long and 24 wide, and can accom- modate fifty patients each. The Hospital is supplemented by other buildings, used as baggage house, wash-house, dead- house, and apartments for superintendent, physicians, nurses etc. The buildings are lighted with gas, and connected by telegraph with New York. During 1869, 213 vessels ar- rived from ports infected with yellow fever ; and in 1870 no less than 365 such vessels, with at least 470 yellow fever pati- ents on board. Thirty vessels carrying about 18,000 persons were detained at Quarantine, having small-pox. during 1870, and ten vessels with ship fever, yet so vigilant were the health ofiicers that no panic occurred on shore, and none of these dis- eases spread in the city. Yellow fever, however, broke out in the autumn of the last year among the troops on Governor's Island, eighty-three of whom were prostrated and tliirty-uue died. The health and prosperity of the Metropolis are more largely dependent npon quarantine vigilance tlian many sup- pose. Another building for the detention of persons exposed to disease, while on passage in an infected vessel, has been commenced at West Bank, and a warehouse for the storage of infected goods will follow, making our Quarantine com- plete and unrivalled. The annual expense of this branch of our measures for public security, exclusive of permanent ira- 192 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. provements, amounts to about $50,000. The Quarantine Com- missioners have exclusive control of the Hospital, and are distinct from the Health Department of the city. MARITIME DEFENCES, ORTIFICATIOXS erected under the trained skill of cultivated military en- gineers have lono; been the chief means of defence for all civilized cities and countries. It is therefore a little remai*k- able, that while l^ew York was from the earliest settlement the chief city and heart of the country, no general effort to suitably f ortif}" its approaches was made until the outburst of the war of 1812. Rude fortifications were then placed upon some of the small islands, in the upper bay, and Fort Lafayette was commenced on Hendricks Eeef, 200 yards from the shore, in what is known as the Narrows, the water doorway to the Metropolis. This fort, when completed, had cost about $350,000, and mounted seventy-three heavy guns. Its chief fame during the half -century has arisen from the fact of its having been made the house of detention for political prisoners during the late civil war, and some who read this notice will require no fuller description of it. The elements were unfriendly to this fortress, however, and on the first of December, 1868, it was destroyed by fire, leaving only the naked walls. The government is about to rebuild it on a greatly improved scale. In 182-1, Fort Hamilton was commenced, immediately op- posite the former, standing on an eminence on the Long Island shore. It was completed in 1832, at an expense of $550,000, and mounted sixty heavy guns. It has recently been supple- mented with a strong battery, and now numbers in its arma- ment some of the celebrated Rodman guns, that discharge a MARITIME DEFENCES. 193 spherical ball weigliing a thousand pounds. Several of the other guns throw balls weighing four hundred and fifty pounds. Directly opposite these works, on the Staten Island shore, stand Forts Richmond and Tompkins, both new and improved works, constructed of gray stone, mounting many guns of huge caliljre. Fort Tompkins is a water battery of formida- ble appearance, while Fort Richmond occupies the bluff in its rear, spreading out with its accompanying batteries at great length, and is so arranged as to shoot over Fort Tompkins, and sweep the channel for miles. Batteries Hudson, Morton, North Cliff, and South Cliff have been completed, and another is now being constructed. The channel at this point is but little more than a mile wide, and these fortifications are so ar- ranged that with suitable projectiles and management, such a shower of balls and shells may be rained as to prevent the en- trance of a fleet of iron-clads. The upper bay is favored with several islands, admiraljly arranged for fortifications. Ellis Island, two thousand and fifty yards southwest from Castle Garden, is occupied by Fort Gibson, built in 1841-44, mounting fifteen or twenty guns, and requiring a garrison of one hundred men. Bed- 194 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. FORT HAMILTON, NEW YORK HARBOR. {Long Island side of Narrows.) loe's Island, situated 2,950 yards southwest of Castle Garden, is occupied by Fort Wood, erected in 1841, at a cost of $213,000, on the site of a fort built at the beginning of the century. It has space for eighty guns, and a garrison of three hundred and fifty men. A strong battery is now being added to this fort. Governor's Island containing seventy -two acres, and situa- ted ten hundred and sixty-six yards from Castle Garden, is also wholly devoted to maritime defence. Its largest work is Fort Columbus, a star-shaped fortification with five points, standing on the summit of the island, with quarters for many troops. Castle William is a three-story round tower, situated on the west shore of the island, six hundred feet in circum- ference, and sixty feet high, mounting over one hundred guns. South Battery fronts on Buttermilk channel, separating the island from Brooklyn (which channel was once forded by cattle, but now affords anchorage for heavy ships), and mounts fifteen heavy guns. An immense barbette battery is now be- MARITIME DEFENCES. 195 ing constructed on this island, which will require several years for its completion. Governor's Island, in time of war, re- quires a garrison of a thousand men. Acres of its sui'f ace are covered with heavy cannon, and with pyramids of balls and shells, thoroughly painted to resist the action of the ele- ments. Here recruits ai-e drilled for the service, and deser- ters detained as prisoners. There are also very extensive works at Sandy Hook, jS'ew Jersey, calculated to prevent the occupation of the lower bay, as a place of anchorage to an enemy's fleet. Fort Schuyler, a large strong fortification, constructed 'tf gray stone, mounting over three hundred guns, and requiring a war garrison of fifteen hundred troops, stands at Throggs^ Xeck, several miles up the East river, and is designed to pre- vent the approach of armed vessels to Xew York by way of Long Island Sound. This fortification is being extensively remodelled, at an expense of several hundred thousand dollars. Willet Point unites with Fort Schuyler in guarding this eas- tern channel of approach, which, with the late improvements at Hurl Gate, requires to be more carefully defended than formerly. Willet Point is the principal engineer depot of the Department of the East. Here the surplus stores which accumulated during the war were largely deposited. Here bridge-trains, and equipage, intrenching, mining, and other tools, are preserved for use, in future field service. The de- pot is guarded and cared for, and the property issued by en- gineer troops. This place is also, at present, the Torpedo School of the United States army, and extensive experiments in that line are now being made. Many millions have been consumed on these fortifications and their armament, which cover all the strong points about the harbors, and vast sums are still being ex-pended ; yet, with all this, it is doubtless true that Xew York is not defended as its importance demands. The old walls, gims, and round shot of the fathers are of lit- tle use in these days of imprTRANCE TO NAVY YABD, BROOKLYN. $40,000, and is now valued at twenty millions. The Navy Yard proper covers about fifty acres, is laid out with paved streets and walks, which are kept very clean. The Dry Dock, begun in 1S41, is a vast structure, capable of taking in a ship 300 feet long, and cost between two and three million dollai's. It is emptied by steam pumps. The yard contains large buildings to cover ships of war while in process of building, extensive lumber warehouses, great numbers of cannon, pyramids of shot and shell, shops, foundries, etc., etc. A JS'aval Museum, filled with curiosities sent home by ofiicers, a Marine Hospital, with barracks for troops, cottages for officers, and other neces- sary appendages, are spread around the premises. It is a place of curiosity, and is visited by many thousands annually, but as it occupies nearly the heart of the city, the enterprising property-owners would gladly see it removed.' Congress has begun to debate the matter of its removal, and it will probably be accomplished before many more years elapse. XI. KEW YORK ALL THE YEAK ROUND. H ^■^^^^f'EW YORK is situated in latitude (of City Hall) 40° 42' 43" North, longi- tude 74° 0' 3 " West, and a little south of the centre of the belt described as the north temperate zone. As the city stands in the upper bay, eighteen miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the extreme rigor of the ocean blast is lost ere it reaches the city, calming gently doM-n n into a bracing and healthful breeze. The cli- mate is quite changeable, often characterized by the extremes of heat and cold, yet, all things con- sidered, is perhaps as salubrious as that in any other part of the world. New York, unlike London and many other cities enveloped half the year in an impenetrable fog, is blest with a clear atmosphere, so that despite the smoke of a hundred thousand chimneys, its inhabitants can nearly every day in the year look upon a sky as blue and fair as the Italian. WINTER IN NEW YORK. New York has a brief but emphatically a northern winter, the great sheets of salt water lying around it rendering the atmosphere very chilly, and usually making the impression, that the weather is colder than the thermometer indicates. The winter begins properly about the first of December, and continues about three months, but as the mercury seldom falls WmXER m ISTEW YORK. 199 below zero (Fahrenheit) the weather may be considered but moderately cold. About once in ten or twenty years, how- ever, the cold becomes intense. The winter of 1740-41 was thus marked. The rivers were frozen, and the snow, which was six feet deep, covered the earth for a long period. Just twenty years later (1760) the cold was so intense that the Narrows were frozen over, and men and teams crossed with- out danger. But the coldest ever known since the settlement of the country occurred in 1779-80. The Hudson River was one solid bridge of ice for forty days, and Long Island Sound was nearly frozen over in its widest part. The bay was so Bolidly frozen, that an expedition with eighty sleighs, and as many pieces of artillery, crossed to Staten Island, and returned to New York in the same manner. The city was at that time held by the British garrison, trade almost wholly suspended, and the suffering among the populace became intense. The British commander, under severe penalty, ordered the inhabit- ants of Long Island and of Staten Island to cut their timber and draw it to the city for sale, but even this fail'ed to bring the needed supply. Many families sawed up their tables and chairs to cook their food, and covered themselves in bed day and night to avoid freezing to death. A shipbuilder named Bell cut up a rope cable worth six hundred dollars for back- logs, and a spar equally valuable for fuel. Another severe winter was experienced in 1820, and again in 1835, and the rivers have been again so frozen in our day as to afford safe crossing. Occasionally there is a fine run of sleighing, lasting several weeks. This is a gay and brilliant period for the wealthy classes, and a golden haiwest for the livery stables, each team and sleigh earning the proprietor from one hundred to two hundred dollars per day. But this period of festivity is one of deep privation and suffermg among the poor. A lieavy fall of snow suspends all operations on public works, building, grading, etc. It is not unusual to have seventy or a hundred thousand men out of employment at mid-winter, half of 200 NEW TOKK AND ITS INSllTUTIONS. ■u'hom have no money to pay rent, provide the necessaries of life for their families, or to bury their own dead. It is at this season, often characterized by immense losses and snffer- ings, that the deepest religious impressions are made npon the masses by the Churches. An old divine once quaintly said that " the Lord did not enter New York until after the rivers were frozen over." This is not true ; yet such is the rush of business and pleasure, that no general spiritual har- vest is gathered until after the holidays. A cold winter^ affording fine opportunities for sleigh-riding and skating, is much relished, and except the suffering among the poor, resulting from insufiicient food, clothing, and fuel, is by far the most healthy and desirable. SPRIXa IN NEW YORK. Spring may be said to open generally about the first of March, and is considered pleasant to all except those afflicted with pulmonary complaints. To this class the air is moist, harsh, and severe, until near the middle of May. Parks, lawns, and gardens are clothed with the finest green by the first of April, and fragrant flowers bud and bloom in rich luxuriance. Spring is the period for projecting new parks, streets, piers^ public buildings, letting contracts, opening business, etc. Everything hums with excitement fi'om the Battery to Har- lem bridge, the rivers and bay are white with sloops and crafts laden with brick, lumber, sand, and a hundred other articles of domestic commerce, and everj^body plans and hopes for a business harvest. The beauty and toil of this busy period are marred and aggravated by the advent of " May-day." On the first few days of May nearly half the families exchange houses, filling the streets day and night with SPRING IN NEW YORK. 201 loads of furniture and clouds of dust. The sidewalks are thronged in the meantime with women, boys, and girls, car- rying mirrors, pictures, books, vases, babies, birds, dogs, etc., etc. Half the houses need repairing, and every family " must he served first ; " hence, masons, plumbers, painters, and gla- ziers are in great demand, many of them toiling night and day. After a few weeks the houses are adjusted, the streets swept, the families appear in church, the children in school, and everything assumes a more cheerful aspect. * These extensive removals necessitate the annual compiling of a new City Directory, which is gotten out with great dis- * " The New York City Directory for 1871-72, just issued, is quite as inter- esting and complete as any of its predecessors. It contains 1,268 pages, ex- clusive of 172 pages of advertisements, and sixty-two pages of miscellaneous matter ; the present volume contains 200,953 names. It is quite amusing to note the singvdarity of some of the names to be found within its pages. For instance, there are a number of Houses and only one Foundation ; a number of the Goodkind, Corns and CoflSns, several Plants, some Lively and some Nott, Long, Short, and Hot. Of the different colors, there are 547 Whites, 91 Blacks, 938 Browns, 3 Blues, and 253 Greens. Then there are 30 Whiteheads and 2 Bedheads ; 22 Bulls, 3 Cowards, 1 Happy, 1 Hen, and 1 Chick. Of the Seasons, there are 32 Winters, 24 Springs, and 5 Sum- mers ; of household utensils, 5 Pitchers, 16 Bowles, 1 Broker, 2 AUwell, and one Sick ; of horse-fare, 4 Oats, 3 Straws, and 33 Hays. There are, also, 60 Lords, 21 Dukes, 321 Kings, 10 Queens, 20 Princes, 14 Barons, and 24 Earls. The O's occupy seven columns, and the M's 85 colixnms. The ancient name of Smith occurs 1806 times. There are 36 Barbers to 1 Shaver, 5 Shoe- makers, 7 Tinkers, and 1 Blower ; 56 Pages with only 1 Blot ; 1 Untied, 2 Loose, and 1 Blind ; 3 Lawyers against 28 Judges, and 2 Juries with no Ver- dict. Then again there are 40 Popes, 11 Priests, and 81 Bishops, 12 Pea- cocks and 2 Heads; 2 Books. 4 Bound; 16 Coffees, with 18 Beans; 26 Shepherds with 11 Flocks ; 1 Ship, 2 Masts, and 64 Seamen. Of the differ- ent nations, there are 5 Englands, 18 Irelands, 4 Wales, 2 Chinas, 2 Germanys, 2 Frenchmen, 8 Germans, 2 Dutch, 1 Irish, 32 Enghsh, 99 Welsh, and only 2 Americans, and 7 Turks. Of the different fruits, there are 3 Apples, 4 Peaches, 7 Plums. Then come 7 Moons, 1 Morning- star, and 1 Gentleman. The name of George Washington occurs 9 times, that of Thomas Jefferson twice, John Quincy Adams four times, and Sly , Smart, and Slick once each. There are 2 Clocks, and 39 Hands ; 1 Lion, 3 Bears, and 96 Wolfs ; followed by 14 Divines, and 9 Deacons. The shortest name in the Directory is Py." 202 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, patch. The note on preceding page appeared in the New York Tribune^ June 17, 1871, and will explain itself. STBIMER IN NEW YORK. This period, the loveliest of all in many parts of the world, is here, to all classes, the most unpleasant and trying of the whole year. During July or August, nearly every year, the heat becomes intense, sickness greatly prevails, and death reaps an al3undant harvest. Business, with few exceptions, is almost wholly prostrated, many large houses not selling for months sufficient to pay their rents. Merchants, bankers, clerks, ministers, nearly all who have means, fly with a part or all of their families to the country, visiting the watering places, the White Mountains, the Catskills, their farmer- relatives, the conventions, and camp-meetings, and not a few cross the Atlantic. Schools are suspended, churches deserted, and many of them closed. Beer-gardens, soda and ice-cream- saloons, ice-dealers, and a few others reap their annual har- vest. Physicians, druggists, and undertakers find little time for relaxation, and the few clergymen remaining in the city have incessant calls to minister to the sick, and to bury the dead. The ferries, excursion-boats, and railroad-trains are crowded with eager thousands, anxious to snuff the breezes of the coun- try or bay, if it be but for a day or an hour. The parks, squares, and suburbs are thi-onged on Sabbath with countless thousands unable to proceed to any greater distance from the scorching city. This period is particularly fatal to infant children. Men and women, from sultry tenements, may be seen all hours of the night, walking the streets with pale, gasping infants in their arms, most of whom with a change of air might SUMMER IN NEW TOEK. 203 recover, but who soon find a narrow cell in the neighboring cemeteries. The mortality among the laboring classes is often groat during the heated term. On the ITth of July, 1866, the mercury stood at 104" in the shade, and 135** in the sun. One hundred and sixty-nine cases of coup de soleU, or sunstroke, were reported in New Tork alone, besides a large number in Brooklyn and Jersey City, a large per cent- age of which proved fatal. Over twenty head of fat cattle in the market-yard on Forty-fourth street died of heat, and scores of horses fell dead in the streets. Laborers and quiet citizens were alike prostrated. A carpenter at work in the gallery of a church fell to the audience-room, and was carried home by his fellow- workmen to die. A huckster was overcome in his wagon on the same block, the same day. A young lady, oppressed with heat, started with some friends for New England, by one of the Sound steamers, but expired soon after leaving the pier. A seamstress in the upper part of the city, without any exercise or fatigue, fell from the chair in which she was sitting, and instantly expired. A wealthy lady on the east side of the city entered her private coach to visit a sick friend. On entering her friend's house, she felt a sense of faintness stealing over her, and after making some hasty inquiries, remarked that she did not feel well, and would not sit down. She returned to her carriage, and ordered the coachman to drive home quickly. He did so, l)ut on opening the carriage door found only her lifeless form. This excessive heat never continues more than a few weeks, and rarely above a few days. The perils of such seasons are frightful, especially to dissipated and careless people. The burning rays pour down for weeks without rain or dew, upon leafless streets, until the pavements glow with heat like a fiery furnace, in which humanity is sweltered and baked alive. It is not proper at such times for strangers to enter the city, and many of tliose who do, after remaining a short time in the Morgue, are deposited by the authorities in an 204 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. unknown grave. The summer of 1869 was unusually cool; and that of 1870 warmer than any experienced in more than twenty years. Fewer sunstrokes, however, occurred than in 1866, as many of the laborers wore cabbage-leaves under their hats, a simple experiment which probably saved the lives of thousands. AUTUJIN IN NEW YORK. September brings the return tide of a surging population. The great heat of the season has passed, vacations are ended, and nearly every resident is anxious to see how it looks in New York. Teachers of the public schools, and scholars who have been luxuriating amid the shades and glens of the green mountains, return to resume their labors and studies. Churches, refitted and refurnished, are opened with impressive and attractive services, and glad pastors and people exchange their mutual congratulations. The wholesale dry-goods trade has already opened, crowding many of the down-town streets with such piles of new boxes that the pedestrian can scarcely pass. New stores are opened with brilliant windows, new books and styles announced, and handbills profuse as the leaves of autumn spread in every direction. The markets abound with fruits and vegetables of every description, and from, every part of the country, rich and luscious ; but, how- ever plentiful, through the perverseness of the middlemen, they are always costly here. Autumn is preeminently the season for music, promenade, and parade. Music is much cultivated in New York. Singing is taught in the public schools, the Sabbath-schools meet twice, devoting most of one session to singing, so that children with little talent in that line, by this long-continued drilling, nearly all learn to sing. In autumn one is attracted by niusic at the park, music at the school, music at the church, concert, theater, in the AUTUMN IN NEW TOKK. 205 drawing-room, and in the public street. Military organiza- tions, target companies, and the members of various societies, parade the streets, or ride after richly caparisoned horses, wearing unique uniforms, filling the air with strains of music. Organ-grinders, from every nation, and of every age, multiply at every corner, to the disgust of merchants and householders. At this season hundreds of persons from the surrounding country flock to the city in quest of situations, but failing to obtain them, depart in disappointment, or linger to swell the ranks of vagrants and criminals. Cold weather seldom arrives earlier than December, leaving three delight- ful months for business, study, and pleasure. The climate during the whole of autumn is bracing, cheerful, and bland beyond all description. XII. THE LIBRARIES, M0NUME:N^TS, AND MARKETS OF NEW YORK. MJERCANTILE LIBRARY— C^LINTON Hi (Astor Place and Eighth street. ) THE LIBRARIES. The libraries of Manhattan far excel those of any other city on the continent. The first public library was establislied in 1729, when Rev. John Millington, Eector of Newington, England, bequeathed 1622 volumes to the " Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Rev. John Sharp, chaplain of Lord Bellamont, having some years previ- ously presented a collection of books, they were now arranged THE LIBRARIES. 207 and offered for the public use under the title of the " Corpo- ration Library." But the librarian soon died, and the library was neglected. In 1754, a few enterprising minds organized the " Society Library," and by grant of the Common Council, added this old library to their own collection. The society was chartered by George III. in 1772, and still flourishes with a library of about 50,000 volumes, " Tbe N^ew York Historical Society," which has done more than any other to preserve the reminiscences of early E'ew York, was founded in 1S04. Its rooms contain, besides the library, many choice and rare curiosities. " The Mercantile Library Association " has held its fif- tieth anniversary, and is, perhaps, the most popular institution of its kind in the city. It owns its fine edifice, Clinton Hall, on Astor Place, has a property valued at half a million, and a library of one hundred and twenty thousand volumes, which increases at about ten per cent, per annum. Its read- ing-room contains four hundred papei-s and magazines. The "Astor Library" is the largest in jS"ew York, and contains one hundred and thirty-five thousand volumes, mostly solid works. It is emphatically the great library of reference for scholars, and fills an important place in the literary facilities of the metropolis. The cut presents a view of the original structure, as provided for by the bequest of John Jacob Astor, but which has been enlarged by his son, William B. Astor. The present building and library form a worthy monument of two worthy men. Besides these we may mention the " Apprentices' Library," of fifty thousand volumes, the " Library of the American In- stitute," the " New York City Library," the " Printers Free Libraiy," the " "Women's Library," the " Harlem Library," tlie "M(jtt Memorial Medical Library," the "New York Law Institute Library," and the immense libraries connected with the large institutions of learning. Honorable Peter Cooper has also during this year, on the occurrence of his eightieth birthday, surprised the community with the gift of $150,000, 208 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. to foimd a complete library for working men. To these will also soon be added the "Lenox Library," founded by the dis- tinguished philanthropist whose name it bears, who has just set aside land and $300,000 for the erection of appropriate buildings, opposite Central Park, to which he adds his entire collection of statuary, paintings, and books, said to be the most valuable in the country, and money sufficient to make it com- plete and unrivaled. Besides these, there are numerous read- ing-rooms judiciously distributed through the city, furnished with all the periodical literature of the day, opened by the Young Men's Christian Association, and other benevolent societies. MONUMENTS. Some portions of New York and vicinity are thickly studded with monuments, commemorating the names and deeds of the great, the patriotic, or the admired. Some reared by private enterprise over the remains of friends have cost large fortunes, and money which might have blessed the world has, in more than one instance, been foolishly thrown away. Some very laudable efforts in this line have, however, been undertaken. Churches have reared chaste monuments in memory of devoted pastors, students to eminent men of letters, and soldiers to attest their respect for fallen comrades. The soldiers' monument, which lifts its modest head on the western elevation of Greenwood cemetery, and the one erected by the Seventh regiment in Central Park, are very imposing testimonials of patriotic regard. The beauti- ful monument of Colmnbus, the peerless navigator, and that of the learned Humboldt, and one of Shakspeare, all recentlj placed in Central Park, are worthy of mention. Old Trinity church-yard contains several, the most impor- tant of which is — ^^'^f'l :^ ^' -v'-^^ilti ^--'. ' . ,**;Mi ; / ^''v Ift^. , - New York Historical Society— Second Avenue, cor. Eleventh Street. New York Society Library— 67 University Place. Columbia College— Fiftieth Street, between 4th and 5th Avenues. College of Physicians and Surgeons— Cor. 23d Street and 4th Avenue. MONUMENTS 209 The !Marttks' Monument, erected by the Trinity corpora- tion in 1852, to the memory of those patriots who died in the old Siiijar House and in other prisons during the Revohition. MAJilYRS MONLMtNT {Trinity Church Cemetery.) WOBTH MONUMENT. (Madison square and Fifth avenue.) It is a chaste Gothic structure of brown stone, standing on a granite foundation, about forty-five feet high, appropriately inscribed, and crowned with the American eagle. The Worth Monument, erected on the west side of Madi- son square by the corporation of the city of New York in 1857, is the only one completed at the public expense. The monument is a four-sided chaste granite obelisk ; its sides, be- sides presenting the equestrian image in liigh relief, are nearly covered with inscriptions, setting forth the career of 210 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. the hero of Cherubusco and Chapultepec. Ilandsonie br(jiize reliefs are introduced between the several inscriptions. The Washington Monument stands at the south-east por- tion of Union square, and is a colossal bronze equestrian WASHINGTON MONUMENT. {Union square and Fouvteenth street.) statue, executed with great artistic skill by Browne, and was erected through the laudable efforts of Colonel Lee. The figure is fourteen and one-half feet high, and stands upon an immense granite pedestal of the same height, making the whole twenty-nine feet. This representation of the Father of his country has been universally admired. The means for its erection were contributed by the inhabitants of the neigh- borhood. It is said that the gentlemen who circulated the subscription called one day on a property-owner, noted alike MONUMENTS. 211 for his wealth and avarice. The subject being presented, the miser stated that he could give nothing, and remarked that no monument was necessary. Laying his hand upon his breast he exclaimed, with emphasis, " / heep the Father of his country here" " Well," responded the intrepid collector, " if the Father of his country is there, he is in the tightest 2)lace he ever found." The Lincoln Montoient, erected in September, 1870, by the Union League Club, stands at the south-west corner of Union square, and corresponds in position with the Washing- ton monument on the opposite corner. The pedestal consists of three Dix Island granite stones, which weigh in all over forty tons, and is twenty-four feet high. The statue, which represents the deceased statesman in citizen's dress, but cov- ered with a Roman toga, is of bronze, nearly eleven feet high, and weighs tliree thousand pounds. The design was formed by H. K. Brown, Esq., and is a faithful representation of the martyred President. In his left hand he holds the Proclama- tion of Emancipation, and a galaxy of stars on the pedestal represent the States of the Union. The Yandeebh^t Monument, erected in 1869, and crown- ing the western wall of the immense freight depot which covers the old St. John's Park, is by far the most elaborate and costly undertaking of its kind on Manhattan. It was conceived, and carried forward to completion, mainly through the untiring exertions of Captain Albert De Groot. The whole scene in bronze is one hundred and fifty feet long, and over thirty feet high, with admirable groupings of ancient and modern representations, and is designed to allegorically exhibit the brilliant and successful career of the dashing Commodore. The central and chief figure is the Raih'oad King, a life-like and correct statue, twelve feet high, weigh- inof over four tons. On the left of this central figm-e ever^'- thing is seafaring, representing his early beginnings on the New York Bay, his later travels, and his patriotic munificence. In the distance Neptune in bold relief is seen, in a half -re- 212 NEW YORK AXD ITS INSTITUTIONS. dining posture, looking seaward, while a schooner, a steamer^ a steamship, and miscellaneous aquatic groupings, complete the center of the picture. On the right terra firma, the theater for a king of railroads, spreads away. At the extreme right, corresponding to Neptune, stands the figure of Liberty^ while the intermediate space exhibits forests, cultivated fields, railroad track with tools, tunnels, switchmen, and dashing trains. The whole weighs over fifty tons, and cost half a million dollars, which was contributed by New York bankers and capitalists. It is an appropriate recognition of the per- severance and thrift of a modern Knickerbocker, who, with- out patrimony or schools, has carved out his own diploma^ and compelled the world to sign it. THE MAEKBTS. The marketing on Manhattan seems to have been, for some years, a system of general huckstering. For the better security of seasonable supplies the authorities ordered in 1676, that all country people bringing supplies to market should be exempt from arrests for debt, and that the Market-house, a small building devoted to that use, and the green before the fort (the present site of Bowling Green), should be used for the city sales. In 1683 markets were appointed to be held three times a week, to be opened and closed by ringing a bell. In 1692, a market-house for meat was ordered at the foot of Broad street, and subsequently nearly every slip on the East river side, where the city mainly lay at that time, had its mar- ket-house. " Bear Market " (Washington), so called from the fact that bear meat was fii'st sold in it, was the first on the west side. The present structure was erected in 1813, and though low, gloomy, and in a decayed condition, has for many years been the principal wholesale market of the city. THE MARKETS. 213 The market proper contains five hundred and three stands (with many outside), and furnishes employment and subsis- tence for about 10,000 persons. Its annual lousiness is be- lieved to exceed $100,000,000. The market buildings, num- bering fifteen, are judiciously distributed through the city; most of them are still ov^^ned by the corporation, and bring an annual income of several hundred thousand dollars. Several fine market buildings have recently been erected by private parties. The Manhattan Market Company, chartered a year and a half since, are now erecting the largest and fin- est market building yet undertaken on the island. It stands on the block between Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth streets, Eleventh and Twelfth avenues. The main structure, which is of iron, stone, and Philadelphia brick, is 800 feet long and 200 feet deep, and will contain 800 stands. The interior of the structure is 80 feet high, well lighted, and if Washington, is ever removed, this appears certain to become the principal wholesale market of the city. The contractors have agreed to complete it by the first of October, 1871. Others are to follow under the direction of this company. XIII. THE CEMETERIES OF NEW YOEK. HE bustling glittering cities of the living- stand in such close proximity to the silent but more populous ones of the dead, that this sketch of Manhattan would be quite imperfect, were no mention made of the places where rest the eight generations that have successively peopled the gay metropolis. The Bm-ial-places of Manhattan were for many years con- nected with the separate churches, and as late as 1822 there were twenty-two of these church burying-grounds south of the City Hall. In 1794 the Potter's Field was located at the junction of the Greenwich and Albany roads. This was at a later period removed to what is now AVashington square, from whence it was removed to Kandall's, then to Ward's, and finally to Hart's Island. The negro burying-ground was long at the corner of Broadway and Chambers street, on the site now occupied by A. T. Stewart's wholesale store. In 1729, a Jewish cemetery was laid out near what is now Chat- ham square. The land was given by a Mr. Willey of London to his three sons, then New York merchants, to be held in trust as a place of burial for the Jewish nation '•''forever^ But so uncertain are the securities of earth, that the place has now long been covered with stores and warehouses. In 1813, all burials below Canal street were prohibited. The plan of erecting marble cemeteries farther up town was now proposed, and two were constructed between Second and Third streets, Bowery, and Second avenue, with 234 and 156 vaults respectively. They were constructed entirely of stone, and calculated to receive a large number of bodies. It was I Li^^. P .111' li THE CEMETERIES OF NEW TOKK. 215 however, soon discovered that this plan must be a faihire. In 1842, the plan of rural cemeteries was fully inaugurated by the laying out of Greenwood, which had been incorporated in 1838. In 1847, a general law was enacted by the Legisla- ture, conferring upon voluntary associations the riglit of establishing rural cemeteries, which was soon followed by the laying out of Cypress Hill, Ever Green, New York Bay, Calvary, and others. In 1842, the Trinity corporation pur- chased thirty-six acres of ground, on Tenth avenue and One Hundred and Fifty-iifth street, of Mr. Carman, for a ceme- tery, which is the only one now in use on the island. This cemetery has recently been much injured by the laying out of the Public Drive, which passes through it, ruining many of its vaults, and convincing us that the land should never have been devoted to a cemetery. The grounds are richly shaded and kept in good cultivation. Here sleep the remains of Bishops Waim-ight and Onderdunk, of Philip Livingston, one of the signers of the Declaration, of Madame Jumel, Aaron Burr's last wife, of Audubon, the renowned naturalist, of John Jacob Astor, and many other distinguished per- sonages. The vault of President Monroe is seen, though his remains were several years since removed to Virginia. John J. Cisco, of Wall street, and other living capitalists, conscious of coming doom, have here erected granite or mar- ble structures for their last earthly homes. Land has now be- come very valuable in tJiis locality. The grounds were origi- nally obtained for $14,000, but the corporation has refused $80,000 for the water front simply. In 1851, an ordinance was passed prohibiting all burials on the island south of Eighty-sixth street, except in private, vaults and cemeteries. New York Bay cemetery is situated, as its name implies, on the New York Bay, in the State of New Jersey, two and one-half miles from the Jersey City ferry. The cemetery now comprises about fifty acres of level land, is nearer the 216 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. City Hall than any other, and contains the mouldering forms of over 50,000 persons. Greenwood, the oldest and most noted of all our rural cemeteries contains four hundred and thirteen acres of land, purchased of over sixty different owners. The grounds are situated in Brooklyn on Gowanus heights, about two and a half miles from South ferry, the higher portions of which were crimsoned with the blood of the slain at the noted bat- tle of Long Island, fought August, 1776. The surface, graded at immense expense, is beautifully un- dulating and diversified, producing constant and gratifying changes of scenery. Seventeen miles of broad carriage-roads constructed of stone, and covered with gravel, bordered with paved gutters, and fifteen miles of foot-patlis, nearly all of which are covered with Scrimshaw concrete pavement, free from dust, mud, and weeds, conduct the visitor to every part of the grounds. The entrance-ways are all elegant, the northern, completed in 1863, being the most imposing. Its Duter gate, closed only at night, opens on Fifth avenue, and is the principal way of access to the vast population of New York and Brooklyn. The gateway, reached by an approach, graded at great expense, is an elaborate Gothic edifice, mas- sively constructed of the best New Jersey sandstone, is 132 feet long, 40 feet deep, terminating above in three pinnacles, the central of which is 106 feet high. The deep triangular recesses of the pediments above the gateways are filled on both sides with groups of sculpture formed of Nova Scotia sandstone, representing the Saviour's entombment and re- surrection, the resurrection of the Widow's Son, and the raising of Lazarus. Still higher are figures in relief represent- ing Faith, Hope, Memory, and Love. A bell tolls with each passing procession, and a clock marks the speed with which we are gliding to eternity. The grounds are being enclosed with an iron fence, and otherwise constantly improved. About six thousand are annually interred here, and at the close of 1870 the whole number of interments amounted to THE CKMETERIES OF NEW TOEK. 217 150,000. It is the most favorite resort outside of N'ew York, its finely wrought vaults and over 2,000 monuments, some of which have cost large fortunes, attracting much attention. The monument of Charlotte Cauda is perhaps the most noted of all, though those of D. H. Lewis, De Witt Clinton, Colonel Yosburgh, and others, are very imposing. Here clergymen, merchants, bankers, and common laborers find a space and think not of the amount of marble that marks their resting-place. Mr. Peter Cooper, Eev. II. W. Beecher, and many others, have selected the place for their final repose beneath the shades of the sighing willows. The receipts last year amount- ed to over $250,000, and the expenditures to $247,000. The permanent fund for the improvement of the cemetery, aris- ing from the sale of lots, legacies, donations, etc., amounts to nearly three-quarters of a million, and is certain to be consid- erably increased. Cypkess Hill cemetery is situated on that elevated ridge north of the Brooklyn and Jamaica turnpike, known as the "backbone of Long Island." It lies partly in Kings and partly in Queens counties, is about five miles from the ferry at Peck Slip, and comprises 400 acres. About half of the grounds are still covered by a natural forest, and the other portions profusely set with trees and shrubbery, thus blend- ing witht he wild luxuriance of nature the chaste embellish- ments of art. A brick arch, surmounted by a statue of Faith, and supported by two beautiful Lodges, forms the fi-ont, or southern entrance. The view fi'om the elevated portions of this cemetery is very extensive, presenting, besides nearly every variety of landscape scenery, a bird's-eye view of the surrounding country, and the neighboring cities. Brooklyn, New York, Jersey City, the majestic Hudson, and the Pali- sades are spread out with panoramic grandeur; farther to the north rise the hills of Connecticut, and to the south, far as the eye can extend, stretches the broad Atlantic, bounded by the horizon. Over 85,000 interments have been made in these grounds since 1848. The forms of 4,060 of our brave 218 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. soldiers lie sleeping here, in a section set apart exclusively for them. About 35,000 bodies have also been transferred to these grounds, from old burying-grounds in ISTew York city and Broolclyn. The Sons of Temperance, the Odd Fel- lows, the Masons, and the Metropolitan Police have set apart sections for the members of their fraternities. Family lots measuring 16 by 25 feet may be secured here on the payment of from $125 to §350, according to location. The Cemetery of the Evergreens, situated east and about three and a half miles from Williamsburgh, covers the wes- tern termination of the mid-island range of hills, and affords numerous varieties of surface and natural ornament. The eye of the visitor is greeted with hills, dells, lakes, lawns, in- terspersed with a rich growth of cultivated and forest trees. This cemetery, which is also one of the largest, has not yet become as noted as the two preceding, but is sure to increase in popularity. Calvary Cemetery, laid out in August, 1848, and situated in Newtown, Long Island, is owned by and devoted exclu- sively to the Roman Catholic church. The grounds comprise seventy-five acres, and already over 183,000 interments have been made. Wood Lawn cemetery, situated in Westchester County, eight miles north of Harlem Bridge, was incorporated December 29, 1863, and contains over 300 acres. The late Rev. Absalom Peters was the chief agent in the laying out of these beauti- ful grounds. The rapid march of the city northward led him to seek the establishment of a large cemetery, which should be to upper New York and Westchester what Green- wood had long been to lower New York and Brooklyn. This cemetery is easily reached by the Harlem Railroad. It was laid out in 1865, since which over 8,000 interments have been made. The grounds are now being rapidly im- proved, and the last report showed an increase of 65 per cent, over the interments of the previous year. Several other cemeteries are also in use. To these silent monumental cities TuE Fountain— Uieuiiwood Ceiuetery. The Firemens' Monument— Greenwood. THE CEMETEKIES OF NEW YORK. 219* of the dead, about 25,000 are being annually consigned, whose places in the gay and busy world are filled by othei-s, who, after a brief and uncertain struggle, yield in turn to the great destroyer. An occasional visit to these spots of solemn grandeur, linked so closely to our very being, must be at- tended with the best results, to a reflective mind. One can- not linger amid such scenes, and consider that beneath this surface of exquisite adornment moulder the remains of the brilliant, the wealthy, the good, and the gay, without having his ambitions for worldly advantage greatly sobered, and bis whole mind improved. " Here are the wise, the gen'rous and the brave ; The JTist, the good, the worthless, the profane ; The downright clown, and perfectly well-bred ; The fool, the churl, the scoundrel, and the mean ; The supple statesman, and the patriot stem ; The wreck of nations, and the spoUs of time. " * The lapse of 60 pages after 319 is accounted for by the omission to number the illustrations in their order. i CHAPTER Y. INSTITUTIONS OF NEW YORK ISLAND AND WEST- CHESTER COUNTY. NEW YORK mSTITUTIOX FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE DEAF AND DXBIB. ( Washington Heights, One Hundred and Sixty-second street.) 'HAT deaf-mutes have existed in the world since the early ages, is a fact clearly established by both sacred and profane history. Speechlessness appears for the most part to have been the result of deafness ; articu- lation resulting from imitation, a matter to which the mind of the deaf is not naturally directed. For many ages it was coutidently believed that these persons were inexorably shut off from all social intercourse with their race, and the idea of restoring these faculties or of repairing their loss by educa- tion seems never to have occurred to the ancients. The civil authorities in many instances appear to have openly approved of, or connived at, the practice of destroying such children as did not bid fair to be of service t<3 the State. If allowed to live, they were deprived b}' statute of their inheritance, of all right to buy or sell, make a donation or will, and were classed with the insane and the idiotic. The ameliorating influences of Christianity finally intercepted the blow, and ttiey were no longer mm-dered as useless incumbrances of society ; yet pitiable indeed was their condition through all the medieval ages, locked up to their own untutored musings, and enduring the most cruel neglect. In the seventh century John, Bishop of Hagulstad, is said to have with much pains taught a deaf- mute to speak a few sentences, and in the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries numerous private efforts were made with some success. A Spanish monk, Pedro Ponce, who died in 1584:, was the first teacher of deaf-mutes. Another Spanish monk, named Juan Pablo Bonet, published about 1620 the first treatise on deaf-mute instruction, and is believed to have invented the dactylology, or one-hand alphabet, used so gene- rally in France and America. The numerous treatises on the 282 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. education of deaf-mutes issued in various parts of Europe during this century show a general awakening on the subject among the learned. Dr. John Wallis, mathematical professor at Oxford, deserves the credit of being the first practical in- structor of the deaf and dumb in England. He never had a large number of pupils, but continued it for nearly fifty years with tolerable success. The first school of this kind supported by government was established in Leipsic, in 1778, under the patronage of the Elector of Saxony, which continues to this time. Early in the present century John Braidwood, a mem- ber of a family wlio for sixty years had carried on a system of instruction for the deaf and dumb in England without dis- closing its principles to the public, came to this country and attempted the establishment of a school. He was warmly supported by several gentlemen of wealth, but the enterprise soon failed through his habitual dissi]3ation. The year 1816 is memorable for the organization of a so- ciety in New York for the instruction of the deaf and dumb. Samuel L. Mitchell, LL.D., the Rev. John Stanford, and Dr. Samuel Akerly, who at a later period rendered such efiicient service in founding the Institution for the Blind, were its chief promoters. The wisdom of the undertaking was by many questioned, because a similar institution was just then being opened at Hartford, one being supposed amply suffi- cient for the whole country. An inquiry, however, soon dis- closed the fact that over sixty deaf mutes were then living in the city of New York, and subsequent investigations have proved that while one in twenty-three hundred of the general population is blind, one in about two tliousand is deaf and dumb. The act of incorporation bears date of April 15, 1817, and in the following May the school was formally opened in one of the rooms of the City Hall, with four scholars. During the first eleven years of its operations the society had no building of its own, but in 1829 the school was removed to East Fiftieth street, to the grounds now occu- pied by Columbia college. The success of the system of in- struction led to an annual increase of students, and made necessary the enlargement of the building, which was three times accomplished during the quarter of a century spent at this location. The prudent sagacity of the board of manage- ment secured the title of two entire blocks of ground, lying between Forty-eighth and Fiftieth streets, Fourth and Fifth avenues. This valuable property, purchased at different NEW YOKE INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. 283 periods for about $54,000, was afterwards disposed of at about $325,000. The rush of the rapidly expanding city now began to disturb the operations of the Institution, and the managers began to cast about in qnest of more eligible quarters. Fan- wood, at Washington Ileights, nine miles north of the City Hall, was finally selected, and thirty-seven and one-half acres of ground purchased in 1853, at a cost of $115,000. The buildings, which are the largest and finest in the world for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, cover about two acres, are of brick, with basement, copings, and trimmings of granite, and have cost several hundred thousand dollars. A mortgage of $175,000 has just been removed by the sale of nine and one-half acres of the land for $263,000, leaving a balance to complete other needed improvements. The front walls, which are panneled, are faced with yellow Milwaukie brick, to save the expense of painting. The main edifice, which contains the apartments for the ofiicers and teachers, the re- ception-rooms, ofiices, the library, and mineralogical cabinet, etc., is flanked by two vast and well-arranged wings, one of which is devoted to the male, and the other to the female pupils. A central building, separated in construction from the others, but united to them with covered passageways, contains in the basement kitchen and appendages, on the first floor the dining-room, and on the next the chapel. The sexes are carefully separated, and meet only for meals, instruction, and divine worship, under the oversight of their instructors. The buildings are capable of accommodating over five hundred pupils, and are about equal to the demands of the deaf and dumb of this State, which are believed to amount to about two thousand one hundred of all ages. They occupy one of the most commanding locations on the entire island^ overlooking the beautiful Hudson, and have been universally admired for their beauty and exquisite arrangement. This Institution was at first designed for a private charity, but the good sense of the public soon awoke to the fact that the State owed the means of instruction to all its children, whether blind, deaf and dumb, or possessed of all the five senses. As these unfortunates are widely scattered, and to enjoy the advantages of an institution are compelled to reside far from home in an expensive city, it becomes the duty of the State to provide for their maintenance during the period of their instruction. From these considerations it was early taken under State patronage, which has since formed its principal 284 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. support. The annual cost of the Institution amounts to about $300 per inmate, exclusive of permanent improvements. Application for admission as a State pupil must be made to the Superintendent of Public Instruction at Albany, accom- panied by a certificate from the Overseer of the Poor in the town where the applicant resides, certifying that his parents or guardian are unable to pay for his board and tuition. State pupils must be between the ages of twelve and twenty- five. Pupils are admitted at the charge of counties between the ages of six and twelve. Pay pupils are also received from families of means. The regular course of instruction lasts eight years, with three years additional for those selected for good conduct and capacity for higher studies. An un- taught deaf-mute is the most ignorant creature in the human family. To him all the past is a blank, all the present an inexplicable mystery, and all the future a profound uncer- tainty. He has no proper conceptions of the Supreme Being, which affords one of the clearest evidences of the necessity of a Divine revelation. There have been three principal systems employed in their instruction: 1. Articulation, or the theory that articulation is indispensable to the clear com- prehension of thought. This system is believed to have been founded by Pedro Ponce, long practised by Wallis, Pereira, and the Braidwoods, has been for a century the common system taught in Germany, but has not been much practised in this country until quite recently. 2. Gesticulation, or the theory that every idea of which the mind is capable may be expressed by signs. This was taught by Sicard, Bebian, and others. 3. The American system, which combines the best fundamental principles of the two preceding, with practical additions. The language of gestures is clearly the only uni- versal channel of intelligent communication in the world, and savages from all countries have in this way been able to hold some conversation. This can be learned by deaf-mutes spon- taneously, and in all sj^stems is more or less employed. At the New York Institution the beginner, when introduced into the class-room, finds placed before him cards containing the printed names of objects. Either the object or its picture is placed by the side of the card. The teacher points first to the name and next to the object, and thus the connection between names and things soon becomes familiar. They are then taught to spell with their fingers by the Manual Alpha- bet a few short words, and the names of familiar objects. NEW YOKK INSTITUTION FOK Till: DEAF AND DUMB. 2S5 When about fifty words have been thus learned, embracing all the letters of the alphabet, short plirases containing- an adjective and a noun are formed, which they are required to write on large stationary slates, placed all around the class- rooms, and thus they are adranced until able to transfer their knowledge of signs to the printed page. The progress made by these hitherto untaught children of silence is surprising, and those who complete the full course attain to high scholar- ship. The language of signs is much more definite than many suppose, and^hese speechless brethren are here taught to discern between the things that differ. At a recent exami- nation, with no previous intimation, a class was called upon, in sign language, to write and explain the difference between the nearly synonymous terms of " conceal and dissemble," ^' antipathy and hatred," " courage and fortitude." In every instance the proper English word was instantly written on the slate by each member of the class in answer to the sign, and the nice distinctions of signification made. Several years since the more advanced students organized themselves into the *'Fanwood Literary Society," which now numbers over one hundred members. The society meets every Saturday evening, and is characterized by animated discussions and lectures in the ])antomime of the Institution. The three last days of August, 1867, will long be remem- bered by these silent brethren as the national convention of deaf-mutes, held at the New York Institution. Four hun- dred of the former pupils of the Institution, and over one hundred graduates of others, assembled, and took part in the interesting exercises. Seven of these national conventions iave now been held. More attention than formerly has recently been given to the matter of articulation. This, the Principal believes to be an accomplishment, and a matter of decided value in certain cases, though of little service to most congenital mutes, and a system that can never super- sede the more enlarged and cultivated language of signs. To keep the Institution, as it has long been, in tlie forefront of this benign movement, Mr. Engelsman, a German expert in this system of instruction, has been employed, and such semi-mutes and others as by experiment exhibit talent for irticulation are placed under his instruction. This class at present numbers over fifty students. A new brick building, one hundred feet by thirty, and three stories high, has just been erected for the better accommoda- 286 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. tion of the mechanical department. In addition to a good education, the students, unless wealthy, are taught trades, so that maintenance will not be a difficult problem when they return to the outside world. Shoe-making, cabinet-making, tailoring, dress-making, printing, bookbinding, and engraving, have been taught with success, in addition to horticulture and gardening. Less than twenty per cent, of the whole number, but nearly forty per cent, of the adult deaf mutes of the State, marry and rear offspring, not more than one in twenty of whom inherit the infirmities of their parents. The Institution is free from sectarian bigotry, the minds of the pupils being wisely directed to the Bible, without which there can be no complete culture of mind or heart. Prayer is offered by one of the teachers in the sign language every morning and even- ing in the chapel before the whole school. On the Sabbath a sermon suited to their capacities is delivered in the same manner. At table, when all are seated, one tap of the drum, the vibrations of which none hear but all feel, calls the vast family to silence, after which a blessing is invoked with signs by a teacher standing in one of the aisles, and at the close of this another tap is the signal for turning plates and beginning the dinner. The sanitary condition of the Institution is all that can be secured in our day, less sickness and fewer deaths occurring in it than among the more hardy population around it. The library contains about two thousand volumes, three hundred of which are rare books on deaf-mute instruction. About two thousand two hundred pupils have been edu- cated since the opening of the Institution. The professors have always ranked among the best educated men of the State. Half of those now employed are graduates of the Institution. Dr. Harvey P. Peet was called to the office of Principal in 1831, and filled this position with great ability for thirty-six years. He is the author of many of the text- books in this and other American institutions. Weary with the toil of years, he resigned his position at the close of 1867, and was succeeded by his son, Isaac Lewis Peet, A.M., who had been the Yice-Principal for fifteen years, and who bids fair to attain to the celebrity of his excellent father. mSTITUTION FOR THE IMPROVED mSTRUCTION OF DEAF MUTES. {Broadway, between Forty-fourth and Forty-fiftJh streets. ) [IFFERENT systems foi tlie instruction of deaf mutes have been adopted in different countries. The French have practised upon the sign language, while the Ger- mans have long made a specialty of the system of articulation. Several years ago, Bernhard Engelsman, a learned German skilled in the art of teaching deaf-mutes in this latter system, came to New York, and on the organization of this Institution was appointed its Principal, and thus became the founder of this system of deaf-mute instruction in this country. The new Institution was opened March 1, 1867, with ten pupils, at No. 134 West Twenty-seventh street. The building soon became too small for the increasing number of scholars, so that in May, 1868, the school, having nineteen pupils, was removed to No. 330 East Fourteenth street. The number of students steadily increased, amounting in 1869 to about thirty — all the building could accounnodate. The society was incorporated under the general act of Legislature in 1868, and on the 12th of April, 1870, the Legislature, by special act, placed it on a level with the New York Institution at Washington Heights, so that indigent students, if they pre- fer, may be instructed here, as at the other institution, at State expense. The sum of $10,000 was also given by the State for the establishment of the Institution, and several thousand had previously accumulated in the treasury of the society, from the donations of its friends. The demand for increased accom- modations led the trustees to lease two large and eligible houses on Broadway in the summer of 1870, where the school is at present conducted. A desire existing in many minds to obtain from the city a site on which to erect buildings, a formal application was ac- cordingly filed in June, ISTO, with the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of the city of New York, asking a grant of land for the pm-pose above named ; and accordingly, on or about August 1st, 1S70, the president had the gratification of re- ceiving the deed of a grant of land, situated on the westerly side of Lexington avenue, and extending from Sixty-seventh 288 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. to Sixty-eighth streets, a distance of two hundred feet and ten inches, being the entire front of a block, consisting of eight lots, besides four lots on the rear of these, being two on Sixty- seventh and Sixty-eighth streets, respectively, and forming one plot, at the annual rental of one dollar, for the period or ninety-nine years. " This land to be devoted to the purposes of this Institution, and for such purposes only." Plain and substantial buildings are to be erected on these grounds as soon as possible. The Institution is supported and directed by an association of several hundred gentlemen, mostly of the Hebrew faith, who are annual contributors. On the 15th of July, 1869, Mr. Engelsman, who had been engaged for hve years, as Principail, by the officers of the society, severed his connection with the Institution, and has since connected himself with the New York Institution at Washington Heights, carrying the prestige of his name and merit, as the chief expert of this system of instruction in America, to that old, time-honored college of deaf-mutes, the largest and best arranged of its kind in the world. The society, however, has not faltered in its enter- prise. Professor F. A. Rising, A.M., a graduate of "Williams Col- lege, who had been employed seven months in the Ohio Institution, two years in the New York Institution at Wash- ington Heights, and had been for some months the Vice- Principal with Mr. Engelsman, was appointed to take charge of the Institution. He is a young man of talent and energy, entirely devoted to his calling ; but it remains to be seen whether, with his limited experience in this particular and difficult system of instruction, he can successfully compete with those who have made it a life-long specialty. Previous to the removal to Broadway, the names (;f thirty-four pupils had been on the register, about half of w]i(_)m had been boarded in the Insti- tution. At their last anniversary, May 11, 1871, the managers reported fifty -one pupils in attendance. THE NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND. {Ninth avenue and Thirty-fourth street. ) A striking exhibition of the wisdom and benevolence of the Creator is seen in his raising up, from time to time, agen- cies to guard and foster every interest of society. For many ages the blind remained wholly untaught, and sat mournfully, Bartimeus like, along the crowded thoroughfare of human life. Nothing was undertaken in America to ameliorate their condition, until within the last half century. Dr. Samuel Ackerly, Samuel AVood, and Dr. John D. Ross have the honor of being chiefly instrumental in inaugurating a move- ment for this long-neglected class, which will crown their memories with undying reno\\m. Early in 1831, through their influence, a society was organized in jSTew York, for the purpose of founding an institution for the education of the blind, and on the 21st of April,thesameyear,t]ie State Legis- lature passed an act incorporating the society, with the title of '\The New York Institution for the Blind." A school with six pupils was opened May 19, 1832, at 4T Mercer street, under Dr. Russ, which was the first of its kind on the conti- 290 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. nent. By the aid of fairs and donations, a piece of ground and buildings on Eighth avenue were obtained of James Boorman, at a nominal rent, with covenant to sell. An in- structor in the mechanic arts was procured, and on December 2d, 1833, their first public exhibition was held in the City Hall. The proficiency of the sixteen pupils present, in reading from raised letters, their knowledge of geography, arithmetic, of music, and the skill of their workmanship in mats, mattresses, and baskets, excited great interest. In the inception of the movement, the managers only con- templated the instruction of the blind of their own city ; but as applications continued to pour in from abroad, they soon felt the necessity for enlarged and better accommodations. The present site of the Institution was obtained of Mr. Boor- man at a reduction of $10,000 below its market value. On the 30th of April, 1836, $12,000 were given by the State, on condition that $8,000 more would be raised by the managers ; and in 1839 another grant of $15,000 was made, to assist in erecting the buildings. When the site was originally ob- tained, it was far outside of the improved portions of the city, but is now in the midst of a densely-populated section. It is situated between Thirty-third and Thirty-fourth streets, fronting on Ninth avenue, is two hundred feet wide and eight hundred feet deep. The building was originally a three-story, constructed of Sing-Sing marble, strongly but- tressed and surmounted with turrets, presenting an imposing fa9ade of one hundred and seventy -five feet, with a north and a south wing one hundred and twenty-five feet each. The building hasbeen greatly improved during the last year by the addition of a mansard story, enlarging the accommoda- tions, and enhancing its general appearance. A broad yard of fine cultivation is spread in front of the Institution, and the workshops occupy the rear. The society is a private corporation, and elects its board of twenty man- agers annually, which are divided into four committees ; one on finance ; one on supplies, repairs, and improvements ; one on music and instruction ; and one on manufactures. Each committee has charge of the department indicated by its name, and holds a weekly meeting, while as a board of man- agers they meet monthly for the transaction of regular busi- ness. The managers serve gratuitously, many giving much valuable time to the intei-ests of the Institution. It has never been the design of the managers to make tliis a permanent NEW YORK INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND. 291 ^'Horae " or " Asylum" for the blind, nor yet a "Hospital" for the treatment of optical diseases, neither is it a Prison where persons are involuntarily detained, but emphatically a school for instruction, to be entered or abandoned on mutual agreement. Only about seventeen per cent, of the blind were born without sight, the rest having lost it by disease or acci- dent. During the thirty-nine years of its operations, the Institu- tion has had under its instruction something more than one thousand different persons, most of whom have been young. On January 1, 1871, its students numbered 129, though 157 names had been on the roll during the year, none of whom had been in the Institution over seven years.^ In 1834 the managers began to receive State pupils, ^.00 per annum from the fund arising from auction duties. This annuity was continued forty-two years, but was discontiiiued in 1853. The original charter was limited to twenty-one years, and has since been twice renewed. The business of the society is conducted by a board of (}a<\y) trustees, annually elected by the society, of which all ladies contributing one dollar and fifty cents per year are members. The operations of the society began in a small hired house in Raisin street, and in April, 1807, the society held its annual meeting in the City Hotel, on Broad- way. ^ The orphan children, more tlian twenty in number, were presented to the view of the public on this occasion, and an appeal made for means to provide enlarged accom- modations. The public generously responded, four lots of ground in Greenwich were purchased, and the same year a brick building fifty feet square, and designed to accommodate nearly two hundred cliildren, was completed, at an expense of $15,000. Mr. Philip Jacobs bequeathed to the society two houses and lots on Broadway, a house and lot in Warren street, one in Pearl street, and a tract of wild land, the annual income of all amounting to about $4,000. The litigation attending the acquisition of tliis property cost $15,000, but in 1833 the court confirmed the bequest, which laid the foundation of the permanent prosperity of the society, and forms still the basis of its invested resources. The devasta- tion produced by the cholera in 1834, which swept away the female teacher and a number of the children, induced the society to abandon the city and build an asylum in the country. Nine and a quarter acres of land were purchased west of Broadway, between Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth streets, and the corner-stone of the new edifice laid with ap- propriate services June 6, 1836. The building was one hundred and twenty by sixty feet, \\ ith three stories and basement, and cost $45,000. In 1855 two spacious wings, corresponding in size and style with the first building, were added at a cost of $40,000, affording ac- commodations for more than have ever been received. The buildings are of brick, stuccoed in imitation of yellow marble ; the yards and play -grounds are ample ; the location THE NEW YORK ORPHAN ASTLUil. 301 being on high ground, and near the Hudson, is one of the linest on the island. The hmd purchased for $17,500, with the growth of tlie <;ity and the laying out of the new Public I)rive, has in- rise was first sug- THE SHELTERING ARMS. 309' gested, some regarded it as a useless undertaking, and suo-- gested that it would be difficult to find children not liither?o provided for, while others, more considerate, thought it too vast, if not quite Utopian. The society having been organ- ized, the President, Rev. Thos. M. Peters, D.D., generously offered his own house, situated at the corner of One Hun- dredth street and Broadway, free of rent for ten years, which was opened on the 6th of October, 1864, and forty children, all the building could accommodate, immediately received. The first child received in anticipation of opening the Insti- tution, was a little deserted blind girl of four or five years, and soon after, a helpless crippled boy, unable to gain admit- tance into any hospital, because incurable, was received, and after seventeen months, flew away to that land where the inhabitants no more say, " I am sick." The operations of the first eighteen months proved two things. First, that their accommodations were inadequate to the demands made upon them; and secondly, that the genercsity of the public would support a larger family.- In 1866^ another building was erected by the trustees, at an exj^ense of $10,000 ; the mimber of children increased to ninety, and the annual ex- penses of the Institution from $6,000 to $11,000. But a new difficulty soon confronted them. The Boulevard, in its wide sweep up the island, cut through their grounds, taking nine of their twenty-two lots, leaving the remainder in two- pieces, and too small for their use. After examining several pieces of property, the trustees purchased an acre of ground, situated on One Hundred and Twenty-ninth street and Tenth avenue, in what is called Manhattan ville. Their plan of building is partly modeled after the Tough house of Wichern, near Hamburg, on the Horn, i.e., to erect cottages, so that the children may be divided into families of equal number ; but the great value of ground on Manhattan has compelled them to unite several under one roof, instead of scattering them around the field as at Hamburg. Their new building was completed, and the cl ildren removed to it on the 5th of February, 1870. '= It is a two-story brick, with basement and attic, in the Gothic order, with slated French roof, and is com- posed of five sections. The central portion, rising a little above the rest, is thirty-six by forty- seven feet, and contains office, parlor, kitchen, linen and work rooms, infirmary, and all necessary sleeping apartments for adults. The two wings are each fifty by forty feet ; each contains two cottages, witli -310 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. I accommodations for thirty children each, affording space for one hundred and twenty in all. Each cottage contains its separate dining-room, play-room, M-ash-room, and dormitory. An appeal was made for $5,000 donations, the amount neces- sary to erect a cottage, the name of the donor to be given to the building. Mrs. Peter Cooper generously furnished the sura to erect a cottage for girls ; Mr. John D. Wolfe, one for boys ; another friend gave the amount for the third, and the Ladies' Association have undertaken to pay for the fourth. The school-house is a separate building. The ground and buildings have thus far cost about $75,000, and the trustees purpose to duplicate these buildings, as soon as their finances will admit, and increase the number of inmates to about three hundred. A small Episcopal church stands in the rear of the Institution on the adjoining street, where the children attend service. The president of the society is an Episcopal clergy- man ; representatives of other denominations are, however, in its board of management. Children are received without re- gard to creed or nationality, and the managers acknowledge donations from Jews, Gentiles, and all denominations of Christians. The internal management of the Institution was, from its commencement until the spring of 1870, committed to the Sisterhood of St. Mary, of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Six of them took charge of the four families of ■children, and found time to write articles for their monthly paper, conduct fairs, collect subscriptions, and attend to sun- dry other matters. Their habit strikingly resembled that worn by the orders of the Romish faith, and, as they were be- lieved by many to be too closely allied to them in many points of faith and practice, it was considered best by the board of management to remove them from the Institution. Miss Sarah S. Richmond, an estimable lady of piety and culture, has at present the charge of its internal management, and is assisted by hired help. These lady managers are deserving of great credit for the sacrifice and toil bestowed on these home- less children, many of whom are '* rougli casts of unculti- vated humanity," but are soon subdued by gentle treatment and faithful instruction. The Institution has, at this writing, one hundred and twenty-five children, ten of whom are in- curable invalids who could gain access to no other institution. Children are received at any age, from infancy to fourteen 3^ears, subject to the call of their parents or relatives ; but if left to the managers, are retained until farther advanced in THE BIIELTERING ARMS. 311 years than iu most institutions, that their habits of virtue may be more thoroughly conlirmech In addition to an Enghsli education, they are to be taught trades as far as possible. Board is charged of such as are able to pay, but all received from this source has not exceeded one-sixth of the current expenses of the- Institution in any year. The State has con- tributed some small sums to the Institution ; but the city au- thorities, giving unnumbered tliousands to others, have not been importuned" by the Sheltering Arms to impose heavy burdens on the public for its support. Their president and manao-ers have taken the wise, Christian, and statesman-like view, that private charitable corporations should be supported by those especially interested, and that public officials should not be invoked to compulsorily draw supplies from those who might disapprove of their principles or practices. All honor to the Sheltering Arms for this most wholesome example, so eminently worthy of imitation. They have wisely sought, by the dissemination of knowledge relating to their work, to develop a charity in their friends, affording abundant supplies not easily affected by the caprices of leg- islation. The undertaking of the society has thus far proved! a magnificent success. ♦ The policy has been somewhat changed since writing the above. ROJIAX CATIIOLIU OKl'IIAN ASYLUM, BOYS' BUILDINGS, FIl'TII AVENUE. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ORPHAN ASYLUM. {Corner Mott and Prince streets.) In April, 1817, the " Roman Catholic Benevolent Society " was incorporated by act of Legislature, the Right Rev. Bishop Connolly being its first president. The Institution for several years consisted of poor wooden structures located at what is now Prince street, but was at that time far out of the city. The present edifice, at the cor- ner of Mott and Prince streets, stands on the original site, and was erected in 1825. It is a large four-story brick, with acconnnodations for three hundred and fifty children It now stands in the midst of a dense population, and is occu- pied by about two hundred of the larger girls, who are em- ployed in needle and laundry work, and other industrial pursuits. These arc adopted or indentured at from fourteen to seventeen years of age. A few, regarded as more than ordinarily brilliant, are sent to the academy in Forty-second street, where they pass gratuitously through a three years' course of instruction. The Asylum has been from the first under the charge of the Sisters of Charity, who superin- tend the studies of the children, instruct the girls in the THE KOMAN CATHOLIC ORPHAN ASYLUM. 