Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 147

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 147

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COMMERCIAL INTERESTS OF ALBANY.

National Hotel on Broadway, the first German hotel in Albany.

The principal hotel in West Albany is the Drovers' Exchange, of which Richard Scully is proprietor.

THEOPHILUS ROESSLE

was born near Stuttgardt, in the Kingdom of Wur- temberg, Germany, March 19, 1811. His father was a contractor and a market-gardener and vigneron, and a man of importance in his community. Like all the children in his native kingdom, young Roessle received a good education, and from his early boyhood he was familiar with the peculiarities and cultivation of plants-for the uses of the plow, spade, hoe and pruning-knife were made known to him in turn, as he became large enough to be of service on the farm. He was born with a spirit of venture and enterprise, and early conceived a strong desire to visit the New World, of whose wondrous opportunities he had heard so much, and in 1825, when only about fourteen years of age, he came to this country. He had relatives in Boston and New York, to whom he made a brief-visit, at the expira- tion of which he set out to see the country at large. Civilization was much more circumscribed in its boundaries in the New World than it is now, and Rochester, N. Y., was only a small place on the Western frontier. With another lad he found his way thither, but at Utica the baggage of both was lost, and they were left penniless in a land of strangers. His companion sickened and died in Rochester, and young Roessle, dispirited and care- worn, painfully trudged back on foot to Utica, in the bare hope of recovering his lost trunk. It was a fruitless errand, however, and he turned his face toward Albany again. For many a weary day he walked in his worn shoes, without a change of rai- ment or a penny in his pocket, a strange lad in a country where he could not make his commonest wants known except by signs. He arrived at length, foot-sore and weary, at the last toll-gate on the Schenectady turnpike, and while he was speculat- ing on his chances for a breakfast, a farmer drove his team up to the door of a tavern close at hand, and, beckoning the lad to him, got him to hold his horses while he went in to eat his breakfast. For this service the boy was paid a sixpence, an insig- nificant sum, yet it was the foundation of a fortune.

Arrived in Albany, young Roessle met a little girl selling matches, and inquiring of her for her father, was led to a dirty room in a dirty street, where the girl's father, an old Swiss, and his wife and several children slept on straw. Roessle ob- tained the privilege of a night's lodging, and the next morning, finding that a few inches of snow had fallen during the night, he borrowed a shovel of the old man and went out to earn some money. He made a dollar and a half that day, and the next earned a like sum by sawing, splitting and piling some firewood. He then got a job of sawing a dozen cords of wood for an old Dutch dominie, and while he was engaged at this work, the attention of old Dr. Peter Wendell being attracted to the

diligence of the lad, a bargain was made by which Roessle was to have his board, two suits of clothes and $40 in cash per annum, in return for sweeping out the doctor's office and riding his rounds with him. He was thus employed nearly four years, and then went out to a small farm on the Western Turnpike, which he leased for a term of years from his employer. He now began market-gardening on a small scale, feeling his way and using his little capital to the best advantage. An English landscape gar- dener named Searstook board with him, and Roessle employed the opportunity afforded by the long win- ter evenings to learn as much of Sears' beautiful profession as he could. The following spring he was employed to lay out the place of Mr. John Prentice, and the work was so well done that a number of lucrative jobs were in succession offered to and accepted by him. Uniting the two trades, working hard early and late, and living with the strictest frugality, Roessle accumulated property and bettered his circumstances by slow degrees. The quality of his vegetables became at last so well known that his marketing business increased, until he was forced to abandon landscape gardening al- together. Celery was his heaviest crop, for he not only retailed but jobbed it out in Albany, sold it at wholesale to other gardeners, and supplied Wash- ington and Fulton Markets in New York, the river boats, the Saratoga hotels, the Catskill Mountain House, and the City of Schenectady. From 1835 to 1840 he sold an average of a thousand bunches a day. It is probable that he could raise then as fine a crop of celery as he has raised since, but as he could never succeed in keeping it over winter, he was no better off than his neighbors. It was only after failures, losses and disappointments that he discovered the simple expedients detailed in " How to Cultivate and Preserve Celery," a useful little volume which was issued in 1860 as the first of a series of "Hand-books on the Cultivation of Culi- nary Vegetables." Mr. Roessle's gardening was begun on seven acres, but as his sales increased he leased other land, and used successively fifty, a hundred, and a hundred and sixteen acres.

In 1840, he bought his place on Central avenue, where he has built one of the most elegant and comfortable residences in Albany, in the midst of a great expanse of land which is under cultivation in season, and is supplied with the latest and most extensive facilities for vegetable cultivation. Thus Mr. Roessle is enabled to provide a home supply of vegetables to the various hotels with which his name has become associated, and do considerable market-gardening besides.

