Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 124

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 124

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At a meeting held March 22, 1884, it was re- solved that the corner-stone be laid on Whit- Tuesday, June 3, 1884. This stone, with appro- priate inscriptions, is the gift of Margaret Doane Gardiner, the Bishop's granddaughter. At the same meeting "a special subscription was author- ized for the columns of the new cathedral, to be memorials of churchmen eminent in Church and State." They are to be twenty-four in number, and to cost $1,800 each. Twenty-one have already been appropriated. As the day appointed for the laying of the corner-stone approached, the contri- butions in money (distinguished from the gift of land) were nearly $100,000-no one gift exceeding $7,500, that of Hon. Walter A. Wood.

According to the modified plans presented by the architect, the building to be erected for imme- diate use is in every part, except the roof, a por- tion of the completed structure and will be built up to a height sufficient for a good appearance and with accommodation for seating practically the same. The style is Gothic, or pointed architecture of the first period; the plan is a Latin cross formed by the choir and nave to the east and west respect- ively, and of a central crossing with transepts to the north and south. The choir is ninety-one feet long and thirty-five feet wide, and is planned in five bays or divisions, the two eastern forming the sanctuary. The nave is ninety-nine feet long, forty wide, and has narrow side aisles its entire length. The transepts are one hundred and ten feet in breadth from north to south (including crossing), and forty feet wide, forming a square crossing with the nave. The crossing has four great arches corresponding with those of the nave and transepts; and above them breaks by pen- dants into an octagon, in the manner frequent in the early Gothic cathedrals. The main features of the interior are the great pillars made up of grouped shafts and pieces in pure constructural style; they are of unusual size and will give excep- tional majesty to the perspective of the nave and choir. The main arcade upon them is simple, but can be at a future time enriched with carving. A triforium of coupled arches is carried along the nave and choir. Over this comes the clerestory with large coupled lancet windows in the nave and tracing in the choir; generally the choir has been given richer character than the nave, leading up to the traceried window in the square east end of the sanctuary. The western end of the nave has a rich circular window of radiating tracery. The side aisles are to be used as passages only; the nave is widened to the maximum, and the pillars are so arranged that none of the congregation are seated behind them. The heights of the interior

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are, from floor of nave to springing of arches of nave and transept vaults, forty-eight feet; to top of vaults, seventy feet; to top of ceiling of lantern over crossing, one hundred and thirteen feet; to springing of arches of choir vaults, forty-five feet; to top, sixty six feet. The proportions and methods of the octagon lantern are designed to avoid acoustic difficulties. The exterior walling is to be of Potsdam stone. The west front is flanked by towers with belfries and spires. The height to top of belfry is one hundred and thirty-six feet, and to top of finial, two hundred and three feet. The central tower, or lantern over crossing, is one hundred and forty-four feet high at top of masonry, and one hundred and eighty feet to top of finial cross. The seating capacity is for fifteen hun- dred persons, and there are one hundred and fifty- three stalls for the clergy, and fifty-four choir seats, making a total of one thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven persons. If crowded, the edifice would hold two thousand.

We have seen in the biography of Erastus Corn- ing, Sr., that through life he conscientiously gave his adherence to the Democratic party; that he became a power and a leader in that party; and it is easily seen that his son inherited the principles of Democracy, which have been strengthened by his own convictions as he has advanced in life and studied the best interests of his country. He be- lieves that the division of the people into parties is essential to the balance of elective institutions. Having, therefore, early selected for his support the party that was, in his judgment, most conform- able to the Constitution and the rights and liberties of the people, he adheres to his choice with all the tenacity of his nature. He has no confidence in half-way methods and expedients; whatever is right and proper, he holds is to be promoted by all legal, equitable, and proper means.