313 various industrial arts, and attend to all the interests of the household. In 184C, the Asylum being inadequate to the demands, the society obtained from the Common Council, for one dollar a year, a errant of 450 feet of the west end of the block lying between Pifty-first and Fifty-second streets, front- ing on Fifth avenue. Upon this site was completed in Novem- ber, 1851, a beautiful four-story brick edifice, since known as the boys' buildings. The building consists of a central portion sixty feet by thirty, with front and rear enclosed balconies, fifteen feet wide on each story, and of two wings of the same height. In the rear of the northern wing is a building fifty by twentj'-five feet, used for kitchen, laundry, etc. The ceilings are high, the entire building well ventilated and warmed, and well arranged with class-rooms, dormitories, chapel, etc. In the rear is a large play-ground, while the grounds in front are richly cultivated, and profusely set with choice shrubbery and flowers. In 1857, the authorities granted the remaining portion of the same block of ground, extending to Fourth avenue, for additional buildings. Madison avenue, having since been extended, forms at present its western boundary. A plan was now formed for the erection of one of the largest and finest orphan houses in the country, for the reception and training of the smaller girls. The northern wing, two hundred feet in length and five stories high, was begun in 1866, and sufiiciently completed for the reception of the children on the 23d of August, 1868. The basement contains the kitchen, laundry, heating apj^liances for the whole establishment, etc. The co(^king, washing, and heating are performed with steam. The first floor contains a dining-room of immense capacity. All the additional stories of this wing are to be devoted to dormitories, after the other portions are completed. These floors afford ample space for one hundred and fifty single beds each, and even more could be introduced. The high price of building materials at the time of its erection, and the purchase of the needed machinery, swelled the cost of this first section of the enterprise to nearly $150,000. In March, 1869, the main edifice fronting on Madison avenue was begun, and completed in the space of a year. This con- tains the parlors, school-rooms, the private apartments, and was completed at a less expense than the preceding. Another immense wing, the counterpart of the one first erected, is soon to follow, which will contain the chapel, infirmary, and vari- 314 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ous needed accommodations. The buildings are all five sto- ries above the basement, constructed with excellent taste, of pressed brick and freestone; in the Gothic order, with French roof, and will afford accommodation for one thousand children. This establishment, both for its colossal proportions and the beauty of its architecture, greatly exceeds the two preceding, which had previously been considered large and model asy- lums. About three hundred of the smaller girls, composed of orphans and half-orphans, are here domiciled at this writing. A regular English course of study is taught on five days of the week, a portion of Saturday and the Sabbath being devoted to the Roman catechism, and other exercises of religion. The last Ledslature contributed $10,000 of the people's money to this institution. NEW YORK ASYLUM FOR LYING-IN WOIIEN. {No. 83 Marion street. ) Tlie condition of many virtuous and worthy women, left homeless and friendless, in the most critical period of their history, led several humane physicians and a num- ber of excellent women, in 1822, to organize a society for the purpose of establishing a lying-in asylum. Tlien, as now, desertion from intemperance, destitution arising from long sickness, the unkindness of some husbands, or the loss of a partner by death, made such an asylum necessary. A ward had been devoted to these patients for twenty years in the Xew York Hospital, but a more private asylum was considered desirable. The act of incorporation passed the Legislature March 19, 1827. The business of the society is conducted by a board of thirty-three female managers, annu- ally elected by the society, wliich is composed of such females as contriluite the sum of $3 per aimum toward the support of the Institution. The work of the society began in some rooms in Orange street, leased for $275 per annum, where it continued eight years. The sixth annual meeting of the 316 NEW TORE AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. organization was held in the lecture-room of the Brick Church,, on the 12th of March, 1829, and the report was read by Dr. James C. Bliss. In this he stated that thirty-four patients had been received during the year, that their accommodations were entirely inadequate to meet the wants of the class they were seeking to benefit, and recommended the plan of build- ing a suitable asylum. Eev. Dr. Macauly and Dr. Cock fol- lowed with addresses, in which they approved of the plan of erecting a new building. A subscription paper was immedi- ately prepared, and the sum of $550 subscribed during the day. Three lots were purchased far out of the city, and in 1830 the Asylum now standing at No. 85 Marion street was erected. The three lots cost $2,750; and the building, which is a substantial three-story brick, forty-five by sixty feet, capable of accommodating fifty patients, $8,707. The Asylum has been supported by private subscriptions, with small excep- tions. In presenting their sixth report, in March, 1829, the managers gratefully acknowledged the reception of $200 from the corporation, which is a singular paragraph to read in these days, when millions are donated to similar charities. To remove a debt, at a later period, $1,500 were granted, and during the half century of its operations about $7,000 have been received from the city, and nothing from the State. The hospitalities of the Asylum are given without charge to virtuous, indigent women only, evidence of hondjlde mar- riage being invariably required. The Institution was established when foundling hospitals were not appreciated in this country, and when many be- lieved such institutions calculated to encourage vice. It has been the opinion of the managers that to throw the Institution open to all who should claim its assistance would unavoid- ably very soon confine its operations to the vicious alone, as virtuous married women would not become the associates and fellow-pensioners of the degraded and abandoned. Hence, to make the charity of value to the most worthy class, for which it was chiefly undertaken, none but the virtuous could be received. But in declining to receive those considered improper subjects, they did not abandon them to absolute destitution, for about the year 1830 a system of out-door charity was established. The city was divided into nineteen districts, and a physician appointed to each, who visited gratuitously by day and night all persons not admitted into the Institution, whenever application was made at the office KEW YORK MAGDAiEN BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. 317 in the basement of the Asyhnn. This arrangement, with some modification, still continnes. Since the opening of the Asylum, 3,600 inmates have been received, and over 12,000 ont-door patients have been attended by the district physi- cians. The number of applicants is not as large as in former years, 85 only being admitted during the last Welve months. The Institution is the most purely charitable of any on the island, as no board or other fee is required ; yet, situated in a retired nook at the head of Marion street, though one of the oldest, it is really the least known of any in the city. The managers, unwilling to be entirely supplanted by other insti- tutions, are now considering the propriety of removing the Asylum to a better locality. The matron, Mi-s. Hope, has taken charge of the Asylum over fifteen years, and proved herself an intelligent and conscientious Superintendent. The Asylum has furnished hundreds of wet nurses to families in need of them, aud situations to hundreds of others, who would otherwise have gone back to abodes of destitution, if not to ruin. Mrs. Mayor Hall is one of the active managers of the Institution. NEW YORK lilAGDALEN BENEVOLENT SOGIETT. {Fifth avenue and Eighty-eighth street. ) ^ ^N the year 1828, several Christian ladies, representing }Mi different religious denominations, established a Sun- day school in the female penitentiary at Belle vue among those committed for variouscrimes, and others who required medical treatment. Interesting facts resulting from these efforts were communicated to the public, and such an interest awakened in the community that on the first day of January, 1830, the Xew York Magdalen Society was organ- ized. Two years later the society was for some cause disbanded. The interest awakened, however, did not decline, for on the extinction of the old organization three new ones sprang up, one in Laight, one in Spring, and one in the Carmine Street Churches. About the same time a society of gentlemen was organized, called the " Benevolent Society of the City of New York." In January, 1833, these societies were all again dis- 318 NEW YOEK AJSTD ITS INSTITUTIONS. banded, and the " New Tork Female Benevolent Society" was organized, its officers and members being largely composed of persons who had given inspiration to the earlier organiza- tions. Subsequently the term " Female " was stricken out, and " Magdalen " inserted. The object of the society is the promotion of TRoral i^urity^ by affording an asylum to erring females, who manifest a desire to return to the paths of virtue, and by procuring employment for their future support. This society issued its first report in January, 1834, and among its list of members stands the name of Mrs. Thomas Hastings, whose life has been largely devoted to the success of this enter- prise, and who, in this, the thirty-ninth year of its operation, is its first directress. The present society began its benevolent work in a hired upper floor in Carmine street, near Bleecker. The inmates did not exceed ten in number at any time pre- vious to 1836. The society early arranged for the permanent establishment of the Institution, and a plot of ground, contain- ing twelve city lots and an old fi'ame building, was pm*chased at Eighty-eighth street and Fifth avenue, for the sum of $4,000. This location thirty years ago was far removed from the city, but is now becoming a very attractive part of it, and its streets will soon be lined with costly palaces. After occu- pying the old wooden building nearly twenty years, the enter- prising managers (all ladies) resolved to erect a new building, though at that meeting there was not a dollar in the treasury to defray the expenditures of such an undertaking. Trusting in the overruling providence of Him who had hitherto directed their efforts, they ari-anged their plan, and erected a fine three-story brick edifice, the means being pro- vided from time to time by the generous public, to which they have never appealed in vain. Additions have since been made, and the buildings, which can now accommodate nearly a hundred inmates, have cost over thirty thousand dollars. Property has so appreciated in this locality that the Asylum and its six remaining lots are valued at near $100,000. The yard fronting on Eighty-eighth street has a high brick wall, the other parts of the ground being enclosed with a strong board fence. The first floor of the Asylum contains rooms for the matron and assistant matron, a parlor, a laro;e work-room, and a neat chapel, with an organ and seating for a hundred persons. The two upper stories contain the sleeping apart- ments. The girls are not locked in their own private apart- ments, as in the Steenbeck Asylum of Pastor Heldring, in JTEW YORK MAGDALEN BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. 319 Holland ; but the door leading from each floor is locked every nio-ht, and it would perhaps be an advantage if noisy and mrschievous ones were always compelled to spend the night in their own apartments. Girls are taken at from ten to thirty years of age, and remain a longer or shorter period, according to circumstances. None are detained against their will, unless consigned to the Asylum by their parents or the magistrates. A "Bible-reader visits the Tombs and other prisons, and encourages young women who express a desire to reform to enter the Asylum. Most of them have been ruined by intemperance, or want of early culture. The most hope- less among fallen women are those who have lived as mis- tresses. Many of these have spent years in idleness, affluence, and fashion, holding for their own convenience the threat of exposure over the heads of their guilty paramours, and have thus developed all the worst traits of fallen humanity, Not a few of these have been thoroughly restored to a virtuous life by this society. Industry is one of the first lessons of the Asy- lum, witliout which there can be no abiding reformation. A pure literature is afforded, with the assistance of an instructor, for those whose education has been neglected. When the inmate gives evidence that true A\omanhood is really return- ing, a situation is procured for her in a Christian family in 'fej the city or country, the managers greatly preferring the latter. The chaplain. Rev. Charles C. Darling, has been connected with the Institution over thirty years, and has re- joiced over the hopeful conversion of naany of its inmates. Every Sabbath morning the family assembles for preaching, a Bible class is conducted by the chaplain in the afternoon, and again on Thursday afternoon, unless there is unusual religious interest among the inmates, when the ser\'ice is de- voted to preaching, exhortation, and prayer. The inmates often weep convulsively under the appeals of truth ; a score at times rise or kneel for prayer, at a single service. With some, it is deep and lasting, but with others it passes away like the morning cloud. At times, they hold prayer-meetings among themselves, with good results, and on other occasions their assemblies are broken up with bickerings and conten- tions. Many of them are talented and well favored, formed for more than an ordinary sphere in human life. They have recently formed themselves into a benevolent society, desig- nated *' The Willing Hearts," and have sent several remit- tances of clothing to a devoted missionary in Michigan. Tho 320 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. matron, Mrs. Ireland, an esteemed Christian lady, has pre- sided for years with great skill over the Institution. This is the pioneer asylum of its kind in New York; the numerous similar societies now in operation have grown up through its example, and many of their managers were once associated with the Magdalen Society. The society has nobly breasted the tide of early prejudice, and conquered it. It has met with discouragements, as might have been expected, in every phase of its history, yet these have been of the kind that add momentum to the general movement, and make success the more triumphant. The statistics presented at its thirty-eighth anniversary are more than ordinarily interesting. During the last year, 18S had been in the Institution, with an average family of nearly fifty. It was also stated that during the last thirty-five years 2,000 inmates had been registered, 600 of whom had been placed in private families, 400 returned to relatives, 400 had left the Asylum at their own request, 300, weary of restraint, had left without permission, 100 had been expelled, 300 had been temporarily transferred to the hospitals, 24 had been known to unite with evangelical churches, 20 had been legally married, and 41 had died. More than six thousand religious services had been held. But figures cannot express the amount of good done. Every fallen woman, while at large, is a firebrand inflaming others ; an enemy sowing tares in the great field of the world. Her recovery is, therefore, not only a source of good to herself but of prevention to others. The Asylum is maintained at an expense of about eight thousand dollars per annum. A permanent fund is being raised for the support of the chaplaincy. The Legislature recently donated $3,000 to the society. SOCIETY FOR THE RELIEF OF HALF-ORPHAXS. 321 SOCIETY FOR THE EELIEF OF HALF-ORPHANS AND DESTITUTE CHILDREN. (No. 67 We.^t Tenth street.) ^^ RPHAN children have always been considered suit- able objects of compassion and aid ; hence, asylums ^^ for their protection and instruction have throuo-liout modern times been favorite establishments of the benevolent. In many cases the condition of the half -orphan is quite as pitiable as the orphan, and has an equal claim on our charity. Its mother may have been left in great destitu- tion or debility, or the father, the only surviving parent, may be insane or crippled. Many children whose parents are still living, but dissipated and reckless, are as badly off as either class before mentioned. No institution in Iscw York opened its doors for the reception of half-orphans until January 14^ 1836. An affecting circumstance led to the founding of this charity. A young widow of Protestant sentiments, unable ta take her two children with her to her place of service, con- signed them to a Roman Catholic asylum, and for a time paid all her earnings for their board. Unwilling to have them trained in a liomish institution, and unable to provide for herself and them in the city, she took them from the asylum and went into the country. The lady with whom she had lived was Mrs. William A. Tomlinson, and the courageous departure of her excellent servant, from whom she never afterwards heard, produced a deep and salutary impression on her thoughtful and pious mind. The relation of the story to several benevolent ladies excited sympathy, and on the 16th of December, 1835, seven of them asseml)led to mature a plan for organizing a society. On the same night the most disastrous fire ever known in the city occurred. The First Ward, east of Broadway and about Wall street, was almost entirely destroyed. The Merchants' Exchange and six hundred and forty-eight of the most valuable stores in the city, and considerable church property, were consumed, inflicting a loss upon the commmiity, besides the suspension of business, of $18,000,000. The society faltered amid these forbidding sur- roundings, but soon rallied, collected a little money, and began its operations. On the fourteenth day of January, 1830, a 322 NEW YOEK A^T) ITS INSTITUTIONS. basement haviug been hired in "Whitehall street, the directors threw open their door, and announced themselves ready to admit twenty children, and four were at once received. The conditions of acceptance were these : 1. The death of one parent. 2. Freedom from contagious disease. 3. A promise from the parent to pay fifty cents per week for board, unless satisfactory reasons were given why it should not be required. 4, No child received under four nor over ten years of age. The apartments being wlioUy unsuited, a house in Twelt'th street was taken and the children removed to it in May, 1836, and at the end of the first year 74 had been received. The entire expense of the first year, including rent, furniture, salaries, medicine, one funeral, and all other household requis- ites, amounted to $2,759.00. At the close of the second year 114 had been received. The act of incorporation passed the Legislature xipril 27, 1837, vesting the corporate powers of the society in a self perpetuating board of nine male trustees, who were empowered to receive bequests, and hold property to any amount, the annual income of which should not exceed fifty dollars for every child received ; and the appropriation of the income and the internal and domestic management of the Institution were committed to a board of female managers, consisting of a first and a second directress, a secretary, a treasurer, and twenty-six others, residing at the time of their election in the city of Kew York, The board is also vested with power to bind out, to proper persons, children who have been surrendered to the Institu- tion, and all those not known to have friends in the State legally authorized to make such surrender. The children are not kept after they reach their fourteenth year, all being either returned to their parents or sent out to service. Their food is simple, abundant, and nutritious, and tliough small- pox, measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping-cough, and all the other diseases common to children, have occasion- ally crept into the Institution, but very few have died. Many of them have been vulgar and intractable at their entrance, but have soon yielded to wholesome discipline and example. In May, 1837, the family was removed to the Nicholson House, then No. 3 West Tenth street, which had been purchased by one of the trustees, and was sold to the society tlie following year. This building furnished accommodations for one hun- dred and twcTity children, and was soon filled. Durhig the summer of 184*0 a house was rented in Morristown, New SOCIETY FOE THE RELIEF OF HALF-OKPHANS. 323 Jersey, and 47 of the children taken there to spend the hot season. In 1S40, the society, having received several liberal donations, purchased some valuable lots on Sixth avenue, where a three-story brick edifice sixty-four feet wide was erected, the cost of all but a little exceeding $20,000. In May, 1841, the children were removed to it, and the number a^ain much increased, some of the younger ones remaining in a part of the wood building on Tenth street, called at that time "the Nursery." This new building on Sixth ave- nue was occupied for sixteen years, though never equal to the demands, and after much discussion about removing the Institution out of the city, and other schemes for enlargement, more lots were finally secured adjoining those on Tenth street, the present building erected, and the "children removed to it amid the financial panic in the fall of 1857. The edifice is substantially constructed of brick trimmed with brown stone, is four stories above the basement, has a front of ninety-five feet, and cost, exclusive of grounds, over $37,000. The base- ment contains, besides wash-room and laundry, a fine play- room ; the first fioor, a kitchen, dining-room, parlor, and rooms for the matron. The second floor is devoted to school-rooms, the third contains dormitories for the girls, and the fourth the dormitories for boys, and an infirmary. The society has dis- charged all its indebtedness, converted its buildings on Sixth avenue into stores which bring a fine income, and now ranks among the most successful and best-established institutions of ISTew York. Since its organization, three thousand and thirty-three half- orphan children have been admitted to share its advantages, between two hundred and three hundred being the average number for several years past. All are instructed in the rud- iments of English learning, under the inspection of the Board of Education, and the usual percentage of the school fund and the State orphan fund are paid to the Institution. Public prayers are offered with the children every morning and even- ing"^; a fine Sabbath-school is conducted in the building, and all attend church. Early rising, industrious habits, great cleanliness, intellectual, moral, aYid religious instruction, are the chief characteristics of the Asylum. The Institution is Protestant, but not denominational. Mrs. Tomlinson, its chief foundress and promoter, continued its first director for twenty- seven years, and died in 1862. During the year 1869 the only remaining one of the seven who first organized the soci- 324 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ety, Mrs. James Boorman, was also called to her reward. In May, 1870, Miss Mary Brasher, who had held a place of use- fulness in the board for more than twenty years, was also dis- charged by the great Master. The toils of these worthy ladies have sometimes appeared thankless. They have ever sought to strengthen the bond be- tween the parent and the child, by insisting on a small pay- ment for weekly board whenever possible, and thus have wisely prevented many parents from drowning their natural affection in idleness and dissipation. Yet their good works have not saved them from being occasionally covered with abuse by the dissolute and ungrateful. Numbers of the chil- dren, however, have given evidence of genuine conversion while in the Institution, and many more after having gone to live in Christian families in the country. Some who had not been heard from for years, when converted, have taken the earliest opportunity to write to the managers, breathing grate- ful emotion for those who had picked them from haunts of penury or dissipation, planted in their tender minds the seeds of truth, which were now developing into a holy life. Surely, He that went about doing good, and who took children in His arms, and blessed them, will not be unmindful of these toils, but in the day of final reckoning will say, " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me." LEAKE AND WATTS ORPHAN HOUSE. (West One Hundred and Tenth street.) Many years ago, two young men were engaged in the study of law in the office of Judge James Duane, one of the early celebrities of the New York bar. Their ambitious and thor- ough bearing gave promise of more than ordinary success, to which they both ultimately attained. One was known as John George Leake, the other as John Watts. Mr. Leake in- herited a considerable estate from his father, and a long career as a legal adviser and a prudent business man, brought him at last to the possession of great wealth. He had no children ; and, after making a fruitless search through England and Scotland for some remaining kindred, he experienced the un- enviable sadness of knowing that he was the last of his race ; that, among all the scattered millions of earth, not one existed who was bound to him by ties of consanguinity. His later years were passed in comparative retirement in his own house at Xo. 32 Park row, visited and known only by several acquaint- ances of his earlier years, among whom was Mr. Jolm Watts. Mr. Leake desired to per])etuate his family name in Kew York, and after his death, which occurred June 2d, 1827, 326 NEW YORK AInD ITS INSTITUTIONS. his will disclosed the fact that he had selected Eobert "Watts, the second son of his old friend, to inherit his estate, on con- dition that he and his descendants should take and forever bear the surname of Leake ; but, in case of his refusal to ac- cept it on these conditions, or of his decease during his min- ority without lawful issue, then the entire estate was to be de- voted to an orphan house, of which he furnished the design, and appointed the seven ex-officio trustees. The last will and testament of Mr. Leake was found among his papers in his own handwriting, finely executed, with his full name at its commencement, but, unfortunately, he had neglected to add his signature at its close, and to secure the proper witnesses. He named four executors, only two of whom, however, Her- mon LeEoy, and his old friend, John Watts, survived him. The surrogate of the county refused to admit the will to pro- bate, on account of its impei:fect execution, and a long and expensive litigation ensued. The authorities of New York claimed that ilr. Leake died intestate, and that his property fell to the city ; but after a series of ably contested suits, in which thirty thousand dollars of his savings were squandered, the highest judicatory decreed that the instrument was a valid testamentary document so far as his personal property was concerned, but that the landed estate, valued at seventy or eighty thousand dollars, escheated to the State. Up to the period of this final decision, which occurred about the close of 1829, it was not known whether or not Eobert would comply with the conditions, and receive the es- tate, which still amounted to about four hundred thousand dollars. He liad waited quietly for the close of the litigation, and then decided to accept it. Application was made to the Legislature for the enabling act, but ere its passage he died suddenly, to the great disappointment of his friends, leaving all his possessions to his father. Mr. John Watts, who was also very wealthy, being now far advanced in years, and having no surviving sons, took a most sensible view of the situation, and immediately proceeded to carry out the design of his departed friend, namely, to estab- lish the Orphan House. On the 7th of March, 1S31, an act passed the Legislature incorporating the Leake and W^^^^ Orphan House'in the city of New York. The testator wisely directed that the Orphan House should be erected from the income of the estate, so as to preserve the capital for a per- manent endowment; consequently, the structure was not LEAKE AND WATTS ORPHAN HOUSE. 327 comincuced for several years. A plot of twenty acres of ground was selected at Bloomingdale, One Hundred and Tenth street, and on the 28th of April, 1838, the corner-stone of the building was laid in the presence of a large audience, several distinguished clergymen of New York taking part in the exercises. The edifice, completed November 1843,. consists of a large central building and two wings ; the front entrance is reached by a broad flight of sixteen granite steps, while the porticos, front and rear, are supported" by six immense Ionic columns. The basement is of granite, the three succeeding stories of brick, well appropriated to school- rooms, dormitories, play-rooms, and all other needed apart- ments, capable of accommodating tlu-ee hundred children,, though the income from the endowment is not "sufficient for so large a family. The eastern wing is devoted to the boys, the western to the girls ; each story is provided with a wide veranda, skirted with a high, massive balustrade, and fur- nished with an outside stairway, affording excellent facilities for escape in case of fire. A one-story building in the rear, connected with the main building by a covered passage-way, has recently been added, and is used as the kitchen and dining-room. The schools are well conducted. The children are all dressed alike ; are well taught in the principles of Protestant Christianity, and appear healthy and happy. Since the opening of the Institution, about one thousand orphan children have here found a happy home, the average number at present being about one hundred and twenty, and are supported at an annual expense of about $26,000. The cost per child has more than doubled during the last fifteen years. The original cost of the laud and buildings was about $80,000, which lias so wonderfully increased in value that the trustees have recently sold four acres for $130,000. The excellent Superintendent, Mr. TV". H. Guest, has spent his whole life in public institutions. He was twenty years con- nected with the nursery department of our city charities, and has now closed his sixteenth year in the Oi-phan House. NEW YORK JUVENILE ASYLUM. (One Himdred and Seventy-sixth street.) Every great city contains a large floating population, whose indolence, prodigality, and intemperance are pro- verbial, culminating in great domestic and social evil. From these discordant circles spring an army of neglected or ill-trained children, devoted to vagrancy and crime, who early find their way into the almshouse or the prison, and continue a life-long burden upon tlie community. It be- comes the duty of the guardians of the public weal to search out methods for the relief of society from these intolerable burdens, and the recovery of the wayward as far as possible. That a necessity existed for tlie establishment of this Insti- tution, ap]jears from the fact that two companies of distin- guished philanthropists, in ignorance of each other, arose in the autumn of 1849, to inaugurate some movement for the suppression of juvenile crime. Each company applying to the Mayor, they were happily united, and after careful dis- cussion, and repeated appeals to the Legislature, the New York Juvenile Asylum was incorporated June 30, 1851, with twenty-four managers, the Mayor, the Presidents of the NEW YORK JUVENILE ASYLUM. 329 Board of Aldermen and Assistants, and some other officials, being ex-ojicio members of its board. After the failure of their first application to the Legislature for a charter, in 1850, a number of Christian ladies formed an association, and opened an " Asylum for Friendless Boys," in a hired build- ing, No. 109 Bank street. They entered this inviting field with considerable enthusiasm, and toiled with marked suc- cess until the chartering of the society, when they volun- tarily transferred their charge, consisting of fifty-seven boys, to the managers of the new Institution. The charter made it obligatory upon the board that the sum of $50,000 should be obtained from voluntary subscriptions, before it should be entitled to ask from the city authorities for a similar sum, or to call upon them to support its pupils. The board was per- manently organized November 14, 1851, and so vigorous were the exertions of its members, that, by the following October, the required $50,000 were pledged, and an appeal to the supervisors was responded to one month later with a similar sum, thus securing §100,000 for a permanent loca- tion and buildings. After taking possession of the building in Bank street, a House of Eeception was, at the beginning of 1853, opened on the same premises, and soon after a building at the foot of Fifty-fifth street. East river, was leased, to be occupied temporarily as an Asylum. During the year 626 children were received, and during 1854 no less than 1,051 were admitted, making a permanent family of two hundred. The buildings being uncomfortably crowded and illy adjusted for such an enterprise, the Institution se- riously suffered in all its branches. After much difficulty the b(jard selected and purchased twenty-five acres of rocky land at One Hundred and Seventy-sixth street, near the High Bridge, where very commodious buildings were erected of stone quarried from the premises, and made ready for occupa- tion in April, 1856, with accommodation for five hundred children. The buildings have been several times enlarged, and now consist of a central five-story, skirted by two vast wings of four stories each, supplemented with rear extensions, and appropriate outbuildings for shops, play, etc. A three-story brick, one hundred and eight by forty-two feet, has just been erected to supply some needed class-rooms, a better gymnasium, a swimming bath, and the appropriate industrial departments. The cost of these buildings has ex- ceeded $140,000. They stand on a lofty eminence, two points 330 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. only on the island being higher, surrounded with cultivated gardens, finely-arranged gravel walks and carriage-ways, and with play-grounds covered with asphaltum, and shaded with trees of rare growth. A large platform, with seats, has been erected on the central roof of the main Asylum, affording visitors an extended view of the enchanting scenery of Fort Washington and the High Bridge. The location in summer is one of the choicest in the world, though somewhat bleak in winter. The children who come under the care of the society are between the ages of five and fourteen, and may for the sake of brevity be divided into two general classes. First, the truant and disobedient ; secondly, the friendless and neg- lected. The first are either voluntarily surrendered by their parents for discipline, or committed by the magistrates for reformation. The second class found in a state of friendless- ness and want, or of abandonment, or vagrancy, may be com- mitted by the mayor, recorder, any alderman or magistrate of the city. The charter requires that, when such commitment shall have been made, a notice shall be forthwith served on the parent, if any can be found, and that the child shall be retained twenty days at the House of Reception, during which period, if satisfactory assurances or securities for the training of the child be given, the magistrate may revoke the commitment ; but if not,"it becomes the ward of the managers of the Asylum, who may indenture the same at discretion to a suitable person. The House of Reception, No. 61 West Sixteenth street, is a broad, well-arranged, four-story brick edifice, with iron stairways, first occupied in 1859, and cost, including ground, $40,000. It accommodates comfortably one hundred and thirty children, and is always filled, as most remain here four or five weeks before they are sent to the Asylum. The fii'st great lesson inculcated after admission is cleanliness, without which there cannot be self-respect, laudable ambition, or godliness. The child is stripped of its filthy garments, taken by a kind woman to a vast bathing tub, supplied with jets of hot and cold water, and thoroughly scrubbed, after which it is clothed with a new clean suit, retained alone until pronounced by the physician free from infectious disease, after wliich it is assigned to its appropriate class, and enters npon the study and discipline of the Institution. Bathing is NEW YOKE JUVENILE A'SYLUM. 331 continued regularly twice a week during the year, ample facilities being provided in both Houses. The schools, long under the able Principalship of James S. Appley, Esq., are conducted by graduates selected for their skill in discipline, and the children make rapid progress in study while they remain in the Institution. The libraries of the Asylum contain nearly two thousand volumes. Fifty of the boys are at present instructed and employed in the tailor shop ; thirty in the shoe shop, fifteen at a time ; others toil in the gardens, supplying all the vegetables for the family ; while others are made useful in cleaning halls, washing veg- etables, sweeping yards, making the beds in the dormitories, etc. Hours are set apart for family and public religious in- struction and worship, for lectures, instruction in music, temperance meetings, and other opportunities of culture. The children retire at a quarter before eight in summer, and at seven in winter, and are required to rise with the sun or before it.. Nine or ten hours are thus given for uninterrupted sleep. The managers secured for a number of years for their Superintendent the services of Dr. S. D. Brooks, an educated physician and a gentleman of fine administrative talent, coupled with a long experience in training truant children. He has recently connected himself with the " New York In- stitution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb," and his place in the Asylum has been filled by Mr. E. M. Carpenter, late of the House of Refuge, at Eochester, New York, another gentleman of large and successful experience. The sanitary interests of the Asylum have been so well con- ducted that of the fifteen thousand three hundred and thirty- six children admitted since its opening in January, 1853, only sixty-three have died, and during 1864-65 but one death occurred. The correctives applied are mainly moral, the rod being very rarely employed ; but the hundreds of unruly boys re- ceived annually make more and more necessary the erection of a high enclosure around the premises. The building was loiif^ poorly supplied with water from wells, and the danger of tire was a source of deep and constant anxiety, but the construction of the high-service reservoir has at last obviated this difiiculty. A steam pump has recently been connected with the general heating apparatus, capable of throwing two hundred gallons of water per minute to any part of the build- ings, with well-arranged iron pipe and hose for the speedy ex- 332 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. tinction of fire. The plan of the Institution is the early return of the children to their parents, or their indenture to respon- sible families in the country ; hence few remain over six months. The State of Illinois, the garden of the West, was early selected as the place for the deportation and indentur- ing of the children, and over three thousand have been placed in these Western homes. A House of Reception, under charge of a resident agent, has been established at Chicago. This agent regularly visits the children and corresponds with the families in which they live, taking care that justice is done to all concerned. Children are not indentured without the consent of their parents, except in extreme cases. They are often placed in large numbers in a township or county, and thus allowed to continue their early acquaintance, and rival each other in attainments and worth. Clergymen and other persons of character are requested to instruct and other- wise care for them after their indenture, and very few have turned out badly. More than $250,000 have been contributed by pi-ivate parties toward the support of this Institution since its establishment, its chief revenue being derived from the city government. It is admirably conducted, and ranks among the best institutions of the age. THE HOUSE OF MERCY. (EigJdy -sixth street. North river.) Woman has in all time borne a conspicuous part in works of benevolence and reformation. There is an intensity in the female nature which generally develops into positive traits of character, either for good or for evil. She loves or hates with all her heart, and can hardly occupy a middle ground. The instincts of a good and true woman are easily aroused by the cries of the wretched and helpless, and her entire nature is at once thrown into efforts for their relief. In the quick- ness of lier perceptions, in the depth and constancy of her sympathy and affection, as well as in the sublimity of her faith, she has often excelled her more hardy companion. But alas! an angel corrupted becomes a de^^l, and a woman abandoned to treachery and lust becomes a mournful wreck, of all others the most difficult to recover. Nature thus abused seeks to avenge itself of the outrage, by sadly invert- ing all her high-wrought faculties, degrading to the deepest infamy all that was formed for sublimity and purity. Only woman can intimately superintend the recovery of her own 334: NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. fallen sex, and the age has produced not a few who have suc- cessfully toiled in this dark and forbidding field. The House of Mercy was founded in 1854, through the untirino; exertions of Mrs. S. A. Richmond, wife of the late Rev. William Richmond, formerly rector of St. Michael's Church, New York. The act of incorporation was passed February 2d, 1855. The efforts of the society for several years were on a limited scale, and conducted in private houses hired or gratuitously furnished by the friends of the enterprise. The zeai and efforts of Mrs. Richmond, who was a Christian lady of rare endowments and great address, dur- ing the infancy of the movement are infinitely above all praise. She not only sought with the most careful training the reformation of the fallen in the Institution, but shrank from no other toil or exposure. For several years she so suc- cessfully plead the cause of the society at the markets, in the streets, and before the counters of the merchants, that the supplies of the House were never exhausted. When her failing health compelled her to resign the superintendency in the Institution, she still conducted the branch office at No. 304 Mulberry street, recei\ang and sending to Eighty-sixth street the women who desired to reform. She was succeeded in the management of the Institution by several members of the sisterhood of St. Mary, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, who had spent some time at St. Luke's. At first only the internal government was committed to them, but for several years past the financial department, in connection with^ the trustees, has been in their charge also, leaving the committee of ladies to whom this was at first assigned as merely repre- sentatives from their respective churches. The sisters have succeeded with much satisfaction both to themselves and others. The younger class of fallen women are taken, a large part of them being between twelve and twenty years of age. They are not compelled to remain against their will, and if very refractory are sent away. Deep-rooted virtue is with them a plant of slow growth, hence a period of exclusion fi-om ordinary society for one or two years is considered essential to their thorough reformation. Many return to their fi-iends, after spending a few weeks or months in the Institution ; sorne depart at the request of the sisters, or without it; others remain long, and then go to service in good families, or enter upon the responsible duties of the conjugal state. Quite a large number of the inmates have been confirmed as members of ilCT'"''-;7:]|l|l||lij||||ffl '\\\i ill,'!'' 'I'll '!"■'' ' THE HOUSE OF MERCY. 335 the church by the bishop at his annual visit to the Institution^ a few of wliom have failed in the performance of their religious obligations, but many of them have nobly persevered. The Institution is mainly supported and entirely controlled by the Protestant Episcopal church, one of her clergymen offici- ating as chaplain. On the 16th of June, 1859, ten lots of ground, containing a large country mansion, were purchased at a cost of about $12,000. The property is situated between Eighty-fifth and Eighty-sixth streets, near the Hudson river. Six lots have since l3een added. Several successful fairs have been held, and a number of State and city donations received, the largest of which was granted by the Legislature of 1867, amounting to $25,000. The earnings of the inmates have thus far been small, and the society depends upon its annual subscribers and the gifts of the benevolent for the support of the House. When the mansion was purchased it was said to be able to accommodate one hundred inmates besides the ladies in charge, but like too many other estimates it fell short just one half. It has never afforded the space or ar- ran^^ement for suitably classifying and dividing its forty-five or fifty inmates, a matter of vital importance in such an insti- tution. For several years the society sought for means to enlarge their buildings. The State grant of 1867, supple- mented by liberal subscriptions from the friends of the enter- prise, enabled them in 1869 to carry forward this much-de- sired project. The corner-stone of the new building was laid by Bishop Potter of Xew York on the 16th of October, 1869, in the presence of Bishops Southo;ate, Lay, Quintard, and a large number of clergymen and friends of the Institution from the city. An interesting address, containing valuable reminis- cences of the past, was delivered by Rev. Dr. Peters. The building occupies a beautiful site, almost overhanging the Hudson, fronting on Eighty-sixth street, and at a pleasant remove from the new Boulevard. It is built of sandstone and red brick, relieved with dressings of Ohio stone. On entering the principal door, access is had to a spacious hall ; opening out of this are offices, and beyond a broad staircase of iron ascending to the upper stories. On the floor above is a cor- ridor, ninety feet in length, lighted by windows taken from the old oratory, thus connecting the old building with the chapel, dining-hall, and school-rooms. The chapel is fifty feet 336 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, in length, terminating at the eastern end in a circular apse ; the altar and reredos are of carved stone, supported by pillars of polished marble, the sanctuary being laid with encaustic tile. At the west end, on either side of the door, are apart- ments for the Sisters, and above these, behind an open arcade, are two concealed galleries, one for visitors and the other for the sick. In the second story are placed the infirmary, a Sister's room, bath-room, and a mortuary; over these a dormi- tory, divided into little rooms by low wainscot partitions and curtained doors. A slender beR-turret surmounts the roof, rising to the height of eighty-eight feet. The basement con- tains laundry, kitchen, pantries, and store-room. The stained glass for the windows was imported from England. The edifice cost $30,000, and the sixteen lots, with their buildings, are now valued at $100,000, and are fi-ee from debt. The number of inmates is now to be increased from forty-five to one hundred, and the managers propose to eventually remove the old frame mansion and complete a large quadrangle, in- closing the property of the Institution with permanent build- ings in the style of the one just erected. HEBREW BENEVOLENT AND ORPHAN ASYLUM SOCIETY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. (Seventy-seventh street and Third avenue.) r"'^^ N" the 8th of April, 1822, a number of gentlemen of ]^^ the Jewish persuasion, residents of the city of New J^i^ York, organized the " Hebrew Benevolent Society," ^^^ which was incorporated by act of Legislature Febru- ary 2, 1832, granting power to hold real and personal estate, the annual income of which should not exceed $2,000. The objects of the society were stated to be "charitable, and to atford relief to its members in cases of sickness and infirm- ity." In January, 1845, the "Grerman Hebrew Benevolent Society," a rival organization, sprang up, which was the same year incorporated, and exerted a large influence for fourteen years. The objects of this organization, as set forth in its act HEBREW BENEVOLENT AND ORPHAN ASTLTJM BOCIETY. 337 of incorporation, were — "to assist the needy, succor the help- less, and protect the weak." The proceedings of this society were transacted and the minutes kept in the German lan- guage. In 1S47 this society voted $1,500 out of its general fund, and a portion of its annual receipts, toward the erection of a hospital. The Hebrew Benevolent Society promptly imited in this movement, but, as the wealthier congregations withheld their support, the enterprise failed for lack of means. In 1859 the German Society having voted to appropriate the hospital fund for the establishment of an oi-phan asylum, and a home for aged and indigent Jews, and the opinion having become general that the cause of charity would be promoted by a union of the two societies, they were happily united, and a supplementary act of incorporation passed April 12, 1860, under the title of the " Hebrew Benevolent and Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York." The new or- ganization proposed " to relieve the sick, succor the poor and needy, support and comfort the widow, clothe, educate, and maintain the orphan." This was to be done by the establish- ment of a well-regulated system of out-door relief for the poor ; by founding and maintaining an asylum for Jewish orphans ; and by establishing a home for the support of the aged poor. Any Israelite may become a member of the society on the payment of one hundred dollars. The busi- ness of the society is conducted by a president, vice-presi- dent, a treasurer, and eighteen trustees, six of whom are annually elected at the meeting of the society in April. The last act of incorporation granted power to hold estate, the income of wliich should not exceed $15,000 ; authorized the city to grant land to the society for the erection of suit- able buildings ; and clothed it with the same power to man- age and indenture orphans that had been given to other societies. In 1861 the Corporation granted a beautiful plot of ground on the corner of Seventy-seventh street and Third avenue, and the sum of $30,000 toward the erection of an asylum. The corner-stone of the building was laid Septem- ber 30th, 1862, and the edifice formally dedicated November 5, 1863. The Asylum consists of a main building and two wings, the principal front, on Seventy-seventh street, being one hundred and twenty feet, with a depth of sixty, and cost $40,000. It is constructed of brick, is three stories high, besides a high basement and sub-cellar. The ceilings are high, the halls wide, the apartments conveniently arranged 338 NEW YORK AND ITS rNSTlTUTlONS. with all the modern improvements, and crowned everywhere with completest order and tidiness. The lecture-room (or miniature synagogue), like every other part of the Institution, is replete with Jewish taste and trimming. A yard one hun- dred and twenty-five feet by one hundred and two, lying be- tween the Asylum and Third avenue, is devoted to a beautiful flower-garden, and ample play-grounds are furnished in the rear. The Superintendent, Louis Schnabel, is a Jewish rabbi, and conducts the services of the Institution. At the opening of the Asylum fifty-six orphans, who had been provided for by the society in various places, were transferred to it, and the number has since reached one hundred and fifty-eight, the full capacity of the building. The children attend the public schools daily, where they generally excel in their stud- ies, and when promoted to the grammar department they also take up the study of Hebrew in the Asylum. These Hebrew scholars are divided into five classes, and many of the students attain a fine education. Experimental work- shops have recently been added, which if successful will soon be greatly enlarged. Ninety -five of the one hundred and fifty-eight in the Institution during 1869 were born in New York, and the remaining sixty-three represented eleven of the American States, and seven of the countries of Europe and Asia. Eight were admitted at the age of five, two at seven- teen ; the larger portion are, however, received between the ages of seven and twelve years. Indentures are made only to Hebrews of good standing. Eight members of the board of directors are constituted a committee of charity and relief, who investigate by personal visitation the circumstances of all applicants. During 1869,. 3,926 persons were relieved at an expense of $13,425. One hundred and forty-six persons were assisted to go West, South, or to return to friends in Europe. The Hebrew fair, held during the last year, and one of the most successful ever held on Manhattan by any society, netted the Asylum $35,000, and the Mount Sinai Hospital over $100,000. HOUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD. {Ninetieth street and East river.) This Institution was commenced on the 2d of October, 1857, by five members of the "Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd," belonging to the Mother House' of Angers, in France. The operations of the society began in a house in Fourteenth street, but in 1861 they erected a convent and chapel at the foot of Ninetieth street. East river. In 1864 a five-story brick building, fifty feet by ninety, was reared on Eighty -ninth street, one hundred and twenty-five feet from the convent, and in 1868 and 1869 another of the same size was joined to the end of the former, stretching across to Ninetieth street. The cost of their buildings has now exceeded $275,000, and another edifice is still to be added to complete their plan. The order was founded by Pere Eudes in 1661, with the avowed object of affording a refuge for fallen women and girls who desired to reform. Being an enclosed order, a veil of secrecy is thrown over most of their doings. The Lady Superior converses with the outside world through an iron- grated ceiling, inside of which the curious are seldom per- mitted to step, and the order, except a few outside Sisters, are 340 NEW TOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. forever concealed in the shadows of the cloister. By recep- tion of novices, the order now numbers ninety membei-s,^ besides the out-door Sisters ; twelve of these are engaged in founding an order in Brooklyn, and eleven in Boston. The Institution is a house of correction, seeking the reform of abandoned women, some of whom come voluntarily, others b}'' persuasion, some are sent by the courts, and some are placed here by their friends. The Sisters declare that moral means alone are employed for the reformation of the inmates, and that those who come voluntarily can depart at pleasure ; but some who have escaped have told doleful stories about the discipline and fare, upon the merits of which we shall not attempt to decide. The Sisters dwell in the convent, but some of them are said to be always with the inmates both night and day, in recreation, toil, devotion, and slumber. The inmates are divided into four classes, each of which is entirely separated from all the rest, with whom they are never allowed to communicate. The first class consists of penitent magdalens, who have been converted fi'om the error of their ways, and who have been admitted to a low grade of the order. The second class is composed of penitent women and girls, received into the Asylum but not yet converted. The third is a preservation class, composed of children who are in danger of falling, most of whose parents are bad. The fourth consists of girls between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one, who have been committed by the magistrates, and who remain during the term of commitment. About twenty-nine hundred have been received into the Institution since its founding, very many of whom are said to have reformed, though the screen which prevents public inspection leaves greater place for distrust than with almost any other institution in New York. In February, 1870, no less than seven hundred inmates were concealed within those walls, three hundred of whom had been sent by the magistrates, and the superioress informed us that one hundred and fifty more could be well accommo- dated. Their chief occupation is machine and hand sewing, embroidery, with various other species of remunerative handicraft, and laundry work. The Institution has a priest who conducts service every morning in the chapel, where all attend. This institution is noted as the place of the involun- tary confinement of Mary Ann Smith, the daughter of a Komanist, who had embraced Protestantism. Many of the ST. BAKNABAS HOUSE. 341 girls received remain permanently through life, a few after- wards marry, some after their reformation go out to service in good families, and not a few descend again to old practices and "wallow in the mire." The Public Authorities have dealt very liberally with this Institution. ST. BARNABAS HOUSE. (No. 304 Mulberry street.) 'HIS House was originally opened by Mrs. "William Richmond, under the name of the " Home for Home- less Women and Children." Before her death it was purchased by the ISTew York Protestant Episcopal City Mission Society, and opened in June, 1865, under the name of the St. Barnabas House. In 1866 the society pur- chased the adjoining building, No. 306 Mulberry street, in the front of which the chapel was located, leaving the basement, second story, and attic of this building, as well as all of the building No. 304, for the pui-poses of the Home. A rear building, connected with No. 306, furnished convenient rooms for the clergy and committees. The buildings are of bricky of moderate size, and contain fifty beds, sixteen of which are for children. The House was opened by the above-mentioned society as a sort of experiment, and an executive committee was appointed for its management, who relied mainly on special contributions for its support. The House is designed as a place of refuge for homeless women and children, applying from the streets or wandering in from the country ; also for women discharged from the hospital, cured, but requiring a few days of repose to recover strength, but destitute of home, friends, and money. It is however intended only as a tempo- rary resting-place, hence most of those admitted are sent to situations during the first week. The average stay of 2,150 women in the House during 1869 was three and one-fifth days. During 1865 there were but two months that there were over eighty inmates received. In November, 1866, the 342 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. number reached 166, and in December 196. Each month in 1868 brought over two hundred, the largest number in any month being 262. A little family of sixteen children who have no homes are kept as steady inmates, clothed and instructed. One room is set apart as a wardrobe department, where garments are made and repaired. Nearly six thou- sand persons have been received during the last three years, of whom 3,602 were Protestants, 2,203 Soman Catholics, and 7 Jews. Of this number, 1,924 were sent to situations, 1,456 to other institutions, and 1,835 returned to their friends. But one death occurred in the House during that time. During the same time the House afforded 46,958 lodgings to the homeless, and supplied 188,163 gratuitous meals to the hungry. The annual expenses of the Institution amount to about $7,000. The business of the House has outgrown its accommodations, and the managers have appealed for means to greatly enlarge their borders, and supply several desirable apartments never yet provided. Destitute and afflicted families in the neighborhood almost daily apply at the Institution for assistance. A visitor is sent to investigate the case, and if found to be one of real distress relief in some form is administered. Some are allowed to come to the House for meals, others are supplied with coal, garments, or money for rent. Much attention is given to the sick. The House the last year has been managed bv the " Sister- hood of the Good Shepherd," a new order of females in the Protestant Episcopal church. Several Sisters were organized under the above title by the bishop of the diocese, in St. Ann's church, on the second Tuesday after Easter, 1869. At the time of the organization there were three Sisters received, also three visitors, and one associate. Some of these have since retired from active service, and as these organizations are not popular among Protestants, only enough have been received to keep good the original number. The habit worn by this order is the most simple of any we have yet seen, and hence less objectionable. They are much devoted to their undertaking, and abundant in toil, making several hundred visits to those sick or in prison per year, be- sides conducting the House of St. Barnabas. A small room on the third floor has been set apart for an Oratory, where the Sisters all retire at twelve o'clock each day for prayer, which is offered by the superioress, all others joining in the responses. ST. BAKNABAS HOUSE. 343 The room is neatly carpeted, has chairs and a small reading desk, but contains no images, pictures, or ornaments of any kind. Family prayer is also daily conducted in the House, and all the inmates are required to attend. A chaplain con- ducts service every Lord's Day. A number of ladies and gentlemen from the surrounding parishes conduct a Sunday- school for the benefit of the children in the House, and those of the neighborhood. The register contains the names of over two hundred scholars, less than half of whom attend regularly. There is also connected with the Institution an industrial society, composed of twenty-two ladies, who hold a weekly sewing school, with an average attendance of sixty- five girls. The Institution is located in a neighborhood greatly needing its influence, and has been already a rich fountain of blessing to thousands. THE INSTITUTION OP MERCY (BOYS' BUILDING). THE INSTITUTION OF MERCY. {No. 33 Houston street.) This Institution is situated at No. 33 Houston street, ad- joining and controlled by the Convent of "the Sisters of Mercy. The society was incorporated in 1848, under the general act of May 12th of that year, and the tliree-story brick building corner of Houston and Mulberry streets pur- chased at a cost of $30,000. This is the Cons^ent, or home of the Sisters of Mercy. The same year the edifice known as the Institution of Mercy, a plain four-story brick, forty feet by seventy-two, was begun, on lots adjoining the purchased build- ing, and sufficiently completed to receive inmates in Novem- ber, 1849. The Sisters of Mercy are a religious order of Ro- man Catholics, founded by Catharine McAuly, a lady of for- tune of Dublin, in 1827, and the order was approved by Pope Gregory XVI. in 1835, and confirmed in 1841. The order has in view the visitation of the sick and prisoners, the instruction of poor girls, and the protection of virtuous women in distress. The first community in the United States was established in Pittsburg in 1843, Init none entered New York until 1846, when Archbishop Huglies invited them to THE INSTITUTION OF MEKOT. 345 come from Ireland and establish an institution. The Sisters are subject to the bishops, but have no general superior, each community being independent of the rest of the order. The Sisters are divided into two orders : choir sisters, who are em- ployed about the ordinary objects of the order ; and lay sis- ters, who attend to the domestic avocations of the convent, etc. Candidates for admission into the order undergo a "postul- ancy " of six months ; they then receive the white veil and enter the novitiate, which lasts two years, being permitted at any time to return to the world before the vows are finally taken. The presiding mind in each community is the Mother Superior. Agnes O'Conner was the first in New York, and the present one is the fourth. The community at present numbers 49, 12 of whom are at the Industrial Home at Eighty- first street. The Sisters teach a select school of day scho- lars at the Convent, and another in Fifty-fourth street for their own support, so as not to be an expense to their Insti- tution. The Sisters are a corporate body, holding their own prop- erty, and elect annually their board of eight trustees from their own number. Archbishop Hughes ordered each Catho- lic pastor in New York to collect $500 to assist them in found- ing their Institution in 1488, and a number of private dona- tions were also received. The Eoman Catholic churches in the city continued for several years to take collections for this cause, but this is no longer considered necessary. Virtuous girls of any age, out of employment, are received into the In- stitution, and remain a longer or shorter period, according to circumstances. Machine and hand sewing, embroidery, and laundry wo]-k, form the chief employment of the inmates. Many young females from other countries, just landing on our shores, with little or no means, have been picked up by this society and raised to industry and respectability, who would otherwise have soon sunken into pits of infamy. Since the opening of the Institution, over eleven thousand girls have been admitted, and the Sisters have found places of employ- ment for about twenty thousand. This last number includes some from the House of Protection at West Farms, and many who have not been received into either institution. The earnings of the girls go toward the support of the Insti- tution, deficiencies being provided for by private and public donations, and by fairs. The Institution has accommodations 346 NEW YORK AND ITS rNSTITUTIONS. for about seventy-five, though in times of great d( atitution one hundred and twenty have been crowded into it. The Sisters do also a vast amount of outside visiting every year. Clad in their sable habit, they glide like shadows through the crowded streets, finding their way to abodes of sickness and poverty in garrets and cellars. They search the prisons of this and of neighboring cities, " prepare " the Catholic culprit for the scaffold, administer as far as means will permit to the wants of the destitute, and prepare for the sacraments ten times more children than the same number of priests. However much one may criticise their work, or pity their delusions, they are certainly abundant in self-sacrifices, untir- ing in toil, and rank among the best of their denomination. They are well informed, especially in matters of their own church, polite in their attentions to literary visitors, and if disrobed of the habit of the order, and dressed for the draw- ing-room, a few of them would be pronoimced handsome. For several years past the Sisters have been engaged in the erection of a building for an " Industrial School for the Des- titute Children of Soldiers and Others." This was finally completed and occupied in the autumn of 1869, It stands on a block of ground contributed by the authorities, bounded by Madison and Fourth avenues, Eighty-first and Eighty-second streets. It is situated on high ground, is an imposing four- story-and-attic structure, in the Gothic order, with stone cop- ings, and has accommodations for five hundred children. It has a front of one hundred and sixty feet, a depth of sixty, and a rear extension for the engine which heats the building, for wash-room, laundry, and other conveniences. It cost, with its furniture, $180,000, $105,000 of which were contributed by the State, always liberal to prodigality to the Institutions of Koman Catholics. It had at our visit to it, February 22d, 1870, 80 children. The children of soldiers are to be taken free, as are all others twelve years of age, some pay or cloth- ing being required with those received at an earlier age. ORPHAN ASYLUM OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL. {Thirty -ninth street^ near Seventh avenue.) .cUipHE society by which this Institution has been estab- 'C\^ lished began its work in the year 1859, in a hired ^^^ house in W est Twenty-sixth street, where it continued until January, 1870. The building was capable of accommodating sixty girls and thirty boys, and was always well filled. A band of Catholic females (fourteen at present), known as the Sisters of the Holy Cross, whose Mother House is in the north of France, have had charge of the Asylum from the first, instructing the children, and performing all the labor of the household. Several years since, the man- agers purchased several valuable lots of ground, situated on Thirty-ninth street, near Seventh avenue, at a cost of $38,000. In 1868 the first half of the Asylum was begun, and sufticfent- ly completed to become tenantable early in January, 1870. The portion erected is sixty feet square, leaving space for an addition of the same size, which will doubtless be added at no distant day. The building is a French Gothic, constructed of pressed brick, with Ohio free-stone trimmings, is five stories above the basement, including two attic Mansard stories. The kitchen, laundry, and children's dining-room are in the basement. The first floor contains reception-room, parlor, dining-room for the sisters, and the large sewing-room where the girls are taught needle-work. The upper stories are appropriately divided between school-rooms, dormitories, and storerooms. The building, which is a model of neatness and taste, has thus far cost $74,000, and when completed will be an architectural ornament to that portion of the city. The cut represents the building as it will appear when fully com- pleted. The children represent, in their nationality, Italy, Germany, Poland, England, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, France, and America. They are taken from any country, of any religion, and at any age not below four years, and are retained, the boys until they are eleven or twelve, and the girls until they are sixteen. The English text-books employed in the public schools are used, to which are added a course of study in French, the Catholic catechism, etc. The girls are all taught trades, and fitted for self-maintenance when 348 NEW YORK AJSnO ITS mSTTTUTIONS. they leave the Institution. The Asylum has at present nearly two hundred children, and when completed will afford space for about four hundred. A donation of $15,000 was last year received from the city. The ladies in charge, though not fluent in English, are prepossessing in appearance, polite to visitors, and Reserving of credit for the order and vigor with which their affairs are conducted. ROMAN CATHOLIC PROTECTORY (BOYS' BUILDING). SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF DESTITUTE ROMAN CATH- OLIC CHILDREN. {West Farms.) The plan for organizing this Society, and founding this Institution, originated with the late Levi Silliman Ives, D.D., LL.D., formerly bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church of North Carolina, but who joined the Roman Catholics while on a visit to Rome, in 1852. The act of incorporation passed the Legislature April 14, 1863, making it the duty of the courts that " whenever the parent, guardian, or next of kin of any Catholic child about to be finally committed shall request the magistrate to commit the child to the Cath- olic Institution, the magistrate shall grant the request." The management of this Institution is committed to a board of about twenty-five laymen of the Roman Catholic church, the Mayor, Recorder, and Comptroller of New York being annually added as members ex officio. The Society began its labors soon after its organization, in a hired house in the upper part of the city, receiving at first only boys ; but after a 350 NEW TOBK AND ITS mSTITrmONS. few months a girls' department was added. Their first plan was to apprentice the children after a very short detention at the Protectory, but their Third Annual Eeport pronounces the apprenticeship system, as then practised, a " great evil" and for two reasons: 1. Because the children were not pre- pared by previous discipline and education to ensure content- ment, obedience, and fidelity. 2, That the avarice of the persons to whom they were apprenticed caused most of them to be overworked, their education neglected, and the neces- sary supplies of food and clothing withheld. Three-fourths of those apprenticed up to that time, it was stated, had " be- come perfectly worthless." The crowded condition of their buildings, and the manifest necessity of retaining the chil- dren until sober and industrious habits had been formed, induced the managers to purchase a farm of one hundred and fourteen acres (since increased to one hundred and forty acres), at West Farms, three miles above Harlem bridge. On the first of May, 1866, their lease having expired at York- ville, the family of four hundred boys was transferred to West Farms, and quartered in farm-houses, and such other buildings as could be secured, until a wing of the present building could be completed. This wing was greatly crowded for two years previous to the completion of the main build- ing, seven hundred or eight hundred boys, with their over- seers and instructors, having constantly occupied it, it fur- nishing all their apartments, besides appropriating space for workshops, oflices, etc. The main structure is now com- pleted. The original wing is two hundred and fifteen feet long, forty feet wide, and ^our stories high, while the front and main edifice, which forms a transept or colossal cross, presents a handsome f a9ade of two hundred and thirty feet, is fifty feet wide, and five stories high, with attic. It is a truly imposing structure, surmounted by a lofty tower, is built of brick, with marble trimmings, in the French Gothic style of architecture, and cost $350,000. They are now able to in- crease the family of boys to about twelve hundred, and afford them much better accommodations than ever before. The boys are wholly committed to the control and educa- tion of the Christian Brothers, belonging to the society origin- ally organized in France by Jean Baptiste De La Salle, in 1681. They are a society of laymen organized for the gratui- tous education of the poor, giving themselves wholly to the church as teachers, laboring, wherever appointed, with a salary SOCIETY FOE PEOTECTION OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHILDREN. 351 j ast gufficient to meet their expenses. When they take the vows of the order they renounce all plans of business, and all thoughts of entering the priesthood. In 1844 some of the fraternity emigrated to Canada, and in 1847 found their way into the United States. Brother Teliow, the Rector (superin- tendent), an educated Prussian, a gentlemen of modest bear- ing, but of wise and decided administrative ability, has had control of the House since its opening. He is assisted by twenty-two of the brothers, who eat and sleep in the rooms with the boys, superintend their toil and studies, attend them at worship^ and in their recreations. The brothers are usually mild and generous in their treatment, seldom inflict- ing corporal punishment, but more wisely appealing to their honor and interests, Neither the grounds nor the buildings have any formidable enclosures, and the boys are often sent to the village, and sometimes to New York, entrusted with horses and other responsible matters. True, some forget to return, but the policy of trusting them is believed to do immensely more good than evil, and when one absconds a hundred are ready to volunteer as detectives, to compel his return. They carry on the manufacture of ladies', misses', and children's shoes on quite a large scale, the boys mastering every branch of the business, though this has not yet been made as remunerative as at the House of Refuge. Particular attention is paid to agricultm-al and horticultural pursuits, and some are employed in the manufacture of hoop-skirts, others in tailoring, baking, and printing. They manufacture their own gas, do all their kitchen and laundry work, so that celi- bacy here is a practical thing, from superior to minion. The boys make the shoes for the girls' department, but ask and receive no favors in return. Their ages vary from five to seventeen years, a large portion of them being quite young and mostly of Irish parentage. Nearly one-half are unable to read when committed, but, several hours per day being always devoted to study, many attain to respectable scholar- ship, and a few enter upon the study of the classics. Music is also taught. There are no definite rules governing the period of detention. Most of them are returned to their par- ents, and many return the second time to the Institution. Parents who have neglected children to their ruin, rarely ex- hibit much improvement on a second trial. About one hundred and fifty yards from the premises just described stands the girls' building, two hundred and sixty- 352 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS nine feet long, varying in width from forty-five to seventy feet. It is built in the Romanesque style, with high basement and three stories of brick, and two attic stories of wood and slate. Its foundation stone was laid July 4:th, 1868, and was sufficiently completed to receive its inmates November 1, 1869. It is admirably adapted to its use, and cost over ROMAN CATHOLIC PROTECTORY (GIRLS' BUILDING). $200,000, though it is but about half the size of the original design. The cut represents the building as it is, whereas the one in the City Manual presents the one in prospect. The basement contains the kitchen, dining-room, laundry, furnace- room for heating the building, etc. The cooking is done with steam. The first fioor contains reception rooms, ofl5ces, work-rooms, etc. ; the second is divided into a series of school-rooms, with folding partitions, so arranged that the whole can be thrown into a vast hall for religious exercises, with seating for two thousand persons. The third floor is the dorrnitory, with three hundred and fifty beds, a row of cells being constructed at each end of the room for the accommodation of the Sisters. The fourth floor is divided into several dormitories arranged for hospital purposes, with baths and closets, and is supplied with hot and cold water. The fifth is for storage. The management of the girls' depart- ment is committed to the Sisters of Charity of Mount Saint Vincent Convent, twelve of whom, when we visited the Insti- SOCIETY FOR PKOTECTION OF EOM^iN CATHOLIC CEILDEEN. 353^^ tntion, had charge of its family of two hundred and fifty girls, and taught all branches of stndy and toil, except a few intricacies of skirt-making and handicraft. The girls, like the boys, are nearly all received fi'om the courts, as vagrants or criminals, are ignorant and spoiled children, and make large demands on the patience of their teachers. Their new building has accommodations for six hundred inmates, which will doubtless soon be filled without making any appreciable change in the seething masses of the great city. Skirt-making is the principal employment of the girls, each being taught every part of the business, and each in turn takes her part in the duties of the kitchen, laundry, and chamber. During the first seven years of its operations the society received over three thousand five hundred truant children, many of whom have been recovered from a life of crime, and now bid fair to be industrious and good citizens. Its work, however, has but just begun. The buildings are large and beautiful, but everything around and within gives evidence of great economy. But while the children at the House of Relnge are supported at an annual expense of less than seventy dollars ^eT cajpita above their own toil, the managers of this Institution declared that during 1867 the net cost of maintaining the boys, exclusive of their own labor, the interest on land, buildings, etc., was one hundred and thirteen dollars per head, and ninety-six dollars for the girls. The entire expenditures of the Societv, up to January, 1868, amounted to $469,034.02, of which $164,807.49 had been given by State and city grants, the remaining $304,226.53 having been provided by private donations, the labor of the children, and by public fairs, one of which, in 1867, yielded a profit of over $100,000. We have been unable to obtain the last published report of the Society. The principal motive in founding the Institution was to save the children of Catholics from the influence of Protest- antism, which prevailed in most other institutions. It, how- ever, makes no attempt to proselyte, and has refused to receive some children who had Protestant parents or guardians. The farm cost $60,000, and is now valued at $150,000. A dairy of forty cows is kept, and most of the vegetables consumed are grown on the premises. THE NEW YORK FOUNDLING ASYLUM. {Lexington avenue and Sixty-eighth street.) jOUXDLING hospitals have beeu common in many countries of Europe for several centuries. The first is believed to have been established at Milan, in the year 787. In the seventeenth century they were placed on a common footing with other hospitals in France, and in the following century they were established in England. More than one hundred and forty are said to exist in France at this time, two in Holland, seventeen in Belgium, many in Prussia, one of which covers an area of twenty-eight acres. The Child's Hospital of New York has received many of these stray waifs of humanity for several years past, yet an Institution devoted exclusively to this class, founded and man- aged on the most open and liberal scale, has been considered necessary by many, and has finally beeu established. The New York Foundling Asylum was incorporated Octo- ber 9, 1869, and a hired brick edifice, No. 17 East Twelfth street, was opened two days later, by the Sisters of Charity connected with the convent of Mount Saint Vincent, near Yonkers. Sister Mary Irene was placed at the head of the Institution, and has since been assisted by ten other members of the order. The first child was left at the Institution on the 22d of October, 1869, and up to the 25th of April, 1871, nine- teen hundred and sixty had been received, sixty-two per cent, of whom had died. The Institution was at length removed to No. 3 North Washington square, into a large building contain- ing twenty-eight fine rooms, where it will remain until the Hospital is erected. A cradle is placed in the vestibule where the little stranger is silently deposited, and a ring of the bell announces its presence. They are brought in by physicians, nurses, mid wives, and mothers, at all hours of day and night. The children are numbered according to their admission ; their names and those of their parents, if known, are entered in a large book kept for that purpose, but if nothing is known of them they are named by the Sisters. Sometimes a letter ac- companies a child, the contents of which are entered with the number and name of the infant. Sometimes a ring, a ribbon, or some other little valuable by which it may hereafter be iden- IIospiTAL OF Saint Fkancis. (East Fifth Street, bet. Avenues A & B.) iST. Joseph Orphan Astlum. (Corner Eighty-ninth Street and Avenue A.) THE NEW YORK FOUITOLES'^G ASYLUM. 