The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 1

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345


USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178 | Part 179 | Part 180 | Part 181 | Part 182 | Part 183 | Part 184 | Part 185 | Part 186 | Part 187 | Part 188


1683


HISTORY


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1884


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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY


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January 12, 1885


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HISTORYOf KINGS COUNTY NY


VIEW OF THE NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN (EAST RIVER) BRIDGE.


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Cornell University Library


The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS.


THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN, . By L. P. Brockett, M. D. 633 THE MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF BROOKLYN AND KINGS CO., By L. P. Brockett, M. D. 668 THE ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN BROOKLYN, By L. P. Brockett, M. D. 829 ETC., ETC., . . . By The Editor. 865


. UNITED STATES INTERESTS IN KINGS COUNTY: POST-OFFICE, NAVY YARD, FORTS, INTERNAL REVENUE,


THE MEDICAL PROFESSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, 1822 TO 1884, (OLD SCHOOL.) By Frank B. Greene, M. D. 886


RISE AND PROGRESS OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE IN KINGS COUNTY, By R. C. Moffat, M. D. 905 HISTORY OF THE ECLECTIC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN BROOKLYN, 917 HOSPITALS, DISPENSARIES, ETC., . Compiled under the direction of the Editor. THE PROFESSION OF DENTISTRY IN KINGS COUNTY AND BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 941


THE HISTORY OF HIGHER EDUCATION, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, ETC., IN BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 950 FISH CULTURE ON LONG ISLAND, By Eugene G. Blackford, Esq. 963 BROOKLYN MARKETS, . . By the Editor. 971


THE CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS OF KINGS COUNTY AND BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 973


THE ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 993


HISTORY OF THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL WORK IN BROOKLYN,


1090


MISSIONARY, BIBLE, TRACT AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN WORK, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 1100 THE FINE ARTS IN BROOKLYN, By Gabriel Harrison, Esq. 1137


THE PROGRESS OF THE DRAMA, OPERA, MUSIC AND ART IN BROOKLYN, By Gabriel Harrison, Esq. 1105 THE AMATEUR DRAMATIC ASSOCIATIONS OF BROOKLYN, Compiled under the direction of the Editor. PHOTOGRAPHY IN BROOKLYN, .


1162


. Compiled under the direction of the Editor. 1166 THE HISTORY OF THE PRESS OF BROOKLYN AND KINGS COUNTY, By Hon. W. E. Robinson.


(Supplemented by the Editor.) 1169 THE BENCH AND BAR OF BROOKLYN, By L. B. Proctor, Esq. 1213


HISTORY OF THE MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS OF KINGS COUNTY, Compiled under direction of the Editor. 1194 NOTES ON LITERATURE AND SCIENCE IN BROOKLYN, . . By the Editor. 1301 THE SPORTING AND ATHLETIC CLUBS OF KINGS COUNTY,


Compiled under direction of the Editor. 1336


THE BENEFICENT AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS OF BROOKLYN AND KINGS COUNTY, Compiled under direction of the Editor, 1346


HOTELS AND BATHING ESTABLISHMENTS IN KINGS COUNTY, . 1358 GENERAL TRADE AND MERCHANDISE IN BROOKLYN AND KINGS COUNTY. 1362


LIST OF PORTRAITS.


PAGE.


PAGE.


Jeremiah P. Robinson


Facing 639


William Beard .


638


John S. Turner.


818


Franklin Woodruff


642


James Binns (dec'd) Facing 820


Abiel A. Low


647 Nathan Barney.


8258


Alexander E. Orr 648


Hon. Eben Moody Boynton Facing 825


827ª


Richard Harrison Laimbeer


652


Isaac A. Ketcham


Facing 829ª


James W. Elwell


66


656


Robert Speir


832ª


Daniel Ambrose, M. D


658


H. S. Christian


834


Charles Dennis


660


Horace F. Burroughs


836


Isaac F. Chapman


661


John Morton


837


James McChesney


662


Elbert Snedeker


Facing


838


Elihu Spicer, Jr.