It would be natural that such a man should have large influence in the political field; and he does. He has never, however, sought official dis- tinction, although easily within his reach. As has well been said: "He is reluctant to abandon his business for the uncertain, and often unsatisfactory, honors of the political arena." We believe the only political position he has held was that of Dem- ocratic elector for the Seventeenth Congressional District, to which he was elected in the autumn of 1884. Though adhering, as we have said, with tenacity to his political opinions, he gives respect- ful and courteous consideration to the opinions of others. He is prominent in all that relates to the in- terests of Albany and its citizens, who hold him in the highest respect. His manners are unassuming; he is true to his friends and to his duties. Unselfish, he has secured the confidence and regard of the people of Albany, and this confidence and regard is largely shared by the people of the State. Be- side his important business relations already de- scribed, Mr. Corning is President of the Albany City National Bank; the Albany City Savings In- stitution; the Albany Rural Cemetery Association; and the Fort Orange Club. Was formerly a Water Commissioner and a member of the Albany City

Hall Commission. He has served as Alderman of his Ward, but has held no other official position except that of presidential elector before men- tioned. It will thus be seen that he is prom- inent in all that relates to the interests of Al- bany. In the fall of 1885 Mr. Corning was elected a Director of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad.

In 1850, Mr. Corning was united by marriage to Miss Gertrude Tibbitts, of Albany, by whom he had one son, his eldest child, Erastus Corning, Jr. Mrs. Corning died in 1869. In 1873, Mr. Corn- ing married Miss Mary Parker, daughter of Hon. Amasa J. Parker, of Albany. By this union he is the father of two sons and one daughter.

Mr. Corning is a practical man, and deals with men in a practical manner; he molds the influ- ences which surround him and subordinates all minor matters to the object he desires to accom- plish. In all that constitutes an active, intelligent, and high-minded business man, the typical enter- prising American, in the most laudable significa- tion of the term, he stands in the very front rank, pre-eminently the representative, public-spirited cit- izen, an honor to the age in which he lives.

HON. ELI PERRY.

Hon. Eli Perry, a distinguished citizen of Albany, Ex-Mayor of the City, and Ex-Member of Con- gress, was born in Washington County, N. Y., December 25, 1799, and died in Albany, May 17, 1881. He was a third cousin of the gallant Com- modore Perry, U. S. N., whom he resembled some- what in personal appearance. His early life was passed in Montgomery County, where his parents owned a fine farm and were considered prosper- ous people. When Eli was still a youth, his father sold the farm, and, with his family, removed to Al- bany, where he opened a tavern at the corner of Lion (now Washington avenue) and Swan streets. While engaged in this occupation, he took a con- tract to supply a portion of the American army with beef and other provisions. After the terms of the contract were fixed, the prices of provisions be- came very high, but, being thoroughly honorable, he held to the terms of his contract, and sacrificed all the property he had in the world. Young Eli was the eldest of six children-five boys and one girl-and it became necessary for him to assist in providing for the family. He cheerfully aided his father in the performance of his contract and was of great assistance to him for several years. He then took service with Elisha Wilcox, who kept a tavern in the old mansion formerly occupied by Governor Tompkins. By extreme frugality he saved from his wages, which were very small, dur- ing one whole winter the sum of fourteen dollars, and with this amount he determined to commence business. Mr. Angus, then a well-known grocer, encouraged the industrious and frugal young work- er, and gave him a corner in his store in which to open a butcher stall. Young Perry then hired an old stable near Henry Y. Webb's malt-house, where his neat cattle were killed, and proceeded at