355 tified accompanies it ; these are all numbered and preserved. Infants are taken without charge or fee, without regard to color, nationality, or parentage. No questions are asked unless there is a disposition to communicate, and statements made are not disclosed. The cradles are long, with a babe at each end, and an attendant to every three children or a little less, some of whom are on duty in every room at all hours of day and night. The author looked through the several apart- ments at the half-a-hundred little creatures scattered in cribs, on the floor, in the arms of the nurses, some laughing, some crying, some asleep in blissful ignorance of the clouds that darken their infant horizon, and concluded there were as many handsome babies among them as could be selected from an equal niunber in any community. Children are given out to healthy women to nurse, who are remunerated at the rate of ten dollars per month. These nurses are required to bring the children to the Institution twice each month for inspection, and are frequently visited at their homes by the Sisters. The Sisters refuse to adopt them even in the best families, which we pronounce a decided mistake. Certainly, if charity to the children only influenced the movement, nothing better could be hoped ior than to see them adopted into respectable families. During the last year a part of the children have been housed at West Farms, the house in the city serving as a place of re- ception. More than four hundred different women have been employed as nurses, and the superioress reports the expendi- tures of the Institution as exceeding $6,000 per month. The city authorities last year leased the Asylum, for ninety- nine years, for the amiual rental of one dollar, a plot of ground two hundred by four hundred feet, lying between Sixty-eighth and Sixty-ninth streets, and fronting on Lexing- ton avenue. The tax levy of 1870 also contained a clause granting the managers one hundred thousand dollars toward the erection of buildings as soon as a similar sum should be collected by private subscription. A grand metropolitan fair was accordingly planned and held in the Twenty-second Regiment Armory hall during November, 1870, the proceeds of which amounted to over $71,000. Mrs. R B. Connolly also collected $20,575, which, with some other subscriptions, brought the sum to the required figure, so that the legislative appropriation became available. This Foundling Hospital is now rapidly rising to completion. 356 NEW TOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. The Sisters are very enthusiastic about their enterprise. Pre- cisely what effect the establishment of this Institution will have upon the dissolute portion of society is yet to be seen ; but that the crime of infanticide has been already greatly lessened appears from the police statistics. From one hun- dred to one hundred and fifty dead infants per month were before the opening of this Institution found in barrels and vacant lots, in various parts of the city, whereas not more than one-tenth of that number are now reported. That it will greatly increase the social crime, we hardly believe. This has existed in all ages, unawed by shame, law, and other con- sequences, and will only decrease as the principles of a pure religion are more generally and more thoroughly imbibed. THE SHEPHERD'S FOLD. (Eighty-sixth street and Second avenue.) I HIS association, composed of members of the Protest- ant Episcopal church, was incorporated under the general act of April 12, 1848, on the ninth day of March, 1868. The object of the society, as set forth in the certificate of incorporation, is " The care of orphan, half-orphan, and otherwise friendless children." The object is similar to that of the " Sheltering Arms," to provide for a class of children who, through drunkenness, desertion, crime, or other causes, are practically parentless, yet excluded by rule from regular Orphan Asylums. The management of the Institution is committed to a board of twenty-one trustees, nearly half of whom are ministers. The internal manage- ment of the house is under the immediate supervision of an association of ladies, who report monthly to the executive committee appointed by the trustees. Children are admitted at any age between twelve months and fifteen years, but must be surrendered to the Institution at admission, unless they are temporarily admitted, to assist a poor parent, at four dollai-s per month. An advisory committee, consisting of two gentlemen and three ladies, meets every Monday, at three p.m., for the ad- WOMAN S AID SOCIETY. 357 mission and indenturing of cliildren. The operations of the society began in Twenty-eighth street, after wliich the Insti- tution was removed to Second avenue, between Fiftv-first and Fifty-second streets. On the 29th of April, 1S70, it was again removed to its present location, corner of Eighty-sixth street and Second avenue, where a three-story wood cottage, with a wing, was leased for five years. The building stands on an eminence and is surrounded by ample grounds, with a broad lawn in front overspread with the branches of no])le trees. The location is both healthful and beautiful, affording abundant space for the recreation of the children. The managers hope to secure the means and purchase the pi-op- erty, after which they purpose to erect buildings similar to those known as the Colored Orphan Asylum. The city authorities gave them last year $5,000, which sum has l)een set apart as the beginning of a building fund. The Institu- tion has at present sixty-three children, all it can well accom- modate. The matron, Mrs. Russell, has great skill and kind- ness in the management of children ; and the teacher. Miss Welsh, has managed to throw such a charm around the school-room that many of the children prefer their lessons to play. May the Institution prosper, gathering thousands into its elevating fold who would otherwise ramble in ignorance and infamy, proving a sorrow to themselves and a scourge to society. WOMAN'S AID SOCIETY AND HOME FOR TRAINING YOUNG GIRLS. (Comer TJdrteenth street and Seventh avenue.) 'IIIS organization was first known as the "Women's •*^^^ Evangelical Mission," and was formed to operate for >ftj^^ the recovery of young women in our public institu- tions, and for other fallen women who needed assist- ance in their efforts for reformation. At a later period it was changed to a home for training young, indigent, and inexperienced girls for places of respectability and useful- ness, and the class the managers first sought to reach have been entirely excluded. The inmates received are between 358 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. the ages of thirteen and twenty-five, with a few exceptional cases^ Many of those received during the last three years have been orphans, or friendless girls exhausted by hard service, and nearly ready to perish. In this Home their health has been recruited, their morals improved, a situation in a Christian family in city or country has be'en provided, where they have gone with better prospects. All persons admitted as inmates must pledge to obey the rules of the house, to remain a month, and accept of such situations on leaving as the matron shall approve. The Society is governed by a board of female managers, members of the*^ several Evangelical churches, ncai'ly all of whom thus far have represented the Presbyterian and Eeformed Dutch. The missionary and chaplain is an Evangelical minister, whose duty it is to preach on the island, if necessary, besides conducting the services of the Home. From May, 1868,^ to 1870, the "Home was situated at the foot of Eighty-third street, East river, in a fine old family mansion, with invit- ing groves, ample and well-arranged grounds. The location was one of the most retired, airy, and salubrious on the island. The number of inmates has varied from twenty- four to thirty-six during the past three years, 152 being the total for the year closing in 1869, and 114 for the year end- ing in 1870. During the year closing January, 1871, the managers report 188 admissions, 141 of whom were placed in families, seven returned to friends, nine sent to other institutions, eight were dismissed, six left at their own request, and fifteen remained. Some were inexperienced young girls, members of good families, but, chafing under necessary parental restraint, had sought relief in flight. The managers had picked them up just in time to save them. The Home is now situated at No. 41 Seventh avenue, cor- ner of Thirteenth street, where a four-story brick house has been leased for three years, at an annual rental of $2,000. The building affords accommodations for about thirty in- mates. A school is conducted every afternoon. The Society was incorporated under the general act passed April 12, 1848, on the twenty-fifth day of November, 1870. The expenditures of the Institution during the last year amounted to $7,180.76. Kev. W. A. Masker is the chaplain and superintendent, and Mrs. Masker the matron. ST. JOSEPH ORPHAN ASYLUM. ( Corner of Eighty-ninth street and Avenue A. HE St. Joseph Orphan Asyhim was incorporated by _ special act of the Legislature in 1859. It was founded t^^^jl through the laudable toil and zeal of Rev. Father Joseph Helmpraecht, a Roman Catholic priest. The building was erected in 1860, and is a live-story brick, eighty by forty feet, fronting oa Eighty -ninth street, at the corner of Avenue A. The stories of the building are rather low. The object of the Institution is the support and education of or- phans, half-orphans, destitute and neglected children, con- nected with the Roman Catholic faith and of German origin. The number of inmates averages about one hundred and sixty, and the capacity of the Asylum is equal to about two hundred inmates. The office of the Asylum and secretary is at No. 70 East Fourth street. THE ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL. ( West Fifty-ninth street.) This Institution was founded and endowed by the bequest of the late James H. Roosevelt, Esq., of New York city. This gentleman inherited a fine estate from his parents, which he very materially increased during his lifetime, and finally bequeathed it to the founding of one of the most humane and excellent charities of the world. During his early years he pursued the study of law, graduating with honor after pass- ing the usual course at Columbia College. Some time after his graduation he was admitted to practice, and expected to marry Miss Julia Maria Boardman, an estimable lady of this city. But one month had scarcely elapsed, after his admission to practise law, ere he was smitten with a stroke of paralysis so severe as to entirely frustrate his most cherished earthly plans, and render him an invalid for life. For more than thirty years he could only walk with the aid of crutches, THE ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL. 361 spending most of the time at his residence in New York, shut out by liis infirmities from the chief circles of business and fashion. During these years Jie gave quiet attention to the improvement of "his fortune, to books, and the cultivation of those tempers so invaluable in time and eternity. Though he never married, the most affectionate relation subsisted be- tween him and the lady of his early choice through all his years, to whom he left at death, which occurred in November, 1863, an annuity of $4,000, making her also the executrix of his estate. His estate at his death, which approximated a million, and has since been much increased, consisted in real estate situated in New York and Westchester counties, and in vahiable and available stocks. A sufferer through most of his life, his mind was naturally drawn out in sympathy for those as afflicted as himself, and whose condition was even more pitiable because destitute of the means of comfort he enjoyed. Most of his personal estate he therefore left " in trust to the several and successive presidents ex officio, for the time being, of the respective managing boards of those five certain incorporations in the city of New York, known as ' The Society of the New York 'Hospital,' ' The College of Physicians and Surgeons,' ' The New York Eye Infirmary,' ^ The Demilt Dispensary,' and ' The New York Institution for the Blind,' and to the Honorable James I. Roosevelt, Edwin Clark, Esq., John M. Knox, Esq., and Adrian II. Mul- ler, Esq., all of New York, for the establishment, in the city of New York, of a hospital for the reception and relief of sick and diseased persons, and for its pei-manent endowment." This board of nine trustees has sole charge of the Institution and its endowment, and has power to fill all vacancies occur- ring from death, resignation, or otherwise, of any of the four trustees not before designated by title of office, from male native-born citizens, residents of the city of New York. The nse of his real estate he bequeathed to his nephew, James C. Roosevelt Brown, of Rye, N. Y., the same to be also divided equally between his heirs, but in case of his or their demise without lawful issue, then the same was to be disposed of by his executors, and the proceeds added to the Hospital endow- ment. This nephew survived him but forty days, and died without issue, leaving the property to the Institution to which his uncle had devoted it. The act incorporating the Roosevelt Hospital was passed by the Legislature February 2, 1864:, granting the corpora- 362 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITIITIONS. tion power to receive the legacy, and any others that might be added, to purchase and hold property free from taxation in carrying out the directions of the founder of the Institu- tion. In 1868 a whole block of ground was purchased lying between Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth streets, Ninth and Tenth avenues, for the sum of $185,000. This ground is now valued at $400,000. The corner-stone of the Hospital was laid on the last day of October, 1869, Rev. Thomas De Witt, D.D., Edward Delafield, M.D., and other distinguished gentlemen, taking part in the services. When the usual contributions of papers, etc., had- been placed in the corner-stone. Dr. Delafield, president of the board, moved it to its place, saying, " I now lay the corner-stone of the Roosevelt Hospital, and may cen- turies pass before what is deposited here will again be re- vealed to mortal eye." The Hospital fronts on Fifty-ninth street, and is to consist, if the plan is ever entirely completed, of four pavilions, each one hundred and seventy feet long by thirty wide in the cen- tral part forming the wards, and a front of fifty-six feet on Fifty-ninth street. The pavilions are to be three stories high, of brick, with rich stone trimmings, above a high stone basement, covered with Mansard roof. The wards are each thirty feet wide by ninety-three long, and fifteen feet high, arranged for twenty-eight patients each, affording 1,494 cubic feet of space to each. The base- ment of the one now erected contains an ophthalmic, a children's, and an accident ward, and some small rooms for delirious patients. The main stairways are all to be of iron and stone. Ventilating shafts are to be placed at the end of each ward, to carry oil foul air and introduce fresh. The lavatories, supplied with vapor baths, shower baths, basins, etc., are situated at the southern end of the pavilions, sepa- rated from the wards by wide halls. In the center of the block fronting on Fifty-ninth street is the administration building, through which is the entrance to the Hospital. This building contains the ofiices and apartments for ofiicers, the apothecary room, chemical laboratory, etc. In the rear of this stands another separate building, containing the kitchen, laundry, the heating and ventilating apparatus. This and the pavilion before described are now completed and the other central pavilion and the administration building will soon follow, furnishing accommodations for six hundred patients, and costing about $600,000. These can be completed, leaving an THE KOOSEVELT HOSPITAL. 363 endowment fund of at least $600,000 for the support of the Institution. It is likely that this is as far as the building plan will be carried, unless other legacies are added to the enterprise. The site is an elevated and beautiful one over- looking the Hudson, and as most of the hospitals have been erected on the eastern side of the island, the selection appears to have been well made. The locality will soon be crowded with a dense population, that will need the liberal provisions of this generous benefactor. THE PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. {East Seventieth street.) On the second day of January, 1868, Mr, James Lenox, a distinguished member of tlie Presbyterian Church of New York, addressed a circular letter to a number of gentlemen of his own denomination, setting forth the fact that while the Jews, the Germans, the Roman Catholics, and the Epis- copalians had each established a hospital for themselves, the large and influential body of Presbyterians had undertaken nothing of the kind. The envelope contained the draft of an act of incorporation, and of a constitution. The circular further declared that a large and eligible plot of ground, and funds to the amomit of $100,000, would be made over to the managers if the enterprise were undertaken. The gen- tlemen addressed were severally invited to act as managers, and informed that a public meeting would be called to fully inaugurate the movement as soon as their concurrence was secured. The letter, with its munificent proposals, received prompt and encouraging replies, and on the 13th of January, 1868, a meeting of tliese gentlemen was held in the lecture room of the First Presbyterian church, when a temporary organization was effected. On the 28tli of February, 1868, the Legislature passed the act of incorporation, authorizing the Institution to hold real estate and personal property to THE PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL. 365 any amount, free from taxation. On the 2Gtli day of March, the board of managers maturely considered and accepted the charter, elected their officers, Mr. Lenox being chosen Presi- dent, and the Presbyterian Hospital became a corporate In- stitution. On the 17th of June, Mr. Lenox conveyed in due form to the board of managers, for Hospital uses, tlie block of ground lying between Seventieth and Seventy-first streets, Fourth and Madison avenues, valued at two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to which he added the princely sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in money, paying the exorbitant governmental snccession tax on the transfer of the property of twelve thousand dollars. The site so generously contributed is ample in extent, in the vicinity of Central Park, and is considered one of the most salubrious and eli- gible on the island. The recent developments in medical science and hospital hj^giene have so greatly modified former theories that, by protracted consideration of the sub- ject, the managers hope to avc)id the mistakes into which others have fallen. The sum of $1,300 was expended in ob- taining designs from several distinguished architects, and the one adopted it is believed will secure all known advantages. The Hospital, which is nearly completed, consists of three l^avilions, an administration building, and a boiler-house, all connected in the basement, first and second stories, by corri- dors of light construction. All the buildings (except the boiler-house) are three stories high, and attic in Mansard roof, with accommodations for three hundred patients. The first story and attic will be twelve feet high, respect- ively ; the height of the second and third stories will be four- teen feet and six inches in the clear. The basement story of pavilions will be devoted to the accommodation of hot-air chambers, engine-rooms, fan-rooms, etc. The first floors of pavilions will be occupied by private wards, with all their necessary accessories, while the three upper stories will con- tain the public wards. A spacious and w-ell-lighted amphitheater (for surgical op- erations) will occupy the third and fourth stories of the mid- dle portion of the north pavilion in the rear. The dead-rooms "will be located in vaulted chambers, just outside, and in the rear of this pavilion. The administration building, one of the three central buildings, fifty feet by ninety-two feet, has the middle portion projecting, in order to gain a carriage- porch to main entrance, above which is located the chapel 366 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITTJTI0N8. with its spire. Side-entrance porches are also provided. The basement of this building contain the kitchen (which extends through to the second floor), the bakery, scullery, larder, ice, bread, and store rooms. Special care has been given to the subjects of heating and ventilation. The wards are heated by indirect radiation ; the remainder by direct radiation. The outer walls of pavilions are double, with an air-space between them. The ventilating and heating flues of glazed earthen-pipe are built in the inner wall, having openings provided with controlling registers at the top, bottom, and" midway between the floor and the ceil- ing of the rooms. The fresh air is conducted through shafts from the top of the buildings to the fan-room in the base- ment, whence it is driven to the coil-chambers, which supply the air to rooms above. Other flues conduct the foul air to the lofts above attic stories, where they all unite in spacious ventilating lanterns, heated by steam-coils. The windows, extending" from three feet above the floor to the ceiling, are provided with double sashes, for direct ventilation, without exposing the patients to currents of air. As regards the exterior elevations, the architectural effect is the result obtained by accentuating certain prominent feat- ures existing in the plan, in a quiet manner, and in using the materials, Philadelphia brick and Lockport limestone, accord- ing to sound rules of construction. To the princely liberality of Mr. Lenox many large and small subscriptions have been added by the friends of the enterprise in New York, Messrs. Robert L. & A. Stewart con- tributing fully $50,000. The Hospital will probably be ded- icated free from debt, but with inadequate endowment, leav- ing ample scope for the further exercise of large liberality. The Presbyterian Hospital is one of the grandest benevo- lent enterprises of our times, and eminently worthy of the enlightened and generous denomination that has established it. The annual reports of the Institution, replete with his- toric learning, are model publications of their kind, and wor- thy of permanent preservation. ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL. {Fifth avenue and Fifty-fourth street.) ISTthe year 1846 the Rev. W. A. Mulenberg, D.D., pas- tor of the Church of the Holy Communion, deeply im- ^^ pressed with the neglect of the church generally in U3 making no adequate provision for her sick poor, and believing that a hospital, conducted on more strictly religious principles than any in the city at the time, was greatly needed, Presented the subject to his congregation at the festival of St. lUke, and informed them that with their consent he would set apart a portion of their collection that day toward the begin- ning of a Church Hospital. Thirty dollars were accordingly laid aside, and on the return of the festival the next year an- other collection was taken, A parochial institution only was contemplated for several years, but as the enterprise came to be known it met with such unexpected favor, that its friends re- solved to lay the matter before the Episcopalians of the city at large. In the winter of 1850 the two lectures previously delivered by Dr. Mulenberg in the Church of the Holy Communion were repeated in St. Paul's Chapel, and after- wards printed and widely circulated. On the first day of May, 1850, the St. Luke's Hospital was incorporated under the general act of Legislature passed April 12, 1848, committing the control of the Institution to thirteen managers. In March, 1851, the Legislature amended the charter, increasing the num- ber of managers to thirty-one ; and in February, 1854, it was again amended, granting the corporation permission to hold personal estate to the amount of $250,000, and real estate not exceeding $100,000, over and above the value of buildings and improvements erected thereon for the purposes of the corporation. About the time of its incorporation the man- agers, proposing to carry out their undertaking on a liberal scale, appealed to the public for $100,000. This amount was soon subscribed, and was mostly given in large sums. An eligible site of twenty-four city lots, situated on Fifth avenue and Fifty-fourth street, had been previously, for certain con- siderations on the part of Trinity Church, granted by the city corporation to the Church of St. George tne Martyr, on con- 568 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. dition that there should be erected thereon, within three years from the date of the grant, a hospital and free chapel lor British emigrants. As the buildings had not been erected, and the land was soon to revert to the city, the managei-s of St. Luke's applied to the authorities for an extension of the time, which was finally granted, and after considerable negoti- ation the transfer of the title from the Church of St. George the Martyr was effected, on condition that the corporation of St. George should always be entitled to a certain number of free beds in the contemplated Hospital. Eight additional lots were also purchased at an average expense of $1,500 each ; a plan for the building prepared by Mr. John W. Ritch was adopted ; and in May, 1854, the corner-stone of the Hos- pital was laid, with appropriate services conducted by Bishop vYaiuwrigiit. Wlien the building was begun the managers only contemplated the erection of the central edifice and one wing, but they soon resolved to erect both wings, and accord- ingly appealed to the public for an additional hundred thou- sand dollars. On Ascension Day, 1857, the chapel, ha\dng been completed, was opened for divine service ; and on May 13, 1858, the Hospital proper was opened for the reception of patients. The buildings, which form a narrow parallelogram with a vring at each end, and a central edifice with towers, front on Fifty-fourth street, facing the south, extending longitudinally from east to west two hundred and eighty feet. The eleva- tions of the several fronts are of square red brick. The cen- tral building contains on the fii-st floor the office, the examin- ation room, and appropriate apartments for the physician and the superintendent. On the second floor is the chapel, the distinctive feature of the Hospital, This is rectangular in form, eighty-four by tliirty-f(-)ur feet, with a ceiling forty feet high. The roof is elliptical, with bold traverse ribs resting on corbels. A narrow gallery extends around three sides on a level with the floor of the third story, and so supplements the audience room that several hundred persons are comfort- ably seated at the Sabbath afternoon service. The wards ex- tend from the central building in either direction, the western wing being devoted to the male, and the eastern to the female patients, respectively. One ward is also appropriated to chil- dren, and is a very interesting department. The Hospital has spacious and airy corridors for the exercise of convalescent patients, bath-rooms, closets, and separate apartments for ST, LUKES HOSPITAL, 369 the treatment of the delirious or noisy. The buildings have accommodations for over two hundred patients, and have cost, with their furniture, about $225,000, A rear building con- tains the apparatus for heating the whole edifice with steam, the cooking, washing, and drying being performed by the same agent. A fan ten feet in diameter for ventilating the Hospital is also driven by the same machinery, capable of discharging 40,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The same machinery carries the water to the tanks in the attic, from whence it is distributed through the building. The projector of the Institution early conceived that its usefulness would be much promoted by placing its wards under the charge of a band of Christian women. Under his own pastorate such a band had originated in 1845, known as the " Sisters of the Holy Communion," being the first community of Protestant '.' Sisters of Charity " in this country. They were accordingly fitted for the undertaking. The donations of a few wealthy friends enabled the Sisters in 1851 to erect a dwelling suited to their use adjoining the Church of the Holy Communion ; and in 1854 the building adjoining their own was rented, and converted into an infirmary, with fifteen beds. Here the work of St. Luke's Hospital began, and more than two hun- dred patients were treated ere the opening of the Institution on Fifty-fourth street. The Sisters have had charge of the hospital since its opening, attending to its multiplied toils with scrupulous exactness through all these years, with no financial compensation. Even their apparel is furnished by an arrangement of their own, so that nothing but board is received at the Hospital, No vows bind them to their work nor to each ether. It is a voluntary association of unmarried Christian females, somewhat akin to the Lutheran Deaconesses of Kaiserswerth, so well known in the hospitals of Germany and Prussia. The Hospital is conducted on the principle of a family. The Superintendent, who is also the chaplain, sus- taining the relation of falL?:*, and the lady superior that of mother, to the inmates. One ot the Sisters has charge of the drug department, and saves the Institution annually the wages of an apothecary. The ministi'ations of the gospel, according to the forms of the Protestant Episcopal church, are daily attended to. Scriptures and prayers are read in each ward every morning, and a service is conducted every evening in the chapel, when the doors leading into the long wards are thrown open, and 370 NEW TOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. the large organ breathes forth its melody. The regular church service with preaching is conducted every Sabbath morning, and in the afternoon the chapel is thrown open to the inhabitants of the neighborhood, who attend in large numbers upon the preaching of the Word. About eight thousand patients have been treated since the opening of the Hospital, a small fraction of whom only were able to pay their own bills. More than thirty beds are now supported by a permanent endowment of $3,000 each, and over a score more by annual subscriptions of from two hundred to three hundred dollars each. The board of the patients was long held at four dol- lars per week, but has since been increased to seven dollars for adults, and four dollars for children. St. Luke's Hospital, situated in a central and wealthy neighborhood, with its beautifully cultivated lawns and ele- gant surroundings, if managed with the courtesy and skill that have hitherto characterized it, will long continue one of the finest institutions of the city. NEW YORK HOSPITAL. New York continned for many years without any adequate accommodations for its sick and disabled citizens. Though its original city charter was granted in 1686, no serious effort appears to have been made toward ])roviding a public hospital until 1770. The population of the city at that time amounted to over twenty thousand. In that year a number of enterprising citizens liberally signed and circulated a subscription for tliis purpose. On the 13th of June, 1771, the governor of the colony, under George III., granted a charter, in which he named the mayor, the recorder, the aldermen and their assis- tants of the city, the rector of Trinity Church, one minister from each of the other denominations then in the city, the president of King (afterwards Columbia) College, and several other prominent citizens, as members of the corporation. Twenty-six governors were also named for the management of the business of the society. The original charter title was the " Society of the Hospital in the City of New Yoi-k in America," but by an act in 1810 the name w^as changed to the " Society of the New York Hospital '' Through the efforts of t-wo eminent English physicians, Drs. Fothergill and Dun- 372 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. can, numerous contributions to the funds of tlie society were made by persons of London and elsewhere. The following year the provincial Legislature granted it an allowance of £800 ($2,000) per annum for twenty years. Highly^ encouraged with these 'prospects of revenue, the governors, in 1773, pur- chased five acres of ground in the outskirts of the city, and be- gan the erection of the edifice. On the 27th of July, 1773, the foundation stone was laid; but on the 28th of February, 1775, when the structure was nearly completed, it was accidentally destroyed by fire. This sudden misfortune inflicted upon the society a loss of over se veuteen thousand dollars, and would have entirely paralyzed its efforts had not the Legislature come to its assistance with a grant of $10,000. The toil of rebuilding began amid the outbursts of the Revolutionary war, and con- tinued until the capture of New York by the British, Sep- tember 15, 1776. For seven years it was, in its half-fii- ished condition, occupied by British and Hessian troops as barracks, and occasionally used as a hospital. Independence having been secured, work was resumed, and on January 3, 1791, "it was so far completed that eighteen patients were ad- mitted. Its colonial revenue, of course, ceased with the breaking out of hostilities, but in 1788 the Legislature directed that $2,000 per annum for four years be paid to it from the excise funds. The funds of the society were now rapidly increased by donations from private citizens, and liberal grants from the Legislature. By an act of 1792, $5,000 per annum were granted; in 1795 the sum was increased to $10,000, and the following year to $15,000 ; subsequently it was made $22,500, which amount was paid annually until 1857. An act of 1822 exempted all the property of the so- ciety from taxation. Arrangement was made with the United States Government in 1799, which continued until recently, Avhereby sick and disabled seamen in this port were received, and paid for by the Collector of Customs, at the rate of seven dollars per week. The Hospital stood until recently on its original site, which is the most elevated and eligible one on the lower part of the island. Its grounds, wliich were handsomely laid out and ornamented with choice shrubbery, covered an entire block. They are bounded by Broadway on the east, Chm-ch street on the west, on the north by Worth, and on the south by Duane streets. The central Hospital was a large convenient building of NEW YOEK HOSPITAL. ^ 373 fray stone in the Doric order, with accommodations for two undred patients, besides the numerous rooms appropriated to business, visitors, surgery, medicine, the resident officers, and servants. In 1806, in answer to a growing and general desire, a new building termed the South Hospital was erected for the treatment of insane patients, and devoted to this use until 1821, when this branch was removed to Bloomingdale. After the removal of the insane patients, this building was devoted to the treatment of seamen, and termed the Marine Department. In 1853 it was torn down, and a splendid hos- pital erected on its site at a cost of $140,000, with accommo- dations for 250 patients. In 1841, on the opposite extreme of the grounds, had been reared the North Hospital, with accommodations for 100 patients. Froui the time of open- ing this Institution, in 1792, to 1856, it is said that 106,111 patients were admitted, of whom 77,390 were cured, 4,768 relieved, and 10,893 died. The majority of the latter were brought in from the streets in a dying condition. In 1857 the annual State appropriation of $22,500 ceased by statute limitation, after whi(;h the Legislature occasionally responded to the urgent appeals of the governors with greatly reduced appropriations, nothing being granted after 1866. The city government refused any aid, and private donations and be- quests were also withheld, through a determination to force the governors to lease or sell the valuable grounds around the Hospital. During these years, with the rapid increase of our population, the number of casualty patients correspondingly multiplied. This Hospital, situated so near the crowded cen- tres of the metropolis, had always had the larger number of these unfortunates, no one of whom was ever rejected, and but few of whom -were able to pay, however long and expen- sive might be his treatment. The pay patients were also re- ceived at little more than half the expense of their support. The result was that after the withdrawal of the State annuity the governors found their finances continually embarrassed and annually growing worse and worse. In 1864, with much effort $80,000 were raised by subscription to relieve the over- burdened treasury, but 1868 left it still .in debt about $100,000. About that time the governors decided to lease the grounds and remove the Hospital. In March, 1869, the grounds occupied by the main building and North Hospital were leased, and in May the patients were removed to the South Hospital, where operations were continued until Feb- 374 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ruary 1st, 1870, when the old New York Hospital entirely suspended. A line of majestic business houses already covers most of the premises. The rent of these grounds, when all are leased, will probably amount to $200,000 per annum; yet it is saddening to see this time-honored Institution, where Dr. Valentine Mott devoted his best attentions forty-eight years, and where a hundred and fifty thousand patients have been treated, crowded into obscurity, when the suffering pop- ulation needs its accommodations more than ever, because more numerous than in bygone years. It is probable that another hospital will be opened by the society somewhere, but no plan has yet been agreed upon. The hospital library and pathological cabinet rank among the finest of the world, and are annually receiving valuable additions. The library contains 8,431 volumes. The office of the society is at No. 13 West Eleventh street. HOSPITAL OF SAINT FRANCIS. (East Fifth street, between Avenues B and C.) I HIS Hospital was founded by the " Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis " (an order of Roman Catholic females whose mother house is in Germany), in 1865, and in 1866 the Institution was duly incorporated. A brick edifice, fifty feet wide and four stories high, was purchased in East Fifth street and converted into a hospital, where their operations were conducted until the present sum- mer. Lots adjoining this building were purchased in 1869 at a cost of $35,000, and a four-story brick strncture, with a front of sixty -six feet, was completed last May, at an expense of over $40,000. After entering the new building, the Sis- ters proceeded to demolish and rebuild the old structure immediately adjoining, in the style of the new building, though they were heavily in debt on the portion of the struc- ture just completed. A small building situated on East Sixth street, immediately opposite and connected with the old building, contains the patients of extreme age. With the completion of the buildings the Sisters expect to have wards SAINT VINCENT S HOSPITAL. 375 for over two hundred patients. Most of those admitted thus far have been German or Irish, though persons of any na- tionality are received. The great feature of the Institution is, that it proposes to be free to nearly all patients admitted. The eighteen Sisters not only propose to do all the labor of the Hospital with their own hands, but to beg from door to door the money to build and support it. This Hospital, though young and unknown to most of our citizens, has received from the Legislature from $5,000 to $7,000 per annum. It is situated in a section of the city where, on the present terms, it is certain to be well patronized, and may be a useful Insti- tution. Two of the Sisters go out incessantly to gather funds and supplies. They claim to have treated eight hundred patients annually, thus far, but as they have as yet issued no annual report, precise information in relation to the Institu- tion is not easily obtained. SAINT VINCENT'S HOSPITAL. {Comer of Eleventh street and Seventh avenue.) 'he society for the founding of this Institution was organized in 1849, and the Hospital opened the fol- lowing year. On the 13th of April, 1857, it was duly incorporated l)y act of Legislature, under the legal title of the Sisters of '^Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. It was first established in Thirteenth street, in a three-story brick building so arranged as to accommodate thirty beds. It needed but a short time to make known the existence of such an institution ; and very soon these accommodations became insufficient to meet the increasing demand. The building adjoining was then rented and fitted up, and room was there- by secured for seventy beds. For a few years this proved sufficient, but as the Institution became more widely known, even this was found inadequate, and a larger building 1 lecame a necessity. Accordingly, the present Hospital, situated on the corner of Eleventh street and Seventh avenue, then known as the Half-Orphan Asylum, was rented and fitted up. This Oib NEW TOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. building required extensive alterations and repairs, and was also soon found too small. In 1856 the Sisters held a fair in the Crystal Palace and realized the handsome sum of thirty- four thousand dollars. Their treasury being thus replenished, they purchased two adjoining lots, and erected a large wing to their building. In 1860 a Floral Festival was held in the Palace Gardens, and a sum of nearly twelve thousand dollars was realized. The same year an adjoining lot on the opposite side of the main building was purchased, and another wing erected. The Hospital is situated on high and dry ground, in a comparatively retired and quiet portion of that thickly- populated part of the city. It is three stories high, with base- ment, presenting a front of one hundred and^'lifty feet on Eleventh street, the grounds extending through to Twelfth, furnishing an ample rear yard for the exercise of convales- cents. The Hospital now contains one hundred and fifty beds, with space for more if circumstances should so require. It is divided into five well-regulated wards, besides which there are several well-furnished private apartments for the use of persons who require special accommodations or care. To clergymen or other persons stopping at hotels, or to strangers of means, overtaken suddenly with disease, these rooms offer peculiar advantages, combining the comforts of a home with the advice and treatment of the Hospital. The operating theatre connected with the surgical ward is on the third floor of the left wing, the room being furnished with a fine skylight in addition to the ordinary windows. The entire management of the Institution is conducted by fifteen of the Sisters, no female help being employed, and no male except the Board of Physicians, and a nurse in each of the male wards. The entire edifice is heated with steam, and watched over with scrupulous tidiness in every part, though on account of its piecemeal construction it is sadly wanting in that general design which facilitates labor in its management. The design of the society at its organization was to make it a self-su])porting Institution; hence it existed several years without any legal incorporation, or asking any grants from the city or State. But the multitude of cluirity patients that annually knocked at its doors induced the managers to recon- sider and finally change the nature of their enterprise. In 1863 the Common Council granted the Hospital $1,000, in 1864, $1,000, in 1865, $2,000, in 1867, $2,000, in 186S. SAINT Vincent's hospital. 377 $3,000. The Board of Public Charities, in 1867, alao gave it $1,000. The last Legislature gave it $5,000. In 1868 the Sisters purchased the main building of their Hospital, which up to this had been leased. The entire expense of their build- ings and grounds has exceeded seventy thousand dollars, upon which there remains an indebtedness of $25,000 se- cured by bond and mortgage. Mr. Charles Gibbous, several years since, generously pre- sented the society with an endowment contribution of $5,000, and it is quite remarkable that no wealthy Roman Catholic of the country has midertaken to increase the amount. The Institution is, of course, distinctly Roman Catholic in its management ; pay patients are, however, taken from any denomination, and allowed to receive the visits of their own spiritual advisers, though the stated services are always con- ducted by a Romish priest. Patients were admitted for many years at tliree dollars per week, always paying one month's board in advance, and free beds were granted associations and clubs for $120 per an- num. But the greatly augmented cost of carrying on the In- stitution, occasioned by the war, led them to increase the price to six dollars for males, and five for females per week, and the cost of a free bed to $175 per annum. Many charity patients are still admitted. In 1859 and 1860 over two hundred of this class were admitted, whose average sojourn was six months, at an expense of over twelve thousand dollars to the Institution. During 1869 nearly two hundred and tif ty were treated gratuitously. Since the founding of the Hospital, twenty-two years ago, over thirteen thousand patients have received treatment within its walls. The larger portion of those who have died have been afflicted with pulmonary com- plaints. It may be doubted whether any hospital in the land is con- ducted on more strictly economical principles. The Sisters serve for life, with no expense to the Institution save board, the mother house, St. Vincent's Convent, furnishing their ap- parel. The dispensary is even conducted by one of the Sis- ters, thus sa\ing the usual salary of an apothecary. The pub- lished report of 1860 showed the amount of wages paid for the year to have been $894, and the year closing with 1870 to have been $2,420.24. The self-imposed penury and patient continuance in unrequited, life-long toil, and sleepless vigi- 378 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. lance for the advancement of the interests of " Mother Church," by many Roman Catholics, notwithstanding all their erroi*s of faith and practice, present a sublime anomaly in the history of the world, and are eminently worthy of imitation. GERMAN HOSPITAL AND DISPENSARY. {Seoenty-sei-rnth street (iiul Fourth avenue.) LTntil recently, the hospitals of Xew York have been largely patronized and controlled by citizens of foreign na- tionalities. Hospitals are much more common in Europe than in this country. London alone contains o\er lif ty, many of them of a general cliai-acter, averaging about three hunch-ed beds each. Americans, for the most })art, prefer to be treated at home, even in extreme cases ; but Europeans resort to the hos])ital when overtaken with slight illness. The hospitals of Europe often treat both the in-door and out-door patients, hence the thouo-hts of an invalid are naturally turned toward the hospital. It is this early education that has prom])ted so many foreigners to plan for a hospital soon after taking up their residence in an American city. " The German Hospital of the City of New York " was incor[3orated by the Legisla- ture April 13th, 1861, and its first board of directors was organized February 15th, 1802. A subscription, opened in 1801, slumbered through several years. The treasurer's report shows that up to 1865 less than $14,000 had been received. 3S0 NEW YOKK AND ITS INST1TUTI0^'S. The subscriptions of 186G exceeded $53,000; of 1867, $36,000 ; and of 1868, $28,000. A plot of ground situated on Fourth avenue and Seventy-seventh street was leased to them by the city authorities for fifty years, at a nominal rent, and the directors purchased six additional lots on Seventy -sixth street. The plan at that time was to erect two fine pavilions, extending along Seventy-seventh street, from Fourth to Lex- ington avenues, with an administration building between them. The corner-stone of the western pavilion was laid September 3, 1866, and the edifice so far completed that the building committee transferred it to the board of directors October 28, 1868. The expenditures of the enterprise at that time hav- ing far outrun its income, the edifice could not be used until the heavy indebtedness could be removed. In the beginning of 1869 the directors, still burdened with debt, and seeing no prospect of receiving large donations, despaired of ever carry- ing through the original plan, and accordingly sold the six lots formerly purchased on Seventy-sixth street. The $25,800 thus received enabled them to cancel their most pressing obligations, still leaving a debt of $20,000, and the Hospital unfurnished. At this critical moment, Mr. II. E. Moring vol- unteered to undertake another collection, and with much per- severance succeeded in raising over $11,000, with which sum eighty complete beds and the other furniture were obtained. On the 13th of September, 1869, the Hospital was finally opened for the uses for which it had been erected, since which a large number of patients have been treated. The edifice is a beautiful, three-story brick, with Fren(;h roof. The stories are high, well ventilated, heated throughout with steam, and con- tain one hundred beds. The whole is divided into six wards and fi\e private rooms. The directors were last year very agreeably surprised by receiving the princely gift of $50,000 in Uuited States bonds, from Baron Yan Diergardt, a noble German philantln-opist. This sum has enabled them to can- cel all their indebtedness, leaving $40,000 in the treasury. They now propose to repurchase the lots so recently sold, or obtain others, and proceed with the erection of the other buildings so greatly needed, as the inconveniencies of the present building originate in the fact that all parts of the ad- ministration are crowded into what is but a part of a well-con- sidered plan. The incompleteness of the Hospital appears from the fact that the present building contains no kitchen of sufticient size, no separate room for a pharmacy, no room for GERMAN HOSPITAL ANT) DISPENSARY. 381 surgical instruments, no suitably arranged operating theatre, no rooms sufficiently separated from the main building for patients giving symptoms of contagious disease. All these prerequisites are provided for in the general phiii. Patients are admitted regardless of color, creed, or nationality. From the time of opening the Hospital until October 1, 1870, 739 patients were admitted, of whom 82 died, 600 were dismissed, and 57 remained. Of those admitted, 800 were treated free, 19 paid in part, and 420 paid in full. In 1866 the German Dispensary previously established was by an amended charter united in interest and manage- ment with the Hospital. This continues at its old location, No. 8 Third street. During 1870 it dispensed medical aid to 15,000 patients, and to about the same number the year pre- vious. About one-third of these were of American l)irth, and nearly eight-ninths of the remainder were from Ger- many. The college of physicians connected with this dis- pensary have collected the best library of medical periodi- cals in the United States. The German Hospital and Dispensary are conducted by learned and skillful physicians, and with the completion of their new buildings are certain to take rank among our best institutions. MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL. {Lexington avenue and Sixty-sixth street.) The many thousand Hebrews of New York took no distinc- tive part in the hospital accommodations of the metropolis until about twenty years ago. The act of Legislature by which the Jewish Hospital was incorporated bears date of January 5, 1852. About that time Sampson Simson, a wealthy Hebrew, donated a lot of ground in Twenty-eighth street, near Eighth avenue, and the society purcliased an ad- joining lot and erected the handsome brick Hospital, still in use, at a cost of nearly $35,000. The corner-stone of the structure was laid with appropriate exercises in the presence of a large concourse of citizens on the 25th of November, 1853, and the Hospital opened for the reception of patients amid much rejoicing on the ITtli of May, 1855. One hun- dred and thirteen patients were admitted the first year. The Institution is under the conti-ol of twelve directors, three of whom are elected annually by the members of the society and serve four years. Members are admitted on the annual payment of five dollars, or one hundred paid at one time, which entitles tliem to a voice at all meetings of the society, and to a preference in the benefits of the Hospital. In 1S53 Mr. Touro, of New Orleans, increased the capital of the society by a donation of $20,000, and in 1863 two of the MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL. 383- directoi-s proposed to contribute $10,000 each, on condition that tlie Board should raise a permanent fund of $50,000, which was soon accomplished. During the sixteen years of its operations, it has received 6,925 patients; about 5,500 of them have been restored to health, and about 1,400 surgical operations have been per- formed. The design of the society, as set forth at its incor- poration, is to " afford surgical and medical aid, comfort, and protection in sickness to deserving and needy Israelites," but their charities have extended far beyond their own persua- sion. Many sick and disabled soldiers during tlie war were received and treated in their Institution. When in 1866 the city was threatened with cholera, a ward was prepared and promptly tendered to the Board of Health. Casualty patients have always been received and every possible alleviation afforded, often at considerable expense to the managers ; and whenever a poor unfortunate has lost a limb by amputation, the directors have invariably procured him an artificial one. True to the instincts of their illustrious ancestors, they regard every man in distress a brother, and opening the tent door bid him welcome to the enjoyment of their hospitality. In their printed report they say, " The ear of the Hebrew is never deaf to the cry of the needy, nor his heart unmoved at the suffering of a fellow man, whatever be his creed, oi-igin, or nationality." Several of the Jewish Rabbis give unwear- ied attention to the religious interests of their patients, and suffering Gentiles are allowed to receive visits from their own spiritual advisers. The Hospital contains a small synagogue. They also own a burial-place, and bury the dead without charge to the fi-iends of the deceased. The necessities of the public and the wants of the society some time since outgrew the capacity of their modest build- ing, which has never been able to accommodate over al)Out sixty-five patients. Their surroundings have also sadly changed. At the time of opening the liospital, the neighbor- hood was clean, airy, and quiet. But during the last few years the building has been surrounded by factories, brewer- ies, and workshops, whose steam-engines are pufiing day and night, to the great annoyance of the patients, who sigh for quiet and rest. The^ factories have brought also a class of families +hat add greatly to the noise and filth of the neigh- borhood. In October, 1867, a steam boiler exploded within a hundred feet of the Hospital, and was thrown several hundred 3S4 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. feet ill tlie air, crushing a dwelliug and some of the inmates in its descent. The concussion at the Hospital was terrible. The walls were shaken, windows shattered, and the panic among the poor patients indescribable. This occurrence set- tled the matter of removal, and the directors began to in- quire for a more eligible site. The Common Council granted them a lease of twelve lots situated on Lexington avenue, be- tween Sixty-fifth and Sixty-sixth streets, for ninety-nine years, at a nominal rent of one dollar per annum. The corner-stone of the new Hospital was laid in the after- noon of May 25, 1870. After music by Eben's band, the Rev. J. J. Lyons offered an earnest and thoughtful prayer. Mr. Benjamin Nathan (since wickedly murdered), president of the society, after depositing the metal box containing the history of the movement and other documents in the stone, with an appropriate address, presented to Mayor A, Oakey Hall a silver trowel, which had npon one side of it a Hebrew inscription signifying House of the Sick, and on the other an inscription of gift, with the names of the officers and direct- ors. The Mayor, after congratulating the societv and the city upon this new movement of charity, said : " Other cities boast of peculiar and familiar titles descrip- tive of their inhabitants. There is the ' City of Brotherly Love,' as Philadelphia is called, and there is Brooklyn, 'The City of Churches ; ' but the city of New York proudly and gloriously boasts of being the great ' City of Charities.' It is therefore doubly appropriate" that the Mayor of that city should be here, as it were, the high -priest of these ceremonies." He then descended from the platform, and having placed himself near the stone, continued as follows : " I now proceed to lay this corner-stone in the name of our common humanity ; in the name of the common mortal life to which we all cling ; in the name of those ills of the body and the mind to \vhich we are all subject ; in the name of universal mercy, which we prayerfully demand ; and in the name of that universal death which we all reverently expect. And Jehovah grant that, as long as time endures, angels of compassion, with healing on their wings, may hover round the site of this Mount Sinai Hospital." After the stone had been lowered to*fts place the Mayor struck it several times with the gavel, and concluded the cere- mony by adding : " Lie thou there, O corner-stone, and, according to the sen- MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL. 3S5 tence of tlie noble prayer wbicli has been offered here to-day, mayest thou ever rest beneath tlie site of an hospital that shall be the shelter of suffering hunianitv, without distinction of faith." An eloquent and appropriate address was then delivered by the Hon. Albert Cardozo, one of the justices of the Su- preme Court of the State of New York, from which we ex- tract the following paragraph : "And now, from its foundation, I dedicate the beautiful edifice about to be erected on this spot to the charitable pur- poses for which it is designed. I dedicate it in the name of the union of these States — may both alike be perpetual ! — whose theory of religious liberty and equality, faithfully maintained from the birth of the nation — may it never be violated ! — has attracted so many to these shores, who have shed lustre upon our race, and who have repaid their adopted country for its protection by devoting treasure and talent, and life itself, to her interests. "I dedicate it in the name of the State of New York — may the career of both be upward and onward in prosperity for- ever ! — under whose parental and protecting care and benign influence and policy the Institution has thriven and grown, from insignificant and dependent infancy, until it has at- tained its present extended usefulness and proportions. " I dedicate it in the name of the City of New York — cath- olic and profuse in its generosity towards all laudable objects — our pride, our home ; with which our dearest interests and hopes are identified, and for whose welfare our heartstrings vibrate with tenderest emotion and sensibility ; whose prog- ress in all that makes a city really great, while only keep- ing pace with our affection, has excited the admiration and amazement of the world, and provoked at times the envy of her less-favored sisters of both this and the old country ; whose munificence towards this and all deserving charities marks her pre-eminent, as in e\"erything else, for entire free- dom from bigotry, and for devotion to the cause of humanity and the sacred principle of religious liberty. And in the name of all these, speaking for those Mdio cannot speak for themselves — for the helpless, the hapless, and the forlorn — I invoke the aid of all to sustain this admirable charity and make the Institution a perfect and permanent success." The work thus happily begun is being rapidly pushed for- ward, and the present auhimn will probably witness the 3S6 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. completion of one of the finest hospitals in our city. The- building will front on Lexington avenue, extending aci-oss the entire block ; it will consist of a fine central edifice, with ap- two wino-s, constructed of brick and marble, in the most 'a^f proved style of architecture. It is three stories high, besides basement and attic, with Mansard roof, heated with steam, will accommodate two hundred beds, and cost, in its construc- tion and furniture, $325,000. The subscription building fund amounts to nearly one hundred thousand dollars at this writing, the old hos|)ital and grounds are expected to bring toward a hundred thousand wlien vacated, and the Institution has now a permanent endowment fund of another hundred thousand. The Charity Fair inaugurated on the 30th of- No- vember, 1870, netted the Hospital the large sum of $101,6tl:5^ besides the $35,000 appropriated to the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. Surely the Hebrews of New York are making an excellent record. May a kind Providence direct and save them ! BELLEVUE HOSPITAL. ( Twenty-sixth street, East rive'. (HE Belle vue Hospital is one of the largest Institu- tions of its kind in the United States, and one of the noblest monuments of municipal charity in the whole world. In 1816 a stone building fifty feet by one hundred and fifty was erected at Bellevue, as a peniten- tiary for minor offenders. The same year the new alms- house was erected in close proximity to the latter, and in 1826 the Hospital was established near the two just described. The three Institutions, and over twenty acres of land, were en- closed with a stone wall, and became kno^vn as the Bellevue establishment. The opening of the House of Refuge in 1825, and the prison at Sing-Sing in 1828, furnished accommoda- tions for criminals, so that at the removal of the inmates of the almshouse to BlackwelFs Island, in 1848, the Hospital interest naturally took the entire possession of Bellevue. The old almshouse, constructed of blue-stone, is now the BELLEVUE HOSPITAL. 387 central edifice of tlie Hospital. Yarions changes and addi- tions have been made from time to time, until the buildings now present a continuous line of three liundred and fifty feet, all four stories high, the central one crowned with a lofty observatory. The Hospital contains thirty-five wards, and has space for about twelve hundred patients. The ceil- ings are now considered too low and the ventilation quite defective, yet every im])rovement possible for the comfort of the patients is made. The Hospital is heated throughout with steam, the cooking and washing being performed by the same agent, and the apartments are all lighted with gas. Each building has a piazza with external iron staircases, affording pleasant exercise to convalescents, and ample means of escape in case of fire. In the basement of the main building are kept the drugs, the Hospital clothing, and much of the provision stores. Here is also the printing office of the commissioners. The side walls of the wide entrance way of the first floor present on tlie one liand the stone on which George Washington stood when he took the oath of office as first President of the United States. The stone is appropriately inscribed. On the opposite side the commissioners have placed a beautiful inscription in white marble, to the memory of Dr. Valentine Mott, so long regarded as the chief ornament of the medical fraternity of New York. The office of the warden and the business room of the commissioners are found on the first floor, and on the second are private apartments for the war- den, engineer, apothecary', and matron. The third floor con- tains similar apartments for the resident physicians and surgeons ; while the fourth contains the operating theater, surrounded with circular seats raised in the form of an am- phitheater, with space for several hundred students. This floor contains also the library, and the consultation room. The surgical instruments formerly kept here have been re- moved to the flrst floor, and placed with other curiosities in a large room adjoining the entrance hall. They are all placed in charge of one person, who is held responsible for their condition. The attic contains the tanks from which hot and cold water is distributed through the building. The Hospital has recently been furnished with spring beds, which, besides lessening the labor, adds greatly to the comfort of the patients. The museum is being steadily enriched with speci- mens of morbid anatomy, illustrating nearly every variety of 388 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. disease. The Hospital is placed under a medical committee of inspection, who examine it weekly, making such recom- mendations as they think proper. This Hospital, as all know, is a municipal institution, con- trolled by the Commissioners of Charities and Correction. Hence all sick poor are entitled to treatment free of charge. A surgeon is detailed to examine all applicants, and if they require continuous medical treatment he assigns them to their appropriate ward in the Hospital ; if the illness is slight, they are sent to the Bureau of Out-door Sick. An average of seven or eight thousand are treated annually in this Hospital, about ten per cent, of whom die ; a large part of the deaths occur, however, among infants and casualty patients. Though the patients are nearly all paupers, the Burgeons employed are second to none, and the treatment throughout is the best science can afford. The bodies of the dead, unless taken away by their friends^ are interred in the City Cemetery on Hart Island. As a school of clinical instruction, Belle vue ranks among the first in the world. The students of all medical schools in the city are granted admission tickets, and several hundred are in constant attendance. In 1866 the commissioners added the Medical and Surgi- cal Bureau for the Belief of the Out-door Poor, which is manned by a large corps of physicians, who treated over 17,000 patients the last year. During the same year a building, similar to the famous Morgue of Paris, was constructed, as a temporary receptacle for the exhibition and identification of the unknown dead. The body is stretched upon a table so that it can be viewed through a glass ceiling day and night for seventy-two hours. H not identified, a minute descrip- tion of the person is recorded, a picture taken, and the gar- ments worn are still kept on exhibition for twenty or more days. A convenient room has been added to this building for the deliberations of the coroners. During 1869 there were received at the Morgue 149 bodies, TO of whom were recognized by friends, and 79 not identified. Several acres of ground are still connected with the Hospi- tal. The yards are finely cultivated and add greatly to the beauty and healthf ulness of the Institution. THE NURSERY AND CHILD'S HOSPITAL. {Leodngton avenue and Fifty -first street.) Among all the woes of this sorrowful world, perhaps none are more touching to consider or record than those endured by helpless, speechless childhood. If early years are well supplied with the appliances of life and culture, the priva- tions, exposures, and tempests of later yeai-s may be tri- umphantly borne ; but neglect and misfortune in the morn- ing of life, if not instantly fatal, may so extend their shadows as to sadden and ruin a noble existence. Many causes conspire to afflict childhood. Death robs many a bright- eyed child, in the earliest dawn of its existence, of her whose love and care can never be supplied. Its father may be at that instant on the Indian Ocean, in Asia, or on the Rocky Mountains. Poverty may drive the mother to give the food nature provided for her own infant to that of another; thus, to save herself from starvation, she half starves her child. Some mothers are insane, and some suifer with lingering illness, and are themselves conveyed to hospitals. Add to these the numberless illegitimate births, where shame for 390 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, past crimes leads to the commission of another for its con- cealment, and we gain a faint conception of the ills the race encounters at the threshold of its existence. Eeflections of this kind, particularly those of wet-nurses, compelled by want of subsistence to neglect their own babes and care for others, led to the founding of the " Nursery and Child's Hos- pital." And is it not eminently fitting that woman, to whom God in His providence has connnitted the race, and to whom He has given the finest susceptibilities for its culture, should be the founder and manager of this worthy Institution? Early in 185-i Mrs. Cornelius Du Bois, whose mind had become thoroughly imbued with this subject, undertook to interest her friends and the public in behalf of the infant children of the poor, and so successful were her endeavors, that on the 1st of March, less than a month from the time of beginning, a society was organized, with $10,000 subscribed to commence the enterprise. On the first day of tlie follow- ing May a building was opened in St. Mark's place, which was so soon filled that it was found necessary to add the house adjoining; but, the pressure for room still continuiiig, a more eligible building was secured on Sixth avenue, wli'ere the society (;arried on its work for two years. The original intention was to provide a nursery for the infants of laboring women, and others deprived by any cause of their mothers. The design was to provide for healthy children^ but unfortunately disease is not slow to march through the tender ranks of childhood, and it soon became apparent that, in order to the successful maintenance of a nursery, a hospital with physicians, nurses, and all need- ful appliances must be added. Every week the number of applications increased, and the managers soon became con- vinced that the limits hitherto assigned to their undertaking were not commensurate with the wants of the city, and that their borders must be greatly enlarged. This could not be done without money. An application to the city authorities finally secured the permanent lease of a lot of land one hundred feet square on Fifty-first street, be- tween Lexington and Third avenues. The Legislature was appealed to in 1855, and again in 1857, and the sum of $10,000 was granted to aid in building. Several public entertainments and many private donations so swelled their building fund that they were permitted, in May, 1858, to complete a fine three-story brick building, at a cost of THE NURSERY AND CHILd's HOSPITAL. 391 $28,000. The main building is sixty feet deep, with a front of one hundred and nineteen feet, with two wings of twenty- seven and forty feet, respectively. Up to this period no ille- gitimate children were admitted, but the large numbers they were compelled to refuse induced a deeper study into the necessities of these most wretched of all infants. The late Isaac To^vnsend, then one of the governors of the almshouse, was led to the careful consideration of the same subject, and came to the same conclusion, viz., that a foundling hospital should be established in xTew York. In 1858 the Common Council appointed a select committee to examine and report on the expediency of founding such an Institution. The committee carefully examined the sub- ject, conferred with eminent ph3'sicians, collected statistics, and reported in favor of such a Hospital. Their report showed that in one week, out of 503 deaths, no less than 107, or thirty- live per cent., were under one year of age, 54 being returned as still or premature births. But these published bills of mortality could not guess at the hundreds and thousands of cases known only to certain women and their physicians. The annual report of the Police Department, the observa- tions of thoughtful medical advisers, and others, proved that infanticide had become a widespread and appalling crime in American cities, and extended from the marble palace of Fifth avenue to the dingiest hovel on the island. It was believed that the establishment of foundling hospitals in the principal cities of Europe had prevented the extensive practice of cliild-murder in those countries. As early as 1670, Louis XIV. placed the Foundling Hospital of Paris on a common footing with the other hospitals of the city ; and in 1778 a lying-in asylum was established by Marie Antoinette. In 1739 Thomas Coram founded the London Foundling Hospital, which has since been recognized as one of the most useful charities of England. In our country villages and towns, where every one is known, infanticide is believed to be rare; hence, many indiscreet girls and women, on pretence of a visit or an offered situation, have in the seclusion of a great city sought concealment, and there blackened their souls with in- fanticide. The statistics gathered in one instance showed that, out of 195 cases, only 37 belonged to the city. Many young girls are annually tln-ust from tlie homes of their parents on the discovery of tlieir sad condition, some of whom enter as a last resort dens of infamy to run a brief career of crime, which 392 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. terminates in an awful death ; while others, whose desire for concealment is stronger than for life, are drawn from the water by our policemen, and described by the coroner. Through the unceasing exertions of Mrs. Du Bois, aided by the Common Council, a foundling hospital or " Infant Home " was erected in 1861. It was a model building of its kind, constructed of brick and freestone, with three stories above a liigh l^asement, fronting on Lexington avenue, at the corner of Fifty-first street, and a little' removed from the original Nursery and Hospital. About the time of its completion, yielding to the pressing demands of the honr, it was surrendered to the sick and disabled soldiers, who occupied it four years, but at tlie return of peace it was restored to its founders, and appropri- ated to the uses for which it had been erected. In October, 1865, it was formally opened for the reception of inmates. Great inconvenience was experienced still for want of suih- cient room, and from the separation of the two buildings. This led the enterprising managers, in 1868, to erect, at an expense of over thirty-one thousand dollars, a third building, covering the vacant space between the two former, the base- ment of which contains a play-room for the children, the rest being largely appropriated to a lying-in asylum. The build- ings "are now entirely completed and paid for. They contain fourteen wards, besides suitable school, dining, and play rooms, and other needful apartments. The aim of the society is not to encourage vice, but to prevent it Hence females seeking admission are required to furnish certificates from re- sponsible parties, stating that until recently they have sustained virtuous characters. It opens its doors for the relief and re- covery of unfortunates who have no other refuge in the wide world. Each woman admitted is required to nurse and care for one child besides her own, and if her child dies, to nurse two during her stay. On leaving she receives a certificate of recommendation from the managers and house physician, which usually secures her a good situation. Children under six years of age are received, for which the parent is ex- pected to pay ten dollars per month for an infant, seven dollars for a child who can walk, and nine dollars for a hospital or sick child. The great majority, however, pay nothing. The city authorities now pay five dollars per week for every indi- gent lying-in woman, and five dollai-s per month for each child when nothing can be detained from the parent. THE NURSERY AND CHILD's nOSPITAL. 393 During the year closing with March, 1870, 108 mtants were born in the Hospital, and the inmates averaged about three hundred and fifty, two-thirds of whom were children. The expenditures of the Institution during the same time amounted to $55,241. During the last year 116 infants were born in the Institution, 1,083 persons cared for, and 43 wet nurses provided with situations. The servants sometimes find an infant placed at the door of the Institution in the early iiours of the morning, and others are left by heartless mothers who never call for them. These are kept and in- structed until they are eight or ten years of age, when they are adopted into good families. The infants are fed con- densed milk, preparations of barley, etc., and as they advance eggs and other solid articles of diet are added. An able board of physicians give much time to the care of the sick, and the Institution is watched over night and day by an experienced matron, Mrs. Polman, who possesses rare fitness for the critical position. An annual ball is held in behalf of the Institution. This questionable method of sustaining a worthy charity has nevertheless proved eminently successful, as the managers have realized $10,000 or $15,000 from each, thus drawing large sums from the voluptuous public, which lacks the principle to give until entertained with some frivo- lous amusement. On the 4th of July, 1870, the Society opened on Staten Island a country nursery, for the benefit of the sickly children of the Institution, at an expense of $50,000. The Legislature of 1870 gave $25,000, and in 1871 added the other $25,000, thus fully equipping this country retreat for these infant sufferers. The society is now thor- oughly furnished for its undertaking, and will doubtless run a long and useful career. The Institution is Protestant, but uot denominational. NEW YORK EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY. {Comer of Second avenue and Thirteenth street.) The disorders of the eye and its appendages are more mimerons and diversified than those of any other member of the human body, and some of the operations for its relief re- quire the nicest combinations of delicacy and skill. What- ever knowledge the ancients may have possessed of this sub- ject, certain it is that the medical fi-aternity, during the mid- dle ages, walked in profound darkness. It was not until the latter part of the seventeenth century that the anatomy of the eye was well understood. The German surgeons have the honor of rescuing from deep obscurity the science of ophthalmic surgery.' In 1773 Barthe first founded the Yienna School, which has since become so celebrated. The impulse given to the subject in Germany was soon communi- cated to England, and in 1804 Mr. Sanders founded the London Eye Infirmary, whence have sprung similar charities in various parts of Great Britain and the Continent. NEW YORK EYE AND EAB INFIEMAIIY. 