663


Bernard Gallagher


838


Joseph J. O'Donohue


664


John D. Anderson


839


Timothy Hogan


667


George W. Brown


839


William Dick .. Facing


672


John Lee


840


William R. Taylor


680


George W. Brandt.


841


William Taylor Facing


685


James Rodwell,


841


James A. Taylor


686


J. W. Campbell


842


Daniel Y. Saxtan


687


William G. Creamer


692


William Cabble (deceased) . Facing


695


Edward Freel ..


843


Elijah Cabble "


696


John S. Frost 844


Harvey W. Peace 700


Enoch Ketcham


702


Leonard Richardson


713


John H. O'Rourke 847


Hon. William Wall.


"


719


Frederick Herr 848


Charles Wall (deceased)


720


John Doherty Facing


848


Michael W. Wall


721


Daniel McCabe


849


John Good.


Robert Thomas


850


William H. Mairs


60


727


Martin Worn


732


Benjamin C. Miller


Facing 855


The Fingleton Brothers (Patrick J., Henry W., and Hugh S . Facing


733


Edwin H. Burnett


856


A. S. Barnes Facing


741


Jacob Rapelye (deceased)


Facing 859


Hosea O. Pearce


745


Leonard Moody, (Biog. 860)


866ª


Henry O. Pearce


747 James C. Eadie.


"


860


George B. Forrester


Facing


757


William O. Sumner


861


Thomas C. Smith


766.


Ephraim J. Jennings


769


Julius Davenport 862


Michael Seitz.


773


Chester D. Burrows, Jr. Facing 864


Francis H. Holton Facing


774


Col. James McLeer 868


Alanson Trask


785


Hon. William H. Lyon Facing 874


Paul Weidmann


788


Augustus C. Tate 877


Edward Smith Facing


789


Gen. Alfred C. Barnes. Facing 878


Edwin Bulkley


880


James D. Leary . Facing


798 Aaron D. Farmer


66


883


Herinann Wischmann


801


Daniel C. Robbins.


884


Sylvester M. Beard 802


Jeremiah J. Rappelyea (deceased)


886


Robinson Gill 805


Joseph C. Hutchison, M. D.


894


Andrew D. Baird


805


Samuel Fleet Speir, M. D 895


J. K. Brick (deceased)


807


Llomer L. Bartlett, M. D 896


Abraham G. Jennings


809


Ferd. W. Ostrander, M. D


66


897


651


Charles Feltman (Biog. 199)


828ª


Gen. Francis E. Pinto


654


William Irvine Preston


Patrick F. O'Brien Facing 842


Thomas B. Rutan 843


John Rome. 845


James Weaver Facing 846


Benjamin T. Lynch


851


Chester Bedell


66


855


John S. Loomis 737 Lindsay James Wells


857


Nicholas Cooper 861


Ithamar Du Bois 792


George M. Eddy 795


Henry C. Hulbert


881


723


M. J. Seelig 816


Harrison S. Vining.


LIST OF PORTRAITS-Continued.


PAGE.


Cornelius Olcott, M. D. Facing 897


Hon. Thomas Kinsella (deceased). Facing 1185


Thomas P. Norris, M. D.


900


Col. William Hester


1187


George Wackerhagen, M. D


Facing


901


Hon. Wm. Erigena Robinson 1190


George R. Fowler, M. D


902


John T. Runcie. .(Biog. 608) 66


1192


Edward C. Mann, M. D


66


903ª


Maj .- Gen. Thomas S. Dakin (deceased) .. 1206


Edward S. Bunker, M. D 903


Thomas L. Smith, M. D


904


Hon. Benjamin F. Tracy. "


1222


Wm. M. L. Fiske, M. D 66


910


Hon. Benjamin D. Silliman 1229


David A. Gorton, M. D.


915


Samuel Bowne Duryea.


