A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 75

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188

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484

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

asked the people by their votes to pass judg- ment on his official course, he was again re- turned and during his second term still further illustrated the benefits of his non-partisan ideals. The high level he set in municipal ad- ministration still remains a beacon to those who are striving to perpetuate his methods in Brooklyn and introduce them elsewhere. To a great extent it was his four years' experi- ence in Brooklyn that guided the framers of the Greater New York charter in much of their work; but they overlooked the fact that instead of a man being appointed Mayor that honor might fall to a mere hub in a machine wheel, and that the hub would have to go just as the machine was directed by the more or less invisible hand at the lever.

Mr. Low was re-elected Mayor at the close of his first term, again by a narrow majority- I,842-receiving 49,934 votes as against 48,- 092 for Joseph C. Hendrix. When he retired at the close of 1885 he went to Europe and then took charge of the business of A. & A. Low, which he desired to close up. This he accomplished with success and tact. His marked success in public life and his rare ex- ecutive ability had however marked him out for high office, but he steadfastly refused to enter into the vortex of politics and so never proved an available man in the eyes of the party managers. He was a Republican in politics in national issues, but in local affairs he believed in being guided by business con- siderations. However, in 1890 he was elected president of Columbia College, and after much hesitation he accepted the office and threw himself at once into it with its varied and responsible duties with characteristic zeal. The work of the various institutions which made up Columbia was grouped under a single council, and it soon took a place among the great universities of the country. The man- agement of the negotiations which resulted in the purchase of the splendid site on Morn- ingside Heights and the removal there of the university was another task which he managed

with consummate skill, and he further showed his deep interest in the institution by present- ing it with $1,000,000 from his private fortune for the purpose of erecting a library building on the new site, now the most conspicuous of the many buildings on the university grounds. His work in this connection was stopped in the fall of 1897, when he became the candi- date for Mayor of the Greater New York on an independent ticket. After his defeat he resumed his labors in connection with the uni- versity, but he has held inany public appoint- ments, such as membership in the peace con- ference which met at The Hague in 1899.

It may be noted here, although beyond the limit of time laid down for the scope of this work, that in the fall of 1901 Mr. Low again received the nomination for the Mayoralty of Greater New York, this time from all parties except the regular Democratic forces. On accepting the nomination he resigned the presidency of Columbia and entered on a vig- orous civic canvass, which resulted in his elec- tion, together with that of his entire ticket. He entered upon the duties of the office of Mayor of Greater New York on January I, 1902.

As Mayor of Brooklyn Mr. Low held him- self completely free from party control and be- came the foremost exponent of the "business man in politics." His progress was watched with curious eyes by the managers and by the people. While it can not be said that the latter endorsed him much more strongly than the machine was able to find votes opposed to him, it should be remembered that every in- terest was arrayed against his success that had been accustomed to regard municipal govern- ment as a matter of dicker and deal, a scheme for spoils, soft jobs and various rewards for faithful party service. As Mayor he was in supreme control of the city's affairs, but he gathered around him as heads of departments a group of men in whom the public had con- fidence, and who, while responsible to him as the executive head of the municipality, were

485

THE SPLENDID CLOSING RECORD.

also directly responsible to the people for the departments committed to their care. The late John Fiske, the famous historian, whose death on July 4, 1901, was a terrible blow to Ameri- can letters, said in his work on "Civil Gov- ernment in the United States:" "This Brook- lyn system has great merits. It assures unity of administration, it encourages promptness and economy, it locates and defines responsi- bility, and it is so simple that everybody can understand it. The people, having but few officers to elect, are more likely to know some- thing about them. Especially since everybody understands that the success of the govern- ment depends upon the character of the Mayor, extraordinary pains are taken to secure good Mayors, and the increased interest in city politics is shown by the fact that in Brooklyn more people vote for Mayor than for Governor or President. ** The Brooklyn system seems to be a step toward lifting city govern- ment out of the mire of party politics."