395 In 1816 Edward Delafield aud John K. Kodgers, gradu- ates of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York City, sailed for Europe to improve themselves in the knowl- edge of their profession. They had attended the usual course of lectures, each had practised a year in the New York Hos- pital, but as the institutions of our country were yet in their infancy they hoped by foreign study to render themselves better iitted for the responsible duties of the medical profes- sion. While pursuing their studies in London they were in- duced to become pupils in the recently established Eye In- firmary. They had given the usual attention to the study of the treatment of the eye, but soon discovered that they and their American instructors were profoundly ignorant of the whole subject. They instantly saw that here was an open field of great usefulness wholly untrodden in their own coun- try, and they devoted themselves with untiring assiduity to this new branch of knowledge. Returning in 1818, they nobly resolved to establish an Infirmary. They were both young, possessed little means, had no reputation as physi- cians, yet in August, 1820, they hired two rooms on the second floor at "No. 45 Chatham street, and publicly^ an- nounced that on certain days and hours of each week indi- gent persons afilicted with diseases of the eyes would be gra- tuitously treated, and furnished with all necessary medical appliances. What was undertaken as an experiment soon proved a success, for in less than seven months four hundred and thirty-six patients had applied and received treatment, and many astonishing recoveries had occurred. Having thus demonstrated the feasibility and utility of the undertaking, they now resolved to bring the matter before the public, and ask for the means to really found an Infirmary. A public meeting convened at the City Hotel on the 9th of March, 1821, to consider this subject, was eminently successful. A permanent organization was eifected, and a committee raised to solicit subscriptions and temporarily conduct the Institu- tion. The members of the society were denominated governors, and they resolved that the payment of forty dollars or up- wards should constitute one a governor for life, or the pay- ment of five dollars per annum a yearly governor, with the privilege of sending two patients to the Infirmary for treat- ment at all times. The operations of the society were continued in the same 396 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. rooms until 1824, when a part of the old Marine Hospital was rented for the sum of $500 per annum. The act of incorporation passed the Legislature March 29th, 1822, and the sum of $1,000 was granted in each of the two following years. In 1845 the accommodations at the Hospital being totally inadequate, a three-story house at No. 97 Mercer street was purchased and fitted up for the Infirmary. But after a few years the number of patients became so great that it became manifest that a larger building must be obtained. In 1854 the Legislature, in answer to repeated memorials, granted the sum of $10,000, on condition that $20,000 more should be raised by the directors and expended in building. Over $30,000 were soon subscribed by the friends of the enterprise, and in 1857 the present building was erected. It stands on the north-east corner of Second avenue and Thirteenth street, is a handsome four-story brown stone, with appropriate apartments and space for sev- enty-five beds for patients. It was a source of deep mortifi- cation to the prime movers in this undertaking, who had in- troduced this system into the country, and had planted them- selves in its largest and wealthiest city, to see two kindred institutions securely founded and richly endowed, one in Boston and the other in Philadelphia, while they were left to toil on in comparative poverty and obscurity for six and thirty years. On their entrance into the new building the society entered upon a new era. Its enlarged accommoda- tions for patients from abroad greatly swelled the numbers of those who sought its remedies. Previous to 1855, there had been treated 48,528 patients, but during the last sixteen years no less than 98,875 have sought relief at the Infirmary. An army, in all, of 147,403. The Infirmary is open daily, Sunday excepted, from twelve o'clock to one and a half, for the gra- tuitous treatment of eye patients ; and diseases of the ear are treated every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, from two o'clock to four. The poor from all parts of the State are entitled to its privileges. The cost of the building, with the site on which it stands, has amounted to $65,000, and is now valued at nearly twice that amount. At its opening there remained a debt upon it of $10,000. This has since been removed, and commendable exertions have since been made by the directors and surgeons to secure an adequate endowment, to establish free beds, and to furnish the patients gratuitously with glasses, artificial eyes when needed, etc. NEW TOEK EYE AND EAR TTSTP TRM AT?. V, 397 The State long since withdrew all pecuniary support, though patients are freely received from all parts of it, and the Com- mon Council, grants it but $1,000 per annum. Of the 9,290 treated during 1870, 7,387 were for diseases of the eye, and 1,903 for diseases of the ear. Of the 415 patients kept in the Infirmary, 203 were at the expense of the Institution. The endowment fund, contributed by Mr. Grosvenor, Mr, Burrall, Dr. Harsen, Chauncey and Henry Kose, Madame De Pou, Mr. Alstyne, and others, has been carefully invested and now yields an income of $11,000. Though several new institutions of this kind have recently been established in this city and Brooklyn, the surging tide of sufferers lias not been diverted from this old and well- known Bethesda. This society has certainly accomplished an excellent work, and is justly entitled to the lasting gratitude of the public. Its whole history has been an example of the most rigid economy and self-sacrifice, but the fruit of its benevolent exertion has been rich and abundant. Frequently has the un- willing occupant of the almshouse recovered through its exer- tions. His family, long scattered or consigned to a home of wretchedness, has been collected and raised by industry to comfort and independence. Here the infant, born blind, has fii'st opened its eyes upon its mother's face, and the few re- maining days of the old man have been cheered by the returning light of day. From these rooms the broken-down student has returned to his books, and the lone female to her empleyment, happy in the recovery of sight, the loss of which made poverty a double calamity. Here many an anxious mother has shed tears of joy over the recovery of a long- afflicted child. If it is praiseworthy to educate and support the blind, is it less so to prevent blindness ? Surely it is much cheaper to prevent pauperism than to support it, all other con- siderations ignored. The benefits accruing to the whole country, through the better education of the medical frater- nity, is not the least advantage to be considered from the founding of this Institution. The knowledge acquired has been freely offered to humanity at large. Clinical teaching and courses of lectures have been regularly given at the In- firmary for years, and every facility afforded to all medical students to perfect themselves in this branch of surgery ; thus affording the public a better protection against the mistakes 398 NEW YOBK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. and unskillfulness of their medical ad^dsers. Dr. Edward Delafield, its chief founder, whose name and toils have been conspicnons in nearly every part of its history, still survives, to mark with peculiar satisfaction the increasing success of this cherished Institution. THE WOMAN'S HOSPITAL OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. {Fourth avenue and Fiftieth street.) The advances made in almost every branch of medicine and surgery during the present century have far exceeded tliose of any similar period in the history of the world, yet woman, borne down by peculiar and loathsome sufferings, has sighed in vain for relief until within the last few years. In 1852, Dr. J. Marion Sims, originally from Alal)ama, made known to the profession the result of his long and patient investiga- tions of some of those hitherto incurable ills that afflict woman. lie had discovered the surgical remedy whereby with one or more operations a disease of the most distressing character, that had for ages baffled the skill of Europe, was radically cured. The announcement was hailed with high satisfaction by the medical fraternity. The successful treat- ment of these cases, it was found, required the careful man- agement in minute detail of such trained nurses as are rarely found in private houses. Secondly, the operator, in addition to the knowledge and skill of a good surgeon, must possess peculiar adroitness of manipulation, the gift of very few, re- quiring large and constant experience not often attained in a 400 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. general hospital. Third, the successful treatment of many patients could be conducted nowhere but in a hospital. From these considerations it was deemed expedient to estab- lish an institution where this treatment could be made a spe- cialty. The subject being laid before a number of wealthy benevolent ladies of New York, they entered upon the task of founding an Institution with a very commendable zeal. In February, 1855, the Woman's Hospital association was formed, with a board of managers consisting of thirty-four ladies, a work of woman for the benefit of her own sex". On the 4th of May, 1855, the association opened a hospital in a hired building, with forty beds, and conducted its operations for over twelve years on this limited scale. During that period, however, over twelve hundred patients were discharged, either cured or greatly relieved, besides the hundreds of out- door patients treated. The city generously contributed a block of ground lying on Fourth avenue and Fiftieth street, and in May, 1866, the corner-stone of the Woman's Hospital was laid. On the 10th of October, 1867, the new building was thrown open for inspection and for appropriate services, and on the 15th for the reception of patients. While the build- ing was being erected, the property occupied on Madison avenue was sold, and the patients removed to Thirteenth street, where they continued eleven months. The new Hos- pital is one of the prettiest buildings on the island. Its base- ment is of polished stone, the four additional stories of brick, with angles and pilasters ornamented with finely wrought ver- miculatcd blocks. The windows are beautifully arched, the ceilings higher than in any other hospital in the city, and an elevator ascends from basement to fourth floor, to the great convenience of patients, nurses, and visitors. The building contains 75 beds, and cost, with its furniture, $200,000. The upper floor is devoted to charity patients from New York State only, who are required to render some service in the labor of the house, if able. The price of board on the third floor is six dollars per week, on the second floor eight dollars, the first floor being divided into private rooms which rent for fifteen or twenty dollars per week. During the year closing November, 1869, 236 patients received treatment in the Institution ; of these, 151 were cured, 13 improved, 6 discharged as incurable or unsuitable for this treatment, 6 died, leaving 60 still in the Hospital. The expenses of the Institution during the year THE woman's hospital OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. 401 amounted to $22,000, of which sum $14,000 were received from the pay patients, and the remainder raised by subscrip- tions and donations. The surgical department, \inder the direction of the skillful Dr. Emmet, has been so oriranized that out-door patients are gratuitously treated three days in the week, and during the year 1,369 of this class had been admitted. The report of the year closing November, 1870, showed that 262 patients had been under treatment in the wards, of whom 167 were discharged cured, 17 improved, 12 received no benefit, and 9 died, leaving in the Hospital 57. Over eighteen hundred out-door patients had also received medical treatment. The annual expenses had slightly de- creased, as had also the receipts from the patients and from donations. Ovarian tumors of astonishing magnitude have been successfully removed at this Hospital. The business of the association is conducted by a board of males styled governors, and an associate board of females termed supervisors. A hundred ladies have pledged to sup- ply the annual deficiency in the finances, the liability of each not to exceed one liundred dollars. They deem this course preferable to fairs, lotteries, etc. The State, city, and com- munity have honored themselves in contributing toward the establishment of this much-needed Institution. Thousands of physicians from all parts of our country have attended on cHnical days, and returned to their own fields to put in practice the knowledge acquired. The founder of the Institution has introduced the discovery into England and France, receiving distinguished honors from those nations, but, what is more desirable still, the satis- faction of knowing that his system for the amelioration of human suffering is being reduced to practice in all parts of Europe. ' i During 1869 a modest gentleman, Mr. Baldwin, whose name was withheld until after his death, contributed the princely sum of $84,000 toward the erection of another pavilion, similar to the one in use. The association was still somewhat in debt on the present building, but this munifi- cent donation has imposed the duty of raising an additional $50,000 to complete the project, which will probably be ac- complished at no distant day. In 1868 Mr. Henry Young contributed $3,000 for the endowment of a bed which he is allowed to assign to such patients as he shall choose at all times. During the last year Mrs. Kobert Eay and Mrs. H. 26 402 NEW YOBK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. D. Wyinan have each contributed a shnilar sum. The managers desire to have these excellent examples followed until half of the beds in the Institution are free, and if a suf- ficient endowment could be secured it would be their pleasure to make the Woman's Hospital entirely free to every suffering female who may need its treatment. The fame of the Woman's Hospital has spread through all the land. In the spring of 1870 the wife of an army officer, suffering under a malady pronounced incurable, came from Airzona. With the courage of a brave and true woman, stimulated by the love of life that she might still minister to husband and children, she travelled incessantly fourteen days and nights, through the three thousand miles that separated her from the goal of her hopes. When presented to the surgeon-in-chief, he informed her with marked kindness that the chances were sadly against her. She calmly scanned his face for a moment, and then replied, " Before I saw your face, sir, I feared I should die ; but now I know I shall live." Faith and skiU wrought together, she recovered, and carried to her distant home grateful memories of the Woman's Hospital. i;,^ \^ m INSTITUTION FOR THE RELIEF OF THE RUPTURED AND CRIPPLED. {Corner of Lexington avenue and Forty-second street.) The generations of the last two centuries have been re- nownedabove all others for those discoveries and inventions which minister to the wants of snft'ering humanity. The physical sciences have always been slow in their development, yet with these the art of healing is most intimately connected. It is sometimes said that little progress has been made in literature during tlie last two thousand years. Modern authors do not surpass the ancient classics, modern orators have not equalled Demosthenes and Cicero, and the volumes of modern poets are laid aside for those of Homer and Virgil. Euclid, who flourished three centuries before Christ, has not been excelled by geometricians ; astronomers have improved little on La Place, and law has improved but slowly since the days of Blackstone and Mansfield. Medical science, however, has ad\anced with rapid strides in our day, diminishing suffering and greatly lengtliening the period of human life. Statistics show that longevity has in- creased in Paris, since 1805, seventy-one per cent., and that 404 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. while the annual deaths of London in 17S0 were one in twenty of the population, in our day they are reduced to one in forty. The great increase of hospitals, infirmaries, and dispensaries, during the last quarter of a century, has evinced decided progress in the right direction, exhibiting on the one hand a thoughtful generosity among the wealthy, and timely relief from the woes that afflict the indigent on the other. But while much was accomplished for the blind, the deaf- mute, for eye and ear patients, there still existed a very numerous class of ruptured and crippled for whose relief no institution had been founded. In 1804 a society was formed in London for the relief of the ruptured, which gave advice and trusses to poor persons properly recommended. Several others have since sprung up from this example, but it is believed that the citizens of New York have the honor of founding the first institution for the gratuitous and thorough treatment of hernia and all classes of orthopedic surgery. The prime mover in this laudable enterprise was Dr. James Knight. In 1842, when public clinics were first introduced in our medical colleges. Dr. Valentine Mott, Professor of Surgery in the University Medical College of New York, ap- pointed Dr. Knight, who had devoted much attention to the construction of surgical apparatus and the treatment of deformity, to take charge of the orthopedic branch of the Institution. Yast numbers of poor cripples and ruptured persons applied for treatment, and Dr. Knight supplied not a few of them with surgical apparatus at his own expense^ which drew heavily on his slender means, but which never- theless greatly enlarged his practice, and became in the end a source of wealth. At a later period Dr. Knight became one of the visitors of the New York Association for Improv- ing the Condition of the Poor, and on these visits he often found helpless cripples whom he believed might have been made useful and self-supporting if they had received proper treatment in early years. Dr. Knight had long felt the necessity of a society to undertake the improvement of this class of sufferers. lie at different times issued circulars to the benevolent of the city, setting forth the subject, urging the importance of an organization, but received no response.- He next prepared a paper which he presented to the principal sur- geons, the mayor, and to several other distinguished gentle- men, who gave it their signatures. With this encouragement he next sought the co-operation of Mr. R. M. Hartley, the cor- INSTITDTION FOE KELIEF OF KUPTUEED AND CRIPPLED. 405 responding secretary of the Association for Improving the Con- dition of tlie Poor, This thoughtful philanthropist'had long felt the necessity of such an institution, but had been deterred fi-om any movement in that direction from want of profes- sional aid. He instantly recognized in Dr. Knight the aid he had so long needed, and on the 10th of April, 1862, he brought the subject before the managers of the Association for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor, and intro- duced the Doctor to that body. After due consideration, the Society was, on the 27th of March, 1863, incorporated under the act of 1848. The private residence of Dr. Knight, Xo. 97 Second avenue, was rented at a moderate price, the managers pledged to defray the expenses of the enter- ?rise for three years, and on the first day of May the nstitution was opened with Dr. Knight as resident physician and surgeon. During the first month 6Q patients were treated, 10 of whom- were taken into the Institution, and at the close of the year the number amounted to 828. With each succeeding 3"ear the number has increased, amounting in the year just closed to 2,507, or 11,764 during the first seven years; and even this number would have been quadrupled but for the lack of accommodations. It has been ascertained that at least one in fifteen of the population is ruptured ; persons of all ages, from the youngest infant to the octogenarian, bein^ thus afilicted.- These cases are largely among the poor and laboring classes, unable to purchase trusses and other surgical appliances. The children in the Institution present many sad examples of deformity. There are cases imder treatment fc. lateral curvatures, sjpindl and hip diseases, deformed limhs, aralytio affections, club-feet, weak anldes, weak knees, hoio 'egs, and white swelling. Scores of astonishing recoverie; occur annually of those who a few years since would have been pronounced incurable, and left to limp or crawl to an early gi-ave. Another class of patients are those suffering from varicose veins, which are relieved by the laced stocking, which, like suitable trusses, spring supporters for hip disease's, and utero-abdominal supporters, have always heretofore been far beyond the reach of the poor on account of their costli- ness. The society manufactm-es its own instruments at less than one-fourth the price hitherto paid ^ All indigent persons applying receive counsel, and any of these instruments needed, gratuitously. The building in Second avenue was purchased in 1866, but was never able to accommodate over thirty, and 406 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. as most of those admitted arc compelled to remain from six to eif^htcen months, and a few even longer, linndreds were anniialh' turned away, who, with careful in-door treatment, could have been saved from a life of deformity and suffering. The manifest necessity for the movement, and its auspicious beginnings, led the managers to appeal to the public for the means to found, on a iirm basis, a suitable institution. This has been responded to by a number of benevolent gentlemen, among whom may be mentioned Chauncey Rose, Esq., who has contributed the handsome sum of ninety tliousand dollars. The Legislature, in 1867, enlarged their charter, granting power to hold real estate to the amount of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and personal to the amount of one hun- dred and fifty thousand dollars. It also granted, through the Supervisors of New York county, twenty-five thousand dollars toward buildiag. The new edifice was entered by the sur- geon and patients in the spring of 1870, and formally opened with appropriate exercises on the eleventh of tlie following November. Wlien the edifice was finished, an indebtedness of $50,000 remained on the property. John C. Green, Esq., the president of the society, nobly proposed to donate the sum of §50,000, if the board of managers would within thirty days collect a similar sum, which was soon accomplished, sweeping away all encumbrances with a stroke, and leaving $50,000 as the foundation of a permanent endowment fund. The building occupies five lots of ground on the north-west corner of Lexington avenue and Forty-second street. The t round plan consists of a central portion one hundred and fteen by forty-five feet, to which are attached semi-circular wings of twenty-two feet radius at three angles, two facing the south on Forty-second street, and one at the north-east angle on Lexington avenue. A wing, rectangular in form, thirty-two by twenty-two feet, is also attached to the north- west angle. The heavy walls, which are seventy-nine feet high, are of brick, trimmed with Ohio free and Connecticut brown stone, their blended coh^rs forming a grateful relief to the eye. The basement, which is ten feet high, contains a reception hall, with seats for one hundred out-patients, consulta- tion-rooms, kitchen, dining-room, store-rooms, laundry, and the manufacturing department for the construction and repairs of surgico-mechanical appliances. The first floor, reached by a broad flight of steps, is bisected by a spacious hallway,. ESfSTITDTIOIT FOK KELEEF OF KUPTURED AND CRIPPLED, 407 while a narrower one, running at right angle with this, divides it into equal parallelograms. This floor contains a reception- room, a simcious hall for the meetings of the managers, ap- propriate rooms for the family, and several apartments for patients. The second and third floors, which have walls eighteen feet high, arc each divided into three longitudinal divisions, to be occupied by the children ; the central one on each floor is a clear space where they receive their food and instruction ; the others contain their beds, clothing, etc. The fourth floor is an open expanse for convalescent patients to enjoy the sunlight, free air, and amuse themselves M-ith suit- ably limited calisthenics. This story is eighteen feet high, covered with a large central and several smaller domes, through which the invigorating sunlight pours its mellow rays upon the pale but hopeful patients. The building con- tains an admirable system of ventilation, is heated throughont with steam, and well supplied with bath-rooms, hot and cold water. The spacious stairway is fire-proof, and the building is furnished with a fire-proof elevator, worked with steam, which carries patients' food and all other appliances from the basement to the fourth floor. The edifice has been completed at an expense of $250,000, including the site, and has ample accommodations for two hundred patients. The Institution is now prepared to receive pay patients, both children and adults, and the society has entered, we trust, upon a new era in its useful career. Its labors in the past, aside from all human and moral considerations, have been abundantly successful, relieving the city of hundreds who must have been beggars and paupers, and supplying the means of comfort and inde- pendence to many worthy families. The chikb-en are in- structed in English and German, and many who never saw a book at home Vnake surprising progress. The Institution in its management is Protestant, though not denominational, and sound Christian morals are inculcated in the minds of its in- mates, who represent all creeds and nationalities. Without disparagement to any, we can but regard this as among the very first institutions of this great metropolis. THE HOUSE OF REST FOR CONSUMPTIVES. (Tremord, iV. T.) . ...jHE idea of founding an institution for the better '^^e^ treatment of consumptives, we are told, originated in \^fPi the mind of Miss E. A. Bogle, of White Plains. Her mother having died with consumption, she was led to reflect much upon the nature of the disease, and having spent fifteen months in a camp hospital at David's Island during the war, and taken charge of the Home for Incurables at West Farms after her return, she conceived the idea of establishing an institution where pulmonary complaints should be made a subject of special study and treatment. She communicated the idea to the Rev. T. S. Rnmney, D.D., of White Plains, who entered with spirit into the movement and became the founder of the Institution. The society was organized in September, 18G9, and on December 1st a House of Rest for Consumptives M^as opened at Tremont, with one female patient. The author visited the Institution on the last day of January, 1870, and found five patients, three male and two female. The building leased at Tremont is a very eligible one, with fine surroundings, on the line of the Harlem Rail- road, though it is the purpose of the trustees to purchase land and erect suitable buildings at White Plains at no distant day. It is designed to be a charitable institution, receiving patients afilicted with pulmonary complaints from an}^ and every denomination, supplying all with medical treatment and nursing ; also " with the ministrations of the Gospel according to the forms and doctrines of the Protestant Episcopal Church." Any person or society may establish a free bed, to be constantly occupied by any invalid he shall designate, on the annual payment of three hundred dolhirs. It is the desire of the managers to have as many of the beds free as possible. Persons become members of the society on the annual payment of ten dollars, or a life mem- ber on the payment of one hundred at one time. It may be doubted whether the best location has been selected, a dry atmosphere being thus far considered the most important desideratum for consumptives. AYhile it is too early in the history of the Institution to THE HOUSE OF REST FOR CONSUMPXrVES. 409 make any safe prediction concerning it, may we not, how- ever, rejoice in the undertaking, and hope that new light may be shed on this hitherto dark subject, and that thou- sands who would otherwise sink pale and lifeless into prema- ture graves may be spared for years of toil and usefulness. Other diseases that successfully baffled the skill of the medical fraternity for ages have been conquered by the in- vestigations of modern times. The sraall-pox was the raging scourge of the world until Dr. Jenner, by long study and careful experiments, disrobed it of its power. Certainly, in a climate like ours, wliere three-fourths of the people are afflicted with pulmonary diseases in some of their forms, and all are liable to be, no more important subject can challenge the researches of the physician, or the charities of the benevo- lent. NEW YORK INFIRMARY FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN. {No. 12S Second nvemie.) Until very recently it has been difficult, if not quite im- possible, for a woman to obtain a complete medical and sur- gical education, either in this or in any other country. That she possesses the talent, and should hy instruction secure the fitness to successfully treat the delicate cases of her own sex, is to ns a matter of plainest common sens6 ; yet such has been the prejudice of the medical fraternity and of the Avorld at large, that for ages she has been debarred from the halls of the medical college, and from the operating theater at the hospital. A growing desire to enter this wide field of usefulness has been evinced by the female sex for the last fifty years, and is becoming more and more conta- gious as opportunities in this direction are afforded. Some- thing more than twenty years ago. Misses Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell managed to press their way through a medical course, and graduated at a medical college in Cleve- land. Several years were subsequently spent in the prosecu- tion of these studies in Europe, after which they returned. NEW YORK INTIRMAEY FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN. 411 and with the aid of a few friends founded the first medical charity conducted by female physicians, and the first hospital in the world for the instruction of women in medicine and surgery. The Institution was incorporated in December. 1853, under the general act of 1848, with a board of eigh- teen trustees, among whom stand the names of H. Greeley, H. J. Eaymond, Charles A. Dana, Elizabeth Blackwell, etc. Their first movement was to open an infirmary or dispensary in a single room near Tompkins square, with a capital of fifty dollars, to be attended three times a week by Doctor Eliza- beth Blackwell. Three years later, reinforced by the return of Doctor Emily Blackwell from Europe, and by Marie E. La Krzewska, a lady of medical attainments, a hospital de- partment was added. This last step was taken amid many fears and doubts on the part of sundry trustees and friends of the cause, lest, through the prejudice of the public, the death certificates signed by a woman should not be recog- nized by the authorities, and the means necessary to defray the expenses of the enterprise should fail. But the faith of woman discovered light ahead and pressed on. The names of several distinguished practitioners were secured as a con- sulting board, and in the fourth year the infirmary was by the State and city placed on the list receiving governmental assistance, which official recognition was considered more valuable than the financial aid' secured. In 1862 a subscrip- tion was started, which resulted in the purchase of the four- storv brick building, twenty-six by seventy feet, situated at Ko.''l28 Second avenue. The building cost $17,000, but the improvements and other changes have since doubled its mar- ket value The society in addition to about $1,000 annually received from the State, has recently received $10,000 from the city, which has enabled it to remove the mortgage on its property and to lease for a term of years the adjoining build- ing, thus greatly enlarging its accommodations. During the first five years that the infirmary was located on Second avenue, 31,657 sick persons were treated, the greater portion being out-door patients. On account of their limited accom- modations, but 640 were received into the house, 353 for the practice of midwifery, only five of whom died, an average of one per year. The'^small percentage of deaths establishes the capacity of woman to successfully conduct a hospital. Their business is rapidly increasing, as no less than 6,413 were treated or supplied with medicine during 1869. More -4:12 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. than one hundred have been received into the honse annually for several years past, the majority being obstetrical cases, though all other patients in the general practice are treated. The poor are furnished gratuitously with medicines, and vis- ited at their homes by the physicians. The instruction of young women for nurses, and for the practice of medicine, had been from the lii-st a leading feature in the Institution, yet the managers desired to make satisfactory arrangement witli some medical school for the graduation of their students, and thus avoid the necessity of establishing a separate college. Failing to complete such arrangements, an application to the Legislature for a college charter was made in 1865, and in due time granted. The course of study is rigid, lasting three years, and requiring the students to be present in the Institution at least eighteen months during that time. The faculty of professors and lecturers, like the board of trustees, is composed of males and females. Fifteen or twent}^ students taking the regular course have been in attendance since the organization of the college, besides other ladies who have simply attended lec- tures. An educational fund amounting to $100,000 has been called for, to wliicli appeal the late Chauncey "W. Rose, whose name is connected with so many benevolent undertak- ings, responded witli a donation of $5^,000. The fund at this time amounts to above $30,000. The annual expense of the Institution had not exceeded $7,000 up to the period of open- ing the second building, and five hundred dollars have never been received in any year from pay patients. The society performs a work of great charity among the poor, adminis- tering in times of greatest need to hundreds of widows, and to others who by desertion or deception are rendered equally forlorn, and richly deserves the unstinted support of the benevolent. All honor to this pioneer college of female physicians. NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL FOR \VOI\IEN. (Corner of Twelfth street and Second avenue.) The great and multiplied difficulties which every lady has been compelled to encounter in the study of medicine and surgery has by no means dampened the ardor of the sex for such an undertaking. In all parts of Europe, as well as in America, women are loudly knocking at the door of the college and the hospital. The University of Zurich, in Switzerland, conferred the degree on its first female medical student in 1867, and the number of Russian women applying for admission into the college of medicine at St. Petersburgh has been so numerous, that the suljject was several years since brought up for discussion in the Imperial Council of Education. These applications have been numerous in England, and in some recent instances, in France, ladies have received opportunities in hospitals and colleges not hitherto granted. Ten native female physicians have recently gradu- ated in India. But no country affords such opportimi'ties to women as America, and no city to female medical students as Xew York. The prevalence of liberal sentiments has of late thrown open to them the great city hospitals and dispen- ■il4 NEW YORK A!ND ITS INSTITUTIONS. saries, with their admirable clinics; and colleges, encouraged by the first medical talent of tlie age, have been erected with every appliance for their especial culture. The infirmary established by the Blackwell sisters, and so successfully con- ducted, proved the practical capacity of woman as a medical adviser, and was an indispensable prerequisite to a successful appeal to the public for means to establish an institution for such education. This having been clearly demonstrated at that infirmary', the projectors of this Institution established first the college, leaving the practical matters of hospital and dispensary to be added at a later period. The origin of this Institution should perhaps date fi'om April, 1863, when a series of lectures were delivered to a class of females by Mrs. Losier of this city, in her own private parlor. This lady had graduated some sixteen years previously at a well-known medical college, and in these lectures was assisted by Doctor I. M. Ward. In the autumn of the same year, rooms were rented at No. 724 Broadway. Two or three years were subsequently spent at No. 74 East Twelfth street, and in June, 1SG8, the present eligible building, corner of Twelfth street and Second avenue, was purchased. The society was incorporated as a medical college in 1863, and the following 3^ear the act was amended adding the term " Hospital." The trustees are all females. The main building is a fine four- story brown stone, twenty-six by eighty-one feet, and cost $43,000. A rear addition, fronting on Twelfth street, twenty- four by fifty-five feet and three stories high, has been added, containing dispensary, anatomical, lecture, and dissecting rooms. The hospital department was not opened until September, 1869, since which about fom- hundred female and children patients have been received. The dispensary has also treated several thousand indigent applicants. The Homeopathic system is principally taught, with a liberal leaning to all other good practice. The course of study lasts three years, and aims at great thoroughness, the students being requii-ed to practise in the dispensary and diagnose in the Hospital. Great pains are taken to perfect their attain- ments in obstetrics, a field in which they are expected to find their largest practice. In order to matriculation, the appli- cant must present an approved certificate of good moral character, be eighteen years of age, have a good English education, including elementary botany and chemistry, and be under the instruction of a respectable medical practitioner. HAHNEMANN HOSPITAL. 415 A free scholarsliip is offered to one graduate from each chartered female college in this State. The expense of tuition does not exceed $130. Students are not boarded in the Institution. About thirty students are now in attend- ance, and nearly sixty have been graduated. After gradua- tion, one or two years are usually given to the further pursuit of their studies, before they really begin practice. Two of the graduates of this Institution are now conducting a lucra- tive practice in this city, and may be seen daily riding in their carriages to the dwellings of their patients. Others are practisiiig in other places, and proving that the practice of medicine is at present the most remunerative calling open to a woman. The Institution received $10,000 from the State in 1860, about $7,000 having been previously received from the city. It has also received many private donations, among which we may mention one from Mrs. Losier, M.D., one of its founders, of $10,000. HAHNEMANN HOSPITAL OF THE CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK. {Fourth avenue and Sixty -seventh street.) ffllS is the only homeopathic hospital in the city and State of ISTew York, and the first in its inception in the United States. It was founded by and through the in- fluence of its medical director, Dr. F. Seeger, who ad- vanced from his own funds the first thousand dollars toward launching the enterprise. Its organization and incorporation took place early in the fall of 1809. Tlie inaugural exercises were held in the rooms of the Union League Club, on the 15th of December, 1869, and Dr. John F. Gray presided. Addresses were made by William CuUeu Bryant and George C. I3arrett, the latter at that time president of the Hospital. Some choice pieces of music were sung by Miss Clara Louise Kellogg. A temporary hospital was opened in a hired build- ing, Ko. 307 East Fifty-fifth street, where it still continues. During 1870 forty patients, all but one charity cases, were treated. There are now many more applicants than can be 416 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. admitted with their limited space. Measures were early taken toward the erection of large and permanent hospital buildings. The Legislature of 1S70 granted the corporation twelve city lots lyin^ on Fourth avenue, between Sixty- seventh and Sixty-eiglith streets; also the sum of $20,000 toward the erection of buildings, on condition that an equal amount be raised by private subscription. About $15,000 at this writing have been secured, and an effort is being made to secure $50,000 more from the Legislature. The new structures will consist of a fine administi-ation building, front- ing on Fourth avenue, and of two tine pavilions extending one hundred and twenty-five feet along Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth streets. The entire front on Fourth avenue will be two hundred feet ten inches. The pavilions, besides high basement, will have two stories each, and a Mansard story, will accommodate one hundred and seventy-five patients, giving over 1,300 cubic feet of space to each. The buildings are expected to cost, when completed, about $200,000. All the newest developments in the science of hospital constructure have been embodied in the plan, and it is believed the Insti- tution will be a worthy representative of its kind. In the autunm of 1868 Dr. Seeger was chiefly instrumental in founding and securing the incorporation of the North- eastern Homeopathic Medical and Surgical Dispensary, which still continues at No. 307 East Fifty-fifth street. He has been from the first its chief physician. Since its opening over forty thousand patients have been treated, over eighty- five thousand prescriptions made, and more than two thou- sand visits made gratuitously to the sick at their liomes. State and city aid has been received in defraying the ex- penditures, and liberal contributions have been made by prominent gentlemen of the city. The dispensary is a sepa- rate Institution from the Hospital, though several of the offi- cers serve in both boards. THE STRANGERS' HOSPITAL. {Corner Avenue D and Tenth street.) 'llE number of great and good men who industriously gather fortunes that they may thereby advance civil- ization, remove or assuage human suffering, is be- lieved to be happily upon the increase. The policy of appropriating wealth during the lifetime of the giver, under the economy and direction of his own guiding mind, is also a valuable improvement on the old legacy sj'stem. Mr. Peter Cooper, Mr, James Lenox, and Mr. Daniel Drew have furnished the wealthy of New York with some excellent ex- amples of this kind. It is also our pleasure to record another in the founding of the Strangers' Hospital. Mr. John H. Keyser, a New York merchant, and the architect of his own fortune, has been able during the last year " to realize a long- cherished desire," in the founding of an institution for tiie relief of the suffering. Early last summer (1870) he pur- chased the old Dry Dock Bank, at the corner of Avenue D and Tenth street, and began remodelling the structure. The building stands on a plot of ground fifty by one hundred and sixty feet, having in the rear an irregular L-shaped piece of land. The structure is of brick, four stories high ; the three upper of which are divided into wards, and contain space for over one hundred and eighty beds. The first floor contains the offices, a tine reading-room, and a large chapel. The building is well ventilated ; the walls are coated with a prep- aration of india rubber, to avert the absorption of any in- fectious material. The structure is heated with steam ; Russian, Turkish, and mercurial baths are provided, and every other appliance needful in a well-ordered Hospital. The first patient was admitted January 12th, 1871, but the formal dedication did not occur until the evening of the 7th of February. After prayer by Rev. J. S. Holme, of Trinity Baptist Church, the opening address was made by Dr. Otis, president of the medical staff of the Hospital, who, after a few preliminary remarks, indicated the object and scope of the Institution as follows : "It is not intended," said he, " for the benefit of the wealthy, who in times of sickness can com- 4:18 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. mand the comforts of a well-ordered home and the attendance of a skillful physician or surgeon. Nor yet for the beggar, who leads a life of dissolute idleness, rotating in winter and in sickness about the charitable institutions of this city. It is inteuded for the succor and restoration of the deserving sick poor, and in an especial manner for that sadly numerous class of people in this great city who have seen better days People to whose sufferings in poverty and sickness, education and refinement put on a keener edge ; strangers — strangers to tlie homes of plenty and comfort in which they have been born and nurtured, and from which misfortune and disease have parted them. Nor is it alone to the strangers within our midst that the privileges of this great charity are ex- tended. Whoso is in need of the especial aid this Institution is intended to afford — even though afar off — according to the broad rendering of its patron — is entitled to be counted^ stranger, and to be taken in. Such as suffer with grave dis- ease, requiring skill and an extended experience not readily attainable in the rural districts, will be permitted to receive, equally with ' the strangers within our gates,' all the bene- fits of the Strangers' Hospital. And yet another class 1 To those, either rich or poor, suddenly stricken down by acci- dent or disease, the doors of this place are open at every hour, by night as well as by day, and every comfort and assist- ance will be afforded them." The Institution and its furniture, at the time of opening, had cost over one hundred and sixty thousand dollars, all of which was paid by the generous founder, who also proposes, by the divine blessing, to entirely support it in its operations. The Institution is to 'be conducted under Protestant auspices, but it is not denominational. Mr. Keyser attends the Baptist church, but is not a communicant. THE NEW YORK OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL. ( Corner Twenty-third street and Third avenue. ) ^WWpHE New York Ophthalmic Hospital was incorporated 4^1L April 21st, 1852, and was opened for the treatment ^J^^ of patients May 25th of the same year. It was ^ ^ founded chiefly by Mark Stephenson, and was first opened at No. 6 Stuyvesant square. The Institution was conducted by a corps of physicians of the Allopathic prac- tice until the year 1867, when at the instigation of certain interested parties a revolution in its management was pro- duced. At the annual election of the board of directors of that year, seventeen of the nineteen elected were inclined to the practice of Homeopathy, and they immediately appointed a board of surgeons of that school to take charge of the Hos- pital. During the four and a half years since the introduc- tion of Homeopathic practice, over live thousand patients have been treated, and the number now amounts to about fifteen hundred per annum. The Institution has been for many years at the corner of Fourth avenue and Twenty-eighth street, in a leased building but after much exertion the managers have succeeded in raising funds, and are now erecting a fine structure of their own, situated corner Twenty-third street and Third avenue, at a cost of nearly $100,000. With the entrance of the society into this improved edifice, affording ample accommo- dations for in-door patients, will doubtless come a greatly enlarged business, allowing the public to choose between the t\\'o methods of medical treatment. NEW YORK OPHTHALinC AND ATJRAL INSTITUTE. {M. 46 Bast Twelfth street.) HE New York Ophthalmic and Aural Institute was incorporated, under the general act of 1848, on the 28th day of August, 1869. It was founded and put in working' order by the personal efforts and private means of Dr. H. Knapp, of this city, formerly professor in the University of Heidelberg. The premises at No. 46 420 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. East Twelfth street, where the work of the Institution is con- ducted, is his private property. Tlie objects of the Institute are: 1. "The treatment of patients suffering from diseases of the eye and ear, belonging to all classes of society. 2. The advancement of medical science, in particular the branches of Ophthalmology and Otology. This is effected by the experience derived from the examination and treatment of patients, by scientific investiga- tion, and systematic medical instruction." The Institution, working as a Hospital, was opened for out- door patients on the 18th of May, 1869, and for the reception of in-door patients in the following June. At the issue of their last report it appeared that 5,559 had been treated in the Dispensary, and 468 in the Hospital. Three classes of in-door patients are received. The first class pay from three to five dollars per day for board, and the usual prices for professional services. The second class pay from one to two dollars per day, with no additional charges. The third class are indigent patients, and are admitted gratu- itously. The expense of the Institution the last year amounted to $15,102.09 ; of which sum the pay patients con- tributed $7,812.69, the State $1,288.82, the city of New York $1,000, and the remaining $5,000 were generously sup- plied by Dr. Knapp. The society has received for the present year a grant of $2,000 from the State, and a similar sum from the city au- thorities. The Dispensary is located in the basement of the house, which has a large hall, used as a waiting-room, and capable of seating about sixty people ; a reception-room, in which the patients are treated ; two dark rooms for examinations with eye and ear mirrors, and other instruments ; and a separate waiting-room for severer cases, especially such as have to un- dergo operations. Two wash-hand stands, one in the recep- tion-room and another in the hall, with warm and cold water, offer great convenience and relief to the surgeons and pa- tients. The dispensary is a charity, open to the poor daily from one to three o'clock p.m. The in-door department, entirely separated from the Dis- pensary, occupies the four stories of the house. The latter is twenty-five feet in front, but widens posteriorly to fifty-two feet, having in the rear a yard sixty feet broad and twenty- five feet deep. A spacious hall, with a large winding stair- MANHATTAN EYE AND EAR HOSPITAL. 421 case in the centre, forms a most excellent natural veutilatoT-, while, in addition, a proper ventilation and light flue runs from the kitchen h5,ll to the roof. The in-door department resembles a pi'ivate hotel more than a hospital, having a con- siderable number of snialler and larger bed-rooms, a parlor, dining-room, piazza, bath-rooms, etc., with accommodation for thirty patients. The furniture is neat but plain in the top floor, handsome and elegant in the lower stories, thus affording to the inmates all the comforts which are compatible with the objects of the Institution. The beds are of the first quality throughout. A mati-on has charge of the establisli- ment. Experienced and trusty nurses are in constant atten- dance on the patients. The position of resident physician is filled by a competent ophthalmic and aural surgeon. MANHATTAlSr EYE AND EAE HOSPITAL. (iV(?. 233 East Thirty -fourth street.) ilE Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital was chartered '4j^^ by the Legislature of tlie State of New York, May 5, wi^B ^^^^- ^^^® society began its work in a temporary ^ ^ building. No. 233 East Thirty-fourth street, on the 15th of October, 1869, by opening a daily clinic for the gra- tuitous treatment of the poor, and providing thirteen beds in suitable wards for such cases as might require surgical oper- ations or other careful in-door treatment. The society, thus far, has neither asked nor received State or municipal aid, its funds being generously provided by the benevolent men who planned the enterprise, and their friends. The board of di- rectors, its officers, and the surgical staff serve gratuitously. The directoi-s have purchased a plot of ground on the south-east corner of Park avenue and Forty-first street, hav- ing a frontage of one hundred feet on the avenue and eighty feet on the side street, at a cost of $50,000, and $15,000 have been paid on the same. Upon this they purpose to erect suitable hospital buildings as soon as the funds can be se- cured. On the first day of January, 1871, the society issued its 422 NEW TOBK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. first printed report, detailing the account of its proceedings^ and showing that, during the fourteen and one-half months of its active existence, 1,227 patients with diseases of the eye had been treated, and 430 with diseases of the ear. The Hospital is always open for the reception of in-door patients, and on every secular day at two o'clock p.m., for such as may attend gratuitously the Dispensary for the out-door service. Many cases have occurred in the experience of the year to illustrate the beneficent character of the work done by the Hospital. We append a few : " An old man, who was once in affluent circumstances, but had lost his property, so that he was an object of charity, was brought to the Hospital blind. One eye was found to be hopelessly disorganized by disease, and the other fast becom- ing so. An operation was at once performed on the eye least diseased, and in which he could just distinguish light from darkness ; it did not avail much, however, and then, on con- sultation, it was decided to remove the most diseased eye, trusting that this radical procedure might be of benefit to the eye which was rapidly becoming as hopelessly affected. This was done ; in a few days the sight of tlie remaining eye be- gan slowly to improve, and continued to do so until in about three months he was again able to read and write, and he is now earning his bread. This poor man was so destitute of means that he was not able to pay his board for one day of the three montlis he was in the Hospital, and but for its cha- rity his eyes would have very soon been beyond all hope. " A day laborer, with a family dependent upon him, had been blind for a year. He was led to the Hospital by a friend ; he was found to have a cataract, which was removed by an operation, and in six weeks he was able to leave the Hospital with sight enough for all ordinary purposes, and has now been at work for a year. He was also unable to pay his board. "A poor man, a widower, and his four small children, came into the Hospital with Ophthalmia, contracted in their over- crowded tenement from a child that had returned diseased from the Westchester Reformatory. They formed a piteous group, and were in immediate danger ot blindness. They were ragged and imclean ; special arrangements were made to cleanse, clothe, and treat them, and after prolonged and painstaking care they were all saved from blindness. " An old lady, in reduced circumstances, was brought in ASSOCIATION FOB RELIEF OF AGED INDIGENT FEMALES. 423 blind with cataract; she was operated upon, and her sight re- stored, SO that she could read and write the finest print or writing. " A man who had for many years occupied a fiduciaiy posi- tion became blind and was brought to the Hospital, where he was operated upon for cataract, and his vision restored. " A poor seamstress, blind with cataract, was operated upon and her sight restored. " A poor old man, who had for some years been shut up at his house by his relations as hopelessly blind, was brought to the Hospital, operated upon for cataract, and useful vision re- stored. So we might go on to narrate several scores of cases in which blindness was either cured or prevented. " What is said of the cases of disease of the eye holds true also with regard to cases of diseases of the ear." ASSOCIATION FOR THE RELIEF OF RESPECTABLE AGED INDI- GENT FEMALES. (.East Twentieth street.) 'HE society which still perpetuates this noble charity began its career during the last war with England, and has now issued its fifty-eighth annual report. In other lands, where institutions have attained the hoary growth of centuries, this statement would occasion no remark ; but here, amid the rush of new events, and the ceaseless change in nearly every locality, we can but feel that this de- serves the appellation of time-honored. The wants of human nature are identical in all ages, hence an institution to provide for aged females, whose declining years were saddened by poverty, was needed in this city sixty years ago. The com- mon almshouse, filled as it usually is with the'dregs of soci- ety, is not a place of comfort to persons of refined sensibili- ties. For the relief of this class, a few benevolent ladies were moved with compassion. Meetings for the discussion of their plans were held, and in the autumn of 1813 an associa- tion was formed, which was the nucleus of this society. The organization of the society occurred on the 7th of February, 424 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 1814, in the session room of the Brick Presbyterian Church, when a constitution was adopted, and a board of sixteen man- agers elected. The managers held their regular meetings for three years in the same church, after which they were held in private houses, until the completion of the Asylum in 1838. During the first twenty-four years, the society simply gave pensions to its needy beneficiaries in money and clothing, and thought of nothing beyond. But in 1833 the plan of erecting a suitable Asylum was proposed. In the winter of 1834, after a sermon preached by Dr. Schroeder, in the Church of the Ascension (then in Canal street), setting forth the wants of the society, a collection of $310.20 was taken for the enter- prise. But the impression made on the audience was better than the collection. Mr. and Mrs. Peter G. Stuyvesant, who were listeners, soon presented the society with a deed of tliree lots of ground, the site of the present building. John Jacob Astor nobly headed a subscription with $5,000, on condition that $20,000 should be raised in a year. The ball being now fully in motion, many merchants and persons of wealth were successfully appealed to, and the amount realized. Tlie Asy- lum was commenced in 1837, and the following year com- pleted and thrown open for the reception of inmates. The edifice is a four-story brick, with a fine basement and sub- cellar, with accommodations for about one hundred persons, including resident oflficers and employes. The want of an infirmary was soon apparent, and Mr. Astor again pledged $3,000, which, with numerous smaller sums, en- abled the managers in 1845 to purchase the adjoining lot and complete the desired building. In 1816 the society received from the Common Council $300, and the year following, $250, which, with a recent State donation of $6,000, comprise all sums ever drawn from the public authorities — a fine record, indeed, in this age of public plunder. This society, being the pioneer of its kind, has exerted a most healthful influence in the city and country, and its man- agers, being selected from the several denominations, have in- fused its spirit into all the churches. Persons are not admit- ted under sixty years of age, and are required to furnish their own rooms, pay an entrance fee of fifty dollars, and leave what other property they may inherit to the Institution. No denominational tests are urged in the admission of candi- dates, though the greater number are from the Reformed Dutch and the Presbyterian churches. It may be interest- ASSOCIATION FOR RELIEF OF AGED INDIGENT FEMALES. 425 ing to state that the Asyhim at one time sheltered a near rela- tive of President Washington, and has at this writing, within its walls, a cousin of General Lamb. The Asylum is conve- niently arranged, tlie rooms are large and cheerful, and per- fect order and tidiness reign in every department. The same cook has had charge of the kitchen twenty-seven years. The inmates have nearly all lived to a remarkable age. The obit- uary record shows that some died at 84, some at 85, others at 86, 89, 93, and 97. In 1851 the vestry of Trinity church granted the association a burial plot in their cemetery, and the same year similar donations were received from the trustees of Cypress Hill and of Greenwood. As the Asylum is likely to continue for generations to come, and constantly enlarge its operations, all these plots and many more will probably be needed. In the winter of 1822-23 an auxiliary society was formed under the direction of LIi-s. E. Mowatt and Miss Ann Dom- inick (now Mrs. Gillett, the First Directress), the object of which was to provide suitable clothing for the pensioners. This arrangement has been continued through all these years, accomplishing an incalculable amount of good. The plan of providing for out-door pensioners did not cease with the opening of the Asyhim, but still continues. In 1851 their printed report showed that no less than eighty-seven had been regularly assisted during the year, and that one of these had died at the ripe age of 100 years, who had annually received aid since the formation of the society. The inmates of the Asylum have numbered from seventy to one hundred for many years past, and the expense of the Institution has ranged from ten to twenty thousand dollars per annum. Plans for the erection of a new edifice on Fourth avenue and Seventy-eighth street have been adopted. The new Asylum will be of stone, live stories high, surmounted by a Mansard roof, and is estimated to cost $175,000. When this is completed the old Asylum in Twentieth street will be disposed of. Notwithstanding the great niultiplix^ation of benevolent societies during the last quarter of a century, hundreds are still knocking at these doors who cannot be admitted until death shall remove the present inmates, or enlarged accommodations are provided. Services are held regularly by the pastors of the neighborhood, and skilled physicians have always freely rendered their services. LADIES' UNION AID SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAI* CHUKCH. {Forty-second street, near Eighth a/venue.) lO tlie ladies of the Methodist Episcopal chnrch must be accorded the lipnor of founding the first denomin- ational Institution for the support of the aged and infirm members of their persuasion, whose circum- stances especially require it. The Home in East Twentieth street had preceded it twelve years, and proved the necessity and feasibility of such enterprises ; but this was not denomin- ational, and, great as had been its usefulness, there still re- mained a wide field in every religious organization for the largest endeavors of the self-sacrificing, and the charities of the benevolent. Under the profound conviction that a home should be provided for the aged and indigent of their own communion, a meeting was convened on tlie 4th of March, 1850, at 459 Broadway, and was presided over by the vener- able Nathan Bangs. A committee of inquiry was appointed and several subsequent meetings held, which resulted finally in the adoption of a constitution, and the organization of a society, which consists of a board of seventy, or more, female managers, elected annually from the various Methodist churches in New York, and an advisory committee of gen- tlemen. On the 1st day of November, 1850, the building No. 16 Horatio street was leased at an annual rent of $480, and soon after its doors were thrown open for the reception of inmates. Much of its furniture was contributed by the friends of the enterprise. The act of incorporation passed the Legislature June 19, 1851, seven months after the open- ing of the Institution. During the first year twenty-three in- mates were admitted, two of whom died, and the second year ten more were received, and one died, leaving an average family of thirty for the second year. This not only com- pletely filled the building, but forced upon the minds of the managers the necessity or providing more enlarged accommo- dations. About this time, a fine plot of ground on Sixty-iirst street and Broadway was purchased, and a plan of a build- ing prepared. A little consideration led to the conclusion LADIES UNION AID SOCIETY OF THE M. E. CHCTRCH. 427 that these lots, situated in so eligible a part of the city, might be advantageously disposed of, and a much larger plot ob- tained thereby, farther out of town. In 1853 twelve lots were selected and purchased on the Kingsbridge road, at One Hundred and Forty-second and One Hundred and Forty-third streets. The increase of the price of building materials, and the want of available funds, delayed for two years longer the commencement of the much-desired edifice. But God, in His inscrutable providence, was preparing them a site for their Bethesda in one of the loveliest portions of the city, where the aged inmates might remain in convenient communication with their churches and friends. In 1855, Mr. William S. Seaman, an aged member of the Allen Street M. E. church, donated to the society two choice lots on Forty-second street, near Eighth avenue, on condition that the annual interest of the estimated value of the property should be paid to him during his life- time. The society promptly accepted this generous gift, soon purchased the lot adjoining, and the following summer began the erection of the Home. Mr. Seaman died nine months after the conveyance of the property, but his last days were cheered with the assurance that the cherished Institution would be immediately erected, on the site he had so benevo- lently contributed. The corner-stone of the new building was laid with appropriate services, September 16th, 185G, and the Institution dedicated by Bishops Morris and Janes, assisted by other clergymen, April 27th, 1857. The family, after resid- ing six and a half years in Horatio street, was removed to these more eligible quarters on May 1st of the same year. The edifice is a substantial brick, sixty-two feet front and eighty-two deep, four stories high, with a brown-stone front, and is constructed in the Gothic order. The main entrance, over which is the chapel and infirmary, projects several feet from the body of the building, and is reached by a broad flight of stone steps. The basement, which is entirely above ground, contains the kitchen, dining-room, laundry, store- rooms, and pantry, besides a broad entrance hall, all conven- iently arranged. On the right of the vestibule, on the first floor, is a commodious parlor for visitors, and on the left, one for committees. A large and airy rotunda adjoins, entered through sliding doors, lighted by a dome of sixteen large win- dows, which may be raised by cords for ventilation. This is surrounded by convenient rooms for inmates, the superin- tendent's being among them, and so arranged as to make com- 428 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. munication easy with any or all of the family. The second and third stories have circular corridors, which are sur- rounded by pleasant apartments, each having one or more windows, and a ventilator. On either side of the front en- trance is a flight of stairs leading to the second story, where over the vestibule and the parlors is the tasty chapel, with seating for one hundred persons, and immediately above this is the infirmary, a large airy room, commanding an extended view of the city and adjacent country. When erected it was said to contain space for the accommodation of one hundred persons, but that number has never been received. It is heated by furnaces throughout, each room having its register. It is well provided with bath-rooms and Croton, has an ample cellar, and at its erection was one of the best ventilated and finest arranged buildings in the city. The lot purchased cost $6,400, the edifice $30,000, and in 1867 the building adjoining was added at the cost of an additional $20,000. The property is now valued at $125,000. The purchase of the last building made space for the recep- tion of several aged men. Down to the time of entering the new building the family averaged twenty-live, since which it has been at least trebled, and now averages over eighty. Since its opening, in 1850, 194 beneficiaries have shared its generous hospitality, of whom 90 have died, and 21 have been otherwise provided for. At the opening of the new building a debt of $23,000 remained against the property. The number of inmates soon greatly increased, prices advanced, the war and other provi- dences swept away many of their generous friends, and dm-- ing these trying periods the managers were often, like Pro- fessor Francke at Halle, driven in deep anxiety to the Lord with the pressing wants of the Institution. With much exer- tion the current expenses were, however, met, and the debt gradually reduced. In June, 1SG4, a strawberry festival, as is their annual custom, was held, and on the first of July at the meeting of the managers the proceeds were announced to have amounted to $588. The treasurer inquired, " Shall the money be used in paying the interest due on the debt at the Greenwich Savings Bank ? " At this point Mr. Samuel Ilal- sted, a member of the advisoiy committee, stepped forward and presented a receipt in full from the president of the bank. lie and his excellent brother Schureman had silently by subscription, raised the amount necessary to cancel all in- LADIES UNION AID SOCIETY OF THE M. E. OHTIECH. 420 debtedness and to thoroughly repair and repaint the building, A thrill of joy at this delightful surprise ran through every heart, and found expression in the long-meter doxology, which wsis sung with great zest, all the members rising to their feet. Several grants have been received from the Common Coun- cil and the Legislature, though the sentiment now very gener- ally prevails in the denomination that such donations should neither be solicited nor received. The society has held several moderately successful fairs, realized something every year from donations, festivals, and lectures. It has also been remembered with several small legacies, among which we may mention that of Mrs. Bishop" Hedding, of $2,300. The New York Preachers' meeting annually arranges to supply the Home with preaching, once on each Sabbath, by the pastors stationed in the city. "Prayer-meetings, class-meet- ings, and love-feasts are held statedly, and are often seasons of great interest. Many of the inmates are infirm, some have been entirely helpless for years, and most of them live to very- advanced age. In 1854 Mrs. Sarah W. Kairus died, at the advanced age of 117 years, and the same year Mrs. Elizabeth Cairns, aged 100 years. " With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." The New York Conferences, during their sessions in the city, have, at the invitation of the managers, enjoyed some interesting tea-meetings at the Institution, and the old ladies have several times been agree- ably surprised by the members of the different churches, who have spread their tables with delicacies, and left other sub- stantial tokens of their regard. The managers now contem- plate the removal of the Institution farther up town, to secure more enlarged accommodations. The resident manager and recording secretary, Mrs. Matilda M. Adams, has held some important position in the board since the organization of the society. She is a lady of solid culture, of genial piety, and possesses in an eminent degree those varied administrative faculties befitting her position, and so rarely blended in the same person. May she and all who have toiled with her in this blessed work, and those whose sorrows they have as- suaged, meet in that Home where " the wicked cease fi*om troubling and the weary are at rest." OP rUL BRIPMLLSS, FAST l'\V t STY NINTH '^THh.l.T THE AMERICAN FEMALE GUARDIAN SOCIETY AND HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS. {No. 29 East Twenty-ninth and No. 32 East Thirtieth streets. ) Thirty-seven years ago a number of Christian ladies in New York were moved to begin a work in behalf of the helpless, the exposed, and the forsaken. An organization known as the " American Female Guardian Society " was formed, and its executive committee for some time held their weekly meetings in a small rear basement under the old Tract House. These devoted women visited the city prisons, and the manufactories where hundreds of young girls were employed, distributing religious tracts, papers. Bibles, Testaments, giv ing counsel to the inexperienced, and providing situations for many out of employment. They also scanned the poorest districts, employed pious female missionaries to visit from house to house, to instruct and encourage the ignorant and desponding. Poor forsaken children, destined for the alms- house, were taken to their own houses and provided for until suitable homes could be obtained for them. At that time there were no " Girls' Lodging Houses," " Working Women's Unions," or " Homes," where innocent, penniless young females could apply for a night's lodging and the necessary helps to THE ASIERICiiJN FEMALE GUARDIAN SOCIETY. 431 a situation. ISTo doors save those leading to the prison, the almshouse, or the brothel, were certain to open to the indi- gent, friendless, nnfortunate girl or widow, nnexpectedly thrown into the whirl of this great city. To guard young fe- males, to provide for helpless childhood, and to care for the sorrowing widow, seem to have been the leading thoughts of the association. A work so eminently Clirist-like, now commended by the most vile, was then watched with in- difference and suspicion by many of the good. The mana- gers of many of the pioneer benevolent associations, in their triumphant contests with the prejudices and calumny of their generations, have fought battles requiring a courage and de- serving the honor of a Wellington or a Washington. The great change wrought in public sentiment, conceriiing Chris- tian duty to the friendless and fallen, the decided support cheerfully given during the last twenty years, and the num- erous similar charities that have sprung up in every section of the country, are soui-ces of the most profound satisfaction to the surviving early friends of this excellent Institution. During the early years of the movement their records show that more than temporal advantage came to many houses of destitution, scores if not hundreds were converted to God, and drawn into the fold of the great Shepherd, ♦^till their efforts lacked concentration and thoroughness, for want of a building suited to their undertaking. No plan for the recep- tion of inmates really commensurate with the aims of the society was adopted until 1847, when a building situated on the corner of Second street and the Bowery was rented. About this time the managers issued a printed appeal for means to erect a Home for the Friendless, calling attention to the numbers of females constantly out of employment, and the scores of orphan or deserted children who, by early care, might be saved from pauperism and prison. <' The means came, lots were purchased on East Thirtieth street, and in December, 1848, the Home, a fine three-story brick edifice, with accommodations for at least one hundred and fifty per- sons, was dedicated, to the great j(jy of the managers, who had toiled amid embarrassments so many years. The sphere of usefulness of the society was now greatly enlarged. Hun- dreds were annually fed, instructed, and furnished with situa- tions. This Institution is not a Home for those who are friendless because guilty of crimes against society; nor to adult paupers, of whom the Scriptures say, " If any will not 432 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. work, neither shall he eat ; " nor yet for the aged, infirm, or diseased, for whom other establishments have been erected. It is a temporary asylum for homeless, friendless children, an arched and gilded passage-way from dingy, remorseless poverty, to a home of affection, culture, and elevation. It is a temporary refuge for destitute young women, not fallen, but within the age and circumstances of temptation, needing protection, and willing to live by honest toil. It contains a department for small children also, but such only are taken as afford the prospect of early adoption. Children do not remain at the Home over three months on an average. The plan of the society is a radical divergence from tlie old or- phan asylum system. Instead of keeping the children within the narrow limits of an asylum for years, forming habits and intimacies which must ultimately be broken, they are early placed in Christian homes, where daily contact with the affairs of common life enters largelj^ into their training. The act of incorporation passed the Legislature April 6, 1849, and was amended requiring magistrates to commit vagrant and deserted children to the care of this society April 3, 1857. In 1856 the society erected another fine building on Twenty-ninth street, immediately opposite the Home, connect- ing the two with a bridge. Thie edifice has a front of seventy- five feet, is four stories high, constructed of brick in the Ro- manesque order, and contains the chapel, the Home School (for the instruction of the children while remaining in the Institution), an Industrial School, the publication, and other offices of the society. The six lots on which these buildings stand cost originally less than $12,000, but are now valued, exclusive of buildings, at $75,000. The property of the so- ciety at present, including the four buildings purchased for industrial schools, is probably worth $150,000, and is free from debt. The society began the publication of the " Advocate and Guardian" in 1835, which has been a valuable medium of communication with the benevolent public, bringing hundreds of friends to select children or confer donations, besides bless- ing many with the valuable religious matter with which it has always been filled. It& circulation amounts to about 33,000 at present, bringing a small revenue above its expenses. The society conducts its business through a president, vice- president, two secretaries, a treasurer, and thirty-five or more managers, annually elected, representing the different Evan- THE AMERICAN FEMALE GUARDIAN SOCIETY. 