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once to prepare his market for the sale of fresh meat. He attended closely to his business. Lim- ited in means, of course his purchases of stock were necessarily small. He bought from the ad- jacent farmers and turned over his capital every twenty-four hours. By care and good management he not only supported himself, but saved enough money to buy a horse and wagon, with the aid of which he was enabled to supply with meat some fifteen or twenty taverns, situated on the Great- western Turnpike, then the only highway of com- munication with the West. His business increased rapidly. Everybody liked to help the young man who was so assiduous in helping himself; who was so attentive to his business; who was so accom- modating; and who never thought anything he could do for them was any trouble. His business had increased to such an extent, that he could not always depend on the farmers to keep him supplied with the quantity he desired, and it became his practice to attend the cattle market at Mckown's. His purchases, however, were always very light, compared with those made by others. One day, his good friend, Mr. Fowler, told him to buy a good drove of lambs and come and see him about the payment for them. Eli went out to Mckown's and finding a nice drove, commenced examining them with a view to buying. The other larger dealers looked on in derision at young Perry com- peting with them in the purchase of some eighty or ninety head. They had already offered 9s. 6d. per head. Perry finally turned to Simpson, the owner, and said : "I'll give you ten shillings a head for them." He secured the lambs, and, when driving off, the others were very anxious to take his purchase off his hands at a premium. He went to Mr. Fowler and informed him of his pur- chase, when that gentleman sat down and drew a check for $100, " payable to Sheepskins or bearer," on the Mechanics and Farmers' Bank. This was the first time in his life that the boy had ever had a bank check in his hands. Mr. Olcott paid the money to Eli, who handed it over to Simpson, and they returned to Mckown's. Young Perry drove his flock out of the yards before all the dealers assembled there, feeling as proud and rich as John Jacob Astor, and from that day no brother dealer ever laughed at Eli when he proposed to buy stock. Mr. Perry's business was constantly increasing, and he found himself at times unable to accommodate his customers as fully as he desired. John Cassidy, father of the editor of the Albany Argus, was then a heavy dealer in cattle. He also took an interest in Eli, and told the drovers to "give that boy all the cattle he wanted, and he would be his security." Eli then applied to the Common Council for a license for a market on the corner of Swan street and Washington avenue, where Robert M. King's house now stands. This was secured, and, through Mr. Cassidy's aid, Eli soon had a market second to none in the city. He was now on the high road to fortune. He was prosperous in all his under- takings, and soon took rank among the heaviest dealers. Nevertheless, his business always received his individual personal attention, early and late.

The packing of beef in Albany, at that time, was done chiefly by John Russell and Ichabod Judson. Mr. Russell's establishment being offered for sale, Mr. Perry became its purchaser. He enlarged his facilities from year to year until he employed some seventy men. At times he packed from 80 to 100 head of cattle per day. It was while engaged in this business that Mr. Perry laid the foundation of his subsequent wealth. This business required large amounts of ready capital, and the late John Taylor, then carrying on the business of a tallow-chandler, frequently came to the assistance of Mr. Perry by indorsing his paper. Mr. Perry continued this business for some twenty years, making it more profitable each year. His business prosperity in- creased his wealth to such a degree, that he found himself possessed of a large surplus capital, which it became necessary to invest. Having the interest of the city in which he had so long been successful at heart, he felt it to be his duty to invest his capital in real estate. He entered upon these investments with the same spirit, energy and judgment which had characterized all his business transactions. He carefully studied the city and all its advantageous sites and localities. He took into consideration the interests of the city, investigated its municipal affairs, and made himself fully conversant with their management and their wants and needs. He very soon made himself master of these, and was recog- nized as such. In April, 1845, his fellow citizens of the Second Ward, appreciating his fitness for the office, elected him to represent them in the Com- mon Council. In politics he was a Democrat, and was nominated on that ticket; and although the Ward had given a Whig majority of 300 in the previous election, Mr. Perry's personal popularity was so great, that he succeeded in completely reversing it, and obtaining a sufficient number of additional votes to insure his election. In 1850 he was elected to the Assembly, and, while holding this office, was elected Mayor of the City of Albany. This office he continued to hold at various times for nearly twelve years, and during that entire period not one breath of suspicion of wrong-doing was ever charged against him. While Mayor of the City he performed a service, in conjunction with Mayor Kingsland, of New York, which elicited wide-spread commendation and thanks from all classes of citizens. A bad class of emi- grant runners had banded themselves together for the purpose of robbing emigrants. Their organiza- tion extended from New York to Buffalo, and the ringleaders had their quarters in New York and Albany. It was determined to break this gang up. But to do this required the personal action of Mayor Perry. Therefore, every morning by daylight, he was to be seen on the dock, with a few trusty policemen, driving away from the emigrants the robbers, and taking charge of them himself, sending or conducting them to honest stopping-places. This course was successful, and the disreputable business was broken up. Our adopted citizens, especially, appreciated this action very highly; but the runners, who held no little political influence, made it a pretext for bringing