1232


S. T. Birdsall, M. D.


916


Gen. Harmanus B. Duryea


66


1233


Dennis E. Smith, M. D. 918


Samuel D. Morris


1236


Wm. H. Bowlsby, M. D


919


Thomas G. Shearman, Esq.


66


1275


Chauncey L. Mitchell, M. D.


933


Judge Calvin E. Pratt.


1278


John Byrne, M. D


934


George W. Fraim . 946


947


David Salmon Skinner


949


Tunis G. Bergen, Esq.


1286


Charles Claghorn Facing


960


Charles H. Rivers


962


Eugene G. Blackford.


Facing


967


Benjamin W. West


969


Rufus L. Scott


1291


Samuel L. Storer Facing


970


Samuel B. Miller


970


Hon. William H. Waring


1294


Rev. Samuel M. Haskins, D. D.


1008


Andrew J. Perry Facing


1295


Rev. Richard S. Storrs, D. D.


1016


Rev. Henry Ward Beecher 1020


Very Rev. William Keegan.


"


1047


Rev. Sylvester Malone. 1050


Rev. Thomas De Witt Talmage, D. D.


1063


Albert Woodruff. Facing


1091


Eli Robbins


1102


John A. Voorhees


1343


Amos Robbins 1103


Frederick Loeser


1104-


Gabriel Harrison 66


1152


Charles Storrs


1158


Augustus Young. 1160


G. Frank E. Pearsall Facing 1167


William H. Marston


1384


Hon. Demas Barnes 1172


Col. Henry E. Roehr


Facing


1175


Bernard Peters.


1177


John J. Hardy


Facing


1394


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


PAGE.


The N. Y. and Brooklyn Bridge-Frontispiece.


Atlantic Docks and Basin 636


The Niagara Direct-Acting Pump 684


Columbian Iron Works 685


E. W. Bliss' Machine Shop and Foundries 689


E. W. Bliss' Residence, "Owl's Head" ... Facing 688


The William Cabble Excelsior Wire Works 696


The H. W. Peace Co.'s Vulcan Saw Works. 699


Schwalbach & Obrig's Factory. 704


E. G. Webster & Bro.'s Silver-Plating Works 707


Wm. Wall & Son's Rope and Cordage Works .. 718


John Good's Ropemaking Machinery Establishm't 723


Wm. H. Mairs & Co.'s Paper Hanging Manuf'y. 724


Martin Worn & Sons' Furniture Warehouse 731


J. S. Loomis' Moulding and Planing Mill 736


D. Appleton & Co.'s Book Bindery 739


1296


A. Orville Millard 1297


Robert Van Buren, C. E. (Biog. 594) 1326


Nelson Sizer 1330


Julius E. Meyer 1333


Hon. Albert Daggett . Facing 1334


James Schenck 1345


1360


William Harkness Facing 1379


George W. Coger


1381


Ezra B. Tuttle Facing 1385


Charles H. Reynolds 1386


Isaac Van Anden (deceased) 1183


932


Hon. Jasper W. Gilbert


Lucien Birdseye Facing 1281


Winchester Britton


1283


E. H. Hobbs


1285


Hon. George L. Thompson


1288


Walter L. Livingston, Esq


1289


Timothy Perry. Facing 1290


Edmund Terry.


1292


Rt. Rev. Abram N. Littlejohn, D. D Facing


1012


John M. Stearns


Brewster Kissam Facing


Charles N. Peed


Louis Bossert 1383


1293ª


William Henry Dudley, M. D Facing


1240


Salmon Skinner (deceased)


Gen. Quincy Adams Gillmore 1207


PAGE.


PAGE.


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS-Continued.


PAGE.


PAGE.