After a time, notwithstanding the success which had crowned his efforts in America, the desire of Mr. Roessle to again behold his native land and the faces of his kindred grew so strong within him, that he was impelled to make a visit to the father- land. He visited his family near Stuttgardt, and made a tour of Europe. What he saw abroad made him still more firmly believe that America was the land best adapted to poor and energetic men. The trip cost him all his money, except a bare hundred dollars, with which he got back to Albany. His

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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

credit was so good that he had no trouble to get what land he needed, and he went to work again in good earnest. That year there was a severe drought in Southern New York, and vegetables were very scarce and very dear in the market. With characteristic shrewdness, Mr. Roessle bought up all the crops about him in advance, and from their sale and that of his own produce realized a clear profit of $2,000. This made him again a free man, and he has kept so ever since, ranking high to-day among the wealthy citizens of Albany.

In 1849 he opened negotiations for the lease of the Delavan House. At that time the hotel was poorly conducted on a cheap plan by a man against whom Mr. Roessle had a claim considerable in amount on account of vegetables furnished him, and with whom he became joint owner of the lease of the house. It was not long, however, before Mr. Roessle became sole owner of the lease, and he then inaugurated the system which has since made the house one of the most famous hotels in the United States. He made improvements of all kinds constantly until he had realized his own lib- eral idea of what a hotel should be, and began to reap wealth as his reward. In 1865 he disposed of his lease to Mr. Charles E. Leland, but repossessed himself of it in 1882. In the meantime, in 1866, he had bought the Hotel Fort William Henry at Lake George, and in 1869 assumed control of the Arlington House in Washington, D. C., thus becoming as extensively engaged in the hotel busi- ness as almost any man in the United States, and managing first-class houses exclusively. In the management of these great enterprises he has long been ably assisted by his son, Theophilus E. Roes- sle, and his grandson, Edward Roessle, son of the latter. The business is now carried on by the firm of Theophilus Roessle, Son & Co., Mr. Roessle, though still retaining a large interest, having prac- tically retired from business. The Delavan House is ably managed by Mr. Edward Roessle, and the Hotel Fort William Henry and the Arlington House are under the skillful supervision of Mr. Theophilus E. Roessle.

Mr. Roessle was married in 1831, at the house of his early and staunch friend, Dr. Wendell, to Miss Jane Booth, an Englishwoman, who died March 5, 1850. In May, 1851, he married Mrs. Maria Hurlburt, who is still living. His career has been a remarkable one, and may be fitly pointed to as an example to all aspiring young men. It has been a career in which industry, integrity and perseverance have wrought their allotted tasks and reaped their legitimate rewards. Mr. Roessle's life may be re- garded as a life well spent His motto through life has been, "Honesty, industry, economy and en- durance." In his declining years he numbers his friends by thousands, and not a few of them are among the foremost men of our land. He is one who sympathizes with the struggling poor, and it is said that his encouragement of such worthy ones has many times gone far beyond kind words, and that more than one man looks gratefully back to the time when in Theophilus Roessle he found a friend indeed. Such men are blessings to the world,

and their examples cannot but inspire the faint- hearted with courage, and make still braver the strong and resolute. No one begrudges success to such men, and their successes always bring added pros- perity to all with whom they come in contact. Every step ahead that they make opens a way for the advancement of many who are less self-reliant and less far-seeing.

PUBLIC HALLS.

Albany is and always has been deficient in the number, capacity, and architecture of its public halls.

The old Academy of Music stood in South Pearl street, near Beaver. It was built in 1825, and used as a public hall and theatre. It was 116 feet deep, 60 feet wide, and 40 feet high. The auditorium consisted of a pit and three tiers of boxes, a portion of the upper tier being used as a gallery. The stage was 58 x 52 feet. Bad man- agement on the part of the managers caused it to be closed in 1839, shortly after which it was sold to St. Paul's Episcopal Church. In 1862 it was again sold to Mr. Trimble, of New York, who opened it as a public theatre, under the name of Trimble's Opera House in 1863. It was destroyed by fire in 1868. The Leland Opera House sprung from its aslies.

Tweddle Hall was built in 1860, and destroyed by fire in 1881, since which the present Tweddle building was erected without a hall. During the years of its existence, Tweddle Hall was the favorite place for nearly all popular lectures, school anni- versaries, and other large public gatherings in the city, whether of a social, literary, scientific, mus- ical, political, or theatrical nature. Since the de- struction of Tweddle Hall, Albany has had no hall ample and desirable for large assemblies.

