USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Albany bi-centennial. Historical memoirs > Part 23
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TO THE MAYOR, COMMON COUNCIL AND OTHERS OF THE BI-CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE :
What a wonder ! What a crime ! What a shame ! Two hundred years ago the Dutch settled here to commence life in an independent way. After being here a short time by trading with the Indians, who were then the aborigines of the country, they became rich, and like all others, thought they must have servants, and not being able to make such out of the American Indians, they sought other fields to procure the requisite laborers. After a short time Africa was proposed by some inhuman, although Virginia had already commenced the African slave trade. This method of involuntary servitude was carried on in this State until about sixty-eight or sixty-nine years ago, when the Legislature of the State abolished the diabolical system of slavery. This, however, in one sense was true, but taking into consideration the many disadvantages that the descendants of Ham labored under, on account of color, and their former condition, we might almost as well have remained as we were. But the Bi-centennial has brought about a great change. To-day, that once persecuted race,
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meets here on one broad platform, and independent with all nations, we have met for the purpose of commemorating the settling of Albany, and to perpetuate the celebration of the Bi-centennial. And we, as a part and parcel of this great Republic, in common with others, purpose to plant an elm, with appropriate tablet attached, to show our affiliation with and approval of this movement.
Mr. Robert J. McIntyre then followed with a stir- ring speech in which he accepted the tree from Dr. Thomas E. Elkins, who raised it from a seed. He said :
Dr. Elkins: As the chairman of the Colored Citizens' association of this ancient and honorable city, it affords me pleasure to be the Albanian to whom the duty of the receipt of this tree from your hands should fall. You have spent the greater part of your life-now well up in the limit mentioned in Scripture as the time allotted to man-upon this part of the great State of New York known as Albany. When this place was but a wyck, or place of rest, as its name implies, there were among its inhabitants many people, mainly Ger- mans, who, though not the first to settle in this new world, still had foresight enough to sail up the Hudson in search of a new land flowing with milk and honey. Time will not permit a complete recital of the history of this our native city at this time, still, as you have stated, many years ago the African race which we, in part, represent, were found here serving as servants to the farmers having secured these rich lands from their original owners, the Mohawk tribes of Indians, and were proceeding to till its soil and improve it in every manner till it has reached so near a state of perfec- tion as you find around and within its borders to-day. It is not my purpose to undertake to relate a history of this city or our connection with it; yet, I desire to say that in answer to those ignorant negroes who were anxious to know of me the color and style of our flag, I point them with pride to the starry flag, whose bright stars and broad stripes float a warning to all who train under or claim any other, and wish to tell them that in Africa, where all of our forefathers came from involuntarily, there was no civilization, no education, no houses and no flag, and that having served and fought and bled and died on America's shores we, too, have a right to
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feel at home under its flag, which is our flag, and though we appear to-day in line as colored people, we are the second best Americans, and I am proud to say, Albanians.
I notice that the present of this tree, whilst it marks an era in the history of Albany, is actually presented to the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of Albany. I accept it, therefore, and feel sure that its future welfare will be looked after, and that the people who plant it will exemplify in a strong degree some of its characteristics, foremost of which is its sturdiness. We, like this elm tree, have come here to stay, Our German friends have here erected one to mark their part in the celebration of the two hundredth year of our city's birth. To them I say in closing, that for courtesies extended to us in this Bi-centenary, we return thanks. We know them as a noble, generous, hospitable, loyal people, and I add the hope that this fresh bond of reciprocal union between them and us may soon tie us as firmly together as the ivy does the tree around which it loves to cling. I cannot let this day pass without calling to your minds a fault in connection with this park. Within this piece of ground many of us have shed many bitter tears upon the graves of loved ones. In my own time I have followed more than a dozen rela- tives to their graves, and here in sight of this place stands the largest tree within this park, an elm at that, and it was planted by my mother when it was but a switch about fifty years ago. Joining with you in the hope that this tree may grow to be so large as to attract attention, I thank you for the patience with which you have listened to my feeble remarks.
The exercises closed with singing "America." The tree and assemblage was then photographed by Mr. Ashton.
SCOTTISH GAMES.
A GLORIOUS DAY FOR THE CALEDONIANS.