433 gelical denominations. These are divided into the necessary committees, and give much time to the Institution. Seventeen years ago the society opened its lirst industrial school, Mrs. Wilson having previously established the feasibility of such an undertaking. It has now eleven of these schools securely founded in different parts of the city, with an average daily attendance of about 1,500 children, while the names of sev- eral thousand are on register. These are emphatically mis- sion movements, as they are established among and gather in the most ignorant and degraded of the population. Thou- sands of ragged, neglected girls treading tlie slippery glaciers of time, and certain to plunge after a short career of vice into the darkest ruin, are thus annually reached, instructed in let- ters, and trained to useful industry. But the influence ex- tends beyond the children. Tlie parents are reached, and soon a mothers' meeting is established. Women who have not seen the inside of a church in thirty years, perhaps never, are drawn out to a motheri meeting composed of women as ignor- ant and poor as themselves, where the Scriptures are read, prayer offered, and exhortations given by earnest women who go out to seek and save the lost. Many are awakened, some converted, nearly all are improved. Eum and other evils are partially or entirely abandoned, industry and its attendant blessings follow. The amount of good accomplished in this single branch is incalculable. Another branch is the Dorcas Department. This contains the garments, bedding, etc., sent in barrels and boxes from hundreds of churches in various parts of the country, and what is prepared by the benevolent in the city. From these shelves supplies are drawn to cover the half-naked children admitted to the Home, and to fit them for a long journey to a country home with their newly-appointed guardians. Poor widows and deserted women, with children, are also assisted to enable them to keep their families together. The demands on these shelves are enormous. From 1847 to 1863, over 12,000 beneficiaries were admitted to the Home ; an average per annum, including readmissions, of 2,000. During the year closing in 1869 the report shows that 5,811 persons had re- ceived aid from the society, 1,000 adults had been provided with situations, and 452 children had been in the Home. Dur- ing the same period 1,650 loaves of bread had been given to the poor, and 42,000 loaves furnished for the children of the industrial schools. During the year closing in 1870, 619,000 434 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. meals were given away, and nearly as many furnished with situations as during the previous year. The society now carries forward its work at an expense of about $80,000 per annum. It has as yet no endowment, and has received but little from either city or State. It is emi- nently worthy of the contributions and sympathy of the pub- lic. HOME FOR IN-CURABLBS. ( West Farms.) UR public hospitals are open for the reception of such patients as entertain a reasonable hope of recovery or relief. Were incurables to be admitted indiscrimin- ately, their wards would soon be filled to repletion, and the masses for whom they were designed would be hope- lessly excluded. The general provision made by the city for' incurables on Blackwell's Island is entirely insufficient for the wants of the community, leaving ample scope for the exercise of private charity. Many incurables not dependent on charity also prefer the quietude of a private " Home," where the ministrations of religion may be regularly en- joyed. The Protestant Episcopal church of New York has the honor of organizing the first society for the establishment of such an Institution in the country. The certificate of incor- poration bears date of April 4th, 1866. A board of twenty- four managers annually elected are charged with the admin- istration or the affairs of the society, and any person approved by a majority of the managers may become an annual member on the payment of ten dollars, a life member by the payment of one hundred dollars, or a life patron by the payment of one thousano' To secure to tlie patients greater quietude, purity of atmosphere, and sunlight, the Home was located in the country. A wood dwelling, with choice surroundings, situated at West Farms, two and a half miles above Harlem Bridge, was first leased and afterwards purchased by the so- ciety, and is still occupied for the Home. The residence of the superintendent and chaplain, who is an Episcopal clergy- man, stands in the rear of the Home. Though the Institu- nOME FOR INCUKABLES. -135 tion is under the management of the Episcopal church, some charity patients have been admitted from other denominations, and pay patients come when they can be admitted, from all classes of orderly people. All admitted are said to be talcen for life, yet the physician's annual reports give the number of those " withdrawn " and " discharged," — probably those who have unexpectedly recovered. Persons are taken who are afflicted with any incurable disease at any age, but with few exceptions those thus far received have Ijelonged to one of these three classes — paralytics, subjects of malignant diseases, and consumptives. Several dreadful cases of cancer, attended with indescribable sufferings until vitality has been devoured, have been treated at the Home, and the society has found a compensation in the fact that these were cases to which no other hospital offered a suitable asylum. The Home was opened June 8th, 18G6, and during the first year seventeen male and sixteen female ]Datients were received, of whom four died and three withdrew, leaving twenty-six under treatment. At the close of the se(;ond year twenty-eight re- mained. Daring the year ending June S, 1869, fourteen had been admitted, eight had died, five^relieved or discharged, while twenty-nine remained. Seven or eight have since deceased, and as many more have been received. In May, 1869, a cot- tage a short distance from tlie Home was hired and soon filled, one of the managers generously presenting his own check for the entire rent. Most institutions boast of the numbers admitted and sent away in triumph, but this, from the pecu- liar nature of the charity, can mention only the few who, though far beyond hope of recovery, are so nourished and watclied over that life is protracted for montlis and sometimes years. Pay patients are admitted f<^r six dollars per week, unless separate rooms are taken, when the price is increased to eight or ten. Tlie Home, considering the limited numbor received, has been an expensive charity, the patients being for the most part helpless, requiring constant attention and a varied and liberal diet. The expenditures of the Home the first year amounted to $6,849.29, toward which the pay patients contrib- uted SI, 844. During the year ending June 8, 1869, the ex- penditures, including some increase of furniture and small re- pairs of buildings, amounted to over $14,000, toward which the pay patients contributed $3,343. The report at close of year, cJune 8, 1870, showed tliat l)esides covering all past expendi- 436 NEW YORK A>rD ITS INSTITUTIO^TS tures the society had an invested fund amounting to $36,00(X The society has neither solicited nor received assistance from the public treasuries, but has been generously remembered by private Christian charity, A single donation fi-om Messrs, Henry and Chauncey Rose amounted to $30,000. From the estate of Peter Lorillard $2,500 have been received, besides- numerous smaller sums from many friends of the enterprise, During the last year forty-live patients have been in the In- stitution, of whom thirty remain. The report of 1869 ap- pealed for $100,000 to enable the managers to so enlarge the- Home as to accommodate one hundred patients. The last re- port follows in the same strain, recommending the erection of a large hall for the aged. The Institution should be en- larged, and doubtless soon will be. THE SAMARITAN HOME FOR THE AGED. ( Corner of Ninth avenue and Fourteenth street. ) 'HE association for the establishment of this Institu- tion was organized at the residence of Mrs. James McYickar, April 15, 1866, and the act incorporating the society passed the Legislature March 23, 1867. The enterprise was at first intended to provide for aged and indigent females, and grew mainly out of these two facts : First, the several institutions of a similar character were known to be so crowded that applicants were constantly re- fused for want of room ; secondly, because all others of the kind in the city, with a single exception, were denominational^ and their doors closed against applicants, however worthy, from other religious bodies. The printed circular distribu- ted at its organization declared that the " Home " should " be absolutely free from all sectarian bias, and open, in its direc- tion and its objects, to persons of all Protestant denomina- tions." That its " Board of Managers " should " always con- tinue to represent indiscriminately our common Protestant Christianity in all its various forms." At the election of its oflicers and managers ladies connected with the Episcopal, THE SAMARITAN HOME FOR THE AGED. 437 Dutch Reformod, Unitarian, Baptist, Quaker, Methodist, Universahst, and Presbyterian Churches were elected. An advisory committee of gentlemen, a legal adviser, and a phy- sician, were also appointed. The society began its benevo- lent undertaking in a hired building at 253 West Thirty- seventh street, in May, 1866, ten months before its leo-al incorporation. None are admitted under sixty-five years of age, except in special extreme cases. An entrance fee of $100 was at first required of those admitted, but the constantly increasing expense of living, and the uncertainties of income, have led the managers to advance the price to $250, The first inmate of the Samaritan Home was an American wo- man of seventy, who had always supported herself until by pai'tial paralysis was left helpless and homeless. The attention of the society was also early directed to the pitiable condition of many aged and homeless men. Some of these had been once the children of fortune, others for a period successful merchants, but having outlived their fam- ilies and encountered reverses which had swept away tlieir means, were now pining away the evening of their'^ career in saddest destitution and friendlessness. Destitute of all those arts of self-accommodation, that tact and skill in the kitchen and nursery which render the presence of an infirm woman more endurable and less trying to charity, how dreary the lot of old men who have known better days, to find themselves in the last twilight of existence, when retire- ment and comfort are so desirable, wifeless, penniless, friend- less, childless, or, what is still worse, to have ungrateful chil- dren who leave them to eke out their last sad hours in a crowded, squalid almshouse, with heartless ofiicials for their only guardians. In May, 1868, two years after the formal opening of the Home, the department for aged men was opened. Tliis necessitated the hiring and burnishing of another house, which was taken on the same block, Xo, 259 West Thirty-seventh street. ■ These buildings were, however, unsuited to the enterprise, being old, cold, and without cellars. On the 1st of May, 1869, the managers leased and transferred the Home to the corner of Nintli avenue and Fourteenth street. This building is a large double house, fifty feet front, constructed of brick, with three stories and basement, bisected with halls, and is well adapted to the wants of the Institution. It is surrounded by fine open grounds for gardening, and is leased for five years, at an expense of about five tnousand 438 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. V dollars per annum. It belona^s to the Astor property, and that wealthy family could hardly dispose of it better than to donate it to the Samaritan Home. Persons are received at the Home on a probation of three months, after which period the board takes definite action in the case. If the applicant is not confirmed as a permanent inmate, the admission fee is returned, deducting board at two dollars per week since the date of admission. Those admit- ted are expected to assist, if able, in performing the liglit work of the liouse and garden. No system of labor has yet been introduced to provide income, the inmates being too much broken down to perform much service. During 18G8 three of the aged women and one of the men passed away to the bet- ter land. In 1809 two more aged ladies died, and in 1870 six more were laid to rest. Mr. Charles T. Cromwell some time since presented the Home with a fine burial-place at Cypress Hill Cemetery, which is already occupied by the remains of the mouldering dead. Like all societies, this in its beginnings had its struggles with poverty and the indifference of the public, but it has passed the crisis. Its managers have not only met their expenditures, but have established a building fund which already amounts to over $20,000. Its friends are now anmially cheered with a few large and many small do- nations, besides its annual subscribers, upon whom it mainly relies for support. The expense of the Institution amounts to $9,000 or $10,000 per annum. Li\ing near the Home, we have often visited it and found it always a well-ordered asylum of comfort and refinement. There are now twenty aged men and twenty-four women com- foi'tably domiciled in their appropriate apartments, with space for several more. The men can be seen any day occupied with light tasks around the garden and yards, or reading their favorite books. The women, seated in easy chairs, spend their day between light needle-work or knitting, and in reading the religious magazines. All appear cheerful and contented. They speak of their matron, Mrs. Julia J. Trew, in terms of high appreciation. Divine service is conducted by some clergyman every Sabbath, and religion sheds it hallowed ra- diance among them through all the year. Turning away from the door of this Good Samaritan, we can but pray that it may long survive to pour wine and oil into the wounded heart of hoary humanity. THE COLORED HO^^IE. {Sixty-fifth street and First avenue.) ilE first meeting for the organization of this excellent charity is believed to have been convened at the residence of Mrs. Maria Banj-er, at No. 20 Bond street, in the autumn of 1839. The plan for reliev- ing the suffering poor among the colored population is said to" have originated with Miss Shotwell, Miss Jay, the first •contributor, generously presenting a thousand dollars toward the founding of the Ilome at their first meeting. At a sub- sequent meeting a board of managers was formed, a consti- tution adopted, and the organization perfected under the title of '' The Society for the Relief of Worthy Aged Colored Persons." It was duly incorporated in 1S45, under the title of '' The Society for the Support of the Colored Home." Soon after its first organization a building on the North river, known as " Woodside," was opened, and twelve inmates at once received. Through the liberality of Mr. Hoi-sbui-gh, a property on Fortieth street and Fourth avenue was pur- chased in 1843. The act of incoi-poration, in 1845, was followed by a grant of $10,000 from the Legislature, whicli sum had been previously appropriated toward the erection ■of a State Hospital in this city, but was now transferred to the managers of the Colored Home for the erection of perma- nent buildings. The next j^ear arrangements were made with the Commissioners of the Poor, which still continues to re- ceive, at a very low rate, the colored paupei-s of the city, unless medically unfit for the Colored Home. Forty-four lots of ground on First avenue, between Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth streets, were purchased in 1848, and the folloM'ing year a portion of the buildings now occupied were completed. The Institution consists of four departments — the Ilome for Aged and Indigent. Uie Hospital, the Nursery, and the Ly- ing-in Department. The admissions to the Hospital exceed those of the other tnree divisions combined. The buildings at present form a hollow square, with a fine flower-garden in the center. Fronting on Sixty-fifth street stands the beauti- ful brick chapel erected in 1858, under the supervision of the excellent chaplain MacFarlan. Tiie first floor of this build- 440 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ing contains a parlor, appropriate apartments for the superin- tendent, steward, physician, matron, and the dispensary. On the floor above is the chapel, well arranged, with galleries on the sides, and seatings for six hundred persons. From either end of this building" extend at right angles the male and the female wings, four stories high, capable of accommodating a hundred and twenty persons each. Each floor is a ward ex- tending the whole length of the building, and contains twenty'-eight beds. These wings are connected in the rear by another two-story building, divided into smaller apartments containing from five to eighteen beds each. This is devoted, in part, to the nursery and the lying-in department, founded by the bequest of Mrs. Jacob Shatzel in 1847. About fifty are annually received into this last-named department, who leave when they are able, some to service in Christian families, others to their old habits of vice and dissipation. The build- ings are heated with stoves, and baths with hot and cold water have recently been introduced. The nursery contains children over three years of age, who cannot gain admittance into the Oclored Orphan Asylum. The average number in this department is about twenty. The Institution is designed for the colored poor of New York county, yet, when space will allow, persons from outside the county are taken, and pay one dollar and eighty-two cents per week if they require medicine, and if not, one dollar and five cents, three months pay being required in advance. The State appropriated $12,000 to this charity in 1866, in 1867 $3,858, and over $4,000 have since been received from the same source. The Commissioners of Charities and Corrections pay a stipulated price for the board of pensioners admitted under their direc- tion, but this is only a moiety of what is actually expended in their support. The excellent Chauncey Rose remembered the Institution with a bequest of $16,000. About one thousand persons are annually cared for, at an expense of about $30,000. Dr. James D. Fitch held the position of resident phj-sician twenty-six years. The Institution has a chaplain, a resident, a house, and ai. assistant house physician, which receive a trifling pecuniary compensation for much earnest labor. Many of the inmates are very old, some pressing into their second century. Most of the inmates are pious, and, as the majority of them are Methodists, the chaplain is selected from that denomination, though ministers and missionaries from all evangelical churches are always well received. The in- THE COLORED HOME. 441 mates hold prayer-meetings in their rooms, in addition to the regular services. Every winter a Christmas tree grows up suddenly, whose prolific branches bring forth something nice for every inmate, which is received with great joy. On these occasions addresses are delivered by some of the prominent men of New York, and this holiday period is remembered with much interest all the year. ST. LUKE'S HOME IN HUDSON STUEET. ■ST. LUKE'S HOME FOR INDIGENT CHRISTIAN FEMALES. {Madison avenue and Eighty-ninth street.) This Institution was originally opened in tlie city of New York, on May 1,1852. A year or two previous to that, an aged feinaie called at the rectory of St. Luke's church, in Hudson street, and asked the rector. Rev. Isaac H. Tuttle, whether there was not an asylum or a home of the Episcopal church, where a lady oi fourscore might find a retreat for her remaining days. The good man replTed, " Madam, I am sorry to say our churcli has none, hut by the grace of God it shall have ; " and from that day lie set abcuit the work of estab- lishing that much-needed Institution. On St. Luke's Day, October 18, 1851, he preached a sermon on the importance •of founding a Home of this kind.' He conferred with some 'of his clerical bretliren on the subject, and invited several of liis congregation to meet sd, .the rectory and consider the ST. Luke's home for iitoigent christian females. 443 subject. Soon a constitution was adopted, and a subscription liberally signed to support the charity. Two floors in a build- ing were first hired, and several women, who had some em- ployment, were allowed to occupy these furnished rooms gratuitously. Next an entire building was leased, the first floor rented for a store, and the remaining three occupied as the Home. Such as lacked the means of procuring food were assisted by their personal friends, or by members of St. Luke's church. After a few years, its managers resolved to make the enterprise more genci-ai, and to enlarge its plans and accommodation s. The Legislature passed an act of incorporation in 1856 or 1S57, and it thus passed from a parish to a general institution under the control of the Protestant Episcopal chm-ch of New York. The real estate and finances are vested in a board of managers numbering not less than seven or more than twenty- one ministers and laymen of the Protestant Episcopal church, of whom the bishop of the dio^-.ese is the president, and the vice-president is the rector of the Institution. An associate board of lady managers has charge of the internal workings of the Institution, and now numbers in its board representa- tives from thirty-eight churches. About the time of its in- corporation a large'brick dwelling immediately adjoining St. Luke's church was purchased, the ground being leased for a term of years. This edifice was afterwards enlarged, Init was never large enough to accommodate over thirty-two inmates at one time. A desire for a larger edifice led to an effort to collect a building fund, and $19,000 thus collected were deposited in United States securities in the safe of the Royal Insurance Company, which was robbed, infiicting a loss of §14,000 on this society. This delayed the erection of the new building several years, but the difficulty has been overcome. On the 'eighteenth of October, 1870, the coraer-stone of the much-desired structure was laid by Bishop Potter, in the presence of a large number of the clergy and citizens of New York. Tlie building is located on the north-east corner of Madison avenue and Eighty-ninth street, one block from the Central Park, and two blocks only from one of the principal en- trances to the Park. The building is four stories high and in the form of an L, with main entrance on the comer ; it extends eighty feet on Madison avenue and seventy-five feet on the street. The 444 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTI'lTJTIONS. sijle is medieval Gothic, with Mansard roof, and three towers. The materials are Philadelphia pressed brick trimmed with Buena Yista stone. On the first floor is a vestibule, a fine octagonal hall, 15 x 15, a large room, 38 x 19, for the meetings of managers, and a dining-room, 33 x 19, intended to seat some sixty or seventy persons ; the whole so arranged that by opening folding-doors a sweep of over seventy-three feet can be obtained. Back of the main entrance hall is a roomy inner private hall and corridors leading to dining-room, etc. On the same floor will also be found the matron's room and oflice, the infirmaries, the rector's and doctor's ofiice, and five chambers, adapted to the use of such of the inmates as may, through great age or infirmity, find it difficult to ascend the stairs. Two elevators ascend to the upper story, and three stair- ways afford means of escape in case of fire. There are 208 doors, 114 windows, 67 marble wash-basins, and 77 rooms, affording space for seventy-four inmates. The building was erected with the strictest economy, and cost $55,000. On grounds contiguous to the Home, Miss Caroline Talman has just erected a small church, a memorial of her deceased parents, thus securing to the beneficiaries of the Home a convenient place for public worship. Applicants for admission into the Home must be persons of respectability in reduced circumstances, and members of churches represented in the board of associate managers, and contributing to the support of the Institution. An ad- mission fee of one hundred dollars is required from each beneficiary, and the person is then received for life. Every inmate, if able, is required to keep her own room in a neat and clean condition, to take her turn in dusting the parlor and in washing the dishes; but if ill, her meals are carried to her room, and the attention of the physician and the nurses promptly provided. The Institution contains a library of pleasant and interesting books, and visitors read to those who are sick or unable to read for themselves. The old ladies at the Home, in March, 1867, formed themselves into a benevo- lent society, to fashion little garments for the children of the " Sheltering Arms," another Institution of the same denomin- ation. The material they obtain from their friends outside, and do much more than one would suppose. The firat year after their organization they gave away 25 pairs of hospital slippers, 109 garments, 48 pillow-slips, 2 dresses, and 15 ST. LUKE S HOME FOR INDIGENT CUEISTIAN FEMALES. 445 paii-s of knit stockings. Thus, while they receive, they find it blessed to give. Many applicants have long been waiting admission into the Home, and a year or two since one actually died of joy on receiving the welcome summons to enter the Institution. Rev. I. H. Tuttle is still the chaplain of the Institution. His presence among the inmates is always as a ray of sunshine, and to him are referred all differences and difficulties. PRESBYTERIAN HOME FOR AGED WOMEN. (East Sevmty-tldrd street.) The first Presbyterian clnirch in IMew York was erected in 1719, since which many costly structures have been reared, and the denomination now ranks among the most populous, wealthy, and benevolent of the city. But while the members of" this church have contributed liberally to many excellent enterprises, it is a little remarkable that no charitable institution distinctly Presbyterian was ever pro- jected until very recently. In April, 1866, several ladies, members of the different'^ Presbyterian churches of the city, moved with the laudable desire to provide for the poor mem- bers of their own communion, invited tlieir pastors to confer with them and consider the propriety of establishing a '* Home for Aged Women," in whose advantages Presbyter- ians might specially share, and in whose direction they should have entire control. The meeting was held in the lectui-e- PRESBrXERIAN HOME FOR AGED WOMEN. 447 room of the First Presbyterian church, and was entirely suc- cessful. The facts disclosed at this conference showed so clearly the want of such an Institution, that the pastors and members present pledged a cordial support in the undertak- ing. A board of thirty-two female managers, and an advis- ory committee of five gentlemen, were accordingly elected, and measures taken to immediately inaugurate the enterprise. On the eighth of June the building No. 45 Grove street, then known as the " Lincoln Home," which had been a temporary hospital for disabled soldiers and sailors, was rented, and after much cleansing pronounced ready for occupation. The first inmate was received on the ninth of July ; the next day another was added ; on the twenty-third one more, and the report at the end of the year showed that fifteen had been admitted. No regular matron was appointed until October, and her oflicial relation to the Institution was dis- solved the following spring, and the present incumbent ap- pointed. The society continued its operations in the same house until April, 1870, when, its new and commodious build- ing having been completed, the family was removed to it. The house in Grove street was never able to accommodate over thirty, besides the matron and servants ; hence a small number only of those anxious to gain admission could be re- ceived. During those four years,"however, fifty beneficiaries were admitted, "three of whom died the second year, six the third, and several the year following. Among the inmates the managers mention the mother of a Presbyterian clergy- man, the widowed mother of a devoted and successful mis- sionary to China, and the daughter of Dr. McKnight, one of the early pastors of the First Presbyterian church of this city. The act of incorporation passed the Legislature December 7, 1866. The Institution is called the Presbyterian Home, but its doors are open to Congregationalists, to the Eeformed Dutch, and to the several divisions of the Presbyterian fam- ily, making it very general in its character, certain of numer- ous beneficiaries, and of liberal supporters. All applicants for admission must be sixty-five years of age, residents of Xew York city, having been three years a member of the church, and recommended by the church session. Three dollars per week must be paid for board, and at death the funeral ex- penses defrayed by the church or party made responsible at her entrance. V The auspicious beginning of the enterprise led the man- 448 NEW YORK AN-D ITS INSTITUTIONS. agers at the close of the first year to confident^ appeal to the benevolence of the denomination for the means to build and furnish an asylum in some sense adequate to the wants of the churches interested. This was soon responded to by Mr. James Lenox, by the donation of four choice lots of ground on Seventy-third street, between Madison and Fourth avenues, worth $40,000. Donations of money came also from many sources, so that at the end of the year $13,000 were invested as a building fund, and the third report showed that $62,000 had been contributed toward buiMing. The building when completed was appropriately dedicated,_ Drs. Paxton, Murray, Thomson, Hall, and several distinguished laymen taking part in the exercises. The edifice is an elegant four-story brick, trimmed with Ohio freestone, surmounted by a chaste tower, and is charmingly arranged for the accom- modation of the inmates. All its rooms and halls are lighted from the exterior. There are two staircases extending to the upper story, and its heating and ventilating apparatusare of the most approved character. The basement contains kitchen, laundry, and other appropriate rooms. The first floor con- tains visitors' room, committee-room, and well-arranged chapel, with seating for a hundred and fifty persons. The next floor has an infirmary, a ladies' room, and the rooms for the most infirm. The interior is supplied with iron doors, and the entire structure nearly fire-proof, the staircases being of iron, with little wood-work exposed to the action of fire. The edifice cost over $100,000, and is the finest building of its kind yet reared on the island. The Institution will, however, soon be too small to accommodate the aged and worthy poor of the one hundred and sixteen churches connected with the enterprise. May these consecrated homes of piety and rest for the comfort of the worthy poor be multiplied in all our denominations, until saintly pilgrims are no longer left in penury to suffer alone. UNION HOJEE AND SCHOOL. {One nandrcd and Fifty-first street and the Boulevard.) The care of orphan and friendless children is always one of the first duties of Christian civilization ; but when the parents of these dependent ones bravely sacrificed their lives in de- fence of their native land, the least that a nation's gratitude can do is to provide maintenance and culture for their helpless ofi'spring. On the 22d day of May, 1S61, a few patriotic ■women, almost without means, but impelled by the pressing necessity of making some provision for the children of those who Avere certain to be sacrificed in the impending struggle, organized the " Union Home and School for the ]\taintenance and Instruction of the Children of our Volunteer Soldiers and Sailors.'* The act of incorporation passed the Legislature April 22, 1862. Until 1867 the Institution was carried on in an inconvenient hired building not capable of accommodat- ing over eighty children, and supported by the contributiona 450 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. of the benevolent, an occasional fair, and some small State- appropriations. In 1867 a large festival was planned, from which the handsome sum of $98,998.40 was realized. This enabled the managers to pay all their outstanding indebted- ness, including the mortgage on a building and six lots of land purchased the previous year for $28,000, on Fifty-eighth street, and make other preparations for enlargement. About this time the propriety of removing the Institution to the country, where land was cheap, began to be discussed, and ac- cordingly a large frame building, known as the " Laurel Hill Seminary," at Deposit, Delaware county, was purchased and repaired, at an expense of over $16,000. The building, how- ever, did not prove satisfactory, the children suffered with diseased eyes, and arrangements were made to remove again to New York. In the spring of 1868 the managers purchased the Fields mansion, situated at One Hundred and Fifty-iirst street and the Boulevard, with ten lots of ground, for $32,000. The property on Fifty-eighth street has since been sold to pay for this new property at Washington Heights. The Fields mansion is a large brick edifice, with stone facings, seventy by eighty feet, and when purchased was three stories high. Over $11,000 were expended in repairs. But when the fam- ily had just settled, the ladies were notified by the Commis- sioners of Central Park that the edifice must be removed at least twenty-five feet, by April, 1869, to make way for the opening of the Boulevard. What would have once been con- sidered an impossibility has been successfully accomplished ; the building was moved forty feet, improved with two addi- tional stories and a Mansard roof, at an expense of about $25,000. When compelled to remove the children for the- removal and repairs of the building, it was proposed to trans- fer them to the building at Deposit, but about that time news was received that this building had just been destroyed by fire. Its value was nearly covered by insurance. Happily an old-fashioned country house near Harlem bridge was leased for a few months, until the building at Washington Heights- could be put in order. On the Cth of June, 1870, the newly refitted Home and School was reopened with appropriate ser- vices, the children having been previously transferred to it. The building is well adapted to its use, and has accommoda- tions for three hundred and fifty children. The kitchen^ laundry, and dining-room are in the basement. The fii'st floor contains the reception-room, a fine committee-room, a UNION HOME AND SCHOOL. 451 larffe chapel, and two school-rooms, which can be connected with the former for Divine service. The other stories are de- voted to dormitories, school-rooms, etc. One room is called the armory, and contains the boys' nniform and miniature sabres, which they are allowed to wear on public occasions. Several acres of ground at least should be connected with the Institution, to afford the play and exercise necessary for the health of the youthful inmates. The location is certainly one of the finest in the world, situated on a lofty eminence, fanned with pure breezes, and surrounded with trees and yards of surprising beauty. The lofty observatory affords a command- ing view of the Hudson and the East rivers, the New York bay, and the surrounding country. Up to January, 1870, three thousand and forty children had been admitted. The only condition required for admission is proper evidence that they are the children of soldiers or sailors, and that the sur- viving parent, if any, is unable to support them. No pay- ment is required for food, clothing, or instruction. No papers cf surrender are requij-ed of the parent, to whom they are cheerfully returned as soon as aljle to provide for them, and their vacant places are immediately filled with other needy applicants. The schools appear to be well conducted. The present matron, Mrs. E. M. Cilley, has very creditably con- ducted her work. The Common Council and the Legislature have made several handsome appropriations toward this en- terprise. The Institution is free from sectarianism, and clergymen of all denominations are welcomed to the Home. Another fair was held in December, 1870, in the Twenty- second Armory, New York city, but, owing to the fact that an unusual number of cliarity fairs had just been held, less interest than formerly was taken in this, and the proceeds did not exceed twenty thousand dollars. The patriotic ladies who have so nobly carried forward this commendable charity are worthy of all honor, and merit the thanks of more than soldiers or soldiers' children. Mrs. U. S. Grant is the chief officer of the society, having gained the presidential chair several years in advance of her husband. THE FEMALE CHRISTIAN HOME, (No. 314 East Fifteentli street.) fills Institution was established in the summer of 1863, by an association of benevolent Ckristian ladies, in a small hired building, No. ISO East Seventeenth street. The object of the organization was to provide a re- spectable Christian home, at moderate expense, for women obliged to earn their own livelihood. The enterprise proving a success, the managers, in 1867, purchased the building Xo. 14 East Thirteenth street for $18,000. The number of in- mates in this building never exceeded thirty-three at one time, and the numerous applications made by worthy females induced the managers to dispose of this property and enlarge their accommodations. In May, 1870, the Home was removed to the newly purchased building, Ko. 314 East Fifteenth street. The building is a beautiful four-story brown-stone, with high basement, twenty-six by seventy feet, and cost $29,000. From its windows the inmates overlook the Stuyvesaut Square park, rendered vocal with feathered songsters, beauti- ful and fragrant witli waving branches and blooming flowers. The Home now stands in one of the choicest blocks in that portion of the city, and has the appearance of a private resi- dence. An indebtedness of $10,000 remains on the property at this writing, which the enterprising managers will proba- bly remove ere this volume sees the light. The building contains apartments for fifty inmates, and is far too small to accommodate the multitudes anxious to gain admission. The price of board varies from three dollars and a half to five dollars per week, according to the room occupied, use of furniture, food, fire, and light being included. Kone are ad mitted without satisfactory testimonials to the propriety of their conduct, the respectability of their characters, and theii expressed willingness to submit to the regulations of the Home. ' The matron is charged with the conduct of the house, the keeping of the daily accounts of purchases and donations, and the enforcement of the rules. Morning and evening prayer is regularly conducted, and each inmate is required to be present. A Bible-class is con- THE HOME FOR FRIENDLESS WOMEN. 453 dncted every Sunday afternoon, and all the inmates are ex- pected to attend. The receipts from the boarders during the last year covered the expenses, exclusive of rent, furniture, etc. The inmates consist of students, teachers, sales-women, book-keepers, copy- ists, and those employed in the various departments of needle- work. Young ladies from the country, spending a few months of study or business in New York, should apply, and count themselves liappy if admitted to one of these Christian Homes established during the last few years for the safety and com- fort of their own class. THE HOME FOR FRIENDLESS WOMEN. {No. 86 West Fourth street.) DEEP and abiding interest during the last few years , (; ^ has been manifested in the condition of fallen women, ";^QJ and of those who stand on the slippery precipice ready to descend. This interest is not confined to us nor to our country, but is being similarly manifested in all Christian lands. A few years ago, a devoted Christian lady in Glasgow became concerned about the outcasts of her sex, and resolved to go to work in their behalf. Meeting in the street one of the lowest of this class, she procured her lodgings in a poor but pious family, clothed her, and labored with her until she saw a change. Then she procured her employment. Encour- aged with her success, and strengthened with pious asso- ciates, arrangements were made for enlarging the enterprise. Street girls were taken, and soon more applied than could be admitted. In twelve months they reported two hundred and fifty fallen women reclaimed, many of whom gave evidence of saving faitli. Only twenty of those admitted had relapsed, eighty-five reformed girls had been restored to their parents, forty were employed as servants, forty-five in miscellaneous employments, and sixty-six still remained under their care. The Home for Friendless Women in New York was organized l)y 454 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. a number of Christian ladies and gentlemen in 1S65, and the building No. 22 West Houston street, having been leased, was opened with suitable religious services on the 27th of December of that year. At the close of the first year their report showed that one hundred and twelve had been admit- ted, of whom fourteen had been dismissed for bad conduct, twelve went out of their own accord to former habits, ten of the thirty-two sent to situations left them, yet after inquiring into the conduct of those returned to friends, and of those re- maining in the Institution the society believed that sixty per cent, of the whole number had been saved. The second year eighty-two were admitted, but one sent away for miscon- duct, two placed there by friends escaped, forty-six were pro- vided with situations, twenty-three returned to their fiiends, five sent to other institutions, three were honorably married, and thirty-two remained. Eighty-five per cent, this year fave evidence of reformation. During the five years closing anuary, 1871, the whole number admitted amounted to four hundred and twenty-six, about seven-tenths of whom appear to have reformed. The society continued its operations in Houston street until May, 18G9, when a more eligible build- ing was taken at No. S6 West Fourth street. The building in Houston street was in the midst of the evil it sought to remove, and consequently many drifted in with little desire to reform, and after annoying the inmates were either dis- missed or else departed of their own accord to join old asso- ciations. The change in location has been followed by a cor- responding change in the chai-acter of the applicants. Tlie class hardened by long years of crime less frequently apply, while those drawn away from the path of virtue b}'' misplaced affection, sudden temptation, or the most fruitful of all causes, destitution, are still readily reached. The Home is pleasantly located « Its long double parlor on the first floor is also the chapel, where divine service is regularly conducted on Sabbath afternoon and on Tuesday evening by a city missionary, where a Bible class convenes twice each week, taught by the female managers, and where family worship is daily conducted by the superintendent and others. The windows of the upper stories look out upon the beautiful Washington Square park, with its sliaded walks, crystal fountain, and waving trees, made vocal with the melody of their feathered songsters. Still it is far from being adequate to the demands of the undertaking. It can well acc(jnnnodiite only thirty, beside the THE HOME FOK FKIENDLESS WOMEN. 4r55 officers, with suitable lodgings and work-rooms, hence scores if not hundreds annually apply in vain, who might be re- formed and saved if suitable accommodations could be se- cured. The managers have felt the necessity of classifying and grading the inmates according to their moral status, of introducing a system of promotions, and of devoting a depart- ment to indigent young women in danger of ruin, who might depart from the Home without necessarily carrying with them a diploma of degradation. A Lying-in Asylum is also a nec- essary appendage of an institution of this kind, without which they are compelled to turn away the class in which the largest number of true penitents is found. This wise, systematic management cannot be successfully executed in a small, ill- arranged, and crowded building. The managers have ap- pealed to the public for $50,000 to build or purchase a suit- able Institution, which we hope Avill be soon forthcoming. The twenty thousand or thirty thousand fallen women of the city, whose numbers are steadily increasing, should remind us that too few institutions for their recovery have been founded, and those few on too small a scale. That multi- tudes of these might be reformed has been already proved, yet the managers truly say that " those saved during the past ten years by all the institutions of New York working for this class will not equal the number mustered out by death dur- ing a single year." Several causes conspire to fill great centers of population with fallen women. 1. Many grow up without the opportu- nities of refinement, crowded together in a miserable tene- ment-house where six or twelve persons sleep in the same apartment. The proprieties of life, if ever known, are soon forgotten. 2. The demoralizing tendencies of public amuse- ments, and the desire for greater display than common in- dustry can support. 3. Destitution. The methods by which their recovery is sought are: 1. Kindness. 2, Toil. 3. Wise and imwearied religious effort. Industry is one of the best appliances for reformation. At the Home, sewing, paper-box making, and other species of toil are prosecuted, and each mrl, to stimulate her energies, receives half her earnings. The religious services have been crowned with most gra- cious results. Under the appeals of the man of God, troop- ing memories of that land of early innocency have come rushing through the soul, and many have broken down out- right and wept convulsively. Many have professed religion, 456 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. and several after obtaining situations have united with the church. The financial affairs of the society are under the control of a board of gentlemen managers, while the internal and domestic management is conducted by ladies. The Home is maintained without any charge to the inmates, at an expense of about ten tliousand dollars pei- annum. It is Protestant, but not denominational. WOjMEX'S prison association of new YORK. THE ISAAC T. HOPPER HOJIE." (iVb. 313 Tenth avenue.) This Institution was founded in 1845, by the distinguished gentleman whose name it bears, as the " Female Department of the New York Prison Association." It is managed by a board of thirty ladies, who are elected annually by the mem- bers of the society. Mr. Hopper belonged to the Society of Friends, was for many years inspector of prisons in Philadelphia, and finally entered into the work of reforming criminals with a love and zeal only less than that of a Howard. He continued the agent of the society up to the period of his death, in 1S52, performing an incredible amount of service for the trifling salary of $300 per annum. Known to be in moderate cir- cumstances, the society repeatedly proposed to increase his salary, which he as persistently I'efused, though his successor's was immediately fixed at $2,500. 458 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. His excellent daughter, Mrs. J. S. Gibbons, the correspond- ing secretary of the society, who partakes so largely of the spirit of her father, is the only surviving member of the orig- inal organization. Mr. Hopper's long familiarity with prison life led to the profound conviction that nothing could be done for the refor- mation of female convicts without entirely separating them from the opposite sex, and placing them under the exclusive control of suitable persons of their own sex. Hence the or- ganization of " The Wome?i's Prison AssociationP The work undertaken by this society is the most difficult in the world, requiring a mingled wisdom and tenderness, connected with a moral heroism found nowhere but in culti- vated and sanctified woman. The objects of the society are, " the improvement of the condition of prisoners, whether de- tained on trial or finally convicted, and the support and encouragement of reformed convicts after their discharge, by affording them opportunity of obtaining an honest livelihood and sustaining them in their efforts to reform." It is a death grapple with sin in its strongest dominion — the heart of a disgraced and ruined woman. The sympathy the society received from the public, during the earlier years of its his- tory, was not flattering. The habit of regarding and treating the convict as the irreclaimable enemy of society was too common even with good people, and a holy horror seemed to fill the minds of others that a society to benefit such creatures had been formed, as if humanity and sympath}' for criminals were an endorsement of crime. Its principal encoui'agement came from its fruits. Sometimes the helpless victims of wrong suspicion and unjust commitments were found. Here was an easy victory for the right, accompanied with the in- describable joy of lifting up a crushed and despairing soul. Many were found who from childhood had been uttei-ly per- verted by example and instruction, so that all the springs of motive and action needed purifying. But having never known the path of life, or felt the full power of sacred truth, they soon melted under the softening appliances of reclaiming mercy. Others, after years of grossest error and shame, gave evi- dence that the moral sense was not entirely obliterated, that there remained still a spring that responded to the touch of human kindness. In the melting atmosphere of Christian tenderness, nourished by saintly example, and encouraged by WOMEN 3 PRISON ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK. 45 1> the voice of religious instruction, in many instances the lat- ent seeds of early culture have budded into a life of blessed fruit and promise. In some instances melancholy victims of drunkenness, bloated, loathsome, friendless, and apparently hopeless, after spending a '' term" in the cell, have returned to this " Home " for amendment. The kind appeal has brought the irrepressible tear, the encouraging smile, the blush of animated hope; reproof* and cautioii have been responded to with confession and promise of amendment. The boisterous tone is subdued to mildness, the defiant eye quails before sympathy and interest, a tide of pent-up emo- tion and affection bursts out to gladden the deliverer, who feels it infinitely " more blessed to give than receive." But there have been also many lamentable failures. Some- ran well for a time and then relapsed into old habits, to pass through the same processes of arrest, trial, and commitment^ and then to plead successfully again at the '• Home " for oppoi-- tunity of amendment. Some have been so positive in evil courses that more restraint was necessary to preserve the order of the Home than the managers were willing to exer- cise, and so have been dismissed. It is confidently believed, however, by those longest connected with the Institution, that over sixty per cent, of all sent out from it have done well. Many have married and now fill respectable stations in society,. Bending frequent and grateful communications, and some- times donations of money, to the Home. For several years after organizing, the society carried oa its operations in a hired house, trying to raise the means to build. Failing in this, it finally purchased the house it had occupied at No. 191, now No. 213 Tenth avenue, for $8,000, paying down only one- fourth of the amount. The building was sadly out of repair, and about $8,000 more have been expended in improvements. It is now a commodious, four- story brick, with brown-stone basement, with accommodations for fifty persons. The Common Council has made them a few small appropriations, but the society claims, and we think justly, that these have been most meager, since their whole labor and expenditures have been for those who would other- wise have been a permanent pest and expense to the city. There are no special tests for admission. All are received on trial, and if sincere in the matter of reformation receive every encouragement. If faithful and contented for one month, the society pledges to provide them a situation and 460 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. furnish them with comfortable apparel. If refractory they are dismissed, but taken at the next application, for another trial. Scores are sent away to service every month, and as many more received from the prisons. Many remain con- nected with the Home, and go out as seamstresses by the week or month. These spend their Sabbaths at the Institution, where their washing is done for them, and pay fifty cents per week to the society, and retain the residue of their wages. Those in the Institution are employed at sewing and laun- dry work, which always gives the best satisfaction to cus- tomers, and which the managers make renumerative. In 1852, when 154 were received, the receipts from labor amount- ed to $1,090. In 1866, when 286 were received, the receipts from labor amounted to $1,155.47, and in 1869, when 408 were admitted, the receipts from labor amounted to $1,996.77. Since the organization of the Home, in 1845, the society has received 4,897 persons, an annual average of 187, the larger number of whom, notwithstanding all their discour- agements, have gone out to lead virtuous and useful lives. The expenditures of the Institution now amount to from six to eight thousand dollars per annum, and the income is about able to balance them. Prudent management has enabled the managers to cancel all their indebtedness. In 1865 the Home received a legacy of $50,000 fi*om Charles Burrell, Esq., of Iloboken, New Jersey ; and during 1869 a bequest of $500 was received from Miss Louise C. Parmly of this city, daughter of Dr. E. Parmly, one of the originators of the Men's Prison Association. The interest only on these sums is used. The Institution is preeminently Protestant, tliough the largest number by far who have shared its benefits have been Poman Catholics. One evening in each week is devoted to a general prayer-meeting, and two public services are conducted every Sabbath by the city missionaries, the pastors of the vicinity, or by theological students from one of the seminaries. The managers, physicians, and clergy- men, have always served gratuitously. An evening school is also conducted in the Institution by a competent instructor, with very good results. ROMAN CATHOLIC HOME FOR THE AGED POOR. {No. 447 We.it Thirty-second street.) JOR many years the yonng have been industriously r jW sought out and carefully educated by American <^^ Catholics, but, until recently, their aged poor of both ^^ sexes have been almost wholly neglected in all schemes of denominational charity. Their convents, institu- tions of learning, and cathedrals have risen rapidly in every part of the country, but not an institution for the infirm and indigent, who liad given all their savings through life to the Church, was undertaken until about three years ago. About that time several members of the community known as the " Little Sisters of the Poor," organized in France in the year 1840, came to this country and established the first institution of their order in the city of Brooklyn. Eleven have now been organized in different parts of the country, and others are in contemplation. The Sisters hold and manage their institutions, collecting and begging the means for their maintenance from door to door. The Institution in New York was opened at No. 443 West Thirty-fourth street, in a hired building, on the 27th of September,'^1870, and removed to No. 447 West Thirty-second street on the 15th of the following December. There are twelve sisters connected with the enterprise, four of whom go out almost constantly gathering money and supplies from any and all available sources. The supeiioress, Mother Sidonie Joseph, is one of the group that came from France as before stated. The Sisters began without a chair or table, and with no money, we are told, but so pressing have been their im- portunities that the public has been compelled to heed their demands, and they now occupy three fine brick buildings adjoining each other, which they have leased for two and one-half years for the yearly rental of $1,700 each. Besides paying the rent of over $400 per month, they have managed to plainly furnish their buildings, and are now providing for a family of nearly one hundred aged and afl[iicted persons. Besides providing accommodations for the Sisters, the build- ings contain space for about one hundred and ten persons, which will doubtless soon be filled. The Sisters occupy the 26 462 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. central building, No. 447, the second floor of which has been converted into a chapel, where mass is said regularly by a priest. No. 445 is devoted to the aged men, and No.^ 449 to the aged women. Persons of good moral character in indi- gent circumstances are taken for life without money or goods, and without regard to sex or nationality. Several of the inmates are not active Koman Catholics, though they are not Protestants. We gladly chronicle this auspicious begin- ning of denominational charity for the relief of the aged and destitute of this sect, so populous in all our great cities, and hope these enterprises may be still more widely ex- tended. Every society should, if possible, provide for the relief of the unfortunate and destitute of its own faith. CHAPIN HOME FOR THE AGED AND INFIRM. VERY denomination of Christians and Jews in New York city has found it necessary to make provision for the poor and unfortunate of its own pale, and the march of benevolent enterprise in this direction for the last few years has been exceedingly gratifying. Sorae- thing more than two years since, a society, composed prin- cipally of members of the Fifth Avenue Universalist church (Rev. E. H. Chapin, pastor), was organized, for the purpose of founding and maintaining a home for the aged indigent of their society and acquaintance. The society encountered such discouragements as usually attend enterprises of this kind. During the last year several lots were purchased by the managers, situated on Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh streets, between Lexington and Third avenues. A fair to aid in the accomplishment of the enterprise was held in the armory of the Twenty-second Regiment, for a number of days, beginning April 10th, 1S71, which netted the society about $10,000. Subscriptions have been vigorously circulated,_and about fifty thousand have at this writing been thus realized. The Legislature has also recently favored the Institution with a donation of $10,000. With these sums the managers are THE BAPTIST HOME FOE AGED AND INFIKM PEKSONS. 463 now erectiiio^ the " Cliapin Home," which will probably be furnished and opened for the reception of inmates some time during the present year. THE BAPTIST HOSIE FOR AGED AND INFIRM PERSONS. HE " Ladies' Home Society of the Baptist churches of the City of New York " was duly organized, and in- »,j^^^ corporated,, March 19, 18G9, with the design of provid- ing aged, infirm, and destitute members of their de- nomination with a comfortable home in which to spend the last years of life. The payment of three dollars or more con- stitutes a person an aimual member of the society ; fifty dol- lars constitutes a life member, and one thousand, a life patron. The constitution provides that eighty female managers, mem- bers of Baptist churches or congregations in the city of New York, shall control the Institution, and shall hold their ofiices three years respectively, one-third retiring each year. Appli- cants as beneficiaries must be recommended by their pastor, and the deacons of the church to which they belong, as in good standing, and without the means of support. An en- trance fee of $100 is required. The first anniversary of the society was held in the Madi- son Avenue Baptist church, March 31, 1870, when a vigorous and successful effort was made to complete the subscription of §100,000, which had been asked for at the commencement of the enterprise, for the purpose of purchasing grounds and erecting buildings. Noble responses were not only made to this permanent f una. but liberal subscriptions also toward the annual support of the Home. Encouraged by these expres- sions of interest, the managers leased for two years the building No. 41 Grove street, at an annual rent of $1,800, which they furnished, and on the 30th of June formally opened with thirteen inmates and a temporary matron. As no part of the permanent fund, or its interest, could be ap- plied for current expenses, the ladies planned a fair which was held in the following November, in Apollo Hall, corner of Twenty-eighth street and Broadway, and which netted the society $10,689. 464 NEW YORK AKD ITS INSTITUTIONS. The Legislature, during a late session, passed an act direct- ing the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of the city of New York to lease to the society ten lots of ground, situated on Lexington avenue, between Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth streets, for the nominal rent of one dollar per annum. The title to this ground was promptly accepted by the trustees of the society, though the wisdom of the measure was seriously ques- tioned by many friends of the enterprise. Several public meetings, to discuss the matter, were held by the subscribers, and other members of the denomination, in which strong men were arrayed on either side, but at the final vote of the members of the Home Society a majority sanctioned the ac- tion of the trustees. This unfortunate measure has, however, greatly disturbed the harmony of the society and unsettled its plans of building, some of the subscribers refusing to pay their subscriptions. This deliberate and emphatic protest against State and municipal endowments of denominational en- terprises, entered into by so many earnest and thoughtful men, is an earnest of the sentiment rapidly developing in all the Protestant denominations, and certain to, sooner or later, con- trol the Legislation of this country. While we can but regret that this false step has been taken in the early history of this society, we still wish it great prosperity, with many and lib- eral supporters. There are now in the Home twenty-three inmates, several of whom are very aged, and one is in her ninety-fifth year. In this home of refinement. Christian influence, and comfort, relieved from toil and anxiety, they pleasantly spend the evening twilight of time, and serenely await the coming of their Lord. HOME FOR AGED HEBREWS. ^N the autumn of 1848, Mrs. Henry Leo, a devoted Jewess of New York, was called to visit an afflicted woman of her own faith. She not only found her a great sufferer, but enshrouded in deepest poverty and destitution. While affording relief in this case, her mind was impressed that some general movement should be inaugurated for the relief of age^ indigent Hebrews. Attending service nOME FOR AGED HEBREWS. 465 at the synagogue soon after, she laid the matter with great earnestness before a munber of the hidies of the congrega- tion, and on the 21st of November, 1848, the " B'nai Jeslnt- run Ladies* Hehrew Benevolent Society,^'' for the reh'ef of indigent females, was formed, and rules for its government adopted. Mrs. A. li. Lissak, and Mrs. David Samson, de- ceased, were among its presiding officers, and the Rev. Ansel Leo acted for many years as honorary secretary. On March .20, 1870, at a meeting of the board of directresses held in the Thirty-fourth Street synagogue, the President, Mrs. Henry Leo, the chief foundress of the society, presented a report calling attention to the number of destitute aged and infirm Hebrews in the city, who were constantly making application for relief which the society was unable to confer ; also urging the ladies to devise some practical measure which, when adop- ted, might furnish permanent relief to these distressed and suifering co-religionists, without interfering with the original objects of the organization. After a full discussion, it was determined to call a general meeting of the society, which was held on the 13th day of March at the B'nai Jeshurun synagogue, a large attendance of lady members attesting the interest they felt in the cause and the subject which had brought them together. The object of the meeting having been fully stated and explained to them, the following resolutions were offered : Wliereas, It is quite evident that we must provide some means to care for the aged and infirm of our persuasion who are increasing in numbers, and are destitute of the common necessaries of life, many without friends and any visible means of support ; therefore, be it Resolved^ That it is incumbent upon us, bearing in mind the sacred tenets of our holy faith, to care for all such ; and, viewing also the misery now endured by Hebrew women, unable to earn a livelihood, unacquainted with any trade, or when able to sew, etc., refused work ; tlierefore, be it Resolved^ That we hereby authorize our board of direc- tresses to provide for all such destitute co-religionists ; open, establish, and maintain a Home for Aged and Infu-m Hebrews, and adopt all rules and regulations for the government of the same ; also a school of industry, where sewing and the like may be taught to those unskilled, and where work obtained shall be given out to such poor women as need it to manufac- ture, the profits arising from same, after deducting certain ex- 466 NKW YOKK AND ITS INSTIVUTIONS. penses, to be given to them for tlieii benefit. And, be it also liesolvt'dj Tliat we authorize our president and board of direetrcsses to make expenditures from the treasury of our society, and adopt any measure they tliink proper for carry- ing out the objects and purposes expressed in the foregoing resolutions. A quorum l)eing present, the resohitions on motion Aver& unanimously adopted. In compliance with the foregoing, a committee was ap- pointed from the board of directresses'^ who after much trouble succeeded in t)btaining a lease of the building No. 215 West Seventeenth street for one year, and on the twenty-fourth day of May, ISTO, the hous'e was declared formally opened and dedicated as a Home for Aged and Infirm Hebrews, it being the first and only Institutitui of the kind in the State of New York. The industrial school formed has given remunerative em- ployment io hundreds of Hebrew women, and to some of the Christian faith also. The Home in Seventeenth street is a brick cottage, capable of acconunodating about fifteen per- sons. A building fund has been established, and besides dis- bm-sing $5,000 during the year in support of the Home, and on other charities, several thousand dollars have accumu- lated toward the purchase of permanent buildings. The soci- ety is composed of several hundred ladies who pay an annual subscription of five dollars each. As the adherents of this faith in Xew York are not lacking in wealth, enterprise, or liberality, we presume it will not be long ere a large and well-ordered home for the aged shall have been provided. THE LADIES CHRISTIAN UNION, OR YOUNG WOMEN'S HOIIK (Ifos. 27 and 28 Washington sqxiwre. ) ;HF benevolent of New York have been much en- '*>& gaged during tlie last fifty years providing asylums ^i^^i and homes for orphans, half-orphans, tlie aged, blind, deaf, and for many otherwise afflicted. The morally fallen have received recently such attentions as were hitherto unknown. But amid these multiplied charities a numerous and interesting class of virtuous persons, much in need of care and help, was long overlooked — that class of girls and 3'oung women, who, by the death of parents, the reverses of fortune, the loss of a situation, or of health, are either thrown suddenly upon their own resources or the uncertain charities ■of a calculating world. In large cities, wliere fortunes are suddenly lost, and where most of tiie casualties of society oc- •cur, this class of persons is always unpleasantly large. In November, 1858, a number of Christian women, representing several different denominations, convened for the purpose of forming the " Ladies Christian Association of the City of New York," their special object being " the temporal, moral, and religious welfare of women, particularly of young women -dependent upon their own exertions for support." In May, 1800, the first "Home" in America for virtuous " Young Women" was opened by this society in a hired dwell- ing at No. 21 Amity place. Here it continued two years, when it was removed'^to No. 160 East Fourteenth street, where three more years were spent, when it was removed to Nos. 174 and 176 of the same street. -' The act of incorporation passed the Legislature April 5, 1866, under the name of "The Ladies Christian Union of the City of New York." The need of a permanent l)uilding, larger and better arranged than any hitherto occu])ied, had been long felt. The importance of the undertaking had been •demonstrated from the first; more had thronged the doors than could be admitted. During the first four years one hundred and sixty-one had been admitted. During the fifth jear seventy-five persons were admitted. An earnest appeal for funds to purchase or build a suitable edifice, published in the report for 1866, brought the noble response of $1,000 403 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. from an unknown fi-iend, with a pledge for $4,000 more^ afterwards increased to $9,000 more, on condition that $50,000 should be procured within a given time. The amount was finally subscribed, though owing to some reverses^ it has never all been collected. On the first of May, 1868, the Home was removed to its present location, on the north- east corner of Macdougal street and Washington square. The managers purchased two four-story brick houses, with a front of fifty-five and oue-lialf feet, the lots being one hun- dred and twenty-five feet deep (containing brick stables in the rear), for the sum of $50,000. The buildings front on Washington Square park ; tliey are substantially built, with high ceilings, are well arranged and ventilated, and for con- venience or access, purity of air, and pleasant surroundings, could scarcely be excelled on this portion of the island. The basement furnishes a fine kitchen and laundry, a dining, and a sewing room. The first floor contains two fine parlors, a committee room, the apartments for the superintendent, and others for transient boarders. The upper stories are devoted to lodging- rooms, with baths on each floor. The carpeting, bed- ding, and furniture all display neatness and taste ; the walls are ornamented with pictures and various specimens of art wrought by the inmates. The ladies contemplate adding another story, with Mansard roof, as soon as their funds will, admit of it. A small debt still remains on the property. The Home at this writing contains eighty-seven inmates, and is always, except in the extreme heat of the season, full. It is not purely a charitable Institution. Each inmate pays a weekly board of from $3.50 to $6, according to her cir- cumstances and the room she occupies. A relief fund has been established to assist those who through sickness, loss of employment, or other causes, find themselves unable to pay their board. When the buildings are owned and furnished the income from the boarders will about pay the expenses. The girls are all of an interesting class. Many of them are the daughters of clergymen and other distinguished gentle- men. Every inmate is required to be either engaged in. something useful or fitting for it. Of 29 inmates, in 1865, 18 were artists, one a copyist, three were teachers, eight dress- makers and seamstresses; 203 different inmates were re- ceived during 1869, of whom 19 were artists, 33 teachers, 70 seamstresses; the remaining 81 were saleswomen, book-keep- ers, copyists, etc. Many young ladies tarry here wliile com- THE LADIES CHKISTIAN CTNION. 469 pletlu^ their education. Some teacli in private families, some in the public-schools, some are pupils in the school of design, others work at embroidery or some other species of ingenious handicraft. There are hours for receiving com- pany, when both sexes are admitted, but all are required to depart at ten in the evening. The Home is well supplied with books and periodicals. The house committee holds a meeting every Friday from twelve to one o'clock, when applications for admission are received and acted upon. Satisfactory testimonials of character are required in all cases, and valid reasons for their remaining in the city. Unmarried women only are received, preference being given to the younger class. The Institution being an outgrowth of the great awakening of 1857, and the 'third article of the constitution making advancement in active personal piety the first duty of the members, it is not surpris- ing that the religious element has always been a marked feat- ure in the movement. Family prayer is daily conducted. Every Thursday evening a Bible class is taught at the Home, and on Wednesday at eleven a.m. a ladies' prayer-meeting is held at the social parlors, over the chapel of the Broadway Tabernacle, corner of Thirty-fourth street and Sixth avenue. Sectarianism is ignored, all attend the churches of the neigh- borhood on the Sabbath, and many of the young women teach in the Sunday schools. The Home has been the spiritual birthplace of many thoughtful young ladies, and from its well-ordered circle some have ascended to the "House of many mansions " on high. The superintendent, Mrs. S. F. Marsh, formerly the wife of a clergyman, a lady of rare executive and social qualities, with a nature too kind to be soured and too brave to be dis- couraged, has presided over the Institution with very great success for the last eight years. May she, with that associa- tion of pure spirits which established "^this model and pioneer Home, and who have so long and successfully toiled to ele- vate the young women of our day, reap the richest fruit of Christian toil on earth, and an imperishable crown beyond the grave. HOTEL FOR WORKING WOMEN. {Fourth avenve and Thirty-third street.) MERICA presents greater attractions to the laboring ises tlian almost any other conntry in the world. Its abundance of cheap, but valuable land, its free schools, E.e])ublican government, and religious liberty, coupled with the liberal remuneration of toil, and the respect of the laborer, rendering it of all countries most desirable for ambitious industry. There is a benevolence, also, which finds expression in the opening of "boarding-houses," "homes," and " hotels," for the comfort and advancement of those who toil singly and alone for an honest subsistence. Mr. 'Alexander T. Stewart, who has hitherto done little toward placing his name among the benevolent of the metrop- olis, has recently, we are told, set aside six millions of dollars for the erection of two immense structures, one for working- women, and the other for working-men. The structure for working- women, which is now nearly completed, stands on Fourth avenue between Thirty-second and Thirty-third streets. The building, which is of iron, and fire-proof, has three fronts; that on Fourth avenue being one hundred and ninet^'-two feet six inches, those on Thirty-second and Thirty-third streets, two hundred and five feet respectively. The area covered by the structure is forty-one thousand square feet. The main build- ing will be six stories high, with an additional story, in Mansard roof, and over the central portions of each front, a space of one hundred feet, there will be an additional story with a super- imposed Mansard roof, making the centre of each front eight stories. At the extremities of these centi-al elevations, and also at the street angles, are turreted towers, twenty-four feet in width and hciglit. The entire central height will be one hundred and nine feet. The grand entrance on Fourth avenue has a width of forty- eight feet ; the portico is two stories high, with massive clua- tei' iron columns, resting on octagonal-shaped j^edestals, and bi-.pporting foliated capitals. The design of the structure, with its difi^erent stories, tlieir piers, columns, pilasters, and arches, crowned with the unique towers, presents a finished THE WATER-STREET DOME FOR WOMEN. 471 architectural desio;!!. The first story contains twenty-four line stores, each fifty-two feet wide and seventy feet deep. A wide stairway conducts to the interior. A portion of the halls are covered with marble. A steam elevator, runnintj to the upper floor, ascends on either side of the staircase. 'The stories are high, averaging from nineteen feet six inches to eleven feet five inches. There is a large interior court-yard, ninety-four feet by one hundred and sixteen, which is to be ornamented with fountain, gold fish, etc. The whole struc- ture is heated by steam coil, the engine being so arranged as to work the elevators, drive in hot weather an immense fan for cooling the apartments, and afford mechanical appliances to the kitchen and the laundry. The dining-room is thirty by ninety-two feet, and another room of the same size is to be used for concerts, lectures, etc., and still another of similar dimensions will contain the library, and be the reading-room. The inmates are to pay a fixed price for the use of rooms ac- cording to their size and location, and tlie board will be con- ducted on the restaurant plan. If the proprietor really deals as liberally with the inmates as some now suppose, this Insti- tution, situated in an eligible portion of the city, will be a % aluable acquisition to the toiling women of Manhattan. THE WATER STREET HOiEE FOR WOilEN. (iVo. 273 Water street.) £^X^URING the summer of 1868 the reading public was 1,,^^^ startled with a series of well-written articles published -^^^ in Packard's Monthly, and partially reprinted and commented upon by most of the papers, purporting to set forth the career of the " Wickedest Man in New York.' The attention of the city was thus called to the condition of society in Water street and its vicinity, and so profound was the conviction, in many thoughtful and pious minds, that something should be undertaken for this sin-blighted locality, that it resulted in a noon-day prayer-meeting, established in the dance-house of John AUeii,^ and conducted with much fervor for a considerable period. Thougli the effort did not 472 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. result in the conversion of a large number from the neighbor- hood, it considerably sobered many, and had an excellent effect upon Christians of all denominations who took part in the undertaking. Water street contains a few wholesale business houses, con- ducted through the day by amiable gentlemen residing in other places, but the resident population of the locality is perhaps the most depraved and infamous on the entire New York island. Murder and robbery have never been as frequent here as during the worst days of the Five Points, but for low groggeries, scandalous brothels, and dance-houses, where every sentiment of decency is ignored, and the whole popu- lace reduced to the lowest scum of moral degradation, the locality has long been unrivaled. Sailors and roughs of the lowest order, whose means will not admit them to houses equally disreputable but higher up on the ladder, here assem- ble nightly to waste their money and lives in drink and fran- tic revelry. The dance-house girls, also, are the most ignorant and helpless of their class. Many of them, reared in the neighborhood, have little knowledge of anything better, and little compunction for a life of crime. Some of them have never seen the better parts of the city, attended school or church, or been in any manner reached by the ministra- tions of religion. They are the slaves of the proprietor in whose miserable shanty they dwell. He claims as his property the miserable garments they wear, so that, when one attempts to escape from brutal treatment, she is not unfrequently arrested for theft, and thrown into prison. It was in this slum of moral putrefaction, after the excite- ment of the noon-day meeting had subsided, and religious efforts in the locality had been mainly suspended, that the Eev. William II. Boole, a member of the New York East Conference, and pastor of one of the city churches, under the inspiration of " a profound and responsible conviction," opened this Home and refuge for fallen women. The founder believed that greater good would result from an institution founded in the midst of this sea of social crime than from one removed from the locality, because of the ready access afforded those for whose benefit it was opened, and the reformatory influence it would exert in the neighborhood. Like the ladies at the Five Points, he was enabled to seize upon one of the chief citadels of corruption in the locality. THE WATER-STKEET HOME FOE WOMEN. 4:73 The " Kit Burns Dog-Pit," rum, carousal, and brothel shop, had obtained a world-wide notoriety, the proprietor gathering lucre from the most brutal and corrupting expedients ever tolerated in a civilized town. The proprietor of this estab- lishment, with no sympathy in the object of the mission, was strangely moved to ofter his building for the moderate rent of one thousand dollars per annum, obligating himself to con- tinue the lease for six years. The lease was at once taken, and the work of cleansing and remodeling the premises un- dertaken. The building is a four-story brick, twenty-five by thirty-four feet, with a rear extension which originally con- tained the " pit," but which has since been changed into a kitchen and several bath-rooms. On February 8, 1870, in presence of a vast concourse of people that crowded the building, the "pit," and the adjoining street, the Insti- tution was solemnly dedicated by the Rev. Bishop Janes, the Pwev. S. H. Tyng, G. W. Woodruff, S. W. King, and W. McAllister taking part in the exercises. The addresses con- tained many pungent ntterances, and produced a profound impression. The Home was not formally opened for the reception of inmates until the 10th of March, 1870, and in a short time the applications for admission were so numerous that many were turned away for want of room to accommo- date them. In projecting the Institution, it was believed that some dif- ficulty would be experienced in drawing these abandoned creatures into it, and it was proposed to hold evening meet- ings in the hall set apart for public worship, to which it was^ hoped they might be attracted, and so impressed with truth as to be led to seek refuge and aid in this Christian Home. But as more than could i5e admitted have from time to time presented themselves, without solicitation, no plans for reach- ing^ them have been necessary. The internal management of the Home is under the direc- tion of two resident matrons and a missionary, who are con- stantly employed in self-sacrificing labors of love, and who are heartily identified with the movement, receiving no stated salary, but trusting entirely to the unsolicited contributions of the friends of the cause for their supplies. The matrons have charge of the domestic department, direct the girls in their household duties, and conduct the religious meetings when held exclusively with the inmates of the Institution, in which they are assisted by Clu'istian ladies from the city. The mis- 474: NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ■sionary, Mr. Henry M. Little, has charge of the Sabbath ])reachuig, the daily and evening prayer-meetings held in the hall, and acts in concert with the matrons in the general ad- ministration of the Home. The duties of the day begin and end witli prayer, in which all join. A general prayer-meeting is held on Tuesday evening, and another on Thnrsday evening, of each week, when the mis- sionary is assisted by Christian brethren from the up-town chnrches. These services are designed to reach the vile young men of the neighborhood, and have in some instances been crowned with marvelous results. Men so dissipated and reck- less as to have been wholly abandoned by their friends, and given over as quite incorrigible, have drifted into these ser- vices, where they have been awakened and converted, after which they have returned to their homes and pursued honest careers. A young Englishman of liberal education, and who had benn a journalist, but by dissipation and otlier vices had sunk h.mself to the depths of despair, resolved to commit sui- cide. He filled his pockets with brick, and stood on the pier for the fatal plunge. By some influence the dreadful act was delayed, he went to the Water-street prayer-meeting, was re- claimed by Divine grace, and has stood firm for months in a pious and useful career. Other examples might be given. The only condition of admission to the Home is a desire to reform, though they may not know by what process the refor- mation is to be effected. The managers believe that nothing short of Divine grace can reform a fallen woman ; hence they desire to retain each inmate until she has been genuinely converted to God, and thus rendei-ed sufliciently strong to lead a virtuous life on her return to the outside world. A genuine change of heart is the first, last, and great thing sought by the managers in the reception of an inmate. In the meantime work from the stores is taken, eacli inmate re- ceiving one-half of her earnings. The labor thus far, how- ever, has not been very productive. During the first five months after the opening of the Home, about one hundred inmates were admitted, some of whom were pronounced the " most desperate characters of the street." But few of them returned to their old ways, many became industrious, tidy, and serious, and about ten per cent., it was thought, gave evi- dence of a changed heart.^ But with the more perfect or- ganization of the Institution has been given also a larger measure of spiritual influence, and we learn that more than THE WATER-STREET UOIDS FOR WOMEN. 