Pearce & Hall's Hat Factory. 746


The Union Porcelain Works and Wares 763


Hetfield & Ducker's Cracker Manufactory 770


Charles A. Schieren & Co.'s Manufactory 781


George M. Eddy & Co.'s Manufactory. 793


O. F. Hawley's Manufactory 797


F. W. Wurster's Factory 800


John J. Green's Monumental Works. 804


Brooklyn Clay Retort and Fire Brick Works 806


A. G. Jennings & Sons' Lace Works 808


Charles S. Higgins' Soap Manufactory 811


Charles W. Held's Piano Warerooms 812


F. Rochow's Patent Compound Steam Engine. 822


August Moll's Manufactory 823


E. M. Boynton's Saw and File Co 823


Downing & Lawrence's Marine Railway 824


Barney's Automatic Dumping-Boat 826ª


Ketcham's Submarine Torpedo-Boat


828ª


Arms of the United States


"Sea-Breeze,"-Residence of S. F. Speir, M. D. Facing


895


"Fenimore"-Residence of H. L. Bartlett, M. D. Facing


896


St. Catharine's Hospital 928


Long Island College Hospital 929


St. Mary's General Hospital 934


Dr. Skinner's Residence


948


Packer Collegiate Institute 951


Adelphi Academy 954


S. John's (R. C.) College 955


Academy of the Visitation (R. C.). 957


Brooklyn Orphan Asylum. 973


First Building of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor


975


Present Building of same 975


The Graham Institution 976


The Brooklyn Nursery 977


The Baptist Home 978


Orphan House of the Church Charity Foundation. 979


St. John's Hospital, Church Charity Foundation, 979 Newsboy's Home. 980


Home for Friendless Women and Children 983


Hebrew Orphan Asylum. 984


Brooklyn Industrial Home 985


Brooklyn Industrial School and Home (E. D.) .. 985 Inebriates' Home 989


St. John's (R. C.) Male Orphan Asylum 991


First Reformed Church. 993


Greenpoint Reformed Church 996


Lee Avenue Reformed Church .


997


Cottage where the Lee Ave. Reformed Church originated 997


The Second St. Ann's (P. E.) Church 999


The Present St. Ann's (P. E.) Church 1000


Church of Holy Trinity (P. E.) 1002


Grace (P. E.) Church. 1004


Church of the Pilgrims (Cong.) 1015


Plymouth Church (Cong.). 1018


Plymouth Church Bethel (Cong.) 1021


Central Congregational Church 1025


Puritan (Cong.) Church. 1026


Sands Street (M. E.) Church 1030


Simpson (M. E.) Church 1033


First Place (M. E.) Church 1035


St. John's (M. E.) Church 1035


Fleet Street (M. E.) Church 1036


Willoughby Avenue (M. E.) Church 1038


Nostrand Avenue (M. E.) Church 1039


Grace (M. E.) Church. 1040


Central (M. E.) Church. 1041


Park Avenue (P. M.) Church. 1043


The Art Association Building.


1136


Organ in Tabernacle Pres. Church 1061


South Third Street Pres. Church 1065


The Old Franklin Avenue Pres. Church 1066


Lafayette Avenue Pres. Church 1068


Ross Street Pres. Church. 1069


Throop Avenue Pres. Church 1070


Memorial Pres. Church


1071


Noble Street Pres. Church 1072


First Baptist Church


Pierrepont Street Baptist Church. 1075


Central Baptist Church 1077


Washington Avenue Baptist Church. 1078


Greenwood Baptist Church 1079


Centennial Baptist Church 1079


Sixth Avenue Baptist Church 1080


Greenpoint Baptist Church. 1081


First Baptist Church (E. D.). 1082


St. Matthew's Eng. Lutheran Church. 1084


Church of the Savior (Unitarian) 1086


The Old Suydam House 1099


Mr. G. Frank E. Pearsall's Photograph Studio .. 1168


The Eagle Office 1181


The Garfield Building 1300


The Brooklyn Institute. 1303


The Long Island Historical Society's Building. 1305


The Pierrepont House 1359


Wechsler & Abraham's New Stores 1363


James Weir's Conservatories and Green-Houses. Richard Shannon's Green-Houses 1365


1364


James Dean's Green-Houses 1365


Johnston Bros.' Stores (4 cuts) 1368


John Harrison's Grocery Establishment


1369


A. & S. Haviland & Co.'s Stores 1370


Henry Schade's Silver-Plating Factory.