The Scottish games at the Fair grounds in the afternoon, under the auspices of the Caledonian club, attracted several thousand people. All trains and horse cars running in that direction were crowded
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The crowd kept increasing until nearly five o'clock, and it is estimated fully 6,000 men, women and children were scattered about the grounds. All kinds of sport was available. In the main hall Parlati's orchestra furnished most excellent music for dancing. The dance hall was liberally patronized. The princi- pal attraction, however, was the athletic exercises by the representatives of " Bonnie Scotland," who were present in large numbers. The Highland pipers were numerous and attracted much attention. It was nearly three o'clock before the events of the afternoon were started. The contestants were mostly professionals and the records are consequently of the best. The events contested and the winners of the first prizes, which varied from five dollars to fifty dollars, follows :
Best Highland costume, gold medal valued at ten dollars, won by W. S. Mitchell, of Albany; 200 yards race, for members only, Thomas Kirkpatrick ; putting heavy stone, S. D. McLean, thirty-seven feet ten inches; running hop-step-and-jump, Barrows, forty- one feet; hop-step-and-jump, extra for members, Hyslop, thirty-seven feet eleven inches ; putting light stone, O. Clark, thirty-six feet seven inches ; running long jump, Barrows, twenty-one feet eleven inches; throwing light hammer, O. Clark, ninety-seven feet two inches; hitch and kick, Slader, nine feet ten inches; half mile race, Hyslop, two minutes and fifteen seconds; mile race, Grant, four minutes and nineteen and a half seconds; tug-of-war between eight men captained by James Cochrane, and a like number captained by George Cruikshank, was won
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by Cochrane's men. Following was the team: Wil- liam Blackburn, James Kirkpatrick, Robert Lockhart, James Gow, Silas Brewster, Reginald Kirkpatrick and A. Salmond. Bag-pipe competition, Sinclair Swan- son ; tossing the caber, Johnson, forty-one feet and seven and one-half inches; best highland fling cos- tume, Malcom McNeil; throwing heavy hammer, Cattarnech, eighty-nine feet ten inches; hurdle race, Barrows ; vaulting with pole, tie between Kirkpatrick and Clark, nine feet and seven inches each; running high jump, Johnston, five feet seven inches; sword dance, Sinclair ; five-mile race, James Grant, Boston, twenty-five minutes and twenty-four and a half seconds.
THE AQUATIC CARNIVAL.
FIRST DAY OF THE REGATTA AT PLEASURE ISLAND.
The weather and water experienced during the first day of the national regatta of the Amateur associa- tion could hardly have been more suitable if it had been especially ordered for the occasion. The severity of the sun's rays was most pleasantly miti- gated by clouds that threatened rain, but which considerately withheld their burden with the exception of a few scattering drops, which did no harm and provided a little pleasant employment, as the spec- tators sought the friendly and convenient shelter of the pavilion. The rain came late and in so small a quantity that no harm ensued, and the people were soon back in their positions on the stand and along the front of the island, placidly awaiting the next
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event on the programme. A pleasant and exhilara- ting breeze blew on the island during the greater part of the afternoon, but with hardly sufficient force to even ripple the surface of the course over which the contests of the day were so stubbornly fought.
The referee was Mr. Harvey K. Hinchman, of Phila- delphia, and a member of the executive committee, Mr. Parker W. Page, judge at the finish, and Messrs. E. Stanley Foster and R. O. Morse as time-keepers. The referee's boat was the tug Susie, while the guests of the committee occupied the Fuller, and the repre- sentative of the press was the Wotkyns, which had been placed by the committee in charge of Mr. Charles J. Hailes.
FIRST HEAT OF JUNIOR SINGLES.
The weather was lowering, but the rain that threatened kindly held off. The water was in good condition, wind rather flawy from the west, and tide in the ebb. These men started: I. O. W. Dyer, Crescent B. C., Boston, Mass; 2. M. T. Quigley, Institute B. C., Newark, N. J; 3. Thomas Hield, Pioneer B. C., Brooklyn, N. Y .; 4. B. J. Mullins, Albany R. C.
The start was at 1 : 50 P. M. Quigley led from start to finish, Mullins being beaten by only a length. Time, 8 : 59; Mullins, 9: 034.
THE FIRST HEAT SENIOR SINGLES
was started at 2 : 20, and was a magnificent struggle The following three started, the water being in better condition than in the first heat: 1. Peter Snyder, Mutual B. C., Albany, N. Y .; 2. Edward J. Mulcahy,
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Mutual B. C., Albany, N. Y .; 3. John D. Ryan, Bradford B. C., Boston, Mass.
Mulcahy got the best of the start, and soon settled down to a long, powerful, pretty sweep. He took the lead from the word go, and was not headed, though he apparently had hard work to stay in front until the heat was finished. As they swept past the grand stand it was almost impossible from the press boat to say who was leading. Mulcahy apparently had a little the better of it. So it proved, the judge at the finish deciding that Mulcahy had won by half a length. The time was: Mulcahy, 8: 31}; Ryan, 8: 334; Snyder, 8 : 414.