Bleecker Hall, 529 Broadway, is the headquar- ters of the Burgesses Corps, and sometimes used for fairs and dancing parties.

Music Hall is now leased and occupied by Jacobs & Procter, although it once competed with Tweddle Hall for patronage of the same class. A Skating Rink on Lark street has lately been fitted up to aid in meeting the public demand for a larger hall. There are many halls of small size adapted to societies, clubs, social parties, and such like. The Female Academy and the High School have halls for their own convenience, rarely rented.

In earlier times the hotels had halls amply large for the public needs; and, for some purposes the halls of State and city building, and even the audi- ence sittings of churches, were occupied by public assemblies.

POLICE DEPARTMENT.

During the early history of Albany, from the grant- ing of the charter in 1686 to 1851, the maintenance of order, the enforcement of the laws and ordi- nances of the Common Council had, in all ordinary cases, devolved upon the constables appointed by the Board of Aldermen. The charter of 1686 pre-

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COMMERCIAL INTERESTS OF ALBANY.

scribed that one high constable and three sub- bordinate constables, one from each ward, should be yearly appointed. In 1737 the number was increased to two constables in each ward. Among their duties were the collection of taxes, the keep- ing of the pound, and at least one officer was re- quired to be on duty on Sunday. For many years no regular salary was attached to this office, and the only pay received consisted of regulated fees. At what time they began to be salaried offices we are unable to learn. The first High Constable of whom we have record was Anthony Bries, appointed in 1696; immediately following him were William Hogan and Johannis Harmesen. Constables in the early part of this century began to be designated as Police Con- stables. In 1827, the duties of these officers had so increased that the Constables asked the Com- mon Council for increased pay, since the duties required all their time.

In 1810, the Police Office so-called, was located at the corner of Steuben and Montgomery streets. In 1816 it was removed to the southwest corner of State and Pearl streets. It was afterward re- moved to the basement of the City Hall, where it remained until 1845, when it was ordered by the Common Council to be removed to Centre Market, the site of the present city building, the headquarters of the present Police Department. In 1851, the laws relating to the establishment of a police force in Albany were enacted, under which the system was organized practically similar to its existence to-day.' It consisted of one Chief, four Captains, four Assistant-Captains, forty Policemen, four Doormen, and six Constables. John Morgan was made the first Chief of Police. During the first year of the existence of the new force, 1,067 arrests were made. The expense of running the department for 1852 was $27,000. Under the laws of 1851 the force was maintained until 1856, when it was reorganized.

The Police Department is now under the entire control of the Police Board, which consists of the Mayor, ex officio, President, and four Commissioners, two of each party, elected to serve four years. With the exception of the Commissioner, who serves as Secretary, for which he receives a yearly salary of five hundred dollars, they serve without pay.

The city is divided into five precincts, each of which is in charge of a Captain, two Sergeants, and one Roundsman. The First Precinct includes that part of the city south of Hamilton and east of Eagle street, extending to the river and south end of the city. Force, twenty-two Patrolmen; Station, No. 59 South Ferry street.

The Second Precinct line extends along the river from Hamilton to Quackenbush street, up Quackenbush and Clinton avenue to Lark, through Lark to Spruce, to Eagle, to Hamilton, to the river. Force, twenty Patrolmen; Station, City building. Here is also located the office of the Chief of Police.

The Third Precinct includes all of the city north of Clinton and east of Lexington avenues. Force, twenty-two Patrolmen ; Station, 799 Broadway.

The Fourth Precinct line runs from Eagle through Spruce to Lark, thence to Clinton avenue, to Lexington Avenue, and along the south line of the city to Eagle. Force, twenty Patrolmen ; Station, 153 Lancaster street.

The Fifth Precinct includes all that part of the city limits west of Lexington avenue. Force, twelve Patrolmen ; Station, 284 Central avenue.

The entire police force of the city consists of the Chief, salary $2,500 ; five Captains, salaries $1,200; twelve Sergeants, salaries $1,coo; ninety- one Patrolmen, salaries $900; five Detectives, with a Captain; five Station-House Keepers ; four Police Court officers ; one Property Clerk ; one Police Surgeon; total, one hundred and twenty-six men. The annual expense of running the depart- ment is about $125,000. The number of arrests for 1884 was 4, 893, of which 1, 940 were for drunk- enness ; 753 for assaults in the third degree ; 324 breaches of the peace ; 231 for vagrancy.