1372


Cowperthwait Co.'s Furniture Warehouses 1373


Jesse A. Crandall's Manufactory 1373


M. Webster & Sons' Warerooms 1374


Joseph J. Byers' Shoe Store 1376


William Harkness' Stores 1379


Louis Bossert's Manufactory 1382


S. Tuttle's Son & Co.'s Coal Yards. 1385


C. H. Reynolds' Coal and Wood Yards.


1387


1075


THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN.


BY


I.P. Brackett M.L


U NLIKE any other great seaport of our country, or the world, Brooklyn and the county of Kings has no separate existence as a port of entry; but, while possessing an unrivaled water front, with the most magnificent docks and piers in the world, and an unlimited capacity for expansion, till it may be able to receive and store the entire products of a continent, it suffers the humiliation of knowing that all this vast commerce is credited to New York City; and that there does not exist either in the New York Custom House, the reports of the Produce Exchange, or the New York Chamber of Commerce, or, indeed, in the records of any government or mercantile office, the data for giving to Brooklyn its quota of credit for her share in this immense traffic, which has no rival on this side of the globe.


Yet our statistics of the Brooklyn commerce as com- pared with that of New York-statistics collected with infinite labor and pains, and the comparison of the business of the largest shipping houses with the returns of the commerce of the port of New York, officially rendered, show the following facts, viz .:


1. That the arrivals and departures of shipping, both sail and steam, at the wharves, piers and docks of Brooklyn, are to New York arrivals and departures as 9 to 7.


2. That the grain receipts and shipments at Brook- lyn warehouses, and by ships loading and unloading at Brooklyn piers, docks and wharves, are in proportion of 76 to 24 of those of New York.


3. That the proportion of receipts and shipments of provisions is very nearly 80 for Brooklyn to 20 for New York.


4. That the receipts of raw sugars and molasses, from all quarters, go to the Brooklyn warehouses for transfer to the Brooklyn sugar refineries, almost wholly; hardly ten per cent. being received in New York.


5. That the receipts and shipments of cotton are nearly one-half at and from Brooklyn warehouses.


6. That the greater part of the petroleum oils, all ex- cept those for the refineries on the Jersey side, come


through the Standard Oil Company's pipes to the refin- eries in Williamsburg and Long Island City, and the shipments to foreign and to other American ports, go from the refineries direct on ship-board, without touch- ing New York city, either in receipt or shipment. The whole, or nearly the whole, of the petroleum traffic be- longs to Brooklyn.


7. The proportion of the receipts and shipments of general merchandise are the most difficult to ascertain. There are many large warehouses in New York which have, for a long term of years, received the bulk of certain articles known under this general denomina- tion; but it is doubtful if there are not more in Brook- lyn. In general, it may be said, that the greater part of the imported dress goods and dry goods come to New York warehouses; that, of imported metals-iron, steel, copper, lead, zinc and tin-about two-thirds come to Brooklyn; that teas and raw silk come generally to New York; but coffee, spices, cocoa, chocolate, flax, hemp, jute, cordage and the materials of which it is made, argols, medicinal barks, crude camphor, chemi- cals, bleaching powder, medicinal gums,dyewoods, dried and salted fish, guano, gypsum and fertilizers gener- ally, India rubber, indigo, madder, oils, sulphur, bread- stuffs, bristles, dried fruits, glass, leather and manufac- tures of leather, paints, potatoes, salt, provisions, salt- petre, seeds, soda and salts of soda, manufactures of tin, tobacco, and perhaps of spirituous liquors, watches, wool and woolen rags, belong more properly to the Brooklyn warehouses; while books, paintings, jewelry, perfumery, paper, cabinet furniture and woods, musi- cal instruments, etc., etc., are more generally sent to the New York warehouses. In general merchandise, while the bulk is very largely on the side of Brooklyn,


as nearly as can be estimated, taking the average of the past three years, New York city has about 44 per cent. of the values, and Brooklyn about 56 per cent. This covers the whole imports, and much of the ex- ports. We may remark, however, that the limited ex- tent and moderate storage room of the New York warehouses, which are contiguous to the docks and