SECOND HEAT, JUNIOR SINGLES.
There were three starters in the heat, as follows : I. Edward Hinton, Union Springs Am. B. C .; 2. W. J. Gugerty, Cohoes B. C .; 3. James L. Berry, Boiling Springs B. C., Rutherford, N. J .; 4. H. How- land, Cornell University Navy, Ithaca.
The heat was one of the prettiest imaginable. Berry's time was 8 : 58, Howland's, 8 : 58}, Hinton's, 9:06}, Gugerty, 9: 30. Howland was given the heat and will row in the final. Berry was disqualified.
THE SECOND HEAT, SENIOR SINGLES, was to have been between the following: J. J. Dono- hoe, Nautilus R. C., Hamilton, Ont .; E. J. Carney, Institute B. C., Newark, N. J .; James L. Nolan, Elizabeth B. C., Portsmouth, Va. Nolan, who was also entered for the junior race, remained out. Dona- hoe almost paddled over the course in front of Carney, winning in 8: 49}, Carney, 8 : 53.
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THE THIRD HEAT, JUNIOR SINGLES,
followed and had four starters, as follows: I. Elmer Van Benthuysen, Amber B. C., Amber, N. Y .; 2. James L. Nolan, Elizabeth B. C., Portsmouth, Va .; 3. William J. Gleason, Albany R. C., Albany, N. Y .; 4. John F. Dailey, Bradford B. C., Cambridgeport, Mass.
Dailey got considerably the best of the start, and was not headed during the heat. Nolan pressed Dailey very hard, and the latter won by only a few feet, after one of the closest and most exciting fin- ishes of the day. Van Benthuysen was third and Gleason fourth. The time was: Dailey, 8:47}; Nolan, 8:472 ; Van Benthuysen, 8:52. It was the first race in which Dailey ever started.
The next event was the third heat of senior singles with these starters: I. D. P. Nowlan, Albany R. C., Albany, N. Y .; 2. S. Scholes, Amateur R. C., To- ronto, Ont .; 3. Martin F. Monahan, Albany R. C., Albany, N. Y.
It was expected to be a great ráce, and proved to be such as far as it went, though it was marred near the finish by a very unfortunate foul. When Mona- han and Scholes were both heading for the east shore, and well in toward it, their boats came to- gether and remained locked despite all their strug- gles. Meantime Nowlan, while the two faster men were quarreling, went on and won the heat in 8:493. The referee promptly disqualified Scholes, who was clearly out of his water, and under regatta rule 23 decided to allow Monahan to compete in the final heat.
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THE FOURTH HEAT OF JUNIOR SINGLES
was another very close and pretty contest. It had these young men as starters: I. T. F. Hill, Crescent B. C., Boston, Mass .; 2. M. Shea, Don Amateur R. C., Toronto, Ont. ; 3. F. G. McDougall, New York A. C .; 4. L. S. De Zouche, Laureate B. C., Troy, N. Y.
The race all the way was between McDougall and Shea. The former led off and won the heat handily by several lengths. De Zouche and Hill had a pretty race for third place, Hill resigning in favor of the Trojan opposite the anchored barges. The time was, McDougall, 8:49 ; Shea, 9:03 ; De Zouche, 9:13.
The last heat but one of the day was the conclud- ing trial heat of senior singles. These two started : J. F. Corbett. Farragut B. C., Chicago, III .; J. J. Ryan, Bayside R. C., Toronto, Ont.
Corbett, the Chicago giant, had no difficulty what- ever in showing the Canadian the way over the mile and a half course. Corbett's time was 8:464; Ryan's 8:57.
FAIRMOUNT WINS THE FOUR.
The four-oared race, the last of the day's pro- gramme, had these starters : 1. Laureate B. C., Troy, N. Y. : A. W. Harrington, bow; F. S. Holly, 2; W. T. Williamson, Jr., 3; E. B. Williamson, stroke. 2. Nautilus R. C., Hamilton, Ont. : William Wark, bow ; Charles Furlong, 2; Donald Irvine, 3 ; D. Donohue, stroke. 3. Fairmount R. Association, Philadelphia,
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Pa .; W. H. Brownell, bow; N. Hayes, 2; H. A. Root, 3 ; J. H. Boyer, stroke. 4. Argonaut R. C., Toronto, Ont .: R. Mckay, bow; Oliver Murphy, 2; A. G. Thompson, 3; J. W. Hogg, stroke.