But it can not be said that the Brooklyn idea in practice continued after Mr. Low re- tired from the office of Mayor. Toward the close of his second term the candidates put for- ward for the office were zealous and pro- nounced party men, General Isaac S. Catlin being at that time a Republican and Daniel D. Whitney a stanch Democrat, the "independ- ent" in politics being ignored, although Mr. Whitney, who had had a most successful ca- reer as a merchant, was a good example of the "business man in politics." The contest, however, was conducted on strictly party lines, but Catlin's party seemed to have a splendid advantage in Mr. Low's splendid Mayoral record. The result, however, was the election of Whitney by 49,002 votes to 36,905 given to Catlin, a majority of 12,097. Mr. Whitney was born at Oyster Bay in 1820. When he was ten years of age his parents settled in Brooklyn, and when ready to go to work he found employment in a grocery store; after- ward he went into the wholesale grocery trade on his own account. Previous to taking his

seat as Mayor he had served as an Alderman and for a time was President of the Board. He gave the city a clean administration, but the old charm of the Low administration was gone. Mr. Whitney was, after all, the nomi- nee of one of the local machines, and that machine was on its good behavior. But with the election of Alfred C. Chapin as Whitney's successor the machine began to feel it could do as it liked. His opponent, Colonel Andrew D. Baird, the nominee of the Republican party, with a splendid record as a business man, a large employer of labor and a veteran of the Civil War, made a splendid run against him, and was defeated by 882 votes, the figures being Chapin, 52,753 ; Baird, 51,871 ; but even this narrow majority gave satisfaction to the victor and his friends. However, it made the latter feel cautious for a while. Mr. Chapin had been prominent in Brooklyn's politics since settling there in 1873, the year after he had been admitted a member of the New York bar. He became president of the Brooklyn Young Men's Democratic Club, and through the influence thus acquired was elected a member of the Assembly in 1881, and re-elect- ed the following year. Possessed of a large fortune, he paid little attention to the practice of his profession and devoted himself solely to politics, having set before him as the goal of his ambition the Governorship of the State. His election and re-election as State Con- troller he regarded as steps in that direction, and his election to the Mayoralty of Brooklyn over such a candidate as Colonel Baird he re- garded as a stride. During his first term he gave the people a good administration, and strengthened the police system, increased the park area and in many ways proved that he fully appreciated the opportunities for improv- ing civic conditions and effecting improve- ments. The people endorsed his work, too, in a most flattering manner, for they re-elected him by a majority of 9,012 over Colonel Baird, who was once more his opponent. Some one said that Chapin's first term was for the people,

486

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

his second was for the Governorship. He be- came simply a tool of the local politicians, with his mind set on the Governor's chair. Somehow stories of scandals and deals began to crop out, but nothing substantial was proved against him or his associates until he and his Board of Aldermen had entered into an agree- ment to buy out the Long Island Water Sup- ply Company, a New Lots concern, for $1,- 250,000. There was loud grumbling all around at this manifest misuse of public money, and Williamı Zeigler and his counsel, William J. Gaynor, came to the front in a torrent of de- nunciation. The deal was in fact one of the most barefaced in the history of municipal gov- ernment since the time of Tweed. The water company was a half moribund concern even in its best days, its blant was practically worth- less and its franchises of small value to the community. Its stock had been a drug in the market at $25 a share, and found few purchas- ers at that. It was shown afterward that be- fore the city had closed its deal they were eagerly bought up, even $70 being paid will- ingly. When it was learned that the city was to pay $300 a share the reason of the demand for the stock among the politicians was not difficult to discover. The whole concern was worth, at the outside, it was claimed, not more than $62,500, and yet the city had agreed to pay a million and a quarter for it. Zeigler and Gaynor stopped the deal by an injunction. As a result of continued litigation the deal did not get through and was ultimately aban- doned. Its story, however, aroused a wide- spread feeling of disgust and by it Mr. Cha- pin's political story came to an untimely end. He even asked for a renomination to the May- oralty, but that was refused, for the simple reason that it was felt his defeat was a cer- tainty. So when the time came Mr. David H. Boody, a well-known New York stock bro- ker and member of Congress from the 20th (Brooklyn) district, was put forward in the fall of 1891 and was elected, securing 73,366 votes to 67,895 cast for Henry A. Meyer, the

Republican candidate. Soon after Mr. Chapin received a sop in the shape of an election to Congress from the district vacated by Mr. Boody, but his hold on the machine was loos- ened, his political end was at hand and he has long since ceased even to reside in Brooklyn.