475- fifty per cent, of all admitted during the last six months have deliberately entered upon a genuine Christian career. The labors of Christian ladies, wlio assemble several times each week to mingle prayers and exhortations with the inmates in their upper rooms, have not failed of gratifying results, and are more effective than services conducted by persons of the opposite sex. Meetings for song, conversation, and social intercourse are also held occasionally in the parlor under the direction of the resident ofKcers. Friends from the neighborhood and otliera are sometimes invited t(j attend. These gatherings are charac- terized by all the freedom of a well-ordered family, and at some of tiiem conversions have occurred. More than once since- its opening, that devoted Christian vocalist, Philip Phillips, has volunteered to sing his choicest songs to the inmates of the Home and the assembled populace of that demoralized neigh- borhood. On one occasion, a careful distribution of handbills and complimentary tickets through the dance-houses and liquor saloons of the locality brought together an immense ci'owd of both sexes, even filling the platform, on which Mr. Phillips sat, with abandoned women. An eye-witness said» " It was indeed a novel entertainment for those ears, always filled with blasphemy and foul speech, to hear 'Singing for Jesus,' from the silvery lips of our sweet singer in Israel. "At times the deep silence was almost painful ; and when Mr. Phillips sung the ' Dying Child,' there was scarcely a dry eye among those so little accustomed to weep. The songs were interspersed with those short, sweet exhortations which Mr. Phillips so effectively uses to promote the deeply spirit- ual character of his singing, and on this occasion were more than nsually blessed in their appropriateness and effect. When, near the close, he asked how many would join in the request for prayer and try to live a better life, more than forty hands went up, and several of the women near him said aloud, ' I will, Mr. Phillips ; I will try.' " The founder of the Water Street Home for Women is not wealthy, and at the beginning invested the few hundred dol- lars he possessed to obtain the lease and pay the rent for a part of the first year. It required a large faith in the infinite Provider to launch an enterprise of this character in this locality, against the judgment of so many excellent people;. yet, believing himself Divinely directed, he set about the- work without fear. The Home is carried on exclusively 476 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. as a 'Viorh of faith, no solicitation in any form being made for funds, except prayer and reliance npon God. In the right time means came to defray the expense of repairing, furniture was contributed, and bread given. The rule is not to incur debt. More than once " the last loaf has been eaten" at supper, with no knowledge of what should be on the morrow, but lie that feeds the ravens has through His servants sent a timely snpply. May the Home never lack encouragement ! "We re- joice in the auspicious opening of another refuge for the most despised and helpless class in this sin-darkened world. Truly there is something appalling in the case of a fallen woman. A man may descend to deepest prodigality, waste his substance and become a companion of harlots, yet his re- turn is hailed with highest joy. But a fallen woman is pro- nounced lost, and given over as incorrigible. Her reformation, if not openly ridiculed, is long viewed with distrust, even by the excellent of her own sex. This movement in Water street has already resulted in the discontinuance of eight or ten brothels in the vicinity, and the policemen patrolling the lo- cality pronounce it much iraproved. THE FIYE-POIXTS MISSION. {No. 61 Park street.) A quarter of a century ago the Five Points in New York presented the most appalling state of society on the American continent. The locality was a low valley between Broadway and Bowery, originally covered by the Collect pond, and the name was acquired by the converging of three streets instead of two, one of the blocks terminating in a sharp point. The ground, being marshy and uninviting, was settled by the poor and dissolute, mostly from foreign countries, who by degrees became so notoriously disorderly, that it was not considered safe for a respectable person to pass through it without a police escort ; and these officers were often maltreated and murdered' About fifty thousand ]:)ersons inhabited this local- ity, without a Protestant church, or a scliool, bidding utter defiance to all law and decency. There were underground passage-ways connecting blocks of houses on different streets, making crime easy and detection difficult. Every house was 478 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. a filthy brothel, the resort of persons of every sex, age, color, and nationality. Every store was a dram-shop, where from morning to morning thieves and abandcmed characters whetted their depraved tastes, concocted and perpetrated crimes and villainies, rendering day and night hideous with their incessant revelries. The respectable inhabitants living within five minutes' walk of this appalling carnival were astonishingly indifferent t.> the fearful degradation which there existed, many believing that the majority among them preferred to riot in wretched vices, to starve upon the scanty wages of crime, to be housed in kennels, poor-houses, or jails, racked with loathsome disease, and scourged by the law, rather than dwell in quiet respect- ability by their own careful industry. To the ladies of the Methodist Episcopal church must ever be accorded the high honor of inaugurating measures for carrying light into this God-forsaken valley of moral blackness. As early as^lS48 the Ladies' Home Missionary Society of this denomination, having previously established several missions in different parts of the city, which have since grown into large, flourishing churches, turned its attention toward this long- despised center of abandoned humanity. Impressed with the magnitude and difficulties of their undertaking, the so- ciety selected a number of Christian gentlemen of high stand- ing, who were constituted an advisory committee, upon whom it "has always safely relied for counsel and means. In the spring of 1850, Rev. L, M. Pease, of the New York Conference, was appointed to this unpromising field. A room, twenty by forty feet, at the corner of Little Water and Cross streets, was hired, fitted for holding service, and on the first Sabbath filled with the most motley, filthy, and reckless group that ever crowded a religious service. A lady described it as " a more vivid description of hell than she had ever imagined." The Sunday school began with seventy unruly scholars. For a time confusion reigned. The boys would turn somersaults, knock each other down, and follow any other vicious inclina- tion. > Order and system were gradually introduced, and in time this school became as orderly as any in the city. Intemperance was the univei-sal crime and curse of the lo- cality, and it soon became evident that nothing could be ac- complished unless this fiery tide could be arrested. A series of temperance meetings were commenced (which have been continued more or less ever since), and over a thousand signed THE FIVE-POINTS MISSION, 4?J tbe pledge the first year. The next chief difficulty in the way of success was the universal poverty of tlie population. Keiormati-on with many involved immediate starvation, unless some new channel of industry could be opened. The hunger of a starving family must be somewhat appeased with bread before their minds can be interested in the Gospel. Mr, TIIK FIVE-POINTS MISSION. Pease, with characteristic energy, soon arranged to supply a hundred with needle-work, l)Ocoming personally responsible to the manufactories, suffering constant pecuniary loss on ac- count of the poorness of the work. This industrial depart- ment required his constant attention to prevent thefts and losses ; drew him in pait away from the pastoral and outside spiritual toil contemplated by the managers, which, with some unfortunate business complications, resulted at length in the severance of his connection with the Ladies' Missionarv 480 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. society. Mr. Pease gave evidence of the deepest devotion to his worli, and surprised all his friends by early making his residence and removing his family into the center of this abandoned neighborhood, that the whole weight of his in- fluence and toil might be thrown into the movement. The next year Rev. J. Luckey was appointed to this field. The accommodations of the Mission were totally inadequate, and measures were set on foot to secure permanent buildings. Mr. Harding generously offered the society the use of the Metropolitan Hall for a public meeting, the Hutchinsons and Alleglianians volunteered to sing gratuitously, and Revs. Beecher and Wakeley to speak on the occasion. The hall was crowded, and $4,000 secured for the Mission. The next year the hall was again tendered, and John B. Gough lectured to a delighted audience, which subscribed $5,000 toward the Mission. In 1852, after mature deliberation, the society pur- chased the Old Brewery, a name it bore from the business once carried on in it, for the sum of $1G,000. The large building was at this time in great decay, but inhabited by hundreds of the most desperate characters in the city, and was the acknowledged headquarters of crime in this fearful locality. There were dark, winding passage-ways extending through the whole edifice, various hiding places for criminals, and dark, damp rooms, where scores of wretched families herded promiscuously together. The avenue extending around the outside of the building was familiarly known as " Mu7'- derer's Alley " and " The Den of ThievesP To demolrjh this literal pandemonium and erect in its place a temple of mercy to humanity, and of worship to God, was one of the noblest triumphs of Christianity. Inspection proved the building in- capable of repair ; it was pulled down, and on the 27th of Jan- uary, 1853, the corner-stone of the new building was laid by Bisiiop Janes, of JS'ew York, several distinguished clergymen, representing different denominations, taking part in the exer- cises. On the sixteenth day of the following June it was solemnly dedicated to the service of education and religion ; and the managers and missionaries, with feelings too deep for expression, found themselves in possession of a brick building, seventy-five by forty-five feet, and five stories high, containing, besides a neat parsonage, chapel, and school-rooms, two stories, extending over the entire building, to let at reasonable rates to suitable families. »• The schools, which had been conducted in a temporary wooden building in the park, were transferred THE FIVE-POmTS MISSION. 481 to their commodious rooms, the parsonage was furnished by members of the different Methodist churches, and everything assumed an aspect of thrift and progress. The day school has been successfully conducted by compe- tent instructors through these twenty-one years, averaging from four hundred to five hundred scholars daily, affording the means of culture to many thousands who must otherwise have groped in profoundest ignorance. The usual per capita appropriation from the State educational fund is made to the Institution. The Sunday school is also large. A visitor is constantly employed by the society to canvass the neighborhood and look after absentees. The children receive a lunch each day, which amounts to about one hundred and thirty thousand ra- tions per annum given to the hungry. The scholars are all clothed by the society, and many garments and bed-quilts, besides articles of food and fuel, are furnished to their indi- gent parents. A large congregation assembles morning and evening on the Sabbath to listen to preaching by the mission- ary ; a weekly prayer-meeting and a class-meeting are also well sustained. A " Free Library and Reading-room " has recently been opened. The number of converts remaining at the Mission is never large, as reformation is usually followed by improved business opportunities, when they unite with the regular churches in tlie city or elsewhere. Through the liber- ality of a friend who bequeathed the society $22,000, the Board has recently made a fine addition to the building, greatly improving the facilities of usefulness. The property of the society is now valued at about $100,000. The society has for the last ten years issued a small monthly paper, entitled ''A Yoice from the Old Brewery," which, besides acknowledging all receipts of money and goods, contains many spicy articles of general interest. It has a steady cir- culation of 4,000. The society was duly incorporated in March, 1856. Over two thousand destitute children have been place in Christian homes, most of whom have risen to re- spectability and usefulness, and quite a number to wealth and distinction. Situations haVe also been furnished to many thousand adults. The work of the society is conducted at a cash expense of over $20,000 per annum, not mentioning the thousands of dollars' worth of clothing, produce, etc., re- ceived and distributed from churches and friends all over the land. 482 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. Daring the twenty-one years of its operations, six different ministers have been successively employed by the society as resident missionaries or superintendents, a traveling financial agent having been also employed during most of the time. The present superintendent. Rev. J. N. Shaffer, a man of great prudence and perseverance, has now entered upon hi& tenth year of successful and unceasing toil in this_ critical field. Great credit is due the Ladies' Home Missionary Society for the marvelous change wrought in this locality during the last two decades, for though other vigorous organizations are now in the field, it must ever be remembered that thi& society wrought out the plan, furnished the stimulus, and ti-ained the chief founders of those kindred Institutions in its OM'u chosen field. FIVE-POINTS HOUSE OF INDUSTRY. (No. 155 Worth street.) The Five-Points ITonse of Industry originated in an indi- vidual effort made by Rev, Lewis Morris Pease, in the summer of 1850, to obtain employment for a class of wretched females, who, with strong desire to escape from an abandoned life, were debarred from any other, through lack of employment. Mr. Pease was at first employed by the Ladies' Home Mission- ary Society of the M. E. Church at the Five Points, but, differ- ing in his views from those of the society as to tlie methods to be employed, and some unfortunate complications occur- ring, an alienation was produced which >-esulted in the sever- ance of his connection with the society, aiid the establishment of an independent enterprise. In the autumn of the same year he hired two houses, admitted fifty or sixty inmates whom he supplied with work; in February an additional 484 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. room was added ; and in May, 1851, four houses were taken,, and the number of inmates increased to one hundred and twenty. In 1853 eight houses were taken, and five hundred persons supported either by their industry or the donations of the benevolent. Needle-work, basket-making, baking, straw- work, shoemaking, and ultimately farming, formed the chief employments. Mr. Pease began the enterprise with great courage, but with scanty means, and must have soon failed if Providence had not raised up friends who early came to his assistance. After conducting the enterprise over three years, he succeeded in enlisting a number of gentlemen, who procured a charter and assumed the management of the Institution, Mr. Pease remaining the superintendent. The entire expenditures of the enterprise during the three years and a quarter, closing with the incorporation of the society in March, 1854,. amounted to $48,981.87, more than half of which was profit on the work of the inmates, the remainder being made up by donations. Soon after the incorporation of the society, the trustees resolved to relinquish the rented buildings and erect perman- ent ones of their own. A plot of ground on what is now "Worth street was purchased, and in 1850 they completed a massive six-story brick edifice, with a front of fifty-four feet,, covering nearly the entire depth of the lots, and seventy feet high. Much of the means necessary to complete the edifice was contributed by friends, and the remaining incumbrance on the property was removed several years later by a bequest of $20,000, received from Mr. Sickles. In 1864, Chauncey Rose, Esq., whose generosity extended to so many institutions^, presented the board with the handsome sum of $10,000,. which led to the purchase of several adjoining lots. Here they erected a large two-story building, the ground floor, ninety by forty-five feet, being devoted to a play-room for the children, while the upper was divided by sliding partitions into appropriate school-rooms, and thrown on the Sabbath into a large chapel. After a few years it became manifest that the growing wants of tlie Institution demanded more am])le accommodations. The hospital department, confined to a single room, was far too small to accommodate the afflicted of the Institution and neighborhood. The chapel ceiling was- too low. More dormitories were needed, and a better nursery. An article setting forth these wants, published in the " Monthly FIVE-POINTS HOUSE OF INDUSTRY. 485 Record," the oro;an of the Institution, brought pledges in a short time to the amount of $10,000, to which one of the trustees generously added another $10,000. Arrangement was also made with the City Mission and Tract Society, which loaned the House of Industry $20,000 without interest, for the privilege of using the chapel. The trustees then decided to erect on the site of the school-rooms a new and commodious building. The edifice was begun iti August, 1869, completed and dedicated in February, 1870. The two buildings, though somewhat unlike in design, form an imposing pile about one hundred feet square. The stairs are fire-proof, the beams are of iron, water and gas are carried to every floor. The chapel, seventy by forty-five feet, is massively pillared, arched overhead, and has stained glass windows. The school-rooms afford accommodations for five hundred scholars, and the dormitories for over three hundred beds. The ground and buildings of the society have cost $125,000. The whole number received into the House during the six- teen years since its incorporation amounts to over nineteen thousand, and the names of twenty-one thousand children have in the same time been enrolled in the day school, with a daily attendance varying from two hundred and thirty to four hundred and twenty. During this period 4,135,218 meals have been furnished to the poor, and about nine thousand sent to situations. WPRKING WOMEN'S HOME, NO. 15 KI.IZAIiKTII .STREET. WOMAN'S BOARDINa-HOUSE. The trustees of the House of Industry, commiseratino: the fate of the many thonsand females in the city toiling by the day or week, with no relatives or homes, resolved, in 1867, to open a Workino; Women's Home, where this class might find clean, well-ventilated rooms, w^holesome food, and facilities for self-improvement, under Christian influence, at moderate expense. An immense building, No. 45 Elizabeth street, was accordingly purchased, refitted, and furnished, at an expense of $120,000. The building extends from Mott to -woman's BOABDING-nOUSE. 487 Elizabeth streets, is fifty-six feet wide, two hundred feet deep, and six stories high, besides basement. It was dedicated September 26, 1867, and thrown open for boarders on the first day of the following month. The House at this writing has two hundred and sixty boarders, and has rooms for about one liundred more. Room-rent, gas, washing, use of parlor and bath-room, are furnished for the small sum of $1.25 per week. Meals are provided on the restaurant plan at such moderate rates, that the whole expense of living does not exceed three or four dollars per week. This Home has a separate superin- tendent, and is a distinct Institution, though managed by the same board of trustees. This eminently philanthropic move- ment has been very successful, though the largest expectations of the founders have not yet been fully realized. The entire expenditures of the Board from 1855 to 1870, including both Institutions, amounted to $600,000. ^ The or- ganization employs no travelling solicitor, but makes its appeal through the press, and depends upon the generosity of the pub- lic for the several thousand dollars necessary to defray its monthly expenses. The society, in 1857, commenced the is- sue of the " Monthly Record," which now has a circulation of 5,000 copies. It is sent to subscribers at $1.00 a year. Nearly all the shoes worn in the Institution and given away in the" neighborhood, amounting to fifteen or twenty hundred pairs every year, are received gratuitously at second hand, and iire repaired in tlieir own shop. At least ten thousand garments are given away annually. Boxes of clothing and provision are received from all parts of the country, and from some of the large hotels in the city liberal donations of provision are sent daily. Since the organization of the society there have been five superintendents successively employed — Messrs. Pease, Talcott, Barlow, Ilalliday, and Barnard. Upon this •ofiicer is laid a heavier burden than is usually borne by similar oflacials in other institutions, as to his discretion is committed the whole matter of admissions, dismissals, and the dispensing of outside charities. That these ofticers have been wise and «fiicient, the present prosperous condition of the Institution -attests. , fllE ULD KOOliEHY THAT OCCUi'lEL) THE 81TE OF I'lIK HOWAHl) MISSION. BLACK SEA OK SIN. HOWARD MISSION AND HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS, {No. 40 New Bowery. ) Some portions of the city of New York present as dismal moral deserts as can be found on tlie entire globe. A por- tion of the Fourtli Ward, with its narrow, crooked, filthy streets and dilapidated buildings, filled with a motley popula- tion collected from all countries, packed at the rate of 290,000 to the square mile, has long been noted as one of the princi- pal " nests " for fever, cholera, and other deadly malaria on the island. But the moral aspect of this locality is even worse than the sanitary. Nearly every second d(wr 'is a rum-shop, dance-house, or sailors' lodging, where thieves and villains of both sexes and of every degree assemble, ]>resenting a concen- tration of all the most appalling vices of which fallen human- HOWARD MISSION AND HOME FOE LITTLE WANDEKER8. 489 ity is capable. The following statement from the superin- tendent, Rev. Mr. Van Meter, will afford our readers a con- cise view of this most important work. " Rev. J. F. Richmond — Dear Brother : In compliance with your request I forward to you a brief statement by the Board, of our work and the way we do it : " This Mission was or<2;anized by the Rev. W. C. Van Meter, in May, 1861, and until 1864 was conducted by himself and an Advisory Committee ; when, at his request, it was regu- larly incorporated and placed under the control of well-known citizens, who constitute the Board of Managers, by whom its finances are administered, and all disbursements regulated under a system of strict accountability. From the heginning the funds have passed through the hands of a responsible Treasurer, by whom full reports of receipts and expenditures have been made each year, and published in the daily papers and in the " Little Wanderer's Friend." Object. — The announcement at the beginning remains un- changed : " Our object is to do all the good we can to the souls and bodies of all whom we can reach, and we cordially invite to an earnest co-operation with us all who love our Lord Oesus Christ in sincerity." Not Sectarian. — The Constitution requires that "not more than three members of the Board shall be chosen from the same denomination." The Field cannot be fully described, for New York has become the almshouse for the poor of all nations, and the Fourth Ward (in which the Mission is located) is the very concentration of all evil and the head-quarters of the most desperate and degraded representatives of many nations. It swarms with poor little helpless victims, who are born in sin and shame, nursed in misery, want, and woe, and carefully trained to all manner of degradation, vice, and crime. The jpacking of these poor creatures is incredible. In this Ward there are less than two dwelling houses for each low rum hole, gambling house and den of infamy. Near us on a small lot, but 150 by 240 feet, are twenty tenant houses. 111 families, 5 stables, a soap and candle factory, and a tan-yard. On four blocks close to the Mission are 517 children, 318 Roman Catho- lic and 10 Protestant families, 35 rum-holes, and eighteen brothels. In No. 14 Baxter street, but three or four blocks 4.90 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITrXIONS. from us, are 92 families, consisting of 92 men, 81 women, 54 boys and 53 girls. Of these 151 are Italians, 92 Iris^li, 25 Chinese, 3 English, 2 Africans, 2 Jews, 1 German, and but ,7 At/iericans. m 1 1 ,-, _„_ _^ nOWAliD MISSION (WHEN COMPLETED). Our Work is chiefly with the children. These are divided into three classes, consisting of 1st. Those placed under our care to be sent to homes and %situations. 2d. Those whom we are not authorized to send to homes, but who need a temporary shelter until their friends can pro- vide for them or surrender them to us. Note. — These two classes remain day and night in the Mission. ^ 3d. Those who have homes or places in which to sleep. These enjoy the benelits of the wardrobe, dining and school rooms, hui do not sleep in the Mission. Food, fuel, and clothing are given to the poor, after a careful inspection of their condition. Mothers leave their small chil- HOWARD MISSION AND HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS. 491 dren in the day nursery during the day, while they go out to Avork. The sick are visited, assisted, and comforted. Work is sought for the unemployed. We help the poor to help them- selves. The children over whom we can get legal control are placed in carefully selected Christian families, chiefly in the country, either for adoption or as membei-s of the families,. where they are tenderly cared for in sickness and in health — sent to Sunday School and Church — receive a good Common School education — trained to some useful business, trade or profession, and thus fitted for the great duties of mature life. Day and Sunday Schools. — The attendance, neatness,, order, cheerfulness enthusiasm, and rapid improvement in the Day and Sunday Schools are the best testimonials that our teachers can have of their fitness for their work. Conclusion. — Since the commencement of the Mission more than 10,000 children have been i-eceived into its Day and Sunday Schools, hundreds of whom have been placed in care- fully selected Christian homes. Many of them have grown uj) to usefulness and comfort, and some to positions of influence and importance. We know that our work prevents crime ; keeps hundreds of children out of the streets, keeps boys out of bar-rooms, gambling houses and prisons, and girls out of concert saloons, dance-houses, and other avenues that lead down to death ; and that it makes hundreds of cellar and attic homes more cleanly, more healthy, more happy, and less wretched, wicked, and hopeless. 1 We never turn a homeless child from our door. From past experience we are warranted in saying that one dollar a week will keep a well-filled plate on our table for any little wanderer, and secure to it all the benefits of the Mission. Ten dollars will pay the average cost of placing a child in a good home." y Many apply at the Mission for a child. It is amusing to hear their inquiries and the replies of the superin- tendent. " Have you a nice little girl to send away into a good family?" said one of two well-dressed ladies, who entered the ofiice while we there in quest of information for this chapter. " No, we have not — yes, we have one," said the superintendent, "a dear little girl who is just recovering from measles, and who has been exposed to scarlet fever and will probably be sick with it by to-morrow. She needs some good,, kind mother to love her, and nurse her, and train her up. I 492 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. am afraid the angels will come for her soon, unless some of you mothers take her." They were not in search of such a child and turned toward the street. When a class of these children was taken West some years ago an old lady of wealth came to their lodgings and said, " If you have a crippled boy five him to me ; my dear boy died with the spinal complaint." 'here was one little fellow in the group aiflicted with this spinal difficulty, and she took him to her nice home, procured the best medical skill in that part of the State, and after years of good treatment he recovered, and is now a successful man. In September, 1861, the "Little Wanderer's Friend," the organ of the Mission, a 16mo. now issued quarterly, was established. It contains the music sung in the Mission, the history of the Institution, and other selections and thought gems. It has now a circulation of five thousand copies. The Institution is conducted at an annual expense of from $35,000 to $40,000, which is derived from voluntary contributions. THE MIDNIGHT MISSION. (No. 260 Greene street.) 'HE Midnight Mission grew out of a conversation between the Rev. S. H. Hillyard, chaplain of St. Barnabas Mission, and Mr. Gustavus Stern, now a missionary, who had just arrived from England, where he had observed the operations of a mission among fallen women, established some ten years previous by Mr. Black- more, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Mr. Hillyard had already given the subject some thought, and his mind being now more than ever awakened to its importance, he brought the matter before the St. Barnabas Missionary Association, at one of its regular meetings, rehearsed the account of the London movement, and read extracts from the biography of Lieutenant Blackmore. Two gentlemen of the Association volunteered their assistance in establishing a similar move- ment in New York, and the little band was soon strengthened by many additional members. A sermon by Dr. Peters, yield- TUE MIDNIGHT MISSION. 493 ing a collection to the society, and a public meeting in tlie Sunday-school room of Trinity Chapel, in which Bishop Potter,' Drs. Dix, Tattle, Montgomery, and others gave the movement their cordial support, led the managers to hire rooms and at once open an Institution. Rooms were taken for three months at the corner of Twelfth street and Broad- w\ay. The plan of the society is to send out in the evening its members two and two upon tlie streets, with printed cards of invitation, which are given to young women supposed to belong to the suspicious class, and to such as seem inclined to hear some words of exhortation are added, and an appropri- ate tract given. In this way many are drawn into the mission building,\vliere they are kindly received by Christian ladies, offered refreshments, drawn out in conversation until ten or eleven o'clock, when a hymn is given out and sung, which is followed by an earnest exhortation and a prayer. At their first reception seventeen were drawn in, at the second ten, though the night was stormy, and at the third twenty-six. On the first of May, 1867, the society removed to a fine, three-story bi'ick house, No. 23 Amity street, which was rented at $2,500 per annum. This building was capable of well accommo- dating eighteen or twenty lodgers besides the officers, and was generally filled, while scores sought admission in vain for want of room. In May, 1870, the Institution was again re- moved to a larger house, capable of accommodating thirty inmates. The trustees have recently purchased the large house. No. 260 Greene street, at a cost of $22,000. It is to be extensively improved and adapted to the use of forty-five or fifty inmates. All were taken at first who expressed a desire to reform, but preference is now given to the younger class. Work is furnished the inmates, and half the earnings of each given for her own use. During the four years, 592 have been received into the In- stitution. Of the 202 sheltered during the last year, 28 were sent to other institutions, 47 placed in good situations, 15 were returned to friends, and 49 returned to a life of sin. About fifty encouraging letters were received during 1869, from those who had been placed in situations. The managers have sometimes been deceived by these artful creatures, whose ways are so " movable " that they succeed in deceiving the very elect. But with all the discouragements naturally at- tending an enterprise of this kind, the society has held stead- ilv on its way and gives promise of great usefulness. WILSON'S INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. ( Corner of Avenue A and St. Clark's place. ) * The first industrial school established in this country was commenced some time in the year 1S53. Its chief founder was Mrs. Wilson, wife of Eev. James P. Wilson, of the Pres- bytei-ian church, who became its first directress, and served the society with great efficiency until her removal f i-om the city, in consequence of lier husband's accepting; a call to serve a cliurch in an adjoining State. The school began in a hired room in an npjjer story on Avenue D, between Eighth and Ninth streets. On May 13th, 1854, the Legislature passed the act incorporating the society as " AVilson's Industrial School for Girls," in honor of her who had been chiefly instrumental in its establishment. In May, 1855, the society entered the previously purchased building,"^ Xo. 137 Avenue A, Mrs. Wilson generously con- tributing $1,000 in securing the property. It has never been the purpose of the society to rival or supplant our excellent Public School system, but to go into the lanes and streets, to gather in and benefit a class too poor ^V^LBON S IN'DUSTRIAL KCnOOL FOR GIRL:=;. 495 and filthy to enter the Ward schools. The children gathered jiere were for the most part barefooted, ragged street children, obliged to beg their daily bread, and so degraded in appear- ance and morals that if many of them were admitted into a Public School another class would be soon withdrawn to avoid tJie nnpleasant contact. Here they were allowed to en- ter at all honrs, in consequence of their vagrant habits, though punctuality was much enconraged — a rule that could not be iol- erated in the Public Schools without destroying all classifica- tion and ordei-. None have been admitted unless too poor to attend anywhere else ; and as soon as their circumstances have sufiiciently improved, they have been promptly transferred to the Public Schools. Tlie efforts of these Christian ladies, in going to the very lowest sinks of society, seeking with all the sanctified arts of kindness and culture to collect and polish these discolored fragments of our degraded humanity, are worthy of more than humaii commendation. The children are sought out bv a visitor, and induced to attend the school. The exercises are opened in the morning with brief religious exercises ; after this they go to their books foi- two hours, after which general exercises and singing are continued until dinner. AH are furnished with a simple but good dinner consisting of beef, vegetable soup, boiled hominy and molasses, codfish, bean soup, an ample supply of good bread, which the economical ma- tron manages to supply at the rate of three cents per child. A half-hour is given for play, after which they return to their rooms and are instructed for two hours in sewing and other handicraft. Attendance and good behavior are rewarded with tickets, which a prompt girl is able to accumulate to an amount representing ten cents per week. These are redeemed with new clothes, which she is allowed to make and carry home. All industrious girls earn some wages, and some Avho have become experts receive large pay. Custom work is taken in and prepared with great skill. A dress-making class, was early formed, with a capable woman instructor. In 1855 a department was organized to instruct them in general house- work, and in 1866 a class for fine sewing, embroidery, etc. In 1854 they organized a Sabbath school, which has at pres- ent an averaj^e attendance of three hundred and twenty -five scholars. Like most mission schools, the managers have found it diflicult to secure plenty of good tcaclt'iv. If some of the many Christian people in our large churc""'-, corroding 496 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. for want of something to do, wonld go to their relief, it would be a blessing to all concerned. A Bible-reader began her work in April, 1863, and out of this lias grown a weekly " mothers' meeting." A weekly- temperance meetii\^, and a prayer meeting, are regnlarly lield. The labors of a missionary were secnred in 1866, and the services immediately crowned with the conversion of sin- ners. These converts were advised to attach themselves to the neighboring churches, but as they had never been any- where else to service, they felt a reluctance, and refused to go. This made necessary the forming of an organization of their own, which was effected in June, 1869, with a membership of thirty-three, since increased to sixty-one. The organization is evangelical, l)ut not denominational; clergymen of several denominations have been invited to administer the sacraments. During the first eleven j^ears no legacy was received, and but two donations from the city authorities. The late Chauncey Rose, at a later period, remembered the Institution with $20,000, and others have since turned a portion of their bene- factions in this direction. In the spring of 1869, tlie society purchased a fine four-story brick building, fifty by ninety feet, on the corner of Avenue A and St. Mark's place, at a cost of $84,000. A debt of $14,000 still remains on the property, which the generous public have been invited to assist in re- moving. A vacant lot adjoining the building was included in the purchase for the erection of a chapel. Two floors of the building did not come into the possession of the society until May, 1871, since which the building has afforded the very best accommodations for a large school, and brought a small income. The present matron has presided over the Institution with great acceptability fifteen years. NEW YORK HOUSE AND SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY. (No. 120 West Sixteenth street. ) lilE society that established this industrial enterpi-ise was duly incorporated by act of Legislature in 1851, W"ir^ with the design of furnishing employment in needle- work to infirm and destitute females at such a rate of remuneration as should afford them a livelihood. It is not de- signed to encourage supineness and beggary, but the principle of self-help and self-respect. It generously proposes to help those who are willing to help themselves, and those first and only who are destitute of employment. It never employs those to whom other avenues of industry are open, and it never turns away a needy, industrious widow if it can be pre- vented. Its organization, which is vested with power of self- perpetuation, consists of a board of about fifty Christian ladies, with an advisory committee of gentlemen to assist them in managing their finances. The House, which is situated at Iso. 120 West Sixteenth street, is a wooden structure, with a rear building fitted up for an industrial school, and cost about $16,000. The society purchases goods, and makes market- able garments, and sells them in its own store, drawing in the meantime all the custom work its managers are able to secure. Three general committees have the principal man- agement of the business : 1. The Purchasing, which selects and procures all the fabrics ; 2. The Cutting, whicli prepares the work for the seamstresses ; and, 3. The Appraising, which attaches a card to each garment, stating the price that will be paid for making, and when made, the price at which it may be sold. Besides these three committees which are formed from the directresses, there are several from the managers, viz., a Visiting, a Distributing, a Registering, a Paying, and one on Ordered Work, Work is given to needy women from every part of the city, and unlike most other establishments, this society gives em- ployments through all seasons of the year. It furnishes two kinds of work : 49S NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. I. FINE ORDERED WORK. Those only who excel in needle-work find employment in this department. Bridal outfits, embroidery, braiding, knit- ting, quilting, and other choice and difiicult tasks are pro- duced with astonishing proficiency, and compare favorably with the best imported specimens in this line. Some of these undertakings require, in order to their successful completion, as much talent and effort as is required to enter one of the learned professions, and the society has found it difficult to secure the services of a sufficient number of this class to be able to fill all orders' of this kind with despatch. II. HOUSE-WORK. This includes all ordinary sev/ing for household- use, gar- ments for both sexes and of every description. Large orders are taken from some of the missions and promptly filled. Here the miserably poor, whose hands have been so harde led as to incapacitate them for neat sewing, find employment. Several years ago, a class was formed from these adults by the managers, to teach them to become "expert seamstresses; but after much effort it was found impossible to much im- prove them, atid so the undertaking was relinquished. During 1870, 258 women were employed, and $10,165 paid for such service. Receipts from sales of garments during the same time amounted to $8,873.70, and. from ordered work, $4,710.69. The society has all the appliances for doing three times the amount of work, but fails to dispose of its stock, owhig largely, we think, to the fact that its House is situated in a poor business locality, and with no adequate scheme for wholesaling. The society has an invested fund of about $18,000, besides its real estate. There is a sewing-school also connected with the House, where one hundred and tliirty girls were instructed in 1870. Spiritual instruction is blended with manual. Portiots of Scripture and hymns are orally taught, and a good library has been provided. Three hours on Wednesday, and three on Saturday, they are instructed in needle-work. Each is en- couraged to finish a garment, which becomes her own.^ An annual exhibition is held in January, when their work is ex- aminedj and each girl receives the garment she has made. THE children's AH) SOCIETY 499 ]\[any of the girls wlio were Iiere a few years ago are now filling fine situations, and the religious instructions inculca'.ed at the House have resulted in their conversion. The hall in the rear building is hired for an Episcopal Sunday school, which has led some to erroneously suppose that the Ilouse was denominational. The society is not limited in its opera- tions by creed or nationality. An infant industrial school has also been established, which is open daily to small children of both sexes. The supervis- ion of this is committed to Mr, Brace of the " Children's Aid Society." About fifty children attend, mostly from crowded tenement-houses. A comfortable dinner is provided for them, and it is hoped that, by thus surrounding them for a few ]jours eacli day with elevating influences, they will be stimu- lated to self-help and self-respect. The managers have made arrangements so that those formerly in its empl(\y, l)ut wliose age or misfortune now in- capacitates them for toil, receive a small annuity. A Bible- class and a Mothers' Social and Religions Meeting are held oueday each week in the school-room. TJie women asseml^le, and while engaged with their needles, the Bible is read, ex- pounded, and its claims nrged npon them. The benevolent ladies who projected this Institution, and have nobly sustained it during twenty years, often amid difficulties that have caused them nights of sleepless anxietj'-, have performed a noble work that will never be forgotten. They have raised the fallen, cheered the faint, and covered the naked with a garment. They have cari-ied bread to the homes of the famishing and the fatherless, and many times assuaged the sorrows of her wlio was ready to nerish. THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY. {Office No. 19 East Fourth street.) MONG the numerous organizations established during the last half century for the improvement of society, few have been more energetic or successful than the Children's Aid Society, formed in February, 1853. The prime mover in this association at its oi-ganiza- tion. and down through the eighteen years of its wondrous 500 NEW YOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. career, has been Mr. Charles Loriug Brace, the present seci'c- tary of the society. While pursuing a theological course in New York city, he gave much labor to various institutions, seeking the recovery of neglected vagrant and delinquent children, and to the prisons where mature criminals were confined. A trip to England and other parts of Europe, where he carefully examined the institutions, and the meas- ures formed for the reformation of the fallen, led to the conclusion that the chief evils of society resulted from the neglects of childhood, and that the largest efforts of the phi- lanthropist should be bent in this direction. Some time after his return he drew together a number of intelligent and benevolent gentlemen who had already manifested an interest in this subject, and organized this society, the object being to " improve the condition of the poor and destitute children of the city of New York." One outside of this city would be surprised to know how large a number of little orphans and half-orphans, children cast out from their homes, or who have drifted here by the tide of emigration, or have run away from their parents in the surrounding country, and the off- spring of dissolute parents, are here living vagabond lives, subsisting as best they can, sleeping in boxes, under stair- ways, and in the lobbies of the printing offices. These are at first the newsboys, boot-blacks, pedlers, errand- boys, petty thieves, but become at a later period the pick- pockets, gamblers, street loafers, burglars, and prostitutes. There are always probabl}^ ten thousand of this class floating around the city, a few of whom try to be honest and industri- ous, but many more live entirely by their wit and skill. The society during the eighteen years of its operations has ex- pended, aside from its purchases of real estate, about $94:0,000. It has devised and opened a system of lodging-houses for the boys, and also for homeless girls, and has at present tM'enty- two industrial schools, scattered through the various parts of the city, for poor and neglected girls. The homeless, after some instruction, are taken to the AYest, if they can be in- duced to go, where good situations are provided. The ex- periment of opening a lodging-house for newsboys and boot- blacks was so novel, that scarcely any could be found to encourage the measure, and much search was required to find a building that could be hired for such use. At length the loft of the Sun Building was secured, and after spending a thousand dollars in furnishing it, the boys were invited to THE CniLDKEN's AID SOCIETY. 501 come in. The first niglit, March 18, 1854, the room was crowded with these wild, rao-ged roughs, many of whom were hatless, bootless, indescribably filthy, and covered with rer ■ miu, a large part of them unable to read or write, and some of whom did not know their nationality or names. A man of admirable tact and fitness, Mr. C. C. Tracy, had been provi- dentially secured to take charge of this branch of the enter- prise, lie addressed the boys kindly, and informed them that they were not objects of charity, but were to be con- sidered lodgers in their own hotel, paying six cents each for his bed, the rules of the house being that they should kee]> order among themselves, and use the bath. They cheered him lustily, and one of the largest boys soon stepped forward and paid for a week's lodging in advance. There was much " larking " and mischief manifested, requiring great patience and wisdom on the part of the superintendent, but with ad- mirable adroitness he soon introduced the Lord's Prayer, which they were induced to repeat, the evening school followed, and finally the full religious service. Many of these boys were found to be earning several dollars per day selling papers, and none of them less than from fifty to seventy -five cents, all of which they squandered on theatres, cards, dice, lot- tery-tickets, and costly meals in the saloons. To correct these habits, he introduced checkers, backgammon, and other games to keep them from the streets, and contrived what has been a blessing to thousands, the Newsboys' Savings Bank. A table, with a drawer divided into small compartments, with a slit in the surface over each through which the boys could slip their pennies, was prepared, and each box numbered for a de- positor. As any undue authority would have sent them fly- ing to their original Arab life, he called them together and explained the object of the bank, to induce them to save their money, and called for a vote as to how long it should be kept locked. They voted for two months. Having obtained a majority vote for a good measure, they were always held strictly to their own law, however deeply they might repent afterwards. The amount saved by some in that time aston- ished all of them, the value of property was impressed on their minds, some took their accumulations to the city Savings Banks, and others purchased good clothes. This invention did more to destroy their gambling and extravagant tendencies than everything else. A plan for lending penniless boys money to begin business of some kind was introduced. 502 NEW YORK AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. Sums varying from live to fifty cents were loaned, generally returned the same day, often the same hour, and did much to encourage industry and thrift. Thus the work of reformation advanced ; they became more tidy, industrious, studious, regular in their habits, and serious at divine service. Ministers and'other speakers were invited t(^ address them. One has well said, " There is something un- speakably solemn and affecting in the crowded and attentive meeting of these boys, and the thought that you speak for a few minutes on the high themes of eternity to a young audience, who, to-morrow, will be battling with misery, temp- tation, and sin, in every shape and form, and to whom your words may be the last they ever hear of friendly sympathy or warning." The seed has sometimes sprung up suddenly, and ia other instances after many days. At one service a boy addicted to thie\ing was so impressed that at its close he called the superintendent aside, confessed his crimes, gave up a dark lantern, a wrench, a pistol, and has since filled a good place as an excellent boy. No story of misfortune has ever been presented to the boys without eliciting a generous response and material aid. They contributed to the '• Mount Vernon Fund," to the Kansas sufferers, to the Sanitary Com- mission, and to the relief of sufferers from great fires in the city. Thousands have gone to the country, scarcely any of whom have turned out drunkards, some of them have entered the ministry and the learned professions, and many of them have accumulated property. Many of them .re singularly talented ; and, being early schooled to tact and self-reliance, they almost invariably succeed in any undertaking. The ucwsbo\-3 and .bout-blacks of New York are a new crop each year, ragged and ignorant as their predecessors. So the toil of this society continues from year to year. The society has five lodging-houses at present, the one at No. 49 Park place being the largest, having accommodations for two hundred and fifty. A fund of $70,000 has been provided to build or purchase a building in that ward. Three of the trustees have recently purchased the building occupied in the Sixteenth ward. It i.i a four-story brick in Eighteenth street, near Seventh avenue, has accommodations for a hundred' boys, and cost GM:,000. The same fruit has not attende'! the lodging- liouse system among the girls, yet it has been a necessity and a success. The edifice No. 27 Saint Mark's place has l)een purchased for a Girl's lodging-house, at an expense of THE children's aed society. 503 $22,500. The lodging-houses are supplied with reading- I'oorns, evening schools, music, and meals. The twenty-two industrial schools for poor girls are located in the different sections of the city where the class for which they were insti- tuted are most numerous. These children and half-grown girls are sought out by visitors a]ipointed by the managers. They are such as do not attend the ward schools, wild, ragged, apparently untamable, many of them growing u]) within a few blocks of Union square and other fashionable centers, living in cellars, garrets, or miserable shanties, with- out any of the advantages of school or church. They are when found filthy, indolent, quarrelsome, and profoundly ignorant of everything. They cannot close a rent in a garment, or attend to any household duty. In these schools they are tauglit, besides other species of handicraft, the use of the sewing-machine, which invariably secures them a good situa- tion. Beside the paid teachers, many ladies of culture vol- unteer to assist in conductino- these schools. During the last nine months, 7,000 different children have been under instruc- tion in these industrial schools, 13,000 have found quarters in the lodging-houses, and 2,298 have been placed in homes, mainly in the West, The managers express deep gratitude that no railroad accident has ever occurred while conducting the more than eighteen thousand children to their new homes in various parts of the country. The children are not legally bound out, so but that if they prove truant, or their employers play the tyrant, the connection may be at any time dissolved. No one noi; engaged in this work can appreciate the magnitude of the e^dl this society is toiling to prevent, or the good it is yearly accomplishing. Notwith- standing the increase of population, the sentences to the city prisons, for such offences as children usually commit, are less than formerly. We find the total for vagrancy for 1869 "only about half what it was in 1862—2,071 as against 4,299, and the females only numbered 785 against 3,172 in 1862 ; the total of this year, 64:Q less than in the year previous. In petit larceny, the total was only increased from 2,779 to 3,327 in seven years, though population has probably increased thirty- five pel- cent, in that time, and among females it has risen only from 880 in 1862, to 989 in 1869 ; while the total is 836 less than last year. " The commitments of boys under 15 years are less than four yeai-3 a^^o— 1,872 in 1862 against 1,934 in 1865, and of 504 NEW TOEK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. girls between 15 and '20, less than they were seven years ago — 1,927 agamst 2,081 ; and of those under 15, less, being 325 in 1869 against 372 in 1802 ; the total commitments in 1869, as against 1862, are 46,476 to 41,449 ; in 1868 they were 47,313. "The arrests for vagrancy are 2,449 against 3,961 in 1862; for picking pockets, 303 ao;ainst 466 ; for petit larceny, 4,927 against 3,946, and against 5,260 in 1865, and 5,269 in 1867. " The arrests of minors are less than they were in 1867^ and but little greater than in 1863, 12,075 against 11,357 ; and those of female minors have fallen off, in seven vears, 2,397 against 2,885 in 1862 to 3,132 in 1863— the ^ total amonnt'of all ages is 78,451 in 1869 against 84,072 in 1863, and 71,130 in 1862. " The marked changes which everywhere occur in criminal records of our city, in the arrest and punishment of girls, is especiallv due, we believe, to the agency of ' Industrial Schools.''" SOCIETY FOR THE EMPLOY]yiENT AND RELIEF OF POOR WOMEN. w \VENTY-SIX years ago, under the influence of the Rev. Orville Dewey, I).D., pastor of the church of the Messiah, this society was organized, and has the honor of being the first of its kind in New Tork. The object of the society is to prevent, in a measure, the pau- perism which forms so painful a feature in the community ; to supersede the daily almsgiving, which, instead of benefit- ing, only tends to deepen the degradation of this class by de- priving "them of a healthful self-dependence ; to elevate them to the rank of independent laborers, and insure them a fair compensation for their toil. The annual payment of three dollars at first made a person a member of the society, but in 1847 the sum was changed to five dollars, and in 1865 to eight dollars. The management is committed to a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and twelve mana- gers, all of whom are ladies. Each subscriber is allowed to send one applicant to the directors, but is held responsible ASSOCIATION FOR IMPKOVIXG THE COISTDITION OF POOK. 505 for any delinquencies in the person thns sent. Goods are purchased, manufactured into garments, and disposed of in the store kept by the society, and in such other ways as the managers shall direct. During 1869 work was given weekly to ninety-six women, and three thousand two hundred and sixty-one garments were manufactured. The society has ex- perienced some difficulty in disposing of its goods, the sales of the year amounting to but little over $3,000. The report of 1870 shows a small decrease on the previous year. Other societies in the city have grown up from the example fur- nished by this, and now control many times its amount of labor and capital. The society owns no building and oper- ates with a small capital. The managers have recently proposed to open a Mission House for missionary work among women and girls. They propose to keep the girls through the day, providing dinner, giving them instruction in useiul studies during the morn- ing hours, devoting the afternoon to needle-work in all branches. Every girl in turn to take part in the housework under the direction of a competent matron. They thus hope ill time to establish a seamstress, a dressmaking, and a wash- ing department, each of which sliall be self-supporting. The new building to contain rooms to be used on Sabbath for Bible classes and Sunday scliool, and on week evenings for reading-room, lectures, music, and other entertainments and instruction suited to the wants of the pupils. The society is w^holly controlled by the Unitarians. THE NEW YORK ASSOCLA.TION FOR niPROVIXG THE CON- DITION OF THE POOR ( Office ill Bible House.) iW YORK, like every other great and populous city, -J^^ is largely overrun with an army of beggars of both ^ivf ^^^^% representing all ages and nationalities. Some of *^' these are wealthy misers, retailing pretended sorrows to increase their gains, others meanly beg to avoid industry, a large number are improvident, and some hitherto industrious and 506 NEW YORK AND ITS TKSTITUTIONS. successful are so reduced, in times of general embarrassment, that begging becomes a necessity. Many of this latter class, finding themselves thus sadly in decline, become demoralized, and sink dov.m to the slum of common pauperism. It is hardly a virtue to give indiscriminately to all that ask, because dissipation, idleness, and needless vagrancy, would be thus gi'catly increased. All have not the time to inquire into the character and condition of applicants, hence the necessity of a carefully organized association, to whom the worthy poor may successfully apply. In 1843 this Association was formed, and in 1848 it was duly incorporated. The wonderful increase of foreign pau- pers had greatly swelled the army of straggling mendicants. To meet the demands, more than thirty almsgiving societies had been formed, many of which gave far too indiscrimi- nately ; all acted independently, thus furnishing an opportu- nity for artful mendicants to draw at the same time from several societies without detection. This society did not de- sign to supersede any other, but simply to supply what in others was manifestly lacking. But so wise and comprehen- sive was its plan, that in a short time most of the others dis- banded, leaving a far greater burden for it to carry than it had originally anticipated. The Association divided the city into twenty-two districts, which nre again subdivided into sections, so small that the visitor residing in each could call at the house of every applicant. No supplies are given save through the \asitor. The Association gives no money, and only such articles of food and clothing, in small quantities, as ai-e least liable to abuse, giving always coarser supplies than industry will procure. The design of the Association is not the mere temporary relief, but the elevation of the moral and physical condition of the indigent ; hence, temporary relief is resorted to when compatible with its general design. It re- quires every beneficiary to abstain from intoxicating drinks, to send young children to school, to apprentice children of suitable age, thus making the poor a party to their own im- provement. During the twenty-seven years of its operations, the Association has relieved over one hundred and eight} thou- sand families, varying from five to fifteen thousand per an- num, amounting to at least 765,000 individuals. Its disburse- ments down to October, 1870, amounted to $1,203,767.53. The labors of the Association for the elevation of the indi- gent and the suppression of unnecessary pauperism, have ASSOCIATION FOK niPIlOVIN(r THE CONDITION OF POOK. 507 been crowned with the most graiii'jing results. Its last annual report states that the average number of families re- lieved for the ten years ending with 1860 was 8,632, in a pop- ulation' averaging about 625,000 souls ; while in the decade closing with 18^70, with a population of over 900,000, but 6,131 families had been tlie annual average number relie^ed. These figures show that during the first decade named there ■was an absolute gain in the pecuniary independence of the masses previously relieved of seventy-one per cent., and during the ten years closing with 1870 an additional 'ww- ^Yoyemaut oi Jifty-four per cent., or the substantial gain of one hundred and twenty-five per cent, during the last Wentv years. It will thus be seen that the amount of relief afforded by the sums of money expended give but an imperfect estimate of the service rendered by this Association to the cause of humanity. Always managed by wise, philanthropic minds, it has ever been first to discover the source of public evil, and prompt to suggest and apply tlie true remedy. Indeed, to this Association more than to any other are we indebted for the successful inauguration of more than a score of our most excel- lent charities. Besides furnishing the public with volumes of statistics, accumulated with great expense, in relation to our population, the causes and remedies of poverty, the unhealthy condition of our dwellings, aud many other things which have led to great reforms, it has waged unceasing war with the public nuisances of the city, its lotteries, Sabbath desecra- tion, gambling dens, intemperance, and many other evils. In 18-16 a system for the gratuitous supply of medical aid, to the- indigent sick in portions of the city not reached by exist- ing Dispensaries, was organized. This led to the founding of the I)emilt Dispensary in 1851, and the North-western Dispensary in 1852. In 1851 it projected the Xew York Juvenile Asylum. A Public Washing and Bathing Establishment was estab- lished in 1852, at an expense of $12,000, and the following year the Association procured an act to provide for the care and instruction of Idle Truant Children. In 1854 the Children's Aid Society was formed by the de- nuinds of a public sentiment which this Association had • largely created. The Workingmen's Home was erected in 1855, by the direction cf the Association, at an expense of $00,000. During the Avar it held steadily on its Avay, and 508 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. accomplished a vast amount of good in more ways tlian we have space to enumerate. We mention in honor of this society — last, but not least — in 1863 it organized the society for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled, which ranks to- day among the noblest charities of New York. The Honorable Robert M. Hartley has been the indefati- gable corresponding secretary and agent of the society since its formation, and to the patient thinking and incessant toil of this gentleman is the public indebted tor much of the good accomplished by this and by several other societies. vVe cheerfully acknowledge our obhgation to the secretary and his associate, Mr. Savage, for various items of informa- tion embodied in this work. THE YOUNG SIEN'S CHEISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK ( Cmnier of Fourth avenue and Twenty -third street. ) I HE Young Men's Christian Associations are soci- eties which have for their object the formation of Christian character and the development of Christian activity in young men. The first Association was or- ganized in London on the sixth of June, 1844, and on the ninth of December, 1851, the first on this continent was formed at Montreal. The Boston Association established December 29, 1851, was the first in the United States, and the following years organizations sprang up in Washington, Buffalo, New York, the latter organized June 30, 1852. For several years little correspondence existed between the dif- ferent Associations; but in 1854 the plan of holding an Annual Convention for the mutual interchange of thought, the gathering of statistical and other information, was intro- duced. This Convention, held in Buffalo, recommended to the Associations the formation of a voluntary confederation for mutual encouragement, having two agencies for carrying on its work, viz. : An Annual Convention and a Central Com- mittee, the functions of these being only advisory or recom- a ! 'i' III YOUNG men's christian ASSOCIATION OF NEW TOEK. 500 mendatory. Sixteen of these National Conventions have now been held, many of which have been large and impress- ive. The Association organized and conducted, during the late war, the Christian Commission, whose toils and useful- ness cannot be too highly commended. There are now in the United States seven hundred and seventy-six associations and sixty-two in the British Provinces, with a membership of over one hundred thousand. Twelve of these have already erected or purchased buildings of their own, and twenty-one more at least are collecting funds to do so. The Association in New York city was the tliird organized in America, and has a membership at present of over six thousand. The headquar- tei"sof the Association were for several years at No. 161 Fiftli avenue ; and to reach the masses of young men in the various wards of the city, four branches have been formed, one of which is at Harlem, one at No. 285 Hudson street, one at No. 473 Grand street, and one for colored men at No. 97 Wooster street. Each branch is supplied with a library free to all the members, witli a reading-room supplied with the principal magazines and papers or the city, and with occa- sional lectures from distinguished men. The Association appoints several committees to which the principal labor is committed. It has a committee on Invitation, on Member- ship, on Employment, on Boarding-houses, on Visitation of the Sick, on Devotional Meetings, on Choral Society, on Literary Society, and one on Churches. Toung and middle- aged men from all evangelical denominations unite, forget- ting denominational distinctions, and do annually a vast amo.unt of good. Hundreds of young men loitering in the streets are picked up and saved from dens of dissipation and crime. Strangers are recommended to suitable boarding- houses, introduced to members of churches in their neigh- borliood, and many furnished with good situations in busi- ness. For several years the Association contemplated the erection of a suitable building, which, in addition to its ample accommodations, would furnish an income, so greatly needed in the prosecution of its work. An act of incorporation passed the Legislature April 3, 1866, granting power to hold real or pei-sonal estate for the uses of the corporation, whose annual rental value should not exceed $50,000. A plot of land on the south-west corner of Twenty-third street and T ourth avenue was purchased, at a cost of $142,000. On the 13th of .Tanuar}', 1868, ground was broken, and on De- 29 510 NEW YOKE AND ITS mSTITUTIONS. cember 2d, 1869, the buildiiifij was dedicated, Drs. Dewitt, Tyng, Adams, Kendricks, Thompson, Ridgaway, Messrs. Dodge, Randolph, General Howard, Governor Hoffman, and Vice-President Colfax taking part in the exercises. The edifice, whicli is very attractive, is five stories high, with a front of eighty-six feet nine inches on Fourth avenue and one hundred and seventy-five feet on Twenty-third street. Immense blocks of granite form the base of the walls, and as they ascend Ohio free and New Jersey brown stone, with their varying colors, are agreeably interspersed with an occasional A^ermiculated block. The windows, in a variety of forms, ex- hibit the beauty and strength of the arch-line, and the polished archivolts are richly ornamented with carved voussoirs. The central door is marked by rich columns and surmounted by the arms of the Association. The roof is crowned with a superb central and three angu- lar towers. The ground floor is rented for stores. Entering on Twenty-third street, ascending a flight of stairs, you pass to the right into the grand hall, capable of seating one tliousand five hundred persons, so perfectly ventilated that a crowded audience departs, at the close of a lecture, leav- ing the air as pure as it found it. The hall is furnished with a Chickering piano-forte and a pipe organ, which cost $10,000, both of which were purchased with the proceeds of a concert held in the hall on the evening of the 1st of December, 1869. To the left of the staircase is a pleasant reception-room, from which is an entrance into the secretary's room, the large reading-room, to three committee-rooms, to a wash-room, a bath-room, to a gymnasium, and after descending two flights of stairs to a bowling-alley. Upon the next floor is the library, capable of containing twenty thousand volumes, a small lecture-room, with seating for four hundred persons, four smaller rooms for evening classes in penmanship, draw- ing, book-keeping, the sciences, and the languages. The upper stories are rented to artists and others. The edifice cost, exclusive of the site, $345,000, on which there remains a debt of $150,000, which the managers hope to remove with the rent of the stores. Such an embodiment of modern Christianity is rarely seen in one building; The noble edifice presents the study of architecture, the first floor exhibits the activities of business, while farther up are found painting, music, eloquence, conversation, reading, study, rec- reation, and worship — all that can attract, expand, and ennoble the soul. THE PRISON ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK. {Bible House.) 'JIE Prison Association of New York was organized on the evening of the 6th of December, 1844. The objects of this Association, as set forth in its constitu- tion, are: 1. A humane attention to persons arrested and held for examination or tried, inchiding inquiry into the circumstances of their arrest, and the crimes charged against them ; securing to tlie friendless an impartial trial and protec- tion from the depredations of unprincipled persons, whether professional sharpei-s or fellow prisoners, 2. Encourage- ment and aid to discharged convicts in their efforts to re- form and earn an honest living. This is done bj assisting them to situations, providing them tools, and otherwise coun- seling and helping them to business. 3. To study the (]|uestion of prison discipline generally, the government of btate, county, and city prisons, to obtain statistics of crime, disseminate information on this subject, to evolve the true principles of science, and impress a more reformatory charac- ter on our penitentiary system. The Association was duly incorporated, with large power for the examination of all prisons and jails in the State, during the second year of its operations, and required to report annually to the Legislature. A female department was organized the first year (The Isaac T. Hopper Home), which soon became an independent society, abundant in labor and rich in results. Its history and work- ing are elsewhere traced in this work. During the twenty-five years of its operations closing with 1869, the Association visited in the prisons of detention of New York and Brooklyn, 93,560 poor and friendless persons, many of whom were counseled and assisted as their cases re- quired. The officers of the society carefully examined 25,290 com- plaints; and at their instance 6,148 complaints were with- drawn, as being of a trivial character, or founded on mis- take, prejudice, or passion. During the same period, 7,922 persons were discharged by the Courts on the recommendation of these officers as young, innocent, penitent, or having of- 513 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. fended under mitigating circumstances, making a total of 133,922 cases, to which relief in some form had been extended. During the same period 18,307 discharged convicts had been aided with board, clothing, tools, railroad tickets, or money ; 4,139 of the same class had been provided with permanent situations, swelling the number to 156,368. But the princip^al work of the Association has been intel- lectual. It has again and again examined every prison, peni- tentiary, and jail throughout the State (numbering about one hundred in all), and those of the surrounding States, and of the Canadas, pointing out faithfully in its annual reports the defective constructure of these establishments, the incompe- tency or barbarity of keepers, the chief defects of our prison system, and has sought industriously to educate public senti- ment and influence the Legislature toward a more humane, rational, and reformatory system of prison administration. The Association has conducted a valuable correspondence with enlightened men of the Old World, who have made this subject a matter of special study, thus bringing together the researches and experiments of all countries. It has collected volumes of statistics which no student can afford to do without. It in- forms us that the sixty-eight county jails of New York State cost annually about ' a quarter of a million of dollars for their maintenance, of which sum not five hundred dollars are expended with any view to meeting the religious wants of the prisoners. None are supplied with libraries or facilities of instruction, and scarcely any have Bibles, though the statute specially' enjoins it. An earnest inquiry has been made by the Association into the sources of crime, and the want of due parental care and government has been found the most prolific of all. To im- prove society, we must practise upon the injunction, " Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Of the approximate causes, drink is most potent. Two-thirds of all prisoners interrogated ac- knowledged that they were of intemperate habits, and not one in a hundred had totally abstained from its use. Next in the scale comes lewdness. Of six thousand women committed to jail in one year, over three-fourths were p>rosti- tutes, and near half the men prisoners interrogated confessed that they were frequenters of brotliels. Theaters are sources of great evil. Nearly fifty per cent, of all committed to prison have frequented these places. •Black Mabia"— the carnage Ubtd m carryiUtJ cnmrnala Iruui tbt Luuna aud Tombs to Blackwell's lelaud. Court op Speciai, (sessions in the Tombs. Bridge op Sighs "—connecting innor and outer Prison m the Tomb? I f:d l!LiJ^«^^==;:^) PREACmNG TO THE FALLEN WOMEK IN THE TOMBS. THE CITY PRISONS. 513 The gambling saloon, above all other places, hardens man's moral nature. Of 975 prisoners at Auburn, 317 were ac- knowledged gamblers, about one-third ; and the same propor- tion was found in the prisons of Connecticut. Ignorance and vice are found in sad conjunction. In the State of New York but two and seven-tenths per cent, of the general population are nuable to read ; but of its criminals thirty-one per cent, do not possess that ability. Early indolence is another source of great evil. It has been ascertained that, of the prisoners of the whole United States, more than four-fifths have never learned a trade. The Association has contended nobly for the introduction of skilled labor into our prisons, and the retention of prisoners nntil they are masters of their trades, thus furnishing the means for honorable subsistence after their release. The Association has ranked among its members many of the first men of the State. Its ofiice is in Room 38, I3ible House. HALLS OF JUSTICE OR TOMBS, CENTRE STREET. THE CITY PRISONS. The tirst buildino- iised as a jail on Manhattan was on the corner of Dock street and Coenties slip. After the erection of the City Hall in Wall street, the criminals were confined in dungeons in the cellar, while debtors were imprisoned in the attic apartments. The next prison erected was known as the "New Jail," called also the "Provost" (see page 74), from its having been the headquarters and chief dungeon of the infamous Cunningham, the British provost marshal of the Revolution. It was a strong stone building erected for the imprisonment of debtors, and is now the Ilall of Records. The pillars which now ornament it are of later origin. The next was the Bridewell (see page 69), a cheerless, graystone edifice, two stories high, with basement, a front and rear pediment, which stood a little west of the present City Hall. It was erected for the confinement of vagrants, minor of- fenders, and criminals awaiting trial, in 1775, just in time to serve as a dungeon for the struggling patriots of the Revo- lution. The building was scarcely finished, the windows had nothing but iron bars to keep out the cold, yet in the inclement season the British thrust eight hundred and sixteen Ameri- can prisoners, captured at Fort Washington, into this build- INZERIORCF M/\LE PR/'dOA/ FEI\U\LE PRISON 2.° TIER. THE CITY PRISONS. 515 ing, where they continued from Saturday to the following Thursday, without drink or food. During these perilous years all the public and many of the private buildings, besides nu- merous sugar-houses and ships, were crowded with suffering American prisoners of war. New York was indeed a city of prisons. The Bridewell was finally demolished, and much or the material used in the erection of the Tombs in 1838. After the establisliment of independence a large stone pi-ison surrounded by a liigli wall was erected on the west side of the island, three miles above the City Hall, called at that time Greenwich village. It was ready for the reception of convicts in August, 1796, was designed for criminals of the highest grade, and was the second State Prison in the United States. Sing-Sing prison was begun in 1825 and completed in 1831. The New York County Jail, situated at the corner of Ludlow street and Essex Market place, was opened in June, 1862, and took the place of the old Eldridge street jail. It is built in tlie form of an L, ninety feet on each street, forty feet deep and sixty-five high, leaving a yard of fifty feet square, surrounded by a high wall, in which prisoners are allowed to exercise. The building contains eighty-seven cells. Besides the above there are four other places of involuntary confinement on Manhattan, all of which are under the control of the Com- missioners of Charities and Corrections, and in each of which a Police Court convenes every morning to examine the charges brouglit against persons arrested. The Halls of Jus- tice, the principal building situated between Centre, Elm, Leonard, and Franklin streets, on the site of the old Collect Pond, was begun in 1835 and completed in 1838. It is a two-story building constructed of Maine white granite in the Egyptian order, is 253 by 200 feet and occupies the four sides of a hollow square. The front on Centre street is reached l)y a broad flight of granite steps, and the portico is supported by several massive Egyptian columns. The windows, which ex- tend through both stories, have heavy iron-grated frames. The female department is situated in the section which ex- tends along Leonard street, and is presided over by an amiable Christian matron who has held her position witli great credit for more than twenty years. In the front of the edifice are rooms for the Court of Sessions, the Police Court, etc., which have given it its name, " Halls of Justice." In the centre of the enclosed yard, distinct from tlie other buildings, stands the men's prison, 142 by 45 feet, containing 148 cells. State 516 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. criminals have been executed in the open court. The prison stands on low, damp ground in the vicinity of a poor and riotous neighborhood, is poorly ventilated, was never calcu- lated to well accommodate over two hundred prisoners, yet, the annual average is nearly four hundred, and often greatly exceeds that number. It has lately been condemned by the grand jury of tlie county as a nuisance, and as the Commis- sioners have repeatedly recommended the building of a large and well-arranged prison in a more suitable locality, it is not likely that the frowning, dingy "Tombs" will long continue in tlie city. The building as it appeared some thirty years ago contained a higli tower which was destroyed by fire on the day appointed for the execution of Colt, and is believed to have been a part of the unsuccessful plan for his escape. The next largest is the Jefferson Market prison, situated at the corner of Greenwich avenue and Tenth street. Its exterior is of brick, and contains besides its court-rooms twenty-five large cells, a single one of which sometimes contains ten or twenty drunken men. The daily commitments here amount to from thirty-five to fifty, and in seasons of general disorder many more. Adjoining the prison stands engine house No. 11 of the old fire department, which has been arranged for the female prison. This prison is kept remarkably clean, not- withstanding the masses of seething corruption huddled to- gether in it day and night through all the year. The cells are well warmed but not furnished with beds, as the prisoners are usually detained here but one night, and never but a few days. Many of them are so filthy and so covered with vermin, that beds cannot be kept in a proper condition. The third district prison is known as the Essex Market, situated at C9 Essex street, and is a little smaller than the one just described. The fourth is situated at Fifty-seventh street and Lexington avenue ; the cells, capable of liolding about forty prisonere, are in the basement under the Court-house. Small as these prisons are, no less than 49,423 persons were detained in them during 1870. All classes are seen liere, from the ignorant imbruted bully to the expert and polished villain. Some are abashed and sit weeping over their folly; others are reticent and collected. The visitor is often surprised to learn that that handsome female leaning over the banister, clad in rich silks, with gold chain, pin, and bracelets, is a prisoner ar- rested for disorderly conduct. The business at the Police Courts, and also at the Court NEW YORK DISPENSARY. North-West corner of Centre and White Streets. NORTHERN DISPENSART. Waverlij Place corner of Christopher Street. EASTERN DISPENSARY. No. 57 Essex Street. DEMILT PISPENPABY Comer of Second Avenue and East Twenty-Third Street. THE CITY PKISONS. 