634


HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.


provided with elevators, and other means of rapid loading and unloading, causes all of our exports which are of considerable bulk, to be brought to the Brooklyn warehouses, which are of immense and constantly in- creasing extent, and lying directly at the edge of the docks and piers, and can transfer entire cargoes to ves- sels without employing a single truck. Thus, one of the great shipping houses occupy 52 large warehouses, all on the Brooklyn side, besides extensive covered piers, still more convenient for loading and unloading. Another has 28 such warehouses. This is particularly true of the loading and unloading of grain for export. We have stated the amount of grain handled in Brook- lyn and put on board vessels at Brooklyn docks, as 76 per cent. of the whole; but we do not mean to be under- stood that the remaining 24 per cent. goes into New York warehouses. Not at all. We have serious doubts whether, as matters are now arranged, 1,000,000. bushels of grain go into New York warehouses in a year; that from the Erie, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, Lackawanna & Western R. R.'s comes to Hoboken, or Jersey City, and is taken up by elevators there in the warehouses on the Jersey side, and from thence trans- ferred to the ships. That from the Erie, Delaware and Hudson, Morris and Raritan canals, and from Albany barges, sailing vessels and steamers, goes mostly to Brooklyn direct, or is picked up by the floating ele- vators, and loaded on vessels either at Brooklyn or New York wharves and docks. The New York Central and Hudson River R. R. has one or more elevators of its own, but very much of the grain brought on its cars is lightered or brought by floating elevators direct to the Brooklyn warehouses.


In regard to the grain receipts and shipments, Brooklyn has virtual control of the trade. All of the regular grain warehouses recognized by the New York Produce Exchange are in Brooklyn All of the float- ing elevator companies are officered by Brooklyn men, and all of these elevators-thirty-four in num- ber-start from Brooklyn and bring grain for the Brooklyn warehouses, or load it upon vessels at the Brooklyn wharves. The president of the largest of these companies (the International), Mr. Annan, who controls 22 of these floating elevators, two of double capacity, is also a partner in the great grain house of Hazeltine & Co., the occupants of Dows', the Colum- bia, and the Kelsey stores.


The interests of Mr. George D. Puffer, President of the New York Floating Elevator Company, who run five floating elevators, are also wholly identified with Brooklyn. The same is true of Messrs. Heuberer, Knapp & McCord, W. D. Mangam's Son, Marsh, White & Co., and S. M. Cornell, who own, together, seven floating elevators. The entire storage capacity of all the stationary elevators in New York city, in- cluding those of the New York Central and Hudson River R. R. Co., is only 3,340,000 bushels, of which


the New York Central is 2,300,000 bushels. Those of Jersey have a capacity of 3,000,000 bushels. Neither of them is ever full. The Brooklyn stationary eleva- tors have a capacity of 20,000,000 bushels, and, as the Produce Exchange reports show, handled over 150,000,- 000 bushels of grain in 1882, and more than 200,000,- 000 bushels in 1881. But the grain trade, large as it is, is only one item of Brooklyn's commerce. Below Fulton Ferry, and between that and Fortieth street, South Brooklyn, are nearly twenty firms, many of them controlling large blocks of warehouses and pier sheds, who do a general merchandise business, some of them handling mainly imported goods, others both imports and exports. One of these houses already re- ferred to, Messrs. G. C. and J. P. Robinson, in 1882, in their 52 warehouses, received and shipped merchan- dise valued at $105,000,000. Another, F. Woodruff & Co., as the average of three years in their 28 ware- houses, handled $53,000,000. The receipts and ship- ments of the whole twenty firms can hardly be less than $325,000,000, and may exceed that amount.