Fairmount led off, rowing a beautiful stroke, the Trojans a close second, and working in excellent form. The Canadians steered badly near the finish, and the Philadelphians won by a couple of lengths in 8 : 014, Agronauts 8 : 072, Laureates 8: 22. Nautilus not timed.
FRATERNAL EMBLEMS.
IMPOSING PARADE BY SECRET ORGANIZATIONS.
The spirit of jubilation ran to the highest pitch, when the secret organizations made their march through the city. The additional color of evening illumination had been given to the occasion.
The parade was through home avenues, and dem- onstrated that the decorations made by our citizens at their residences were equal in unanimity and excel- lence to the superb displays of our principal business streets. Antique buildings vied with modern in their illumination, and Greek fire shed a halo over land- marks two hundred and nineteen years old, untouched and standing intact with the primitive finish of age that we revert to as sacred. Lanterns blazing with decorative hues threw light across bronzed tablets to live for centuries as the permanent establishment of historical fact.
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THE FOUR FLOATS.
The parade was headed by Grand Marshal H. H. Russ, Jr., and his staff, followed by the Twenty-first regiment band, of Poughkeepsie, twenty-one pieces. After this came Canton Nemo, No. I, I. O. O. F., in command of Maj. Henry Reineck, with forty-five men in uniform. There were also many other mem- bers of the order from different lodges in the ranks in citizens' dress. The floats were four in number, and each one possessed much beauty and artistic merit. They were accompanied by uniformed attend- ants bearing hugh lamps and burning colored fire, making the scene, as a whole, of the greatest brilliancy. The first float represented "Friendship," and was an illustration of the well-known story of David and Jonathan a huge rock rises from the float, and grouped around this are "Jonathan," Mr. J. D. Robertson ; " David," Mr. R. H. McDonald, and the latter's armor bearer, represented by William Skinner. The second float represented " Brotherly Love." Upon the sward is stretched the Israelite who " fell among the thieves," and leaning over him and binding up his wounds is the Samaritan. The latter character was taken by Augustus Bowers, and the Israelite by George Wentworth. The third float was entitled "Truth," and represented the interior of a temple. Seated upon a throne was the high priest, Charles H. Gamble, and gathered around in their picturesque and striking costumes were the priests, represented by Henry Goertz, Charles Swart, Fred Mayers and Emil Reinkee. The banner bearers were Herman Ryders, Edward Stroebel Benjamin Nelligar and
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Lyman B. Harvey. All of these floats were con- tributed by the Odd Fellows of the city, and were constructed by John J. Carlin & Co., scenic artists. The fourth and last float, which did not wheel into line until the corner of Lark and Washington avenue was reached, represented the execution scene from Damon and Pythias, showing the interior of the coun- cil chamber. The king was represented by N. M. Wemple, the executioner by T. J. Markay, Pythias by T. Guardineer, and Damon by E. Guardineer. The two marshals in uniform were James Hotaling and G. H. Guardineer. This float was contributed by the Knights of Pythias, and was constructed by Prof. Blair, of the Leland. The entire parade was, perhaps, the most novel which has yet been seen in this city, and it reflects great credit upon its origina- tors.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21ST.
CIVIC DAY.
MORNING. - Parade of local and visiting civic organizations, Knights of Pythias, Uniformed Odd Fellows, Albany Fire Department, Exempt Firemen, Visiting Firemen, Singing Societies, Political Clubs, etc.
AFTERNOON. - Second and last day of National regatta.
EVENING .- Historical pageant, with special refer- ence to Albany.
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RECEPTION OF THE ENVOYS FROM HOLLAND AND THE UNIVERSITY OF LEYDEN AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
Shortly before the great procession of civic day started, a most interesting ceremony was performed at the mayor's office in the city hall. Dr. T. Blom Coster, deputed to represent officially the govern- ment of Holland and the city of Amsterdam at the Bi-centennial celebration, Chevalier T. Antonius de Jonge and Mr. Hermanus J. Coster, jr., representing the University of Leyden, arrived the previous after- noon by the day boat and were met by a deputation of the citizens' reception committee. After dinner at the Delavan the distinguished visitors were driven through the city to the park, where the concert was in progress, and subsequently to the city hall, from the balcony of which they witnessed with the mayor the procession of secret societies. Subsequently they were informally entertained at the Fort Orange club. In the morning at nine o'clock about twenty mem- bers of the Holland society of New York and fifteen members of the Holland society of Albany, decked with orange and gold badges, assembled at the mayor's office to participate in the formal reception of the city's Dutch guests. They reached the city hall in carriages accompanied by Gen. Robert Lenox Banks, Ald. Hitt and other members of the committee, and were escorted into the mayor's room. Dr. Coster presented a distinguished presence.