517 of Sessions, is dispatched with wonderful rapidity. At the former the Justice hears the charge of the officer, the expla- nation of the prisoner, aud decides without counsel or jury whether he shall be discharged, fiued, or detained for trial at the Court of Sessions. The vast majority of all arrested are discharged after spending a night in the station-house. The Court of Sessions convenes every Tuesday and Saturday for the trial of all cases involving doubt, argument, or proof. This is strictly a criminal court, and the prisoner is allowed to introduce counsel and witnesses. A visitor from the country where a criminal suit consumes from three to ten days takes his seat in the court-room and is surprised to see six or ten cases disposed of in thirty minutes. The names of Mrs. Blake and Bridget are called. Bridget has been the servant of Mrs. B., who has caused her arrest for stealing money from the drawer. Mrs. B. takes the witness stand, makes her full statement to the Judge, answers all his questions as to how she knew Bridget took the money, when she caused her arrest, &c. The policeman is next called, who states that he arrested her and found the money. Bridget, who has been leaning on the iron railing which cuts off the prisoners' space from the main court-room, is now called upon. She has no counsel, but wishes Mrs. E-. to speak in her behalf. The lady is heard — states that Bridget lived several years in her house, and was never known to steal. The Judge recalls Mrs. Blake and inquires hurriedly, " Has she ever stolen anything of you before ? " On being told that she has not, he turns to Bridget and says, " The Court suspends judgment as this is the first offence, but if you ever come here again I shall send you to Blackwell's Island." Two men are arraigned for striking a policeman who arrested them in a drunken row, swinging a loaded revolver. The officer gives his testimony, after which he is thoroughly sifted by the counsel of the prisoners, who tries in vain to entangle and embarrass him. Next come witnesses for the prisoners (old cronies), who drank freely with them on the occasion referred to, but who know they were not drunk or disorderly — that the pistol fell out of his pocket, and that the officer was wholly to blame. The officer is recalled, and reaffirms what he has said. " Have you no witnesses to sustain you ? " says the Judge. The officer had not supposed it necessary to bring any. Tlie Judge \vrings about on his chair, runs liis fingers through his whiskei-s aud says, " The law 518 NEW YORK AND ITS ENSTITUTIONS. forbids disorderly persons carrying loaded fire-arms; I fine them ten dollars each." Two colored men next respond to the call. The one npon the stand is about forty-five, and deposes that he lost a watch worth twenty-five dollars, and that the prisoner leaning on the rail took it. ' The prisoner is a plump, well-formed youth of twenty-two, who meanwhile rolls up his eyes and sweeps the entire audience of the court-room. "Did you cause his immediate arrest?" inquires the Judge. " Yes, sir." " Did you find the watch ? " "I did." " Who arrested him ? " " Ofiicer Cone." The officer is called, and details in few words the arrest, search and the recovery of the lost property. The Judge turns to the prisoner and inquires, " Have you counsel ? " " Yes, sir." " Wlio is he ? " A name is given. "He is not here," says the Judge; "I sentence you to the Penitentiary for six months." In this way the business goes on for hours. With all this dispatch the truth is generally reached, and the principal errors are on the side of mercy, dismissing far too many to satisfy justice or answer the ends of good government. Religious services of some kind are held in the Tombs on every day of the week except Saturday. Sunday morning and Tuesday forenoon are set apart for the Catholics, while Sunday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon are devoted to the Episcopalians. Monday is reserved for the Methodists if they choose to employ it, Wednesday, Thui-sday and Friday being devoted to various Protestant Societies who send male and female representatives to read the Scriptures, exhort and pray with the prisoners. We have been explicit in this statement because it has been asserted that only Catholics had free access and full conveniences for conducting worship in this prison. A vast amount of mission- ary labor is expended here annually by members of all denominations. These pious endeavors are often crowned with excellent results, and though the seed often falls upon a barren soil, the faithful sower shall not lose his reward. 1 > '^&), ! ^r, 'Crrr^. fill: ^riiiifPtMiiLtj 'ET p ^ -^ tfirflXtUJ""'^ ^_^J^ffjH|f|^?fj {Ninth avemie corner West Thirty-ssixth street.) THE NEW YORK IVIEDICAL DISPENSARIES. Perhaps no enterprise for the amelioration of the condition of the siiffei'ing poor of the city of New York has been more widely patronized, or accomplished more for the physical re- lief of the last three generations, than the dispensary system. On the fourteenth day of October, 1790, at a meeting of the " Medical Society of the city of New York," it was re- solved, " That a Committee be appointed to digest and publish a plan of a Dispensary for the medical relief of the sick poor of this city, and to make an offer of the professional services of the members of this society to carry it into effect." Ur- gent and eloquent appeals were soon made to the public through the several daily papers, and on the 4th of January, 1791, a meeting of benevolent citizens convened in tlie City Hall in "Wall street, where a constitution and the necessary by-laws were adopted. Hon. Isaac Roosevelt was chosen President, and Drs. Bayley and Bard senior physicians. The New York Dispensary was tirst established in Tryon street, now Tryon row, where it continued in a single room thirty- 620 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. eight years. The first aiiiiiial report declared that 310 patients had been treated during the year, contrastina; strangely with the report of 1871, which announces that 38,770 had received treatment during the last year, and about 79,000 pi-escriptions made. It is also worthy of note that the first was made when but one dispensary existed on the island, the last when over twenty of various kinds are engaged in a similar work. The act incor])orating the New York Dispensary passed the Legis- lature April 8th, 1795, and in 1805 a union was effected be- tween the Dispensary and the Kine-pock Institution, which had been established three years previously in tlie rear of the brick church opposite the Park. The number of patients an- nually increased, amounting in 1828 to 10,000. Efforts were then made to secure better accommodations, the authorities contributed a lot of land on the corner of Centre and Wliite streets, a three-story brick edifice was erected and made ready for occupation on the 28th of December, 1829. The building and furniture cost a trifle more tlian eight thousand dollars. During the last four years the old edifice has been removed and a new and beautiful building erected in its place, cover- ing the entire site and costing $72,488. The lower floor is divided into stores and rented ; the second is the Dispensary, with very commodious apartments ; the two upper floors are also rented for business uses. This large outlay has been partially met with generous donations from the trustees and friends of the enterprise ; a mortgage of $20,000, however, still remains on the property. The last Legislature granted the Institution $10,000. This Dispensary grants medicine and the attention of its physicians to the suffering poor of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Wards without charge. It occupies that section of the city where the most of its busi- ness is transacted, where large fortunes are made, but where few besides the poor tarry over night. These, however, are herded together in vast numbers, affording an abundant harvest for cholera, small-pox, ship-fever, yellow-fever, etc. Without the New Yoi-k Dispensary this crowded section would often be turned into a carnival of suffering, endangering the lives of the whole population. Since its organization in 1790 it has treated 1,463,747 patients. The Northern Dlsj^ensary was the second on the island, organized in 1827. It is situated on the corner of Chris- topher street and Waverley place. In 1834 the Eaatem Disjpensary was organized. This fur- THE NEW YOKK MEDICAL DISPENSARIES. 521 nishes medicine, medical and surgical services gratuitously to the sick poor of that section of the city bounded by Pike street and Allen, First avenue, and Fourteenth street, to the East river. This Dispensary during the first thirty-live and one-half years of its existence has administered to 768,828 patients, an annual average of over twenty-one thousand. Of this number 352,267 were native Americans, the remain- ing 416,561 were born in foreign lands. The average cost of each patient to the society has been 14r^ cents. The Dis- pensary is situated over the Essex Market. The trustees own no building, but now contemplate the erection of one. The Detnilt Dispensary was organized in 1851. In 1852-53 the trustees erected a line three-story building on the corner of Second avenue and Twenty-third street, at a cost of $30,000 including the site. This property has with the frowth of the city doubled in value, and is free from debt, 'he territory assigned to this Dispensary is comprised in the Eighteenth and Twenty-first Wards, or that portion lying east of Sixth avenue between Fourteenth and Fortieth streets. The population of this district in 1850 was 31,557, in 1860 it amounted to 106,489, and in 1870 to 111,638. During these twenty years it has treated 464,596 patients, over eighty-five thousand of whom have been treated by the physicians at their homes, and 899,075 prescriptions have been dis])ensed, an average of 125 per day. The North-eastern Dispensary was incorporated in 1862. It ministers to the sick poor residing between Fortieth and Sixtieth streets, and between Sixth avenue and the East river. During 1870, 13,309 persons received gratuitous treatment at the Dispensary, and 3,101 patients were treated at their dwell- ings. Eighteen physicians constitute the medical staff. The North-eastern Homoeopathic Dispensary was founded in 1868. It is situated at 307 East Fifty-fifth street, in hired buildings, and has treated since its opening over forty thou- sand patients, and made over eighty-five thousand prescrip- tions, and two thousand visits. The North-io ester n was incorporated in 1852, and began in hired rooms at No. 511 Eighth avenue. It is designed to bless the sick and suffering poor in that large district lying west of Fifth avenue, between Twenty-third and Eighty-sixth streets. No funds for the permanent estab- lishment of the Institution were raised until 1866, when a subscription was started which secured during the next 522 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. two years about nineteen thousand dollai*s, to which the Corporation added the sum of $15,000. A piece of land purchased on Broadway was again sold at a profit of $10,000. The trustees have now completed one of the finest Dispensary buildings on the island, at a cost of $83,000, an indebtedness of over thirty thousand dollars still remaining on the prop- erty. Besides affording very ample and commodious apart- ments for the use of the Institution itself, it contains a large store, and a beautiful hall rented for divine service. When this indebtedness is removed it is believed the income from the building will render the Dispensary nearly self-sustaining. The number of patients treated varies from 10,000 to 15,000 per annum. Besides these there are also various other Dispensaries es- tablished for the treatment of special diseases, as the Now York Dispensary for the Treatment of Cancer, the New York Disjpensary for Diseases of Throat and Chest, the IHeio York Dispensary for Diseases of Shin, and others. Most of these Institutions receive $1,000 per annum from the Corporation, to which the State sometimes adds an addi- tional thousand or more as they may need. Aside from this they are supported by private donations. The amount of good resulting to the city and country fi-om the kindly treat- ment administered to these 200,000 patients, who annually apply to these well-arranged Institutions of mercy, is incalcu- lable. The results from the system of free vaccination alone, are ample for all the expenses of the entire undertaking. This charity of all others is least liable to abuse, and is annu- ally attended with great and manifest advantages to our whole population. CHAPTER VI. INSTITUTIONS OF BLACKWELL'S ISLAND. THE ISLANDS AND THE AUTHORITIES. {Office of Commissioners of Chanties and Corrections, corner EleventJi street and Third avenue. — See cut above.) Before enterino^ into a detailed account of the institutions located in the East river, let us pause and consider briefly the history of the Islands themselves and the policy of those who control them. One cannot contemplate without feelings of high sadsf action the extensive municipal charities of the city of New York. In their origin they were few and meager, dating far back when the city was small, and the public mind but 524 NEW YORK AXD ITS INSTITUTIONS. poorly enlightened on questions of this kind. The little hovels and shanties of the past have all been superseded by colossal brick and stone structures, containing all the modern improve- ments of the age, with every known convenience for the relief of the indigent of all ages, the blind, the afflicted, the insane, the inebriate, and for the correction of the criminal. Our public charities, which once consisted of a little Alms- house, have now multiplied until more than thirty buildings, many of them the largest of their kind in the country, have been brought into requisition. The penal and correctional in- stitutions, though they liave not kept pace with the charitable, have also been greatly enlarged, and are now valued at nearly $3,000,000. The charitable institutions, with their grounds and furniture are valued at $5,500,000, and the annual expenditures in the maintenance of these buildings, with an annual register of 92,000, and an average population of eight thousand, and the necessary expenditures in new buildings and grounds, amounts to $2,000,000. The great increase of our population, and the consequent enlargement of our municipal institutions have necessitated the outlay of large sums in securing real estate, and the selections for the most part have been very judiciously made. Those beautiful islands of the East river, in particular, sepa- rated on either side from the great world by a deep crystal current, appear to have been divinely arranged as a home for the unfortunate and the suffering, and a place of quiet re- formatory meditation for the vicious. A brief sketch of these islands will not be out of place in this volume. Black^vell's Island is a narrow strip of land in the East river, extending from Fifty-first to Eighty-eighth streets, about a mile and a half in length, and contains one hundred and twenty acres. It was eai-ly patented to Governor Yan Twiller, and was subsequently owned by the Blackwell family, from whom it derives its name, for more than a hundred years. The ancestral residence, a cozy wood cot- tage over a hundred years old, situated near the centre of the island, is still in fine repair, and likely to long survive the present generation. This island was purchased by the city July 19, 1828, for the sum of $30,000, but the authorities were compelled in 1843 to expend $20,000 more to perfect the title. The little steamers owned by the Commissioners,, making several trips per day in the interest of mercy and justice, are the only vessels allowed to land at her piers with- ms-HTUTioNS OF blackwell's island. 525 out special permit. The labor of docking, building sea wall, and the admirable grading by wliich the island is made to slope gradually on either side to the water brink, has all been performed by inmates of the Penitentiary and Workhouse. The island is now valued at $600,000 exclusive of buildings. Ward's Island, situated immediately above the preced- ing, takes its name from Jasper and Bartholomew Ward, its former proprietors, and extends from One Hundred and First to One Hundred and Fifteenth streets, containing about two hmidred acres. It was formerly known as " Great Barcut," or " Great Barn " Island, and was termed by the Indian "Ten-ken-as." It was purchased by Van Twiller in 1637, confiscated in 1664, and granted to Thomas Delavel. The Wards obtained it in 1806, and in December, 1847, a part of it was leased (afterwards purchased) by the Commissioners of Emigration for the establishment of the Emigrant Refuge and Hospital. Over half of the island is now owned by these Commissioners. The Commissioners of Charities and Corrections purchased a portion of it June 18, 1852, and have since made several additional purchases. The Potter's Field, the place of interment for paupers and strangers, was for some years located here, but has recently been removed to Hart Island. Ward's Island is wider than Blackwell's, and the soil more arable. The portion of this island owned by the Commissioners of Charities and Corrections is valued at $360,000. Randall's Island takes its name from Jonathan Randall, who purchased it in 1784, and resided upon it nearly fifty years. It lies north of Ward's Island, and extends nearly to Westchester county. It was formerly known as "Little Barn" Island. This island was also patented under the Dutch Government, and, like Ward's, was confiscated in 1664, and also granted to Thomas Delavel. It was subsequently at different periods denominated " Bell Isle," " Talbot's Island," and " Montressor's Island." It was purchased by the city in 1835 for $50,000. Thirty acres of the southern portion have since been sold to the Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents. Besides furnishing ample grounds for the numerous Nursery buildings it contains a large and pro- ductive farm, cultivated by the Commissioners of Charities and Corrections, furnishing large amounts of vegetables for the institutions. Their portion of the island is valued at $520,000. 52G NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. Haet Island is situated in the town of Pelham, Westches- ter county, in Long Island Sound, about fourteen miles from Bellevue. This island became the property of Oliver Delan- cey in 1775, who sold it to Samuel Rodman for £550. In 1819, it was deeded to John Hunter, who died September 12, 1852. After his decease his heirs deeded it to John Hunter jr., grandson of the preceding, July 10, 1866. The United States Government leased it for army nses December 5, 1863, for one year, for the sum of $500, w^ith privilege of retaining it five or less years longer at an increased rent, the buildings erected by government to remain the property of the lessor. A village of one-story wood buildings, for the accommodation of troops, was soon erected, spreading over the principal parts of the island. Under authority of an act of Legislature j^assed April 11, 1868, authoriziug " additional facilities for the in- terment of the pauper dead in the city of New York," the Commissioners of Charities and Corrections on May 16, 1868, purchased all except three acres of the southern point (which the owner hopes to sell to the United States for the erection of a light-house), for the sum of $75,000. The island is esti- mated to contain about one hundred acres, but is suffering constant loss from the action of the tides. It is probable that the Penitentiary will be removed to this island in a few years at most. The management of the municipal charities and correc- tions of Manhattan was for years committed to five Commis- sioners appointed by the Common Council. In 1845, the whole was placed under the charge of one Commissioner ; in 1849 the number was increased to ten ; and in 1859 the number was again changed to four, to be half Democrats and half Republicans, appointed for the term of six years by the city Controller. The new charter of 1870 increases the number to five, to be appointed by the Mayor for the term of five years, abolishing the equal political representation. The present board is composed of intellectual, high-minded fentlemen, representing both political parties, as well as the 'rotestant and the Roman Catholic faith. Their annual re- port now amounts to an octavo volume of five hundred or six hundred pages, and one cannot examine one of these without perceiving that our municipal institutions are managed with great discretion and skill. Those great problems which have puzzled the humane and thoughtful in all ages such as the best moral treatment for the insane, the relief and elevation of INSTITUTIOXS OF BLACKWELl's ISLAND. 527 the indigent, the reformatory discipline of criminals, the re- covery ot vagrant and truant youth, the measures for secur- mg the lowest bill of mortality among foundlino-s, the refor- mation of the inebriate, and the best hygienic and economic conduct ot public institutions, are made matters of constant study, resulting in frequent and manifest improvements. As might be expected, visitors in large numbers throng the insti- tutions, but all are treated with decided urbanity. Many of the buperintendents, Wardens, and Chiefs of £)epartments liave retained their positions many years, a few more than a quarter of a century, and to whose intelligence and kindness we cheerfully acknowledge our indebtedness for many facts presented in this volume. A Protestant and a Eoraan Catholic chaplain give daily attention to the spiritual wants of the inmates of these build- mgs, holdmg brief and earnest services in each every Sabbath Missionaries from any and all of the denominations are granted every reasonable opportunity to carry the messages ot the gospel to those receiving either corrections or charities in conclusion, we can but feel that our municipal institutionsl are a credit and an ornament to the great city which fills and supports them. a j THE HOSPITALS OF BLACKWELL'S ISLAND. ELLEYUE was for some years the only hospital under §■ ^^^ management of the public authorities of New -.^ lork City. After the erection of the Penitentiary ^ one ot its rooms was set apart for a hospital. In 1848 during the administration of Moses G. Leonard, Commissioned ot the Almshouse, at that time acting under the Common Council of the City, the first hospital building was erected on the Island called the " Penitentiary Hospital^' The build- ing was of brick, and was completed in 1849, the same year tiiat the ten Governor" system came into existence. "The name was changed to the "Island Hospital" by resolution of the Governors December 15th, 1857. The Governors ap^ pointed a committee to examine the building soon after its 528 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. completion, who reported that they found it " constructed in a most reckless and careless manner, and was as a public building a reproach to an}^ oity." It was pronounced inse- cure, and the Governors were about to pull it down, when it was accidentally destroyed by fire on the morning of February 13, 1858. At the time of the disaster, it contained 530 in- mates, who were all removed without loss of life. It is believed that it would soon have fallen down if it had not been thus destroyed. The corner-stone of the Charity Hosjpital, erected on the site of the one so liappily destroyed, was laid with appropri- ate services July 22, 1858. An address was delivered on the occasion by Washington Smith, Esq., President of the board of Governors. This magnificent structure is of stone quarried from the island by the convicts, and is the largest hospital about New York, and probably the largest on the continent. It is a three and a half story, 354 feet long, and 122 wide. The two wings are each 122 by 50 feet, and the central building 90 by 52, and 60 feet high. The entire hospital is divided into twenty-nine wards, most of which are 47^ feet in length, and ranging from 23 to 44 feet in width. The smallest ward contains 13 beds, and the largest 39. The Hospital contains 832 beds, but has capacity for 1,200, and each bed has 813 cubic feet of space, aifording an abundance of pure air in all its parts. In 1864 no less than 1,400, most of them sick and wounded soldiers, were domiciled here. The eastern wing of the building is occupied by the males, and the western by the females, and the whole so classified as to accommodate to the best advantage the large number of patients always under treatment. Wards are set apart for consumptives, for vene- real, uterine, dropsical, ophthalmic, obstetrical, and syphil- itic disorders. Also for broken bones, and the other classes of casualty patients. Two wards are set apart for the treat- ment of diseases of the eye and the ear, and are in charge of distinguished physicians, who have made the diseases of those organs their special study. The stairways are of iron, the floors of white Southern pine, which, with their frequent ablutions and scourings, and the snow-white counterpane spread over each bed, gives such unmistakable evidence of neatness, as to quite surprise many not familiar with the con- duct of public institutions. From six thousand to eight thou- sand patients are annually treated in this Hospital, most of THE HOSPITALS 6F BLACKWELl's ISLAND. 529 wliom are charity patients, four hundred or five hundred of whom die, and most of the remainder are discharged, cured or relieved. SMALL POX Hf)sPI FAL, A short distance below this main Hospital, situated on the extreme southern point of the island, stands the Small-Pox Hospital, erected in 1854. It is a three-story stone edi- fice, 104 by 44 feet, in the English Gothic order, with accom- modations for one hundred patients, and cost $38,000. This is the only hospital in New York devoted to this class of patients, and hence receives them from all the public and private hospitals, from the Commissioners of Emigration, and from private families. It is a fine building, well arranged and admirably conducted, designed not only for paupers, but for pay patients, where, secluded from friends to whom they might impart their disease, they receive every attention that science and the most skillful nursing can bestow. This Hos- pital is rarely empty, and receives from two hundred to one thousand patients annually. For want of suitable buildings persons afflicted with other contagious eruptive diseases have been from necessity placed in the Small-Pox Hospital, some- times to their detriment. This difficulty is being obviated by the erection of separate pavilions for such cases. The Fever Hospitals, devoted principally to the treatment of typhus and ship fever, consist of two wooden pavilions. B30 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. each 100 feet in length, one of which is assigned to either sex. These structures are capable of accommodating about one hundred patients, though a larger number is of necessity at times admitted. They are situated on the eastern side of the Island, between the Charity and Small-Pox Hospitals. A warden has the general supervision of these several hospitals. The medical direction of them was, until March, 1866, un- der the supervision of the Medical Board of Bellevne, but at that time the Commissioners appointed a separate board, consisting of two consulting and twenty-two visiting physi- cians and surgeons. Two valuable members of this board lost their lives in 1868, from pestilential disease contracted while in the discliarge of their hospital duties. Tliis board is industriously collecting a museum in the Charity Hos- pital, which is annually receiving many valuable additions. The grounds around these institutions are very inviting, the view rich and diversified, and everything, save the countenance of the suffering patients, wears an air of cheerfulness. The Hospitals for Incurahles are situated on the Alms House grounds, and are briefly described in the account of that Institution. The Epileptic Hospital was established in 1866, for the treatment of a class of unfortunates hitherto abandoned as incurable, and permitted to go through the several stages of their disease until it ended in idiocy, insanity, or death. The Commissioners have the credit of establishing the first of its kind on this continent, and with the exception of a small one in London, the first in the world. The Paralytic Hospital was also established in 1866. These were first placed under the control of a distinguished physician with two assistants, but as he was soon compelled to retire, they were for a time under charge of the Medical board of Charity Hospital, but have since been transferred to the board of the Lunatic Asylum. These hospitals are pavilions on the grounds devoted to the Lunatic Asylum, and their establishment has already been a source of relief to many. They contain sixty-five beds each, and are always well filled. Illllllilll III 1 I' THE NEW yoke: PENITENTIAEY. fHE Kew York Penitentiary on Blackwell's Island stands nearly opposite Fifty-fifth street, and was the first institution established on the island. The south- ern wing of the building was begun soon after the purchase of the island in 1S28, the central portion was next added, and the northern wings are the result of subsequent additions. The building is constructed of hewn stone and rubble masonry, and consists of a central portion 65 by 75 feet, with three wings each 50 by 200 feet, and several stories high. The fioors are of stone and the stairways of iron. There are 500 cells for males, and 256 for females, yet the building is often rather small to accommodate tlie aspiring candidates. The prisoners sent here are from the New York courts, whose term of confinement with the majority is from one to six months, though occasionally one remains several years. AVhen a prisoner is received, a record is made of his name, age, weight, and the condition of his health ; also of his nationality, history, and the offence for which he was com- mitted. Every convict is expected to perform some service unless sick, when he is sent to the hospital. Most of them are allowed to follow their former occupations, and are em-- ployed at times as blacksmiths, wagon-makers, boat-builders, carpenters, coopers, painters, wheelwrights, shoemakers, tail- ors, gardeners, stone-cutters, boatmen, etc. ; and others, whose former indolence has kept them from every useful occupation, are instructed in the sublime arts of blasting, quarrying, and pounding rocks. The island originally abounded with rich quarries, most of which have now been exhausted in the erection of the princely edifices that crown its surface, a very large proportion of the toil havhig been performed by the convicts. A gang of men is daily sent to Randall's and another to Hart Islands ; to the latter of which, on account of its isolated condition, there is prospect of the entire Peni- tentiary establishment being removed. The erection of the Infant Hospital, the Inebriate Asylum, the new Insane Asy- lum, and every other new edifice, furnishes a large amount of toil in grading and ornamenting, to which their time and 632 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. toil are devoted. Their toil, however, is not rigorous. Indeed, it is immensely lighter than many of us accomplish who are yet out of prison. Toil is also one of the most salutary forms of discipline that can be administered to criminals of any age, grade, or nationality. Without this there can scarcely be reformation, and the neglect of it has plunged most criminals into the sea of infamy in which they are engulfed. A few learn trades while on the island, which enable them, on their return to society, to earn not only an honest, but a comfort- able livelihood. The convicts are all well clad in striped wool- en garments, and provided with suitable bedding and food. We saw two small regiments of them at dinner, which consisted of one pound of beef, ten ounces of bread, and a quart of vegetable soup per man. At breakfast, they are served with ten ounces of bread, and one quart of good coffee each. The number of prisoner retained on the island is less than it was twenty years ago, more being retained in the city prisons, and a large number are now annually sent to the Workhouse. On December 31, 1851, 803 were in confine- ment at the Penitentiary, and during the twelve months im- mediately following, 3,450 were committed. In 1853, 5,236 were committed, and at the close of the year 1,176 remained. The year 1869 began with 502 inmates ; 1,563 were commit- ted during the j^ear, and 461 remained at its close, making a daily average of 477 prisoners, maintained at an expenditure of $73,972.35. Of those committed 1,224 were males, and 339 females. 276 of them were between the ages of fifteen and twenty years; 427 from twenty to twenty-five; 316 from aUABD-BOATS. THE NEW YOKE PENTTENTIAItT. 533 twenty-five to thirty, after wliich the number in each semi decade steadily decreases. Twenty were under fifteen yeTrs" } ears of age, and appeal anxiously for the adoption of somp measure to arrest the progress of these cadetsTcr?me e^e .hey are irrevocably enrolled in the ranks of thS a^n? WW march terminates only at the State Pri"- on Z' ...?I ^H¥^^. «o°i°ii«ed, 730 were of American birth HDut mostly of foreign blood) ; 482 came from Ireland 168 from GanT^l'.f^ h"" ^°-i""5' 2^ f^'^^ Scotland; 24 froin Canada, 13 from France, 12 from Prussia, and the remaining 35^i.presented the other countries of Europe and tlTwesf fh«?Vn7/'''°'^' "^^^ 'y^'""^ ^^^y ^^r« ^J^arged we may state that 1,078 were committed for petit larcenv 259 fr^ Jol u and battery, 34 for grand larce^, 27 fHurglar^ 2^^^^^^^^^ vagrancy, and a smaller number for nearly evTy SVspecie of mischief in the cataloo-ue of crimP Tl,l o "^^f^^P^^^es rie:;.' „r? t zi^^'r^'^ "■"""^^ 'if yr tue 1,563 there were unmarried 963; married SOT- mXrSV: '"'""'l' '^ '«=""^"'^^'' S3 wait" hoe CnS ,1 ■emamder were scattered througli over a hundred trades t.Iiough in fact many have never foUowed anything. Of the females, 224 were renorts,! »» ^ • 53 seamstresses, 13 dress-mkei, 10 laZd 4ses etc S -- are employed with the needle, a-ld in otherTrancts oTZ fulness around the Institution. One cannotTook over an aud.ence of these convicts, and meet the g a nces of the^r bnlhant eyes, without being assured that tie Penitentiarv contains as much talent as any other structure in the com' y 534: NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. of New York. And how sad the reflection that this magnili- cent ]n]e of masonry, that ci-owns this green island, is a crowded pandemonium — an empire of fallen Lucifers, of wasted energies, disappointed ambitions, and perverted genius, not likely to again rise to a virtuous life, or a blissful immor- tality. The moral condition of prisoners has from a remote period enlisted the sympathies of the benevolent, and led to associ- ated efforts for their relief, yet improvements in prison discip- line progressed but slowly until within the last fifty years, leaving still ample scope for the study of the thoughtful. Justice is not often administered with undue severity in our country. Indeed it is frequently quite too lax to promote the ])ublic good. Yet the best ends of penal justice are not often secured in our public prisons, and are far too frequently ut- terly ignored. The object of imprisonment should be three-fold : 1. To separate the culprit from society, whose security he endangers, and whose confidence he has forfeited. 2. To make him sensi- ble of the law he has violated ; and 3. To secure if possible his reformation and return to the useful walks of life. The first two parts are tolerably well secured in all countries, but the last and most important is rarely attained, and far too sel- dt»m attempted. A keeper of a prison should be selected for his moral qualities, and one who ignores or scoffs at the refor- mation of a convict thereby demonstrates his utter incompe- tency for so important a calling. Every possible incentive to reformation should be held out, and every influence intro- duced and fostered likely to excite the desire of amendment, or to bring up from the depths of his fallen nature the return of buried manhood. While the reformation of the criminal is neglected, a large percentage of those under confinement, especially the younger and more hopeful portion, are certain to return to society more determined villains than when they left it, and the penal institution, instead of suppressing, virtu- ally increases the crime. The Commissioners have had under advisement for some time past the matter of introducing a more rational system of reformatory discipline, than that of mere compulsory toil. The prisoners have been carefully classified, and a system of evening school instruction introduced. The matter of enter- ing the school is entirely voluntary, though after entering they are not allowed to abandon it at pleasure. The school was "Male Convict^ Pl.MTIl^TiAKl Li.ack\\ ell's Island. Fbmalk CoNyicTs. Pbnitkntiart Blackwbll's Island. At=^=MIMi \\\\\^ THE NEW YORK PENTTENTIART. 535 organized on the evening of November 16, 1869, nnder the anspices of the School Trustees of the Nineteenth Ward, who provided an able corps of teachers. At the opening session 130 were present as pupils, and on January 10, 1870, the reg- ister contained the names of 223 or 64 per cent, of those of the males so situated as to be able to attend. The largest num- ber of pupils were between the ages of eighteen and twenty- two years, the next between twenty-two and twenty-nine, the youngest of all being fourteen, and the eldest lifty-two years of age. The uneducated for the most part appeared anxious to acquire an education, and the more scholarly disposed to further pursue their studies. For want of room the most judicious separation of the pris- oners cannot be secured, but a system of merit marks analo- gous to the MacConochie, or " Irish system," has been intro- duced, so that faithful observance of the rules of the prison, and such conduct as secures the approval of the warden re- ceives a monthly recognition, which the Commissioners report to the Governor of the State, recommending an abridgement of their terai of confinement. We are happy to be thus able to chronicle the begining of a more rational and humane sys- tem of prison discipline for mature criminals, which posterity will develope, and which mil doubtless lead to excellent re- sults. Religious services are regularly conducted on the Sabbath by a Protestant and by a Roman Catholic chaplain. THE NEW YORK ALMSHOUSE The paupers of Manhattan were long maintained by a weekly pittance granted by the authorities, in compliance with a law passed in 1699. The first public Almshouse, the need of which had long been felt, was erected in 1734, and stood on the northwestern extremity of what was long known as " the commons," on the site of the present New York Court- house. It was a two-story wooden structure 46 by 24 feet, with cellar, and was furnished with spinning wheels, shoe- maker's tools, and other implements of labor. The church wardens w'ere appointed overseers of the poor with authority to require labor of all paupers under penalty of moderate cor- rection. The establishment contained a school for children, and was also a house of correction where masters were al- lowed to send unruly slaves for punishment. In 1795, a lottery of £10,000 was granted for the erection of a new build- ing. A fine brick edifice, which was destroyed by fire in 1854, was accordingly erected on the site of the old building. After the location of the City Hall \vas agreed upon, the authorities resolved to remove the Almshouse. A tract of land on the East river, at the foot of Twenty-sixth street, was purchased, and the corner stone of the new Almshouse laid THE HOSPITALS OF BLACK-VVELl's ISLAND. 537 August 1, 1811. This edifice was of blnestone, with a front 325 feet, and two wings of 150 feet each, and was opened for inmates April 22, 1816. The Ahns House was for many- years under the management of five commissioners, appointed by the Common Council ; in 1845 it was placed under the control of one commissioner; in 1840 the " Ten Governor" system was introduced ; and in 1859 the number was changed to four, to be appointed by the Comptroller of the City, re- presenting the different political parties. The new charter of 1870 "has changed the number of the commissioners to five. The buildings at Bellevue became too small, and as they were not suitably arranged for the different classes of inmates, the authorities in 1834 or 1835, erected extensive buildings a short distance south of Astoria, to which the children were transferred. These buildings consisted of a boys', a girls', and an infant " Nursery," and of appropriate school buildings, and were sold at public auction April 15, 1847. In 1828, Blackwell's Island was purchased by the City, and Randall's Island in 1835. In 1847, ship-fever prevailed frightfully among the Almshouse population at Bellevue, producing great mortality. Some persons entered the clerk's ofiice and fell dead while their names were being registered. The new buildings now in use on Blackwell's Island were erected in 1847, and the inmates removed to them in the spring of 1848. The Almshouse department occupies the central portion of the island, and is presided over by a separate warden, who resides in the cosy wood cottage for a long period the mansion of the Blackwell's family, and said to be more than a hundred years old. The buildings erected in 1847 are of stone, and con- sist of two separate and similar structures, 650 feet apart, are entirely distinct in their arrangement, and each devoted to one sex only. They each consist of a central four-story 50 feet square, 57 feet high to the roof, and 87 to the top of the cupola, with two wings, each 60 by 90 feet, and 40 feet high. Each floor is encircled with an outside iron veranda with stair- ways of the same material. These buildings comfortably ac- commodate about six hundred persons each, adults only be- ing admitted. They are always tolerably well filled, though the great pressure is in mid-winter, and, on one occasion, eighteen hun- dred were huddled within these walls. No one can visit the New York Almshouse without being surprised with its ex- site neatness, and the perfect discipline and regularity that 538 NEW TOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. reign everywhere through the buildings and grounds. The warden, Mr. James Owens, with no paid help except his clerk and the matrons, has for a number of years conducted this Institution, filled with ten or fifteen hundred aged, blind, and infirm persons, with an economy and skill deserving of spe- cial mention. The floors and walls throughout are as clean as soap, sand, and lime can make them. The beds are better kept than in our first-class hotels. Every morning they are all taken to pieces, the ticks and the bedsteads thoroughly brushed, after which they are readjusted and covered with a white counterpane. This simple process of brushing has pre- served the Institution for years from all attacks of vermin. Not an empty garment can be found lying or hanging in one of the wards. The food which is ample and nutritious, is regularly and neatly served. But, inviting as are the build- ings, the grounds are still more attractive. The walks have all been neatly covered with fiag-stones or gravel ; the flower and vegetable gardens, and the lawns with their thrifty trees, exhibit much taste and cultivation. Not a straw can be found on one of the walks or the carriage-ways, on every one of which may daily be seen the marks of the broom. The Almshouses were formerly the refuge of imbeciles, lunatics, and of able-bodied vagrants, as well as of the old and infirm. The former are now provided for in the Lunatic Asylum, and the latter very properly sent to the Workhouse. On the ar- rival of an inmate, he is immediately subjected to a bath, is warmly clad in new garments, after which he is conveyed to the Warden's office and formally admitted. He then under- goes an examination by the House Physician, from whom he receives a card, stating the ward and class to which he belongs. They are divided into four classes as follows : 1. Able bodied men. 2. Able to perform light labor, and serve as orderlies of the different wards. 3. Able to sweep the grounds or break stones. 4. Exempt on account of disease or old age. Some exhibit a willingness to perform all they are able, and othei-s, addicted to idleness, are ready to evade toil with every pretext. It is the duty of the Physician to discriminate be- tween them, and those assigned to light toil are compelled to submit on pain of being discharged. This admirable system of classification, introduced by the Commissioners, has saved the corporation from supporting armies of able bodied va- grants, and made the Almshouse population about fifty per cent, less than it was twenty years ago. THE NEW YORK ALMSHOUSE 580 In 1850 there were in the Ahnshouse 1,313 persons, or one in 423 of the population. In 1860 there were 1,631 or one in 432 of the population. In 1870 there were 1,114, or one in SOS of the population. The number able to perform service among the females is much less than among the oppo- site sex. From these are selected the nurses, who keep the wards in order, and care for the old and feeble. The remain- der partially demented, crippled, weakened from disease or in- firmity, still render such assistance as they are able in sewing KEEPER'S HOUSE. and knitting. Daring the year closing January 1, 1870, there were 4,053 jiersons in the Institutions, of whom 2,979 were admitted, 1,696 discharged, 1,222 transferred to other insti- tutions, 21 died, and 1,114 remained. Of the 2,979 admitted, 363 were Americans, 2,067 Irish, 260 Germans, 163 English ; the remaining 111 came from Scotland, Canada, and other countries. They are admitted at all ages, from fifteen years and upwards. Of the 2,979 admitted last year, 46 were under twenty years, 437 between twenty and thirty, 435 between thirty and forty, 507 between forty and fifty, 569 between fifty and sixty, 609 between sixty and seventy, 276 between seventy and eighty, 86 between eighty and ninety, 13 were over ninety, and 1 over one hundred years of age. 540 ^^:w york and its institutions. At least seven-eighths of all thus thrown upon the charity of the city are of foreign birth, and most of the remainder re- duced to pauperism by idleness or dissipation. Two wards in the building appropriated to the males, and two in the huilding for the females, are set apart for the indigent blind, who are sufficiently numerous to require an annual appropri- ation of $25,000 or $30,000 from the Legislature. The Alms- house buildings are valued at $434,500 exclusive of furni- ture and grounds. On these grounds are situated also the Hospitals for Incura- bles. These consist of two one-story wooden pavilions, 175 feet long and 25 feet wide, one of which is devoted to each of the sexes. The inmates are persons afflicted with incurable diseases, but such as require no medical treatment. In addition to the regular Almshouse accommodations, the Commissioners many years ago established a Bureau for the relief of the out-door poor, which has long been managRd by an experienced and discreet superintendent (Mr. George Kellock). Until 1867, it was the practice of the Commis- sioners to appoint several temporary visitors at the approach of winter, to assist the superintendent in examining the con- dition of those applying for relief during the cold season. But it was found that from inexperience or indifference the -work was so poorly performed, that the city was divided into six, and afterwards into eleven districts, to each of which a visitor w^as assigned, who not only visits each applicant at his home, but investigates the causes of pauperism, sickness, and crime, in their res])ective districts, and reports the same to the superintendent. During 1869, the number of families re- lieved with money amounted to 5,275, with fuel 7,555. More than $128,000 were disbursed through this branch of our public charities alone. The Commissioners have felt the necessity of providing a temporary shelter for the houseless poor, and have repeatedly appealed to the Legislature fgr authority to lease houses for that purpose. To prevent serious suffering among a class of poor but reputable persons, who from various reasons might be deprived of home, the board, in 1866, fitted up a portion of a prison tlien unoccupied as a temporary lodging-house. Over two thousand were thus lodged during the winter. Each applicant was questioned, to prevent abuse, and gave satisfactory reasons for destitution. None were admitted who were intoxicated, and in but few instances any who ap. THE NEW YORK WOEKHOUSE. 541 plied the second time. The necessity of restoring the prison to its original use discontinued for the time this arrangement. The superintendent of out-door poor has his headquarters in the central office of the Commissioners, in the new and beautiful building corner of Eleventh street and Third ave- nue. Here the Commissioners hold their regular business meetings, and preserve the archives of the department. The New York Alms House, for order, neatness, discipline, the general care and comfort of its inmates, compares favor- ably with any institution of its kind in this or any other coun- try ; and the other outside arrangements for the relief of the •destitute and the sick, are confessedly administered with marked discretion, and are every way worthy of the great metropolis. THE NEW YORK WORKHOUSE. jOR the proper administration of punitive justice, 'a variety of institutions are required. Hence, we <4^^ have the State Prison, for the long confinement of pei-sons guilty of the higher crimes ; the County Jail or the Penitentiary for criminals not yet as deeply depraved as the preceding ; the House of Refuge, or the Juvenile Asy- lum for vicious, truant, and vagrant youth ; and to these the authorities of New York have added the Workhouse, for vagrant and dissipated adults. The building is situated on Blackwell's Island, between the Almshouse department and that devoted to the Lunatic Asylum. The first effectual step taken for establishment of this Institution, was at a meeting of the Board of Aldermen June 26, 1848, when Clarkson Crolius presented an able communication on the subject, which was referred to a special committee of three. The board of Assistant Aldermen also appointed a commit- tee to assist in the deliberations. On the 12th of February, 1849, the committee presented a voluminous report in favor of establishing the "Workhouse. On the recommendation of the Common Council, the Legislature passed the act for its establishment April 11, 1849, and the department was duly .042 NEW YORK AKD ITS INSTITUTIONS. organized during the following summer, the first commitment to it from the court occurring June 14, 1849. The original act contained no provision for buildings, and the inmates- were for some time boarded at the Almshouse. The cor- ner stone of the edifice was laid November 2, 1850, by Mayor Woodhull, and the building completed several years afterwards under the administration of the Ten Governors. The surface around it, now so smooth, was originally exceed- ingly broken, and more than a thousand cubic yards of rock were removed in preparing the site for the southern wing. The edifice is a vast longitudinal structure, consisting of a northern and a southern wing, with a large four-story cen- tral portion, and a traverse section containing work-shops ex- tending across the end of each wing. The edifice is con- structed in part of hewn stone, and partly of rubble masonry. The entire length is 680 feet, or more than one-eighth of a mile. The expense of its erection was at first estimated at $75,000, as much convict help was employed, though a larger sum was required to complete it. The central building contains the kitchen, store-rooms, offi- ces, private apai-tments for the superintendent and others, and a spacious and elegant chapel, in which service is statedly conducted by the chaplains. The long wings consist of a broad hall, skirted on either side with a succession of cells and sleeping apartments, which rise three stories high, fronted with iron corridors and stair- ways. Each wing contains 150 of these cells, which are wide, containing iour single berths each, with grated doors, and are separated from each other by brick walls. The building is well arranged and well ventilated. One hun- dred and fifty lunatics have for some time been domiciled here, awaiting the completion of the new asylum on Ward's Island. The original intention of the building was mot wholly for a house of correction, but an Institution in which the poor, unable to obtain employment, might be committed, and be, both to themselves and the authorities, profitably em- ployed. As an industrial Institution for the virtuous poor, it has not succeeded, and is now devoted entirely to the vagrant, dissipated, and disorderly classes, who are committed by the police courts for terms of service, ranging from ten days to six months each. The larger number of commit- ments are for intoxication. It is mandatory on the magis- trates to impose a fine on persons convicted of intoxication. THE NEW YORK WOEKHOUSE. 543 and in default of payment to commit them to the "Work- house. The larger portion remain but ten days, but many are committed over and over again for the same offence, called by the clerks "repeaters," having served twenty or thirty terms for drunkenness. The warden has recommended a change of the law, so that habitual drunkards should be committed for from six to twelve months, giving small wages to the more industrious. He believes that with an army of permanent laborers, large contracts might safely be made, se- curing a much larger income to the Institution, and the long confinement a permanent benefit to the convicts. The men are kept at work breaking stones, grading, build- ing sea-walls, cultivating the grounds, etc. The carpenters make the coffins for the various institutions, make and repair wheel-barrows, and carts, and toil in the erection of new buildings. Blacksmiths, tinsmiths, and tailors are employed at the "respective trades. Companies of laborers are dis- patched daily to toil on the neighboring islands. The women are detailed to toil in the numerous institutions, and are kept busy making and mending the garments of this immense population, and in knitting their stockings. From 15,000 to 20,000 of these convicts are annually received and again dis- charged, costing the public fi'om $50,000 to $60,000 more than they are made to earn. But few of them are of Amer- ican birth, Ireland, as usual, contributing tbe larger number, and Germany the next largest. If New York were purged of these dregs of European society, and her liquor traffic sup- pressed, there would be no need of this ponderous and ex- pensive Institution. But as the tide of emigration is likely to still roll heavily upon our shores* and the legislation of the State to favor the rum traffic, there is little hope that the Workhouse will be deserted for many years to come. The establishment of this Institution has had a wholesome effect on the Almshouse population, as seventy persons were known tx) leave the Almshouse on the organization of this depart- ment. Many hundreds more, during the last twenty years, would, no doubt, have pressed their suits at the Almshouse if it had not been for its next door neighbor, the Workhouse, to which they were certain to be consigned. The Labor Bueeau, though not specially connected with the foregoing, we still notice nere as a matter of convenience. A much larger number of unskilled laborers than can find employment during the winter months are always in New 544: NEW TOEK AXD ITS INSTITUTIONS. York city, and naturally fall a burden upon our private and public charities. The Commissioners, after duly considering- this subject, resolved to establish a Bureau in July, 1868, to facilitate the transfer of unemployed laborers to other parts of the country needing their services. The Bureau was opened at the central ofhce of the Commissioners, under the direction of the superintendent of Out-Door Poor, and the plan of its operations published in several leading papers of the country. It was proposed that employers should make application, setting forth the number of persons they required, the kinds of work to be performed, and the rate of wages to be paid, the application to be accompanied with a remittance sufficient to cover the travelling expenses of the laborers. The applications received did not offer sufficient compensa- tion to laborers, and as none of them contained the money to defray the expenses of travel, the scheme failed. But the leading thought had been produced, and the next Legislature made an appropriation for a Labor and Intelligence Office. This was opened June 15, 1 869, and from that date to Janu- ary 1, 1870, there were 6,670 male applicants for emplojTuent, 11,813 females, and situations were obtained for 3,965 males, and 11,013 females. The labor of this office constantly in- creases and its success is very gratifying. NEW YORK CITY LUNATIC ASYLUM. In the year 1826, separate wards were set apart in the Belle- vue establishment, for the accommodation and treatment of the insane paupers and patients. Tlie large Institution on Blackwell's Island devoted to this use was begun in the spring of .1835, the western wing of which was completed in 1839, and the southern in 1848. The building is of stone, and consists of a central structure, octagonal in form, eighty feet in diam- eter, and fifty feet high, with spiral stairways rising to the cupola, a spacious and splendid f)bservatory, overlooking the river, the island, and a ]X)rtion of Long Island, and New York. The two wings, at right angles to each other, are each 245 feet long, and several stories high. The building at the time of its erection was one of the finest of its kind in the country, with acconnnodations for over 200 patients. A short distance from the main building, on the eastward side of the island, was also erected in 1848, another sttnie edifice 60 by 90 feet and four stories high, which has been exclu- sively devoted to the more violent class, and denominated " The Lodge." This has rooms for 100 patients. Another stone structure called " The Retreat," is devoted to the quiet 546 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. class, with rooms for 110 persons, and numerous wooden ones, *' pavilions," have since been added, literally dotting the northern extremity of the island. The capacity of all these buildings is sufficient for 576 patients. The locality is un- surpassed for its salubrity, and the exquisite beauty of its scenery, as nature and art appear to have sweetly blended their gifts and embellishments, to render this home of the ir- rational one of the most attractive spots of the world. Be- fore the erection of these buildings, more than four thousand insane persons had been received, and from 400 to 800 have been annually admitted during the last twent;^ years. At the commencement of 1847, with accommodations for but 200 patients, nearly four hundred were crowded into the Asy- lum, destroying all plans of classification, and proving a source of constant irritation to each other. In no period in the history of this Institution, have the accommodations been fully adequate to the wants of this large and ever-increasing class of sufferers. The Commissioners have never been en- couraged nor allowed to increase the accommodations, until the over-crowding of the Institution has made it a matter of positive necessity. And it is an anomalous fact, that while every benevolent heart has throbbed over the woes of the aged, the crippled, the orphan, the dumb, and the blind, al- most nothing has been attempted in the line of private charity for the relief of the insane, ten or fifteen hundred of whom now evidently exist in the county of New York, beyond what can be properly treated in existing Institutions. A larger percentage of those admitted would have doubt- less recovered if suitable space had been provided. The sensibilities of an insane patient are generally extremely acute, and the will often intensely perverse. His future character, even if incurable, depends largely on the treatment lie receives during the first few months of his insanity. Harsh treatment, or excessive annoyance occasioned by discomforts, usually render him noisy and intractable ; while pleasant surroundings, with government which wisely blends fii-mness and gentleness, exert a soothing and healthful influence upon him. Comparative solitude is often desirable, and essential to the recovery of a patient ; but this is unknown in a crowded institution. The blame of failure can neither be charged upon physicians nor Commissioners, until adequate means are granted, thus securing accommodations and appliances for the successful conduct of an Institution. In their report of NEW YORK CITY LUNATIC ASYLUM. 547 1868, the Commissioners presented a detailed statement of the capacity of the buildings constituting the Lunatic Asy- lum. This was stated to be snfiicient for 576 patients, but no less than 1,035 were in custody at that time, and the year 1869 closed with 1,181, of whom 150 were lodged in the Workhouse. Having received the requisite authority from the Legislatui'e, the Commissioners have just completed the erection of a new Asylum building on Ward's Island, a few hundred yards west of the Inebriate Asylum. The edifice, a three-story English Gothic, with Mansard roof, was constructed of brick and "Ohio free-stone. The central section and two wings present an imposing front of 475 feet, with accommo- dations for 500 patients. It has cost in its erection $700,000. This building, which may still be indefinitely enlarged, con- tains eveiy improvement yet devised for the safety and coni- fo]"t of the insane, and will no doubt be a credit to the metropolis. But as over 1,300 patients were committed to the care of the Commissioners during 1870, they still need another Institution. In the early history of the Asylum, convicts from the Penitentiary were largely employed in taking charge of the lunatics. A violent prejudice naturally arose against this class of nurses, both among the patients and their friends, which very seriously detracted from the success of the Institution. It was difficult convincing the insane that they were not in prison when constantly sur- rounded by convicts. But it was found that for the restora- tion of reason, the ministries of persons eminent for their in- telligence and goodness were required, and not of those whoso whole career had shown an abandonment of the very quality they were now employed to restore. In 1849, the power to appoint and remove attendants was vested in the physician, from which period there has been a steady advancement in the management of the Institution. In 1850, a night watch- man was appointed ; the Croton water was introduced ; knives and forks, and various other articles of comfort were supplied in the halls ; and hired attendants substituted for convicts in most of the departments. The halls were many years without lights, and the inmates compelled to retire early or spend their evenings in the dark ; but in 1868, oil lamps were introduced, which have since been displaced by gas fixtures, marking an important change in the histoiy of the Institution. In the early years of the Asylum scurvy f i-e- quently prevailed, adding greatly to the mortality of the 548 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. inmates. With the abundant supply of fresh vegetables and other dietary and sanitary regulations, this form of disease lias now almost entirely disappeared. During 1868, eight deaths occurred from scorbutic difficulties, and in 1869 but one. The rate of mortality in 1847 amounted to 19 percent. ; in 1848 to 13 per cent; in 1849 cholera prevailed in the Insti- tution, and over 23 per cent, of the inmates died. In 1868, the death rate was 8^ per cent., and in 1869, but 7 per cent. In the autumn of 1864, typhus fever appeared in the Asylum, which caused the death of the chief physician, and of many subordinate officers and some of the inmates. The number of recoveries are usually reported in Institutions of this kind, though it is a matter very difficult to correctly ascertain. Of the 905 treated during 1852, 208 were discharged " recov- ered," 90 " improved," and ten " unimproved." The number reported " cured " amounted at that time to 23 per cent, of the number under treatment. In 1868 the cured amounted to 31^ per cent, of all under treatment, and in 1869 to 27 per cent. The smaller percentage of cases during the last year was caused by the over-crowding of the Asylum, and the necessity of dismissing many as " improved " who would soon have been pronounced " cured," if space had allowed them to remain. A very large proportion of those admitted into the Institu- tion are in a diseased or debilitated condition. Some have organic diseases of the lungs, others are epileptic, or an- aemic. As they are usually unwilling to submit to thorough examination and treatment, the acumen and skill of the med- ical attendants are often severely taxed. Careful medical treatment is administered in all such cases, and a history of the treatment of each case written in a book and preserved. But having counteracted with medicine manifest physical disease, the treatment becomes simply moral. The patients are classified according to the nature of their disease and their susceptibilities. Appropriate employment is provided for those who have sufficient strength, and can be induced to labor with their hands, mental toil for others, and sufficient recreation and sources of amusement for all. A large amount of labor is annually performed by these persons. The men toil at building sea-wall, assist in the erection of buildings, follow their respective trades in the shops, and are made generally useful around the grounds. The women are no less useful. The report of the matron shows that during IfEW YORK CITY LUNATIC ASYLUM. 549 1869, 5,501 articles of bedding and clothing were made by them, and 3,208 articles repaired. Somewoi'k at embroidery, and in the preparation of fancy articles for the benefit of the " Amusement Fund " of the Institution. Some sort of gen- eral amusement is now provided once each week to which the more ordei-ly class are invited. These consist of stereo- scopic views, readings, lectures, and musical entertainments. Concerts of sacred and secular music are often held. Ijooks and the periodicals of the day are furnislicd to those who have any inclination to read. Some volumes are worn out with constant reading. But the most acceptable amusement to the great mass of patients is said to be dancing. A num- ber of those most likely to be benefited by the exercise are assembled weekly in the gymnasium, and spend the evening dancing, which appears to be enjoyed by those who look on as much as by those who participate. The holidays are made seasons of rich and varied entertainment to those sufH- ciently quiet and thoughtful to enjoy them. WMle the difi'erent foj-ms of insanity present a subject of profoundest study, the various and often changing halluci- nations, coupled with the freaks and idiosyncrasies of the individual sufferers, afford matters of lively amusement. On the return of reason, some aMake as from a Eip Van Winkle sleep, to finish the conversation or complete the task that occupied them many years before, when they were plunged into insanity. Some during their mental disorders are trans- ported to higher planes of thought, and are gifted with a power of conception, and a skillfulness of utterance, hitherto unknown. They declaim with great ability on profound subjects, and quote from memory whole chapters of standard works, which had been long forgotten. In this state of mind they compose poetry, and various other contributions for the press. The most amusing freaks occur among those suffering under what is termed jy^^lf^ct mania. With these all power of correct reasoning is suspended — one hallucination possessing the whole mind, though a hundred arguments lie all around to convince to the contrar3^ Dr. Rush mentions a man who persisted that he had a Caffre in his stomach, m'Iio had got into it at the Cape of Good Hope, and all the world could not convince him to the contrary. \. maniac during the French Revolution insisted that he had been guillotined — that after his execution the judges had ordered him restored, and that 550 NEW YOKE AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. the clumsy executioner had placed the wrong head on him^ whicli he had worn ever since. We saw a fine looking man at this Asylum who believed himself Jesus Christ, and was ingeniously inventing a language to address the world. Some believe tliemselves kings, queens, or angels ; to be the Father of Light, the queen of heaven, the Virgin Mary, or the sister of Jesus. Inflated with such lofty conceptions they not infrequently remain speechless for months, counting it a dis- grace to stoop to common mortals. "We heard a friend describe an insane lady who for many mouths fancied herself a china teapot. She would sit for hours each day with her left hand resting on her hip, the arm bowed a little behind her to represent the handle, while the right arm she held 'upward in the opposite direction, to represent tlie spout. During all those weary months she suffered indescribable fear, lest some un- wieldy foot should kick her ovei- and she be broken to pieces. As in the Almshouse and Penitentiary, most of the inmates are of foreign blood. Of the 680 admitted in 1869, only 157 were born in the United States, 308 came from Ireland, 156 from Germany, and 17 from" England. Of the same class we notice that 375 were Roman Catholics, 206 Protes- tants, 27 Jews ; the faith of the remaining 72 was unknown. Of these 284 were married, 267 single, and 46 widows. Of the 680 admitted 298 were males, and 382 females. 210 were between the ages of thirty and forty, 184 between twenty and thirty, 129 between forty and fifty, 30 were under twenty and 9 over seventy years of age. The net expenditures of the Institution during 1869 were $128,780.59 or a trifle more than twenty-eight cents per day for each inmate. The expenses of 1870 exceeded $152,278.75. The medical board is composed of cultivated physicians who with the accommodations now provided are certain to make the Asylum take rank among the noblest public chari- ties of the world. CHAPTER VII. INSTITUTIONS OF WARD'S ISLAND. COMMISSIOXERS OF EMIGRATIOX. ^ The Board of Commissioners of Emigration consisting of six citizens of the State of New York, appointed by the Gov- ernor with the consent of the Senate, to which are added as ex-ojjicio members, the Mayors of New York and Brooklyn, the Presidents of the German Society and of the Irish Emi- grant Society, was lirst organized May 5tli, 1847. The Legis- lature has at different times enhirged and modified its powers. The Commissioners are charged with the reception of all immigrants landing at New York, their protection from swindlers, and also'the protection of the State from financial burdens in consequence of their arrival. The Act of xVpril 11th, TS-18, requires each member of the Commission to annually depose before a proper magistrate that he has not directly or indirectlv been interested'in the 552 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. business of boarding immigrants, or in their transportation to any part of the country, that he has received no proht or ad- vantage through the purchase of supplies, granting of con- tracts, licenses, or privileges, the employment of officers, agents, etc. Hence the Commissioners not only serve with- out salary, but are so hemmed in by legislation that no out- side " advantage" can be secured without perjury. In 1855, the' Commissioners leased Castle Garden, for the general landing depot of inunigrants. This occupies the extreme southern point of Manhattan Island. In May, 1807, this site was by the city ceded to the United States government for the erection of a fortification, but after the " Battery " had been erected, it was found that the foundations were not sufiiciently strong for heavy ordnance, and it was reconveyed to the Corporation by Act of Congress passed March 30th, 1822. The building was subsequently used for the public reception of distinguished strangers, and for concerts, operas, public meetings, the annual fairs of the American Institute, and similai- purposes, until leased by the Commission. The total number of passengers landed at New York during the year 1869 amounted to 307,454, of whom 48,465 were citizens, and 258,989 aliens. Of these 257,188 stepped on shore at Castle Garden. The arrivals during ;L870 were considerably less, in consequence of the European war, amounting to 255,485, of whom 72,356 were from Germany, 65,168 from Ireland, and 33,340 from Eng- land. Over five-sevenths of all the immigrants entering the country land at New York. On the arrival of a vessel con- taining immigrants at the Quarantine Station (six miles below the city), it is visited by an ofticer of the Boarding Department, who ascertains the number of passengers, the deaths if any during the voyage, the amount and character of the sickness on board, the condition of the vessel in respect to cleanliness, etc. lie also receives complaints, of which he makes report to the General Agent and Superintendent at Castle Garden. This officer remains on board the ship during her passage up the Bay, to see that the law prohibiting communication between ship and shore before immigrant passengers are landed is enforced. On casting anchor con- venient to the landing depot he is relieved by an officer of the- Metropolitan Police force, and the passengers are transferred to the Landing Department. The Landing Agent, accom- panied by an Inspector of Customs, next proceeds to the C0M:snSSI0NEE3 OF EmOKATION-. 553 .vessel, where the baggage is examined, checked, and with the passengers transferred by barges to the Castle Garden pier. Here the passengers nnder^o another thorough examination by a medical officer, to see it any have escaped the notice of the Health authorities at Quarantine, and if so, they are immediately transferred by a steamer to the Hospitals on Ward's or Blackwell's Island. He" also selects all blind persons, cripples, lunatics, or others Jikely to become a future charge, and who by law are subject to special bonds. After this examination is passed, the immigrants are con- ducted to the Kotunda, a large roofed circular space in the centre of the Depot, with separate compartments for the dif- ferent nationalities. Here the name, nationality, former place of residence, and intended destination of each, with other particulars, are taken down. Agents of the railroads are admitted, from whom tickets are procured to all parts of the country, also exchange brokers, who buy their foreign money.' Boarding-hovise keepers of good character and licensed by the Mayor, are ad- mitted to the Rotunda. All these persons are under the scrutiny of the Connnission, rendering extortion nearly im- possible. The depot also contains a telegraph office, by which the immigrant on landing can communicate with his friends in any part of the country without leaving the build- ing; also a letter-writing department, with clerks under- standing the different continental languages, who assist them in conducting their correspondence. A Labor Ex- change bureau has recently been added, which during the year 1869 furnished employment to 34,955 immigrants free of charge. From registered entries made in 1869, of the avowed destination of immigrants, the following is a summary : 85,810 reported their intended destination to be the State of New York ; 40,236 to be Pennsylvania and New Jersev ; 15,613 to be New England ; 10,061 to be the Southern State's ; 96,646 to be Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and California; and 8,822 to be Kansas, Nebraska, Canada, &(\ The alien immigration during 1869 was 45,303 in excess of the previous year, and 75,399 greater than the average of several former years. In regard to the nationality of these arrivals, Germany, Ireland, "and England show the same pre-eminence and in the same rela- 554 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. live order that thev have since 1865, the first named having sent, of the number landed in 1869, 99,604, Ireland 66,204, and England 41,090, while all other countries contributed 52,090. Arrangements were early made to establish an Emigrant Fund, to provide for sick and destitute emigrants untifthcy should be able to support themselves, and bj their industry add to the general prosperity of the country. A capitation tax of two dollars is now collected of each and all landing by the Commissioners, one-fifth of which they are required to set apart as a separate fund, for the benelit of each and every county in the State, except the County of New York, to be divided once in three montlis among them according to their claims for the relief of disabled immigrants, the re- mainder to be used by the Commissioners in the construc- tion and improvement of their buildings and grounds. On the 25th of May, 1847, the Commissioners leased three large buildings near Astoria, formerly occupied as the juvenile branch of the Almshouse department of New York, for a fever hospital and other purposes, but the inhabitants, in- censed at the project, assembled in disguise and destroyed the premises on the following evening. In the following De- cember, a portion of Ward's Island was leased, and subse- quently one hundred and twenty-one acres of it were pur- chased, with the whole of the water front toward New York City. A hand ferry connects the island with New York at One Hundred and Tenth street. About twenty different structures have been from time to time erected. Tlie Yer- planck State Hospital is the chief building of interest in the group. It is constructed of brick, on an approved modern plan, and consists of a corridor 450 feet in length and two stories high, from which project fi^•e wings, 130 feet long and 25 wide, each two stories high except the central, which is three stories. This building is used exclusively for patients sufifering with non-contagious diseases, and surgical cases. The corridors afl^ord ample room for the exercise of conva- lescent patients. The corners of each wing are surmounted with towers containing tanks for water, which is distributed to the bath-rooms and closets attached to each ward. Pro- jecting from the corridor, in an opposite direction from the wings, is a fire-proof building which contains three boilers and the engine. A large fan, 14 feet in diameter, drives the hot air through 60,000 feet of pipe to all the departments COMl\nSSIONEKS OF EMIGRATION. 