Mr. Boody was born at Jackson, Maine, in 1837, and was educated for the law. After being admitted to the bar he settled in New York and entered the banking house of Boody & McClellen as clerk, the head of the firm be- ing his uncle. There he made rapid progress, was made a partner and the stock exchange member of the firm, and acquired a fortune. Before becoming Mayor he had served in Congress, and had been active in Brooklyn's Democratic circles, and in the Thomas Jeffer- son Association, the Brooklyn Institute, the Montauk Club and several other organiza- tions, literary and financial. Mr. Boody made a good Mayor ; his administration was clean, but when he presented himself as a candidate for re-election the people rejected him and chose Charles A. Schieren, the Republican can- didate, by about 30,000 majority. Mr. Schieren was born in Dusseldorf, Prussia, in 1842. He was educated in his native land and came to this country with his parents in 1860. In 1863 he became employed in a leather manu- factory in New York's famous Swamp, and five years later started in business on his own account, and in the leather trade, with a capital of about $1,000,-his own savings. Soon he established a trade that extended all over the country and controlled several extensive tan- neries. Mr. Schieren has resided in Brooklyn since his arrival in this country, and has taken an active interest in its religious, charitable and political affairs. He is, and has been for years, prominently connected with the Y. M. C. A., the Union for Christian Work, the So- ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani- mals, and the Young Women's Christian Asso- ciation. He lent effective aid in the raising of funds for the erection of the statues of Henry Ward Beecher and J. S. T. Stranahan. He

487

THE SPLENDID CLOSING RECORD.

was one of the chief organizers and has always been vice-president of the Hide and Leather National Bank of New York. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and trustee of the Germania Bank of Brooklyn. Of the career of Mr. Schieren or of his successor, Frederick W. Wurster, the last Mayor of the city of Brooklyn, this is not, however, the place to speak in detail. Both proved accepta- ble executives, but both are still prominent workers in the local Republican ranks, and in neither of their cases is the record of party activity closed. It is sufficient to say here of Mayor Wurster that he was born in North Carolina in 1850, but has resided in Brooklyn since he was seven years of age. Under Mayor Schieren he held the office of Fire Com- missioner, and he has long been prominent in Brooklyn's financial circles, including the Nas- sau Trust Company, of which he was one of the organizers.

During the opening years of the period now under notice the great subject of interest was the bridge. As has already been told, it was finally opened amid great eclat on May 24, 1883, and public curiosity drove thousands to become acquainted with its wonders. The excitement was not over by May 30, the first holiday following the opening, and the struc- ture was thronged. In the afternoon a woman fell on the steps near the New York end, car- rying with her several persons near, and a cry was raised that the whole concern was tum- bling into the river. Then ensued a wild panic, which, before it subsided, caused the death of about twelve persons, while about fifty were more or less badly hurt. It did not take long for order to be restored, but the incident showed how easily, even in an enlightened community, a senseless yet death- dealing panic could spring up.

But although the bridge was open and free to any one who chose to invest a cent, one had to walk over or indulge in the luxury of a ride in a private carriage, unless, indeed, one was able to negotiate a ride in a democratic

and friendly truck. But even in these few opening months of primitive locomotion the bridge proved most popular, and thousands made the journey across twice a day, while at night, lighted up brilliantly with electric lamps, it formed a most agreeable promenade. On September 24, in the opening year, the cable railroad across was opened to the public, and then it seemed as if the power of the structure was being worked to its fullest extent. The returns for the first year seemed to fully jus- tify a hope for the financial success of the enterprise. Up to November 31, when the books were closed, 4,250,000 passengers had used the promenade and 1,082,500 had been carried on the trains, and the bridge had earned $138,773. Five years later, in 1887, the figures were 2,664,415 promenade passen- gers, 27,940,313 on trains, and the earnings had increased to $850,724. After a while the promenade on the bridge was declared free, the railroad fare was cut to five cents for a couple of rides, and even less if one is capi- talist enough to invest twenty-five cents for ten passage tickets.