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When the gentlemen in turn had been introduced to the mayor by Gen. Banks, Dr. Coster stepped forward and read the following address :
TO THE WORSHIPFUL MAYOR AND THE CORPORATION OF ALBANY :
We the burgomaster and wethouders of The Hague tender our hearty greetings on the feast that the city of Albany celebrates in honor of the day on which, two hundred years ago, she by charter gained the privileges of a city.
We rejoice at the continually increasing prosperity which your city has experienced since that time and wish it a long and bright future.
We greatly appreciate the honor of your patriotic invita- tion to participate in your festivities and most willing charge our fellow citizen, Dr. Timon Henricus Blom Coster, to offer personally our congratulations.
In your invitation you mention Albany was founded by Dutchmen, and at the eventful time you celebrate most of its inhabitants, many of whom had been born in Holland, still adhered to the language and tradition of the Fatherland.
It fills us with deep gratitude that you acknowledge how the character of your ancestors and their principles may have contributed to form the foundation on which succeed- ing generations have built your grand republic, attributing to them the handing down to posterity its greatest blessing - independence and freedom.
This conviction finds in us, like you, emulating our common forefathers, hearty and warm sympathy, and draws closer the ties of love and veneration which link us to your noble republic, whose greatness and prosperity is our most cordial wish.
PATIJN BURGOMASTER, E. EVERS, Secretary.
When he had concluded he presented the mayor with the handsomely illuminated original address on parchment, the translation of which he had just read. He also indicated with his left hand five handsome volumes 'bound in white vellum of the history of
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Amsterdam, and a large case containing about fifty large photographs of The Hague and Amsterdam, the mother city.
When he had concluded, Mayor Thacher stepped forward and said :
DR. COSTER AND GENTLEMEN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LEYDEN :
As the chief magistrate of this ancient city I bid you a hearty welcome. We are not so narrowed by our own importance as to be forgetful of our honorable ancestry, and your presence with us, clothed as you are with official dignity, makes us deeply sensible of the honor which the govern- ment of the Netherlands confers upon us. We thank you for these valuable and interesting volumes relating to the chief city of your country, a city which once christened with its own name the chief city of our own land. We shall keep these books as very precious things, and their possession and the possession of these addresses shall keep us in constant memory not only of the courtesy and friendly interest of the Netherlands, Amsterdam and the university of Leyden, but of the pleasant gift-bearers whom the present occasion makes known to us.
Gentlemen, it needs no token of material form, no offer- ing of intrinsic value, no costly remembrance to tell us you were thinking of our city and its origin at this hour when we are rounding a most important and interesting period in our municipal existence. We never think of our own origin, but we sing the praises of the Netherlands. We recognize in the commercial activity, in the sturdy independence and indomitable will of the mother country, those elements of character which in the New Netherlands wrought mighty works and which have preserved for us and incorporated into our national life the public and civic virtues we now believe we somewhat possess. Industry, you gave us as an inheritance. That love for fairness which demands and imparts justice, came to us largely from the Low Countries. Liberty and tolerance ran in our veins, mixed with our Dutch blood. The tireless, dogged insistence upon free- dom, right and truth with which William the Silent, three hundred years ago, worked out the independence of the
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Netherlands, preserved these principles for two centuries as mighty tools which in the hands of Holland and Dutch decendents helped work out the independence of America.
Gentlemen, in your beautiful city of The Hague in that many-sided tower which adorns the greatest of your churches are hung thirty-eight bells. These bells ring out over the canals and through the linden trees and fall on the ears of stranger and traveler within your walls, with pleasant melody and friendly greeting. The light of this very day was ushered into our city with thirty-eight guns. These guns were intended to welcome and salute you, but they had another and higher significance. They represented the thirty-eight states which are strongly interwoven into our American Union. It was here, in this Dutch city, that the Union was first suggested one hundred and thirty-two years ago. Your country gave us many of the tools with which in this new world we have builded our present municipal and national structures. If we have used these tools well, wisely, successfully, let us rejoice together and share in the glory.
Gentlemen, we feel highly honored that not only the gov- ernment of Holland and the municipality of Amsterdam should so highly consider us, but that the great University of Leyden, which is a century older than our own city, and which has given to the world men who have thought out for it great thoughts, and who in science, philosophy and litera- ture, have opened new paths and smoothed old ways, should have likewise so greatly honored us. Again I bid you welcome, and in the name of our city desire you to convey our thanks and our hearty appreciation of their courtesy and good will to the authorities of The Hague, the city of Amsterdam and the University of Leyden.
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