But, aside from these, there are two large oil refiner- ies belonging to Bush and Denslow; five or six large lumber yards at the Gowanus Canal and Erie Basin ; two coal yards of great extent; two rosin yards; eight ship yards, four of them with dry docks, those of Messrs. William Camp & Son being the largest in the world, and one with an immense marine railway, suffi- cient to accommodate the largest ocean steamships; six piers for steamship lines landing their passengers and freight in Brooklyn; three inspection yards, one for tobacco, and two for pork, etc .; five large ferry slips for the Hamilton, South, Wall street, and the two An- nex ferries, to which should be added the Fulton ferry slip and the Bridge pier ; the two great flouring mill piers of F. E. Smith and Jewell Brothers, and one of the Knickerbocker Ice Company's piers. There are, moreover, extensive foundries, iron works, and pump- ing engine works, which ship their products from these wharves and piers. There is no separate record of the number of vessels which discharge or receive their car- goes at these piers and wharves, for the arrivals and clearances are all made at the Naval Office in New York, but there must be several thousands every year. We cannot obtain any definite statistics of the business transacted or the moneys received in these various commercial houses, but in some of them we know that it amounts to many millions.


If we go back one or two streets from the water front, we shall find, for nearly the whole distance, great manufactories, machine shops, iron foundries, etc., etc., whose products are all shipped from these wharves and piers.


Northward and north-eastward from Fulton Ferry to Hunter's Point, the piers and wharves loaded with merchandise, and the numberless vessels loading and unloading indicate that the commerce is very nearly as


635


THE COMMERCE OF BROOKLYN.


extensive as below that ferry, though of a somewhat different character. In the region we have already described, there were three artificial and one natural water courses and basins, stream and bay, to increase the water-front, viz. : the Erie and Atlantic Basins, Gowanus Bay and Creek, and Gowanus Canal. In the northern division (north of Fulton ferry), there are the Wallabout Bay, Basin and Canal, Bushwick Creek, and Newtown Creek and Canal. Of these, the first three and the last two add greatly to the water front of this portion of the city.


There are six ferries to New York on this portion of the water front, some of them having two or three termini in that city. It is noteworthy, also, that in this part of the water front, numerous and important as are the commercial houses directly fronting the water, the great manufactories, for two or three streets back from the shore, contribute an equal, or nearly equal, amount of their products to the commerce of the city.


Above the Fulton ferry and the Bridge pier, we have, first, two extensive coal-yards, and then long blocks of warehouses, known as the Fulton and Em- pire Stores. On the next street east are Tobacco In- spection Stores, the Fulton Sugar Refinery, Iron Works, Artificial Ice Machine Works, an extensive Brewery, etc. Next on the river front are cooperage and stave yards, Arbuckle's immense coffee and spice warehouses, and behind them, Taylor's foundry and engine works, Bliss' immense press and die works, Hardick's steam pump factory ; next on the river are Benton's steam and gas pipe works, Nathan's coal yards, the Jay street stores, the offices of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co., Crabb and Wilson's sugar refinery, Poillon's ship yard, and above these, the At- lantic white lead works, and the Brooklyn Gas Com- pany. On Plymouth and Water Streets, immediately behind these establishments, are a host of great manu- factories, all of them sending immense amounts of their products abroad, from the wharves below and the other piers and. wharves of Brooklyn. Among these, are the great color house of Sondheim, Alsburg & Co., the paint, color and varnish works of J. W. Masury & Son, the Averill Paint Co., C. T. Reynolds & Co., In- gersoll & Co., etc., etc., the Somers decorated tin works, the Paris white, whiting and cork works of Truslow & Co., Rochow's stationary engine works, one or two large breweries, Clayton's steam pumps, &c., &c.




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