When this went into effect it was again felt that the bridge was being used to its full- est capacity, but the surface and elevated rail- road managers thought differently. Their am- bition was to cross the bridge, but every effort in that direction had been balked by the trus- tees. After consolidation, however, when the structure became a part of the political equip- ment, the use of the bridge was extended to the trolley lines and to the elevated roads, and became in effect a part of their system. The result of this great addition to traffic,- in the face of warnings uttered by Colonel Roebling and others,-was evident in ugly ru- mors of the stability of the structure. Several times it was reported by passengers that some- thing was wrong, but what it was no one who had experienced the something had en- gineering knowledge sufficient to explain what it was, and the officials spoke glibly about "simple cases of buckling." But on July 24,

488

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

1901, traffic on the bridge was peremptorily stopped by the police when it was discovered that twelve of the cable bands on the north side had parted and that there was other dam- age, the extent of which was not known. For a day or two traffic was continued solely on the north roadway.

The success of the Brooklyn Bridge led to others being projected, and at the date of this writing a second bridge is approaching com- pletion, crossing the river from a point be- tween South Fifth and South Sixth streets, Brooklyn, to the foot of Delancey street, Man- hattan. The towers are completed, the ap- proaches are being prepared and a beginning has been made with the work on the cables. A beginning has also been made with a bridge which is to cross the river at Washing- ton street, Brocklyn, to Peck Slip, Manhattan, and is to be much longer than the others, for the structure with its approaches will cover a distance of two miles, and the cost will be a "little" over $15,000,000. Yet another bridge will in time cross the river with a central tower resting on Blackwell's Island, so that ere long, between bridges and tunnels, communication between New York and Brooklyn will be easy from almost any point.

The success of the big bridge and the con- veyance to it of almost the entire system of travel have reduced the old Union Ferry sys- tem to a subordinate place in the economy of the city, and it may be said that since the open- ing of the bridge all efforts to improve the service have been abandoned. Even on the fer- ries least affected by the bridge the service and conditions have remained in statu quo, and the expectation is that bridge or tunnel traffic will make their patronage so fall off that their stockholders will abandon them, or most of them. Indeed, there is even a suggestion in the press that if their continuance is to be assured they will require to be taken over by the city and become a corporation asset, or a means of showing a corporation deficit.

In 1885 the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad

commenced running, and in 1888 the Kings County Elevated Road began operations. Bit by bit pillars were run up in all directions until by one or other of the existing five di- visions one can ride from Park Row, Man- hattan, to Coney Island, or to Jamaica, or Ridgewood without once leaving the road. The elevated railroad system in Brooklyn has not proved a financial success. The great cost of construction, the determined opposi- tion of the property owners in many of the streets pre-empted, the vexatious variety of lawsuits and a number of details which will easily occur to those acquainted with the inner workings of joint stock companies in their earlier stages, watered stock, etc., prevented the golden returns which the promoters so confidently predicted. Of course it was held, as usual in such cases, that time was on their side, that the city was extending steadily, that the roads were built so as to benefit by the extension, that the population was increasing, and everything was satisfactory so far as the outlook was concerned. But many averred that if the roads could only be conducted on a basis of honesty the present would be as comfortable as the future was rosy. But the future in reality only deepened the gloom and made matters worse. In 1892 the trolley sys- tem of street-car propulsion was introduced. The permission to erect poles and string wires had been granted on January 23; the Brooklyn City Railroad Company doubled its capital, to $12,000,000, in order to buy the necessary outfit to change all its cars from horse to electric power, and on November 7 the new motor vehicles were placed in service on Third avenue. The innovation was a suc- cess from the start, and within two years horse cars in Brooklyn had virtually disappeared, while new routes were constantly being opened up. This success, of course, militated against thie elevated roads and seemed to threaten the continued existence of at least some of the lines and the virtual bankruptcy of them all. Most of the surface roads were flourishing,

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THE SPLENDID CLOSING RECORD.