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against him a strong opposition when he ran again for office. But Mr. Perry's popularity was alto- gether too great, and he was re-elected by a greater majority than ever. Many stories are told of his personal courage and daring, which alone would fill a small volume. In the discharge of his duty as Alderman, he was present on the occasion of a fire in Green street. While directing the firemen, a wall of hot bricks fell on him, completely bury- ing him from view. The engines near by, in their attempt to cool the bricks and thus save him from being burned to death or suffocated, poured such a volume of water upon them, that before he could be extricated he came very near death by drown- ing. Shortly after the War for the Union com- menced, a serious strike occurred among the laborers of the New York Central Railroad Com- pany; hundreds of armed men roaming the street, and finally assembling at the freight yard, then in Montgomery and Spencer streets, threatening to destroy all the property found there. Had the buildings been fired, as suggested by a few of the leaders, millions of dollars' worth of valuable prop- erty awaiting transhipment would have perished with the cars and freight-houses. The Mayor was at that time the head of the Police Force, and, with a posse of men, he hastened to the rendezvous of strikers, who were about carrying out the plans of destruction suggested by the leaders. He fear- lessly forced his way right into their midst; expos- tulated with them about their proposed lawlessness; and assured them that, while their rights would be respected, he, as Mayor of the City, sworn to pro- tect the peace and property of its citizens, would shoot down the first man who dare apply the torch. He remained with them the entire day, and the next morning no strikers could be found in the neighborhood of the company's depots. In a few days thereafter the men were at work quietly and peacefully. At a subsequent meeting of the ex- strikers, resolutions thanking Mayor Perry for the interest he had shown in their welfare, and for his firm, though kind, action in restraining them from deeds of lawlessness, and extending him pledges of their confidence and good-will, were unanimously adopted. How sacredly they kept this pledge was shown by their repeated evidences of love and high respect whenever they had the opportunity to man- ifest them. Mr. Perry's record as a good and worthy citizen -- one who not only took a deep interest in all charitable, religious, and educational institu- tions, but performed a share of the labor that is required to carry them on-is long and full. He took an active part in organizing the Orphan Asy- lum, which was started in the building on the cor- ner of Washington avenue and Swan street. He was a manager for a number of years, and until after the new building near the head of Washington street was completed. He was one of the first School Commissioners under the new law, and devoted twenty years of faithful service to aid every measure for the improvement and education of the children of the city. To this service he was partic- ularly devoted, owing to his high appreciation of the benefits of education. No expense, no facilities,

no encouragement, were, in his estimation, too great for this purpose. During the War for the Union, Mr. Perry took a very active part in the efforts in behalf of the Government. He was Chairman of the War Committee. He rendered great assistance, espe- cially in raising Company B, 91st Regiment, which company was commanded by Captain Stackhouse, who was formerly in his employment. After Cap- tain Stackhouse was wounded at Port Hudson and died, Mr. Perry had his remains brought to Al- bany and buried. He devoted much time and money to the welfare of the soldiers recruited in and about Albany, to whom he was well known. In recognition of his valuable services in behalf of the 43d Regiment, the following resolutions of thanks were adopted unanimously at a meeting of Company B of that command, held at Camp Griffin, Va., January 30, 1862.

" Whereas, The Hon. Eli Perry has proven him- self a warm friend of the Union, the Constitution and the laws, by his many acts of patriotism, his zeal and loyalty to his country; and

"Whereas, He has manifested so much interest in the organization of the 43d Regiment, N. Y. S. V. (visiting the barracks frequently and contribut- ing freely to make us comfortable during our or- ganization), and has been so particularly kind and friendly towards Company B; therefore

"Resolved, That Company B of the 43d Regi- ment, N. Y. S. V., recognize in the Hon. Eli Perry the gentleman, the patriot, and a warm friend of the Union, the Constitution and the laws of our beloved county; therefore

"Resolved, That Company B of the 43d Regi- ment, N. Y. S. V., shall hereafter be known and reorganized as the Perry Guards of Albany, and they do adopt that as the name of the company."