555 of the Hospital, and the same power secures a cool current through all the sultry season. Adjoining is the cook-room with eighteen steam kettles and ranges, where the cooking for all the buildings is done. Above is the bakery with four ovens, with a capacity each of 300 loaves of bread, also the wash-room with sixty-three tubs, and machinery for washing and wi'inging the clothing. This Hospital has accommoda- tions for 850 patients, and often affords sleeping accommo- dations for the Refuge inmates. The Eefuge is a brick building three stories, with base- ment and three wings, and has accommodations for 450 per- sons. The first floor contains the steward's department, with store for Island supplies, matron's room, cutting-rooms, and sleeping departments. The upper floors are devoted to dor- mitories. This building is devoted, as its name indicates, to destitute cases, chiefly healthy women and advanced chil- dren. The Nurserj'-, or Home of the Children, is a three- story frame building with Mansard roof, 120 by 90 feet. In the basement are the dining, play, and bath-rooms. The first floor contains the matron's and the sleeping-rooms. On the second are the school-rooms, with evei-y convenience. Their instruction is conducted by teachers supplied by the New York Board of Education. On the third floor is the Roman Catholic Chapel and its ante-rooms, dedicated in 1868, by Archbishop McClosky, assisted by a number of his clergy, in the presence of the Commissioners and other distinguished persons. It is a neat and commodious room with seating for 500 persons. The Protestant Chapel occupies the second floor of a sepa- rate brick building, 25 by 125 feet, and in design and finish corresponds with the Catholic Chapel. Connected with it is a reading-room supplied with a large number of periodicals. The first floor of the edifice is used as a medical ward for women, and will accommodate forty-five patients. The New Barracks consists of a plain brick edifice, with three stories and basement, with rear projection for boiler- rooms, bath-rooms, etc The building is 160 feet by 44, is heated with steam, and contains berths for 450 persons. The dining-hall is a separate edifice, 50 feet by 125, with tables for the accommodation of 1,200 persons at one time. A three-story and basement brick, 25 by 125 feet, is the Lunatic Asylum. This is under the direction of the physi- 556 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. cian-in-cliief, and by him regularly attended. During 1869 there were 322 of this class under treatment, of whom 116 were discharged cured or improved ; 21, whose term had ex- pired, were transferred to the Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum, 31 to other wards for other maladies, and 16 died. At'this writing it contains "^^ insane women, and 61 men, one- half of whom are Irish ; and the others represent nearly all the countries of Europe. The present building is entirely in- sufficient for the accommodation of this large and rapidly in- creasing class, and the Commissioners have set apart $250,000' for the erection of a large, and commodious Asylum. Besides numerous other buildings, which we have not space to describe, we may simply state that the residences of the physicians, superintendent, and his deputy are all ample and well-furnished, in keeping with their wants and responsibili- ties. Immigrants having paid their commutation fee are allowed to return, in all cases of sickness or destitution, for five years, and share without charge the treatment of the Hospital, and the comforts of the other Institutions. The farm is culti- vated with this emigrant help, and as many as possible are made useful on the premises. The buildings form a village, surrounded with sloping lawns, fruit and shade trees, gardens and fields of high cultivation. In pleasant weather women and girls may be seen sitting in groups of fifties in the shade of the buildings. A Catholic and a Protestant chaplain hold stated services attended bj^ their respective adherents. About fourteen thousand are annualh' cared for on the Island, the average family amounting to about twelve or four- teen hundred. As might be expected, the magnificence of this princely system is often imposed upon, both by the spendthrift and the miserly immigrant, who returns too fre- quently to be clothed and boarded through the winter season at the Refuge. Appropriate legislation only can check this growing abuse. We turn from tlie review of this interesting subject, feeling that the ample reception provided for our alien brethren'is sufficiently worthy of our times, and of the great city and State whence it emanates. & THE NEW YORK INEBRIATE ASYLUM. J NTEMPERANCE has been for ages the withering- •^\)^ cnrse of the race in nearlj^ every part of this world. It ^I'f'^ lias feasted aUke npon the innoceucy of childhood, the ^^:^ beanty of yonth, the amiableness of woman, the talents of the great, and the experience of age. It has disgraced the palace and crown of the prince, the ermine of the jndge, the sword of the chieftain, and the miter of the priest. The temperance reform, commenced nearly fifty years ago, has awakened the public conscience, exposed these frightful dan- gers, and called into existence a multitude of agencies seeking in various ways the removal of this deadly plague. But though multitudes have been saved, the great sea of intem- perance has been in no sense diminished, while the adultera- tion and drugging of ardent spirits in our day have greatly intensified the horrors of dissipation. Intemperance is a dis- ease often inherited from ancestors, and otlierwise contracted through the criminal indulgence and perversion of the appe- tites. The habitual drunkard is a wreck, as completely as the idiot or the maniac, and merits confinement and treatment. Drunkenness, like insanity, yields ])romptly to treatment in its early stages, but after long indulgence becomes well-nigh incurable. During the last quarter of a century, many humane and thoughtful persons, appalled with the havoc of this gigantic evil, have inquired anxiously for some system of treatment by which the recovery of. the inebriate might be secured. In 1854, the New York Legislature chartered the State Inebriate Asylum, which was located on a large farm at Binghamton, and lias become, through able management, a great and successful institution. One has since sprung up on the Pacific slope, and others in different parts of the country. In their annual report of 1862, the Commissioners of Chari- ties and Corrections recommended to the Legislature the establishment of a similar institution in this city. As no action was taken by that body in relation to it, the Commis- sioners, in their report of 1863, renewed the subject with great earnestness and ability. In these appeals they showed that multitudes of persons went from the dram-shop to the police-station, and from the police courts to the Workhouse,. 558 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. from whence, after a short stay, they returned to the dram- -shop, to run the same round over and over again for years, until they at length died on their hands as paupers or crimi- nals, and were laid in the Potter's Field. In 18G4, the Legisla- ture passed an act authorizing its establishment, and the Asylum was begun in 1SG6. The building stands on the east side of Ward's Island, on an elevated and beautiful site, which •could scarcely be excelled. It was at first proposed to limit the size of the edifice to the accommodation of 150 inmates, but in view of the necessary outlay for the heating, lighting, washing, and cooking apparatus, it was finally decided to add two wings to the main structure, apd thus provide accommoda- tions for 400 patients. The Asylum is a thi-ee-story brick, with a front of 474 feet and a depth of 50 feet, and cost, in its original construction, exclusive of furniture, $332,377.08. It is one of our best public buildings, and was erected for a noble purpose. Croton water is conducted to it thi-ough an iron pipe six inches in diameter, laid on the bed of the East Hiver from One Hundred and Fourteenth street, which -empties into a reservoir ten feet deep, and one hundred feet in diameter. On the 21st of July, 1868, the Asylum was formally opened to the public, with appropriate services, and on the 31st of December the resident physician reported 339 admissions. During 1869, 1,490 were received, and during 1870, 1,270 more were admitted. The inmates are divided into several classes. The larger number thus far admitted have been transferred from the Workhouse, or some of the .other institu- tions, and have retui-ned to their vices, for the most part, as soon as their terms of commitment have closed. There are also three classes of pay patients — one class paying five, another ten, another twelve or more dollars per week — which are furnished with rooms and board corresponding in style with the price paid. Of the 339 admitted during the first six months, but 52 were pay patients ; of the 1,490 in 1869, but 147 contributed anything toward their support ; and of the 1,270 admitted during the year just closed, but 165 were pay pa- tients, 30 of them being females. The rules of the Institu- tion were at first exceedingly mild, the patients were relieved from all irksome restraints, paroles very, liberally granted, and every inmate supposed intent on reformation. But this ^excessive kindness was subject to such continual abuse, that THE NEW YORK INEBRIATE ASYLUM. . 550 to save the Institution from utter demoralization a stricter discipline was verv properly introduced. The Asylum is furnished with an excellent library of solid standard volumes, with billiard-room, and other forms of amusement. It has an immense chapel, in which divine ser- vice is regularly conducted. As the inebriate patients have not filled the building, the Commissioners have temporarily assigned the eastern wing to a class of disabled, indigent sol- diers, citizens of New York, who are organized into squads,, and perform such light labor as their wounds and infirmities will permit. Of the success of the New York Inebriate Asylum, it is perhaps too early to speak. We could but notice, however, the great disparity between the faith of the Commissioners^ in their appeals to the Legislature in 18G2-G3, for authority to found an asylum, and their report of the same Institution in 1869, when they " deemed it their duty to thus frankly state their views, that the streams of public beneficence be not unduly diverted from objects of great and permanent utility to- those the benefits of which, in their opinion, are largely facti- tious and imaginary." Tlie resident physician, in his very thoughtful and carefully })repared report of the same year, de- clared his entire loss of faith in the " voluntary system" gen- erally adopted in these asylums, and introduced at the opening of the Institution on Ward's Island. Still, the undertaking is too important to suppose these gentlemen likely to relinquish, their endeavors, or to admit the possibility of ultimate failure. This entire scheme for reforming the inebriate is yet in its early infancy, and must, like every other system, meet with much baffling and difliculty. We think a stricter discipline, and more positive self-denial and rigor, would be an improve- ment in every inebriate asylum. Children who grow up under wise but positive laws exhibit more self-control and self-denial all through life, than those who have lived under the voluntary system. Inebriates for the most part have grown up without restraint, the principles of which they must somewhere master, before they can attain to real manhood^ and without which they must forever remain in their sunken,, enslaved, and demented condition. .And while we regard facilities for amusement and pleasure desirable in an institu- tion, we still believe labor immensely more likely to contrib- ute to one's reformation ; and the more one has been addicted to softness and pleasure, in consequence of his wealth, the 560 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. greater tlie necessity for arduous exercise, whicli shall harden ills muscles, invigorate his intellect, and strengthen his will. Keformation, when one has been long and wofnlly corrupted, is not a holiday recreation, but a manly and deadly struggle, taxing to the utmost the finest faculties of the soul. Little ■can be expected from young men of wealth, who, while they voluntarily shut themselves for a time from the intoxicating l>owl, live at ease, indulging every other appetite. Their refoi-raation is not sufBciently deep and general to resist the shock of subsequent temptation. And no more can be hoped for those who enter an asylum simply to gratify the wishes of friends. These belong to that class who will also enter a billiard saloon and a beer garden when invited by an old •companion. Still less can be expected from those floating human wrecks on the sea of life that drift once a month into the Workhouse, for their lewdness and habitual dissipation. Coming from the most abandoned classes in the community, utterly improvident and reckless, their involuntary abstinence for a brief period is likely to be followed by deeper dissipa- tion when opportunity offers. The New York Inebriate Asy- lum is not to be judged from its fruit in the treatment of these. To rescue many of them requires a miracle as great as the raising of Lazarus. It is conceded that there is no medicine which acts specifi- cally in drunkenness. The physician can only assist nature in its work of repairing, by slow processes, the ravages dissi- pation has made in the system. The appetite must be con- quered by voluntary abstinence, which is greatly assisted by good society, means of culture, toil, and prayer. The treat- ment in an institution of this kind is eminently moral, hence too much pains can hardly be taken in the selection of its offi- cers. The superintendent, physician, and chaplain ai'e not dealing largely with matters of physical science, but with the perverseness of the human mind, requiring, besides a knowl- edge of the strange contradictions of human nature, a magnetic influence calculated to attract and mold. Tlie success of an institution depends more upon the men to whom its manage- ment is committed than upon the technicalities of the system adopted within its walls, its convenience, or its location. The principles, practices, and spirit of a genuine heart-piety, more than any or all other things combined, give success to an inebriate asylum ; and we have known few examples of genuine J'eformatioii among inebriates, without a moral regen- THE NEW YORK INEBRIATE ASYLUM. 561 eration. A cliange of life is difficult without a charge of heart, but with this it becomes comparati\ely easy. Change the fountain, and the bitter water will cease to flow. We are thankful that the attention of tlioughtful men throughout the civilized world is being concentrated on this great problem : how to successfully treat and reform the inebriate. It is, indeed, a vital question, involving the hap- piness of the individual and the familj-, the wealth of the community and the strength of the State. A system based on truly scientific and moral principles will certainly be evolved sooner or later, and we trust that at no distant day the New York Inebriate Asylum will rank among the best of its kind in the world. CHAPTER YIII. INSTITUTIONS OF RANDALL'S ISLAND. THE NEW YORK NURSERIES. {BandnWs Island.) AND ALL'S ISLAND takes its name from Jona- than Eandal], who purchased it in 1784, and made it M^^fl his home for nearly iifty years. Beginning opposite ■^ One Ilnndred and Fifteenth street, and extending northward to near the Westchester line, it forms the last of that group of beautiful islands that adorns the East river, and from the uses to which they have been appropriated, form a sort of moral rampart to the great metropolis. Originally, like all its sister islands, it appeared like one of nature's failures, its surface being so largely covered with malarious swamps, and. surmounted with hills of granite. It was transferred to the city of New York, in 1835, for the sum of $50,000. The sites for the present buildings, with their handsomely arranged grounds and charming gardens, have been prepared at the unavoidable outlay of vast sums. About thirty acres of the southern portion are under the control of the " Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents," and occupied by the House of Refuge, while the northern, and much larger portion, is controlled exclusively by the " Commissioners of Charities and Corrections," who have here located what they denominate the " Nurseries." These form the juvenile branch of the Almshouse department, the adults, except such as assist in taking care of the children, being provided for and retained on Blackwell's Island. The Nurseries consist of three departments, viz. : The build- ings for the healthy children, the Infant Hospital, and the Idiot Asylum. There are six large buildings for the healthy children, several hundred feet apart, grouped together, though arranged on no special plan, near the centre of the island. They ar-^ constructed of brick, three stories high, some of which are furnished with outside corridors, are well arranged THE NEW YOKK NUKSERIES. 563 and kept in a very tidy and inviting condition. An assistant matron is placed in charge of each of these bnildings, the whole being presided over by a warden and matron. A separate building contains the machinery for the washing, drying, etc. The inmates of these buildings are children over tonr years of age, abandoned by their parents, and taken by the police from the public streets, and children whose parents for the time are nnable to support them. On arriving at the island they are placed in quarantine for several days, to guard against the spread of contagious diseases, where they are examined dail}'^ by a physician. If diseased they are sent to the hospital; if not they are distributed according to their age and sex among the other bnildings. It is the aim of the Commissioners to make the Nurseries places of but temporary sojourn, and to canse their distribution among families as early as practicable. To this end parents are notified that no child may claim to be retained longer than three months nnless its board be paid. If not reclaimed by their friends at the expiration or tliat time, the Superintendent of Out- Door Poor may apprentice such as are of proper age, or, if too young, adopt them into families -vvilling to take, and able to support and educate them. This wise regulation prevents the overcrowding of the bnildings, and avoids the evils inci- dent to massing large numbers of children together throngh those tender years when the habits of life are being formed. No child in full possession of its faculties is retained after it completes its sixteenth year. The grounds adjourning the buildings are ample, which at certain hours are made vocal by the white-aproned boys who trip and frolic Anth infinite merriment. Their diet is ample and nutritious, comprising a greater variety than is common in public institutions. The children while here receive the same instruction imparted to those of a similar age in the city, teachers being supplied by the Nev^ York Board of Public Instruction. The numbers annually admitted to the Nurseries vary from 1,800 to 3,000, according to the severity of the season. A large farm stretches over the northern portion of the Island, cultivated mainly by men detailed from the Workhouse and Peniten- tiary, and which affords most of the vegetables for the Nur- THE INFANT HOSPITAL. ^6R many years the practice of sending fonndlings and other infants committed to the Department to the Almshouse prevailed, where they were placed in charge of the female inmates. The records show that the mortality of this unfortunate class during this period amounted to the appalling figure of eighty-five or ninety per cent., and it is even believed that excepting the few adopted none survived the first year. In 1866, the Commissioners appointed a matron, and employed paid nurses to take ex- clusive charge of the infants, and althougli the mortality continued large there was a manifest change for the better. The next year wet nurses were transferred from the general hospitals to nourish them. Life by this means was so pro- longed, and the number so increased that it became necessary to convert several wards of the Almshouse into nurseries, and on the completion of the Inebriate Asylum, the infants were temporarily transferred to that building. The necessity of providing a large and w^ell-arranged hospital, devoted wholly to this class, had long been felt. Such an edifice was begun in 1868, and a portion of it was made ready for the re- ception of the nm-ses and children on the 9th of August, 1869. The building stands on the western side of Kandall's Island, facing northward, is constructed of brick and stone, in the most approved style of modern hospital architecture. The plan consists of a long, three-story pavilion, with three large traverse sections, the eastern one not yet having been erected. The oflices and private apartments for the physi- cians are located in the northern portion of the central trav- erse section, tlie latter being well arranged on the second floor. The edifice was erected under the supervision of the Medical Board, and contains every facility for light, heat, and ventilation. It is at present divided into eighteen wards, and has accommodations for 153 adults and 217 children, though 260 of the latter class have already been under treat- ment in it at one time. The completion of the section yet to be added will greatly increase the accommodations. Chil- dren are taken as foimdlings, orphans, and are often attended by their indigent mothers. They are divided into three THE INFAKT HOSPITAL. 565 classes : the " wee nursed," the " bottle-fed," and the " walk- ing-children." Unless reclaimed by their parents, they continue in the Hospital until two or tln-ee years old, when they are placed in a nurseiy where one nurse can take charge and instruct ten or twelve of them. As many wet-nurses as possible are obtained, though the supply is never equal to the demand. 1,516 infants were under treatment during the year closing January 1, 1870, 710 of whom died. Since entering the new Hospital, the rate of mortality has been greatly lessened. During the five months of 1868 (from August to December inclusi^'c), 383 deaths occurred, or 21.10 per cent, per month of the inmates. During the same period in 1869, 156 died, or 10.07 per cent, of the inmates, a de- crease of over one-half. The statistics of mortality during the whole year of 1870 were 58.99 per cent, of all found- lings received, and 15.06 of those received with their mothers. The chief physician. Dr. Dunster, believes that the annual mortality will be further reduced by the full development of the plans of the Commissioners. It is doubtful whether any better place for foundlings will be provided among the char- ities of New York. The nursery population has several times been sadly over- taken with epidemics, now believed to have resulted, at least in part, from an inadequate supply of good water. This evil has now l)een obviated by the laying of more pipe, affording an abundant supply of pure Croton. The engine-house, con- taining, besides the heating and ventilating apparatus for the Hospital, the washing and drying apartm'ents, is situated at some distance from the main building. A gas-house for the manufacture and supply of this illuminating agent to all the buildings stands in the rear of the engine-house. The grounds, which slope gracefully to the river, adorned with a row of chestnut, hickory, and oak trees, are being nicely graded, and will, no doubt, in time be highly ornamental. The roads and walks are being built in the most substantial manner, on stone foundations, varying from one to two feet in thickness, and macadamized. THE IDIOT ASYLUM. I HIS is, after all, the most curious and interesting In- stitution under the control of the Commissioners. Idiocy has existed in all ages and countries, but no effort appears to have been made for the improve- ment of this class until the seventeenth century, and no con- siderable progress made in their education until within the last fifty years. The present century has, however, witnessed the establishment of large institutions for their benefit in France, England, Switzerland, and in various parts of the United 'States. In 1855, the State of New York erected a fine Asy- lum at Syracuse, at the expense of nearly $100,000, with ac- commodations for one hundred and fifty pupils, which has since been generally well-filled. A large number of persons,, representing every degree of imbecility, have annually been thrown on the care of the Commissioners of Charities and Cor- rections, for whom little was done, more than to supply their physical wants, until 1866, when, with grave doubts of its success as a means of mental development, a school, under the direction of Miss Dunphy, was established. It began with twenty pupils ; in 1867 it had increased to forty-two ; in 1868 to over seventy, and at this writing to one hundred. The Asylum is a tasty three-story br.ick structure, with Avings, well divided into school-rooms, dormitories, refector}^, and other appropriate apartments. It contains at present, besides oflicers and teachers, 141 persons, whose ages vary from six to thirty years, and who represent nearly every phase of an enfeebled and disordered brair Here are boys of eight years whose enormous heads far outmeasure the Websters' and Clays', others of twenty-five with whiskers and mustaches, whose skulls are no larger than an ordinary infant of ten months. Some are congenital idiots, born to this enfeebled state, others have been reduced to it by par- oxysms, or other casualties. They are divided into two gen- eral classes, the hopelessly imbecile, and those capable of some improvement. The forty-one composing the first class at present show but transient gleams of thought or under- standing, and are lost for the most part in ceaseless inanity. They spend much of the time dm'ing the pleasant season THE IDIOT ASYLUM. 56 T in the play-ground set apart for tliom, a portion of wliicli is covered with canvass to screen them from the sun. Those admitted to the school enter the primary chiss, from which most of them are afterwards advanced to the two higher classes. The first lessons taught are cleanliness, order, and obedience, of which many of them seem to have no previous conceptions. The next consist of color and form. Many idiots have an infantile fondness for bright colors, hence these afford a medium for instruction. As they have no mental control and are destitute of all analytical qualities, the common order of teaching must be reversed, hence words are taught before the letters. A card containing the words " chair," " hand," " book," or " table," printed in large bright letters, is held up before them, l)y which means they are at length taught the names and definitions of things. The mat- ter of speech is often difiicult, as many of them have impedi- ments. The success of this scliool during the first four years of its history is surprising. The author visited it in 1868, and again in 1870. The school at the second visit exhibited marked improvement. The scholars were all tidy and orderly, their countenances liaving perceptibly brightened. We asked them various questions in geography which were promptly answered. The advanced class read from the large Reader, in a. creditable manner. In singing they almost ex- cel, following the instrument with great exactness. Many make fine progress in penmanship, and a few stud}^ instru- mental music. One of the girls, who began as an ordinary pupil four years since, is now a teacher in one of the depart- ments. Mathematics are the most difiicult things for them to learn, in wdiich they seldom make much progress. A few able to pay board have been admitted at the moderate rate of eight dollars per month. More of this unfortunate class exist in community than is generally supposed, probably several to every one thousand of the population. Idiot schools are valuable, raising many to thoughts and toil who had hitherto been totally neglected, offering also the only test by which a proper discrimination can be made between the true idiot and persons of feeble mind or of slow and imper- fect development. The Commissioners have performed a commendable service in the establishment of this school, and have been remarkably successful in tlieir selection of teachers. SOCIETY FOR THE REFORMATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, (BcmdaiPs Island. ) lilE House of Refuge, under the control of the " So- ciety for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents," is situated on the southern portion of Randall's Is- land, thirty acres of land being connected with the Institution. The Society, one of the most beneficent and humane in the world, was incorporated in 1824, with power of self-perpetuation. Among its managers have ranked many of the wisest and purest men of the State, who, with- out pecuniary compensation, have devoted a large portion of their time to its interests for years, and the records of their proceedings for nearly half a century exhibit the most grati- fying results. Its first building was erected in Madison Square, where it continued fifteen years, until the growing city forced the managers to evacuate, when they withdrew to Twenty-third street and East river. Here another fifteen were spent, until straitened for room, after much search and discussion, it was resolved to remove the whole to Ran- dall's Island, which was substantially accomplished in 1854. Thousands of children in our great cities and towns are con- stantly growing up in ignorance and neglect, many homes being little less than schools of vice. A consciousness of guilt, attended with imprisonment and disgrace, crushes what little of self-respect and laudable ambition may yet remain. To hurl these truant youth into a penitentiary, filled with ma- ture and expert criminals, is but to culti^•ate their treache- rous tendencies, and insure their final ruin. This society comes at the opportune moment to open the gates of its City of Refuge to those youthful unfortunates who are brought before the courts for petit offences, and receives them, kot for punishment, but for instruction, discipline, and reforma- tion. The departments are well arranged and most admira- bly conducted, presenting at evei'y turn some striking exam- ple of system and tidiness. Visitors are politely received, but however distinguished they may be, no change is made in the daily routine of the Institution. Everything is on ex- hibition in its ordinary field parade. The buildings are of brick, constructed on a magnificent scale in the Italian style, SOCIETY FOR REFORMATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. 569 the two principal structures presenting a graceful fa9ade nearly a thousand feet in length, the whole completed at an expense of half a million. There are eiglit hundred and eighty-six spacious, well-ventilated dormitories, several finely arranged and amply furnished school-rooms, appropriate hospital departments, dining halls, kitchens, bakeries, laun- dries, sewing-rooms, elegant apartments for officers, and a model chapel, with seating fOr a thousand persons. In the rear stand the workshops, each thirty feet wide by one hun- dred and fifty long, and three stories high. The boys and girls are kept in separate buildings, their respective yards be- ing divided by high walls, and the more advanced of the latter, who have been guilty of social crime, are carefully separated from the more youthful. Every child upon its ad- mission is made to feel that the period of its detention rests with itself. Two general rules are at once and always incul- cated. First, " Tell no lies." Secondly, " Always do the best you can." Every child is compelled to toil from six to eight hours every week-day, at some employment suited to its capacity, and to stud}" from four to five hours, under compe- tent teachers. The labor is designed to tame their fiery, vi- cious natures, to quicken attention, and favorably rouse all the dormant elements of their being. As moderate stints are in- troduced, aftbi-ding opportunity to redeem extra time for reading and play, they toil with a cheerfulness and speed that is highly exhilarating. Thus sobered and awakened by toil, they return to their books, and keep pace with those who reside at home and attend the public schools of New York. Hundreds of young men and women are at work in the city and elsewhere rising to respectability and affluence by the steady habits and trades they acquired at the Institu- tion, the former earning from twelve to twenty dollars per week, and the latter from four to twelve. Four grades of conduct have been introduced. Grade 1 is the highest, which every child must retain at least six weeks, and attain to the third class in school, before any application for indenture will be entertained from parents or friends. This grade must also be retained for one year, and the studies of the highest class mastered before one is discharged, and then a situation is provided. Grade 4 is the lowest, and is one of disgrace. The society opened its first building on New Tear's day, 182.5, with six wretched girls and three bovs. During the 570 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. first fifteen years of its operations, it received aud again re- turned to society two thousand five hundred. Wlien it re- moved to Randall's Island, about six thousand had been received, and up to January, 1871, no less than 13,727. An average of three hundred per annum have thus been returned to the community since the first organization of the society, and we are told that at least seventy-five per cent, of them have lived honest and useful lives. The good accomplished for the country and humanity is incalculable. The sons of eminent merchants and lawyers, and of distinguished divines, have taken lessons here to theii- lasting advantage ; while not a few from the haunts of infamy, who would but for this model " Bethesda " have gone frightfully down the slippery steeps of crime, have been raised to sit among the princes of the land. The sanitary interests of the Institution have al- ways been conducted with remarkable success. During the first ten years of its history but five deaths occurred, and in 1832, out of ninety-nine cases of cholera, only two proved fatal. The report of 1869 showed, that of the seventeen hun- dred and seventy-five different inmates of the year, but three had died, and during the year closing 1871, but six died. But without the transforming influence of pure Christianity, all efi'orts for the reformation of delinquents must prove sadly abortive. This Institution is, in its faith and practice, eminently Protestant, and most of its ofiicers and teacher are persons of established Christian character. Rev. B. K. Pierce, D.D., the chaplain, a man of rare culture and long experience in this difficult work, with quick discernment of character, re- markable facility in remembering countenances and names, and with' a heart that always bleeds at the woes of a child, is admirably fitted for his critical station. Mr. J. C. Jones, the successful superintendent, is also a man of more than ordinaiy culture and ability. Sabbath at the Refuge is a day of delightful, hallowed rest. Once on that day all join in Sunday-School study and recita- tion, and once they crowd their beautiful chapel, when a thou- sand faces are turned toward the man of God, and a thousand voices join in liturgical responses. Many have been hopefully converted, and several who were once inmates of the Institu- tion are now studying for the Christian ministry. With the nuiltiplication of reformatory Institutions, and some unjust disparagements, a smaller number of youth than SOCIETY FOR KEFOKMATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, 571 fonnerlv are hciiig received fi'om the New York courts. As the sup[)ly is iindirainished, we can but reo:ard this as a public mistake. In the matter of economy, the Refuge is conducted with remarkable ability. During the last seven years, the net cost of each child, above its own earnings, has'but little exceeded seventy dc^llars per annum, while the gross cost has varied from $116.20 in 1867, to $131.13 in 1870, according to the number in the Institution. About twelve thousand dollars have, until recently, been annually received from the license of theaters. In addition to this, the sums contributed from the city treasury and the school fund have, united, been annually less than twenty dollars per capita, while the Catholic P^-otectory has been paid $110 for each child, and the Commissioners of Charities and Corrections have ex- pended over one hundred and fifty dollars per amuira on each child, in the Industrial school at Hart Island and on the school-ship. This comparison speaks volumes in favor of the Eef nge, inasmuch as it greatly surpasses both the Institutions mentioned in the appliances of personal comfort, while in matters of culture, discipline, building up of character, and thoroughness of skilled labor, it probably surpasses every In Btitntion of its kind in the country. The Managers propose, if appropriate legislation can b(v secured, to somewhat enlarge their Institution, and receive a class of delinquents still more advanced in crime and yeai-s. They fully believe that multitudes of young men, who have grown up without emitloyment and are sent annually to the Penitentiary to be further confirmed in treachery, might in a well-conducted reformatory be taught the arts of skilled labor, mellowed by the appliances of Christianity, and saved for time and eternity. Who with a well-balanced head and suitably affected heart can for a moment doubt it ? A society so intent on the accomplishment of its great work, and so rich in desirable fruits, deserves well of the public, and should not be crippled in any of the appliances necessary to its highest success it is the pioneer of its kind ; the twenty other simi- lar Institutions, with their many thousand inmates in this country as well as those of Europe, have grown up throufrh its example. Its managers and friends, "in molding their economy, have sought to incorporate the lessons they have industriously culled from the experience and wisdom of ages. Long may it flourish to elevate the fallen and enrich "the world. CHAPTEE IX. INSTITUTIONS ON HART ISLAND. THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL-SHIP. I HE number of vagrant, vicious, and advenj:urous chil- dren around New York is so great, that a new insti- tution for their correction and reformation springs up every few years, and though thousands are from these annually sent to the country, the buildings are always full, and the supply well nigh inexhaustible. For years past a class of large vicious boys have been thrown on the hands of the Com- missioners of Charities and Corrections, for whom it has been difficult to well and suitably provide. If sent to the Work- house or Penitentiai-y, they would be further steeped in evil, and if sent to the Nurseries, their insubordination incited the younger and more dutiful to mischief and demoralization. Hence, after the purcliase of Hart Island, which occurred in May, ] 868, they were placed there in the capacity of an In- dustrial School. On this Island the Potter's Field has been located, separate sections having been set apart for Catholic and Protestant burial. The southern portion, dnring the spring and early summer of 1S70, was also set apart for the treatment of persons suffering with relapsing fever. The Is- land contained at the time of its purchase more than sixty buildings of wood, constructed by the United States Govern- ment for the use of the soldiers, and said to have cost over $200,000. The dilapidated buildings wei-e pulled down, and the sound material employed in repairing other buildings. Those formerly occupied by the officers of the army and navy of the barracks were excellent structures oi their kind, and were easily converted to the uses for which they were desired. The buildings formerly occupied by the officers are i^ow the residences of the warden, matron, teachers, Burgeoi., clerks, etc. Others have been changed to school-rooms, dormitories, play-rooms, dining-rooms, and two houses for baking and THE INDUSTKIAL SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL-SHIP. 573 cooking. A large ice-house has beeu erected, capable of cou- taiuing a hundred tons of that invaluable antidote to mid- summer heats. The school began late in the year 18GS, and on the 31st of December, 1869, the warden reported the recep- tion of 504 boys. The utter neglect under which they had thus far grown up appears in the fact that seventy-five per cent, of them could neither read nor write, fifteen per cent, able to read only, leaving but ten per cent, in tolerable possession of the rudiments of an education. They are kept in school five hours per day, devoting the remainder to play or light labor. A vigorous system of discipline has been introduced, but no very serious corporal punishment is inflicted. During the last year, 972 boys were received into the school. . Many boys in each generation are wild and adventurous in tlieir natures, fond of excitements and dangers, and who will not sober down to the quietudes of ordinary industry. Neg- lected, they become the roughs, harbor thieves, pirates, and fillil)usterers of the world. As early as 1812, Kev. Dr. Stan- ford, chaplain of the penal institutions of New York, recom- mended the separation of the youthful criminals from those more advanced, and urged the importance of training this adventurous class in a nautical ship for service on the sea. But reforms " hasten slowly," and though a citizen of Man- hattan was the first to originate and recommend the plan of a training ship, the authorities of New York lingered until the experiment had been successfully tried in England and in Massachusetts. Under authority conferred by the Legisla- ture, the Commissioners, in July, 1869, purchased the sail-ship Mercury, formerly belonging to the Havre line of packets, a fine vessel of 1,200 tons burden, which they have fitted for this service. The vessel is calculated to accommodate 250 or 300 boys, besides the usual complement of ofiicers and drilled sailors. The boys, whose features for the most part show their foreign origin and treacherous tendencies, are all clothed in bright sailor's uniform, and governed on the apprenticeship system of the United States Navy. From the Industrial School they are transferred to the school-ship, where a year or two of good drilling is expected, to fit the more advanced for useful service in the Merchant Marine, or in the United States Navy. The vessel has ah-eady made several trips to sea, remaining outside the bar on one cruise four months At the 1st of January last, 826 boys had been received on board, and 565 discharged, many of whom had shipped as sailors in 574 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. the United States Navy, and others had entered the Merchants' Marine. The daily routine adopted in port is as follows : At early daylight the reveille is beaten, all hands are called, and ham- mocks properly stowed by the Captains of Tops and other petty officers, to whom this duty belongs. This done, when the weather will permit, the decks are washed down, and if " Wash Clothes Day," hammocks and clothing are scrubbed, and triced up on the lines, while the boys are compelled to cleanse their persons, under the superintendence of the Offi- cer of the Deck. At 7.30 a.m., the boys are mustered, the line formed, and at 8 a.m., breakfast is piped and the boys marched to their respective messes on the berth-deck. This is in the charge of the Master at Arms and ship's Corporals, whose duty it is to preserve order there at all times. One hour is allowed the boys for the morning meal and recreation. At 9 A.M., the " hands are turned to," sweepers are piped, and the decks cleaned fore and aft. Ten minutes before " Colors," the drummer beats their call, hands stand by to lower boats, Quartermasters bend on their colors. Coxswains report boats ready for lowering, sail loosers are sent aloft, when necessary ; lower booms got ready for going out, one hand stationed by the bell. At 9 a.m. in winter, at 8 a.m. in summer, the drum- mer rolls off, the bell is struck ; at the third roll colors hoisted, boats lowered, sails let fall, and booms rigged out, to which the boats when lowered are hauled and made fast. The boys now take their cleaning stations, warned by the roll of the drum of their duties, and polish all bright work fore and aft. The ship's company are divided into divisions, called the First; Second ; Third, or Master's ; Fourth, or Boatswain's ; Fifth, or Powder Division, commanded respectively by the Second and Third officers. Sailing Master, Boatswain, and Master-at-Arms. At 9.30 A.M., the drummer beats to quarters for inspection, allowing the boys three minutes to gain their stations, where they are inspected and mustered by their respective officers, whose duty it is to see that their persons and clothing are clean and in good order, and that all are present to answer the muster, being careful to report all delinquents and absen- tees to the Executive Officer, who in turn reports to the Cap- tain the condition of the ship and the divisions. The " Ee- treat " is now beaten, and the Starboard Watch is formed in line and marched into the school-room, where they remain at their studies in charge of the Instructor until 11.45 a.m., the THE INDUSTKIAL SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL-SHIP. 575 Port Watch in the meantimo being engaged on deck working masts, yards or sails, or drilling with the great guns, small arms, etc. At 11.30 A.M., the dinner is inspected, and if properly cooked, ordered to be issued to the messes ; sweepers are piped and all work ceases ; decks are cleared, and the mess- cloths spread. At meridian, dinner is piped, and the boys sent to their messes as at the morning meal ; at 1 p.m., the " hands are again turned to," while the sweepers, in response to the pipes of the Boatswain and his mates, clean the decks ; the Poi't Watch is now formed and sent to the school-room, while the Starboard Watch is called on deck, and receive practical lessons in seamanship and the various exercises and drill. At 4 p.m., school is dismissed, decks cleared up, and at 4.30 P.M., supper is piped ; tlie evening hours are devoted to recreation ; games of various kinds being provided for those disposed to avail themselves of the same. At fifteen minutes before sundown, the drum beats to quar- ters for inspection, when the usual notes are made, and re- ports given to the Executive and Captain. At ten minutes before sundown, the " call" is beaten, lower booms got ready for coming alongside, boats hooked on, Quartermasters stand by their colors, and at the third roll of the drum the booms are rigged in, boats hoisted, colors hauled down, and the boys are called to stand by their hammocks, when they assemble in their own parts of the ship, and hammocks being piped down, they are removed to the Berth-Deck, and hung on hooks bear- ing their respective numbers. The remainder of the evening is devoted to recreation, all work being laid aside for the day. At 7.30 p.m., the boys are assembled for evening exercises, which are held in the school-room, consisting of singing and prayer, conducted by the Instructor. At 8 P.M., the tattoo is beaten. Boatswain and mates pipe down, the boys are sent to their hammocks, the " anchor watch " is set for the night, all unauthorized lights and galley- fires are reported "out " by the Master-at-Arms, and the night reports of the petty-oflicers as to the condition of their several departments are made to the Executive At one bell (S.30 P.M.), all loud talking must cease ; the bertn-deck is in charge of the ship's Corporals for the night, wlio keep watch there until regularly relieved, paying strict attention to the condi- tion of the lights, and inspecting the ship below the spar-deck 576 NEW YOKK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. every half hour ; being particularly careful that no irregulari- ties occur on the decks in their charge. Every boy when received on board is cleansed, and a com- plete outfit given him of clothing, suitable for the weather and season of the year ; he is given a number and a station on the watch, quarter, and fire-bells ; he is detailed to a cer- tain mess, and placed in a certain boat, while he is, when ad- mitted to the school-room, placed in such classes as his abili- ties will admit of. In all the maneuvers and exercises he must be at his station ; his number at the gun must be filled, his station aloft must be supplied, and his absence from any of these duties is at once detected ; no idle hands are permitted, no one is without a duty ; from the time that the lad receives his number, which is immediately on his admission into the ship, he is entirely under control and subject to orders. The ship's company is divided into two watches, called Port and Starboard, and these are sub-divided into first and second parts, forming quarter watches, which facilitates at times the duty of the ship. There are other sub-divisions, into which the boys are separated according to their stations, as follows : Forecastle-men, foretop-men, maintop-men, mizzentop-men and afterguard. Each of these divisions are headed by a first and second Captain, the first Captain bein^ in the Starboard "Watch, and the second Captain in the Port Watch. All orders to be executed in a certain part of the ship are issued to the Captain of the same, whose duty it becomes to see that the boys stationed under him perform them, reporting to the ofii- cer of the deck when finished. Precautions are taken against fire, by having stations for fire-quarters and duties assigned every ofiicer, seaman, and boy on board, with frequent drilling at quelling this danger- ous element. Divine service is held on Sunday in the school-room at 10 A.M., and again in the evening at 6.30 p.m., the peculiar relig- ious tenets of all respected, and religious instruction imparted by both Protestant and Catholic clergymen, who are grantea access to the ship for this purpose at all times. Nothing has been left undone that would enhance the comfort of the boys or assist them in their studies. Every encouragement is held out to them, and liberty on shore and other privileges granted to the deserving, while advancement to the grade of petty ofiicer awaits the ambitious pupil, ' Posi- tions, though they entail an additional responsibility, bring THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL-SHIP. 577 with them certain privileges and distinctions which make them objects of desire to the aspiring lad. The food furnished the boys is ot a good quality and the supply is ample, and provided in accordance witli the su^es- tions of a medical officer of acknowledged ability. Boys from a few wealthy families have been admitted whose par- ents pay $10 per month for their subsistence and instruction. It is probable that an independent ship could be made to pay as well as an academy. The boys take great pleasure in going aloft to spread or furl the sails. We saw from a distance a hundred or less of them engaged in this exercise. The spars, tackling, and flapping sails, united to the rapid movement of the boys, presented the appearance of a handful of black ants caught and struggling for dear life amid the meshes of a great cob-web. Much interest is being manifested in all parts of the coun- try in the great undertaking, as is frequently shown by the nmnerons letters I'eceived from this and adjacent States, to- gether with the visits received from many distinguished citi- zens, all of whom are unanimous in their approbation of this philanthropic enterprise. Delegates from adjacent States have journeyed some distance to examine into the leading features of this Institution, and returned to their own cities to indorse the movement and recommend a like action on the part of their authorities. One has well said : " The Commissioners deserve the thanks of the community for having added this to the many other noble public chari- ties which are receiving the benefit of their wise and efficient administration. It would be difficult to exaggerate the ad- vantages likely to accrue to the public from a benevolence which, receiving these neglected, vagrant, and degraded boys, shall shield them for a season from the rough blasts of temp- tation, teach them their duty to God and man, impart to them the principles of a noble science, train them to skill in the ap- plication of those principles, and, finally, opening to them a path of honorable usefidness, shall bid them go forth and walk therein, to the honor of God and the benefit of their fellow menf- /The very qualities of sagacity and daring, of earnestness had enthujsiasm, which, under their former evil training, were likely to ronder them a pest as well as a terror to the community, will no doubt, in numerous instances, con- stitute a vigorous impulse to push them forward and give them success in their new career of virtue, honor, and usefulness." CHAPTER X. NEW YOEK INSTITUTIONS ON STATEN ISLAND, SAILOR'S SNUG HARBOR. (SUtten Island.) SAn.oRS, tliongli a very useful and industrious class, rank, among the most reckless and improvident of the world Withont them the commerce of tlie world could not be con- ducted ; and while a few of them have always been noted for their intelligence, piety, and thrift, the vast majority have ever been literally afl,oat — creatures of accident, drifting hither and thither wherever caprice or fancy might carry tliem They rarely liave many friends, except those who participate in their vices, and "help to squander their hard earnings. Sailors are proverbially recl^less of health, exces- sively given to dissipation and sensuality while oi shore, exposed to the vicissitudes of changing climates while at sea; add to these, then, the danger of other casuiilties, and their sailor's snug harbor. 579 life- long improvidence, and it will be clear that most of them must early become inmates of hospitals, and objects of charity. More than two hundred thousand sailors annually enter the New York harbor, many of whom are in need of medical or surgical aid. To provide for this want the Marine Hospital was established, and the Seaman's Ee- treat founded. Still a place of rest where the crippled or worn-out tar might in quietude spend the evening twilight of his career was greatly needed. It remained for a noble hearted bachelor-sailor (more careful and successful than most of his fellows), to establish for these cast-oif wrecks of the sea a home, unrivalled in the world in the beauty of its location, and the abundance of its comforts. Captain Robert Richard Randall, of New York City, by the provision of his will, dated June 1, 1801, bequeathed (certain specific legacies being satisfied) all the residue of his estate, real and personal, to the Chancellor of the State, the Mayor and Recorder of the city, the President of the Cham- ber of Commerce, the President of the Marine Society, the Senior Ministers of the Episcopal and of the Presbyterian Churches of New York, and to their successors in ofiice respectively, to be received by them in trust, and applied to the erection of an Asylum or Marine Hospital, to lie called " The Sailor's Snug Ilarbor," the same to be opened as soon as the income of the estate should, in the judgment of the trustees, be sufticient to support fifty seamen. Mr. Randall's real estate was situated in what is now the First and Fif- teenth wards of the city of New York, and consisted of certain building lots in the former, and of twenty-one acres of land in the latter. The trustees were duly incorporated February 6, ISOti. Protractive and expensive suits, brought by the relatives of the testator, prevented the trustees from carrying out his wishes for many years after his decease. The Uiiited States' Supreme Court finally decided in favor of -the tnist in March, 1830. The Asylum was to have been -erected on his up-town property, situated south of what is now Union Square, and between Fourth and Sixth avenues, but the unexpected growth of the city, and the consequent in- crease in the value of real estate, induced the trustees to lease the city property and locate the Institution elsewhere. The estate at the decease of the testator was valued at about $30,000, but it is now estimated at about $2,000,000. It may be interesting to know that the colossal retail store of 580 m:w yoek and its institutions. A. T. Stewart, Esq., corner Tenth street and Broadway, stands on a part of this property, and that an annnal ground-rent is paid by this gentleman oi" about $35,000. The income of the estate is still steadily increasing. In May, 1831, the trustees purchased a farm of 130 acres, to which twenty-one acres were subsequently added, situated on the northern shore of Staten Island, for the sum of $6,000. The corner-stone of the Asylum was laid with appropriate exercises October 21, 1831, and on the first day of August, 1833, the building was formally opened for the reception of the tliirty sailors approved by a committee appointed^for that purpose. The main building consists of a central, 65 by 100- feet, three stories above the basement, and of two winga 51 by 100 feet each, two and a half stories high, the parts being connected with corridors 40 feet long by 16 wide^ giving a total frontage of 247 feet. The building stands on a graceful eminence ; its front is of marble, with a majestic portico ornamented with eight massive Ionic columns, pre- senting a palatial aspect as seen from the bay. In the rear of the main edifice is a three-story brick, 80 feet square, erected in 1854, in the basement of which are the Steward's ofiice and the great kitchen of the establishment, furnished with an ample supply of steam-kettles. The first floor of this- building contains the dining-rooms, and the other floors con- tain dormitories, which are mostly large, square rooms, con- taining four beds each. This building is connected with the main edifice by a covered passage-way. A little to the right of this stands the chapel, a fine brick, with seating for several hundred persons, and adjoining stands a well-arranged par- sonage for the use of the chaplain. Further back stand the waslf-house and' the hake-house, each two stories, of brick, and well arranged. Still further to the rear stands the hospital, erected twenty years ago. It is a well-built three- story brick, with heavy 'granite trimmings, and contains space for seventy-five beds. Sixty-one persons are now in the hos- pital, some of whom have been under treatment thirty years. Our attention was called to grandfather Morris, a colored sailor, one hundred and six years old, who has been in the- " Harbor" over a quarter of a century. We hoped to get some reminiscences oi the Institution from him, but his mind was- too much absorbed in better things. He remembers George Whitefield and other eminent, men of the good lang syne. He can only talk of Jesus and Heaven. He expects to mak& sailor's snug hakbgk, 581 but Oiie more short voyage, and reach in due time tho haven wliere there are no sliipwrecks or misfortunes, and where people are all of a color. We were next taken to Captain Webster, in another ward, who thinks himself one hundred and eight years old, but whom the steward informed ns was ninety-six. lie is buoyant and cheerful, full of conversation and humor, and speaks of a " good hope " also for the life to come. The " Harbor " contains at this writing four hundred in- mates besides the officei-s and help. Liberty is granted the inmates to visit friends, and go to the city or elsewhere as they may reasonably desire. Tlie main building contains a reading-room f urnislied with iiles of papers and periodicals ; also a library of about a thousand volumes, containing many excellent and solid works which exhibit the wear of much reading. An indispensable prerequisite to admission is that the applicant has sailed five years under the American fla^. This, coupled with disease and poverty, formerly proved sufh- cient, but the late war has so multiplied the number of crip- pled seaman, that the trustees have been compelled to be more cautious in their admissions. Most of the inmates live to advanced years. Tlieir home is well conducted, and the finest of the kind in the world. The buildings are all that could be desired, and the grounds, which are richly cultivated and thickly set with fruit and shade-trees, are as charming as nature and art could well make them. About twenty- three acres, containing the buildings and gardens, are enclosed by a massive but handsome iron' fence, which cost over eighty thousand dollars. The iron was cast in England, and the fence rests upon a deep and solid foundation, with capped posts of the best granite. Much of the farm is still covered with heavy timber. In the front yard, at a conve- nient distance from the front entrance, stands a white marble monument, erected by the trustees August 21, 1834, to the memory of the founder of the Institution, whose I'emains were then removed from their first resting-place. The affairs of the society are managed by the ex-officio trus- tees named in the will, who annually elect their own oflicers. The salaried officers are the governor and his assistant, the treasurer, agent, resident chaplain, and physician. These em- ploy such other help as is needed, with consent of the trustees. The ofticei-s are kindly disposed, too indulgent to the inmates if anything, and affable to visitors. The Institution is open 582 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. to visitors every day of the week except the Sabbath, and every unoccupied sailor on the premises is ready with char- acteristic politeness to escort them through the buildings and grounds. The basement of the main edihce is mostly devoted to workshops. Here all who are able carry on the basket or mat making with their own capital, the fruit of which fur- nishes means for travel and for other private uses. Nearly all earn something. The chaplain was absent when we visited the Harbor, but his praise was in the mouths of many of the inmates. He holds service twice each Sabbath, and offers public prayers twice each day. The By-Laws, which are an excellent code, make it the duty of each inmate to attend all the religious services unless excused by the governor, for sickness or other sufficient cause, yet we were informed that less than half ordinarily attended the Sabbath services, A stricter disci- pline would be a decided improvement. Eighty or ninety of the inmates profess religion, some of whom attend and take part in the Fulton-street prayer-meeting occasionally. The former chaplain was shot on the grounds by one of the old seamen, who afterwards shot himself. The man is now be- lieved to have been guilty of a previous murder, and to have become partially insane from a sense of guilt and an appre- hension that God would not pardon him. SEAMEN'S FUND AND RETREAT. {Quarantine Landing, Staten Island.) S early as 1754, the colonial government of New York %. established quarantine measures. A tax was imposed upon all seamen and passengers entering the port of New York, and with the fund thus provided, hos- pital buildings were established, first on Governor's and after- wards on Bedloe's Island. The establishment was removed to Staten Island about 1799. The tax thus collected from passengers and seamen was paid into a joint fund, ander the control *'of the Commissioners of Health of the city of New York, and called the "Mariner's Fund." The SEAMEN'S FUND AND RETREAT. 583 funds tlins created, besides providing the quarantine accom- niodations, were disposed of bv the Legislature in establishing city dispensaries, assisthig the '^Society for the Eeformation of Juvenile Delinquents, eta, etc. The manifest injustice of tax- ing seamen for quarantine purposes, and in distributing their hard earnings among other charities in which they had no special interest, was discovered by commercial men of New York over forty years ago, and an effort was made to abolish this long-standing abuse. The Legislature of 1831 created a board of trustees to collect these funds and enaploy them exclusively for the benefit of seamen. It was believed at that time that over three hundred and forty thousand dollars had been paid by passengers and seamen into the fund, above what had been used for'their benefit, and the money still ou hand at that time they were authorized to receive from the State treasury, which amounted to ovei- twelve thousand dol- lars. The first meeting of the board of trustees of the Sea- men's Fund and Retreat was held at the Mayor's ofiice. May 9, 1831, and measures were soon taken to maintain all dis- eased seamen in the Marine Hospital, Staten Island, and in the New York Hospital. After examining several farms on Staten Island, the trustees purchased forty acres of land of Cornelius Corson, fronting on the New York bay, for $10,000. The land contained a farm-house, to which it\vas proposed to add an additional building for the reception of patients. The new hospital in process of erection on the summit of the elevation was overtaken with a storm so violent as to throw down its brick walls when they were nearly completed. On the 12th of June, 1832, the executive committee reported the completion of the new building, and about the middle of the following month it was occupied. As the accommo- dations continued inadequate, a plan was formed for the erection of the main buildings now in use, which are situated much nearer the shore. The corner-stone of the present hospital was laid July 4, 1834, by Samuel Swartout, Esq., collector of the port, and president of the board of trustees, assisted by the architect, Mr. A. P. Maybee. The address was delivered by the Rev. John E. Miller, Rev. Henry Chase, pastor of the" Mariner's Church, and other clergymen assisting in the services. This hospital consists of a main structure fifty feet square and three stories high, witl>two wings each seventy-six by thirty- four feet, built of hammered blue stone, trimmed with gran- ^^i-^ 584 NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. ite, and covered with brazier's copper. The central building and south wing were completed in January, 1836, and the north wing in 1852. The location of the Institution is one of surpassing beauty and commanding prominence, and has been admired by the hundreds of thousands who sail annually through the broad bay. The principal building stands nearly in the center of an arc, the lower point of which ex- tends to the Narrows, and the upper to the entrance of Kill Von KuU. From its windows the eye sweeps over the entire bay of New York, and searches for vanishing objects far out on the boiling Atlantic. Vessels from every quarter of the globe and of every variety and size, bearing the ensign of their own nationality, are constantly passing laden with the products of many lands. At one view is seen the majestic ocean steamer, leaving its track of foam, and sending billows to the shore on which the smaller vessels rock and gracefully nod oljeisance to their passing superior ; and at another, coast steamers, sloops, brigs, schooners, and the playful yacht may be seen to skim, rock, and toy in the breeze and sunhght. A wider and richer view of the commerce of the world can rarely be obtained on any continent. In nothing did the founders of this Institution evince more taste and judgment than iu the selection of its location. The invalid sailor who ■cannot leave his room can still breathe the bracing air of the sea, and look out upon this immense picture of nature and art, which contains more of beauty and attraction for him than all the rest of the world. He almost forgets his malady and confinement, while the sight of his chosen ele- ment, decorated with the bright flags, whitened with the sails of a world-wide commerce, is spread out before him. In 1841, the brick building on the hill, first erected, was fitted up for the treatment of insane patients, and a suit- able enclosure thrown around it. An oven for baking and a large wash-house were also added the same year. In Septem- ber, 1842, the granite edifice situated on the north-east corner of the grounds, since occupied by the resident physician, was erected. An association of ladies, styled "The Mariner's Family Industrial Society," was incorporated April 6, 1849, having for its object the relief of the destitute families of seamen. By an act of Legislature, passed March 17, 1851, a board of trustees were created for its management, consisting of New York City ofticials and the Board of Councillors of the seamen's fund and retreat. 585- Mariner's Family Industrial Society. In June, 1852, the corner-stone of the Asylum, ordered by the Legislature the- previous year, and which had been contemplated in the legis- lation of 1847, was laid. The plan was to provide a suitable building for the use of such "destitute, sick, and infirm mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, or widows of seamen, a& gave satisfactory proof that they had paid the hospital tax for the term of two years." Its location is on the south side of the farm, at the highest point of the rise from the bay, and about fifteen hundred, feet from it. The building is a square brick structure five stories high, witli accommodations for sixty inmates. The five acres of ground connected with it are finely cultivated^ producing an ample supply of vegetables and fruit. The view from the upper windows is rich and varied. The eye sweeps over three cities, the Bay from Coney Island to the Palisades, over much of Staten Island, Long Island, and New Jersey. The Legislature, by act of April 12, 1854, directed that ten per cent, of certain receipts of the Trustees of the Seaman's Fund and Retreat should be paid to the trustees of this Asylum, which arrangement still continues. The Seaman's Retreat has been favored with wise and pious oflicei's. In 1851, a Temperance Society was organized by the Superintendent, and during the six years following, 3,200 seamen signed the total abstinence pledge. Prayer- meetings have been held weekly most of the time for many years. The published report of the Institution for I860 declared that more than one hundred seamen had given evi- dence of conversion during the last three years. Besides the services of a regular chaplain, the Institution is occasionally visited by Pastor He! land and Pastor Hedstrom, who min- ister to the Scandinavian sailors in their own language. These services are often seasons of thrilling interest ; the ser- mon being supplemented by the prayers and exhortations of the sailors, and not uufrequently attended with the tears and sobs of the impenitent. Many who have entered the Retreat in quest of physical remedies only have found to their great joy the balm of the soul, and returned to their occupation with' aspirations and hopes hitherto unknown As our for- eign mission work in the past has been greatly retarded by the dissipation and impiety of sailors representing Christian countries, may we not hope for the day when their conse- crated energies shall make them rank among its most potent -G^8- NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. auxiliaries ? The conversion of a humble sailor often sets in motion a series of moral influences which sweep around the world, and may never, never cease their vibrations. How powerful the motive to labor for this class of persons ! Some of its surgeons have been men of remarkable piety. Thomas C. Moifatt, M.D., who expired December, 1869, and who was the fourth physician to fall a victim of ship-fever contracted in discharge of duty, was a most amiable and saintly man. During the fifteen years that he had the medical charge of the Hospital, his religious influence was as marked as his pro- fessional. Skillful as he was in prescribing for an enfeebled body, he was no less wise in administering to a disordered soul. His labors in the chapel, at the prayer-meeting, and temperance meeting ; his tender, thoughtful, and affectionate treatment of all his patients, had so won the confidence and love of all, that when the long procession came to take the last look at his remains, many bi-ave hearts broke down with emotion, and turned away to weep. Few in his position have, in so eminent a manner, exemplified the excellence of the Christian religion. The Institution is provided with the current periodicals of the day, and has a circulating library of about a thousand volumes. The inmates are for the most part expected to recover. Incurables are transferred to Sailor's Snug Harbor, or to other Institutions if possible ; if not they are ]3rovided for here. Fifty-six thousand disabled seamen have been admitted into the Institution since its establishment in 1831, most of whom have l^een cured and returned to the sea. The grounds also contain a handsome cemetery, situated on an eminence at the western end of the grounds. Here the hardy tai-s find a resting place by the side of their com- rades when the storms of life are past. END. riie New York Tribune nays :— " Our Home Physician ' is a well piepaiel thinne < >£ tlie chiif facts and method-: I'f treatiient th:it aie known to modi rn mt'dicine. Dr. B ar I lias brouL,^lit to his task intelligent zeal, an unusual candor, and a know ledge of what is known in \\i< luoffs^ion. Whe her for the rules of health or the emergencies of illness, tlds book is a comprehensis e, comprehensible, and trustworthy vade mtoum. As a lompend of the theory and practice of medicine, it is the best that we know. THE NEW HANDY-BOOK OF FAMILY MEDICINE. Get it, and save Money, Health, and Liife. TO THE ART OF rRESEIiriyir HEALTH AND TREATiyO DISEASE,; With Plain Advice for all Medical and Snrgical Emergencies of the Family, The irJioU- is baaed on the most JReeent and the Hifjhest Authorities, and brought down to the Latest Dates. By QEO. M. BEARD, A.M., M.D. [GRADUiTB OF YiLE COLLKOE >ND OF THE New YorK ColI-KGK OF PHVSICIiNS AND SlKOEOMS] J Lecturer on Nervou? Diseases in the University of the City of New York ; Follow of the New iTork Academy of Medicine : Member of the New York Conuty Medical Society. BENJAMIN HOWARD, A.M., M.D., Prof, of Surgery. D. B. ST. JOAN BOOSA, A.M., M.D., Prof, of Diseases of Eye and Ear. J. B. ncXTER, M.D., on Dls-ases of Women and Children. A. D. RUt'KWELL, M.D., and others. The Publishers present " Oun IIome Phtsician " with the assurance that it is the most important and valuable Medical Guide ever oflcrod to the American public. To this admirablo public as the result of a large and extended practice in New York City. From the author's preface work our author has given careful study, investiiration and experience, and now presents it lo the ■ 3f a ■ ..,..-•...- ^ we learn: '■ This book has been prepared to meet a want that has been long and widely felt— of a single work which should give a comprehensive and accurate knowledge of Medical scieuceof the present day, in as much detail as can be useful to those not medically educated. I have left no stone un- turned to make the work fully represent the best and mosc recent opinions and experiences of the leading authorities of our day in the various departments, all of which are brought down to the most recent dates. Diseases, their symptoms and treatment, and in fact nearly every department of Medical science, has changed wonderfully during the past twenty years, and Medical works and authors that were once considered authorities arc now worse than useless, tending only to mis- lead with dangerous results. "This work not only includes all that has ever been attempted in similar works, but also several hundred new remedies, new systems of treatment, new diseases and new subjects in the department of health that have never yet appeared in any woik designed for the i)eople. There are yet among the people those who have a blind faith in some school or exclusive system of treatment ; to all such let me say that the wise i)hysician of our time belongs to no " school," no '"ism," no "pathy," but uses for his patients all things which have proved to be beneficial. On this principle this work is based. The best i)hysicians of our day are not narrow or bigoted, as some suppose, but are the most liberal and i)](iL'!rssivf of men. 1 have written in the work just what I say every day to my patients, in my ixipular es-ays, and in my lectures before lycenms and collcKes. I have here said just what your family i)hysician would tell you if he had th"e time and occasion to explain the ditferent diseases, their symptoms and treatments. My aim has also been to make the work so clear that the wayfaring' man mitrht not err therein, and yet s.) thorough and exhaustive that the educated physician should find in it much to perfect his knowledge and refresh his aiemory." WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS JExtra English Cloth, Gilt Daeh, Beveled Boards, Fine Leather, Library Style, Sprinkled Edges, - Half Turkey Morocco, Cloth Sides, Marbled Edges, - $5.00 6.00 8.00 This work 1b edd only by subscription. Subscribers will not be obliged to tuko the id can be obtained only through onr nnthorized Agent*. viirk unless it ciirre-fponrls with the description in eveiy E. B. TRE T, Publisher, 805 Broadway, New York. Testimonials for Headley's Sacred Heroes & Martyrs. e present volume, which is a com- priests, kings and apostles. The author ir, Dui niinerto uninieresiuig iuals, are luuuu lu tju^ncoo an uuc^pci^bcu oig- Rev. HENRY ^VARD REBCHER, Pastor Plymoutli Cliurcli, Brook- lyn, Editor of Clirisitiaii Union, says: The favorable ruccpiiou of Mr. Headley's ■•bacreu Mountaius" doubtless suijgestt'd the preparation of the mentary, in ail expanded form, upon the lives of propliets has endeavored, with the aid of modern research and scholarship, to develop the fragmentary records contained in the Scriptures, into something like a connected narrative. After reading these bio- graphical commentaries, for such they are, it is with a fresh interest that the Bible itself is opened, and oftentimes familiar, but hitherto uninteresting texts, are found to possess an unexpected sig- niftcance; while local dents, which before meaningless, have acqui a fresh ana individual "* acter. Rev. Bishop E. S. JANES, of New York, savs: In mv iudtrnient this is a very valu- able work. The younr \ng a'nd very ; Rev. PHII^HP SCHAFF, D.D., CliurcU Historian, Editor Lange's Commentary, and Professor In Union Tkeological ^euIinary, says: the ba- cred Heroes and Martyrs of the Bible >.re a noble theme tor the well- known descriptive powers of the author, and well calculated to inspire the reader with enthusiasm for the highest and most enduring order of greatness. The book is a valuable contribution to our popular religious literature. Rev. JOSEPH CITMMINGS, D.D., President Wesleyan U»iiversity, =iav« ■ Whoever leads men .vith a proper spirit to the study of the scenes, incidents, ar d characters of the Bible renners a gn-at service to the cause of religion. We consider this to be the great merit of Mr Headiey's new work, and we recommend it as worthy of general attention and favor. V. Bishop E. S. J A INKS, oi r«ew iays : In my judgment tliis is a very valu- ^^ :. Mr. Headley wields a very graphic pi n. ^i/ g will find the book exceedingly interest- ""^^ •ery instructive. I commend it cordially. Kj^ • YZyt-i^' ^/o^>-^-4^^ ^-^^>^^2.^<^-^>r>-i^. X Rev. B. W. PATTERSON, D.D., Pastor Sd Presb. Church, Chicago, says : The '• Sacred Heroes and Martyrs,' by J . T. Heailley, is written in the author's best style, and is highly interesting and iu-structive. I trust it may obtain i strengthen the faith and courage of many readers, 'f Scripture record, are the great heroes and martyrs of the Church; and their characters and acts, and even their imperfections, if studied in the light of Mr. Head- wide circulation. It will serve to The Heroes and Martyrs set before us in the '^.^/te^ (A^^^ir>\y J ley's graphic sketches, can hardly fail to help others in following them who, through faith and patience, in- herit the promises. Rev. E. J. GOODSPEED, D.D., Pastor 2d Baptist Church, Chicago, saj-s : Our old favorite who wrote so graphically of the Sacred Mountains, J. T. Headley, ha* given us another volume of a similar character, upon Sacred Heroes and Martyrs. He has availed hiniself of all the modern advances in scholarship and knowledge of the Word of God, to clothe with vivid- ness and reality the characters of Scripture forever sacred in the veneration of mankind. His gorgeousnessof imagery revels, and is at home, among the mighty men and sublime latidscapes of the ancient past. A soberer pen would fail to reproduce the men and their surroundings in just pro- portions and coloring. We welcome, thcrefons and heartily commend this noble volume, with its fresh illustrations, clear type and handsome binding, hoping •■-"* — - '' ^''' ""^'° '^^^'■'' ""'"' that our dear old Bible, ever new IJ- because so human and y Divine, and hence adapted to our profoundest necessi- ties, may become yet more thoroughly understood and universally read. Rev. DANIEL. STEEL.E, D.D., President of Genesee College, N. Y., eavs : It gives me great pleasure to tliark j uu lur the service which you hav..- done to Christian lit- erature by the publication of '"Headley's Sacred Heroes and Martyrs." I deem this work the crown- ing effort of its distinguished author, and one on which his reputation in the future will chiefly rest. For the most enduring literary fame is that which is connected with the Word of God which abideth forever. I hail it as one of the most favorable signs of the times that our greatest writers are turn- ing their attention to the Bible and are investing its grand themes with the halo of their genius. Mr. Headley wields a magical pen. His " Kapoleon and his Marshals," read In my co.lege days, gave me impressions so vivid, that they have never been erased from my memory. The descriptive power of this writer," the charm of his style, and the life-like pictures portrayed by his pen. render him an cspicial favorite with thr T-oung.