: such as the Brooklyn City Railroad, "Deacon" William Richardson's Atlantic Avenue road, but others, from one cause or another,-in only - a few cases failed from lack of public patron- age. When, however, the power of the trolley · and the great potentialities of the system began to be seen, a series of financial "arrangements" began to operate in Brooklyn's passenger tran- sit circles, which slowly, by due process of evolution, effected a great change in the aspect of affairs. In 1893 a corporation called the Long Island Traction Company bought out the Brooklyn Heights Company and in the following year the Brooklyn, Queens County and Suburban. In 1896 the Traction Company was merged in the Brooklyn Rapid Transit System. In 1893 the Nassau Electric Com- pany was formed, which took over the Atlan- tic Avenue road, the Coney Island, Fort Ham- ilton & Brooklyn and the Coney Island & Gravesend. As a part of the financial jug- gling the elevated roads were united into two companies. In 1898 a grand coup was effected by which the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company controlled the Brooklyn Heights Railroad, Brooklyn City Railroad, Brooklyn, Queens County & Suburban Railroad, Nassau Electric, Prospect Park, Coney Island Grave- send Railroad, Brooklyn Union Elevated Rail-

road Company and the Kings County Ele- vated Railroad Company.

This is virtually all the roads which pass out of the old city of Brooklyn, with the ex- ception of the Long Island Railroad and what is known as the Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad Company. The latter is really also an aggregation and includes the De Kalb Ave- nue, the Smith Street, the Van Brunt and Erie Basin and several other less important lines. Truly Brooklyn is abundantly provided with cheap and rapid transit.

In 1880 Brooklyn had a population of 566,663, and of these ·389,000 were natives of the United States; by 1890 it had been in- creased to 806,343 ; in 1895 it was reported at 1,055,378, but by that time it had added to its fold Flatbush, with 14.905; New Utrecht, with 10,778; Gravesend, with 9,939; and Flat- lands was practically in with 5,000, so that the entire city then had an estimated popula- tion of 1,096,000 and an area of 76534 miles. In 1896, when consolidation was effected, its population was estimated at 1,180,000.

The following table shows the number of new buildings erected each year, with their cost, character, etc., which forms one of the most magnificent illustrations of the wealth and progress of the city :

YEAR.

Total Buildings.

Estimated Cost.

Brick or Iron and Stone.

Frame.

Private Dwellings.

Dwellings for two or mote Families

and Chapels.

Churches

Houses.

School

Factories.

Workshops.

1852

1,934

$ 8,593,505

1,010

924

605

1893.

2,806

13,100,624

1,414

1,392

1,268

1,044

100

1854.

2.239

12,672 334

1,435

1,304

1,143

1,180

188G.

3.990

20 318,485

2.216

1,774

1,644

1,742

143

1888.

3,661

17,937.270

1,738

1,923

1.205

1.787

1889.

4.080

19,174 980

1,848

2,232

1,305

2.105

158

1890

4,355

22.026,612

1,951

2.404

1,385

2,259

143

1891.

4,140

21.123 544

1,871

2,269

1,357

2 080

16%

1892.

3,692

18,509.819

1.384

2,30

917

2 038

121

1893.

3,687

18,335,590

1,553

2,134

897

2,056

4.5

164

1894.

2,482

11,532,770

841

1,640

4.5.8

1,310

1895.

3,033

11,930,075

1,169

1,866

1,367

1896.

2,861

11,203,657

1,271

1,590

695

1,209

1885.

2 638

11.463,795

1,31%

1.261

1,070

1.03%

1887

3,875

18 004,325

1,752

2.123

1,372

1.749

139

490

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

Another evidence of the continued progress will be found in the following table of as- sessed valuations of real and personal prop- erty :

REAL.

PERSONAL.

TOTAL.

It should be remembered that the assessed valuation is, as a general rule, only about half the actual worth of the property. Another factor which should not be forgotten is that $166,759,427 in real estate was not included in the above, being exempt from taxation under the law. The list follows :

Baptist Churches. $ 1,472,400

Congregational Churches.

1,284,900

Jewish Synagogues

166,800

Lutheran Churches

749,100

The financial institutions of any city are probably the safest indexes to its real property, and the following returns of the various banks and trust companies, compiled a few months before consolidation, will give a clear idea of the tremendous volume of business trans- acted :

NATIONAL BANKS, BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN.

INSTITU- TIONS.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 75

Author: Ross, Peter. cn Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1188

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188