Mr. Perry was always regarded as a direct and faithful representative of the people, unselfish in his views, and with an eye to the advancement of the public welfare, to which he never failed to give his full support. Although a party man, he was so in the best sense, and at no time allowed himself to serve any clique or further any private interest. Pecuniarily he was independent, and, possessed of stern honesty, he stood far above the reach of any ring influence. Hence the municipal affairs of Albany were rarely better conducted than when under his administration.

Mr. Perry was Mayor of Albany at the time of the visit of Jenny Lind to America. On the ap- pearance of the great cantatrice in Albany, he pre- sented her to his fellow-citizens, and subsequently paid her many courteous attentions. Just previous to her departure from the city she called at his office, and gave him a beautiful chain as a keep- sake, and also the sum of $1,000 for the poor of Albany. At the time of the visit of Louis Kossuth, the Hungarian Apostle of Liberty, to America, Mr. Perry was also the chief magistrate of the city, and in that capacity presided at the meeting to wel- come the distinguished exile. Speaking for the citizens of Albany, he said:

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"Governor Kossuth: As chief magistrate of this city, the agreeable duty is devolved on me of bid- ding you a cordial welcome. The citizens of this capital-the capital of the most powerful and most prosperous State in the confederacy-rejoice at the opportunity now offered them of receiving you as their guest. They recognize in you the represent- ative of a principle to which freemen are always glad to do homage. They greet you as a distin- guished advocate of political rights-as a brother in the great contest for liberty -- who has struggled so powerfully for your country's cause. With deep emotion they extend their arms to welcome you to their hearts and their firesides. They watched with intense interest the changes of light and shadow in your national struggle. They rejoiced at your tem- porary success, and they mourned, oh, how deeply, the unfortunate issue of the conflict. But we have confidence that the progress of human affairs is on- ward. National and individual rights are becom- ing more thoroughly understood and more highly valued; and we trust the time is not far distant when Hungary, free and republican, shall take her proper place among the nations of the earth. On behalf of our fellow-citizens, allow me again, sir, to wel- come you to the capital of the Empire State."

Mayor Perry presided at the great welcome given by the citizens of Albany to General Mcclellan, just previous to the latter's nomination to the Presi- dency. In Joel Munsell's excellent "Collections on the History of Albany," mention is made of a remarkable instance of Mr. Perry's generosity in connection with the Washington avenue Baptist Church. Though he had an opportunity of dis- posing of his interest in the State street Calvary Church at a great pecuniary advantage, he pre- ferred to keep the sacred edifice in the hands of his brother church-members, and accordingly donated his entire interest in the building to the Washington avenue Baptist Church, who at once removed to State street. Again, in connection with the Pearl street Baptist Church Building, the edifice had actu- ally gone begging for a purchaser. In the mean- time, work on the new edifice on State street lagged for want of means, which the sale of the old House of Worship would bring. Finally, the trustees turned, as a forlorn hope, to Mr. Perry. He came to their rescue at once, and paid them the price- $35,000-at which the property had been in the market for months without finding a purchaser. He subsequently remodeled the building, and though great inducements were offered to him for a lease of the upper part of the building for theatrical pur- poses, he answered in the negative. He would not lend his aid in turning a church into a theatre. Mr. Perry was nominated by acclamation for the Forty- second Congress, and was elected by over 3, 000 ma- jority. He was likewise nominated for the Forty- third Congress, and again elected by about the same majority. Mr. Perry's career in the National Legis- lature was distinguished not only by his marked devotion to the interests of his constituents, but also by a careful attention to the interests of the country at large. A most important bill presented by him, in an able speech delivered in the House

of Representatives on the 13th of February, 1872, advocated the erection of public buildings in Al- bany by the National Government, on a scale com- mensurate with the present and prospective wants of that city. This speech, which embodied, in terse but vigorous language, a statistical presenta- tion of the population, industries, wealth, educa- tional facilities and growing importance of the capital of the Empire State, bore the impress of profound thought in every sentence. Its admirable common-sense view of the whole subject and its unanswerable logic, won an appropriation of $350,- ooo for the purpose specified, the sole condition imposed by Congress being that the City of Albany should furnish the site. On the passage of the bill granting the appropriation, Mr. Perry sent the fol- lowing dispatch to the Postmaster of Albany:

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 124

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452