In 1820, the duties of the Police Justices had become so much of a sinecure in the estimation of several of the magistrates, that they expressed their willingness to perform the duties without salary, and a resolution was offered in the Common Coun- cil to discontinue the payment of salary to that officer. But the resolution was lost by a vote of eleven to six. The Board then elected Philip Phelps and Teunis Slingerland, Police Magistrates. After this date John O. Cole, - Kane, Cicero Loveridge, Isaac N. Comstock, Sylvanus H. H. Parsons, John W. McNamara, William K. Clute, John C. Nott, Myer Nussbaum, and John Gutman have held the office of Police Justice. Mr. Clute has held it for many years so judiciously as to re- ceive the confidence and support of all parties, and continues to so hold it.

John Morgan, Amos Adams, George B. John- son, Campbell Allen (Superintendent of the Old Capitol Police), John Molloy, and Thomas H. Willard have held the office of Superintendent or Chief of Police.

The Captains and Sergeants have been too numerous to mention. Among the best known and popular we may name John Domery, Robert Davidson, Harmon Bowers, George W. Oliver, Michael E. Riley, George M. Hagadom, Frederick E. Bailey, Henry C. A. Sauer.

JOHN ORTON COLE, than whom no one so long or more worthily honored the post of Police Justice, was born in Sharon, Conn, October 5, 1793. His father, William Cole, served in the Revolutionary Army, and married Thankful Orton. While he was yet a mere lad, John O. Cole removed, with his parents, to the State of New York, and for a short time resided near the village of Catskill. He then removed to the town of Duanesburgh. At thirteen years of age young Cole came to Albany to learn the printer's trade in the office of Solomon Southwick. The simple routine of the printer did not satisfy the active energies of his mind, and, while working at his case, he employed much of his time in reading law. In 1818, after passing the required examination, he was admitted to the Bar.

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February 22, 1821, he was appointed by Gov- ernor Clinton, Justice of the Justices' Court and Justice of the Peace. This office he held almost uninterruptedly for nearly fifty years. In connec- tion with this he will be best remembered. Prior to 1846 the office was appointive, but when it be- came elective, he was nominated for his former position and elected. So remarkable was his fit- ness for the office; so faithfully did he administer justice; and so greatly did criminals fear him and just men respect him, that party lines were ignored, and he was elected many times without opposition. In June, 1870, Mr. Cole tendered his resignation as Police Magistrate to the Common Council, an office he had so long and so faithfully filled.

For many years Mr. Cole was prominently iden- tified with the Public Schools of Albany as School Commissioner, as Member and President of the Board of Education, as Member and President of the Board of Public Instruction, and Superintend- ent of Public Schools. In all these positions he was regarded as a most painstaking official and a valued friend of public education and educators. The present High School owes its existence more to his exertions than to those of any one man.

At an early age Mr. Cole evinced an interest in military matters. During the War of 1812 he was a Sergeant in Captain Henry Snyder's Company. He was a member of the Albany Military Associa- tion, and a member of General Stephen Van Rens- selaer's staff, with the rank of Major. It was in the latter capacity he accompanied General Lafay- ette during his tour through this State. He was one of the original members and the first Captain of the Albany Burgesses Corps, with which organi- zation he remained until his death.

During the Civil War he held positions under Governor Morgan relating to organizing military companies, and was often consulted by the Gov- ernor in relation to military matters. In the Ma- sonic order he was especially prominent, having been connected with it in Albany continuously from 1820.

In his religious life he evinced the same thorough earnestness that was shown in his official. In politics he was never a partisan.

In 1817 Mr. Cole was married to Eleanor H. Sharp, to whom four children were born. In 1830 Mrs. Cole died, and in 1831 he married Adelaide Dougherty, who still survives him. Thirteen chil- dren were born to this marriage, seven of whom are still living.

Mr. Cole died January 1, 1878, respected and esteemed as a useful citizen, whose long life had been spent in honorable deeds.

When the Capital Police Department was organ- ized, Captain CAMPBELL ALLEN was appointed first Superintendent, and discharged the duties of his office for four years with great vigor and executive capacity.

Mr. Allen was born in Nelson, Madison County, N. Y., February 8, 1830, and had the Yankee blood of Ethan Allen, and the Scotch-Irish blood of Richard Montgomery in his veins. His eager- ness for knowledge made him a constant student

of the English, German and French languages and literature, in which he made himself a proficient scholar. He was very fond of the study of ethics, philology, psychology and geography, and was familiar with such writers as Herbert Spencer, John Stuart Mill, Hamilton, Kant, Voltaire and Hum- boldt. After teaching district schools, he taught in Cohoes, and afterwards ten years in the Albany Grammar Schools with marked success. In 1861 he enlisted in the Ellsworth Regiment, Forty- fourth N. Y. S. V .; was Captain of Company F; served four years, and was breveted Major for bravery and ability. During his term he served some time as Provost-Marshal of the Fifth Army Corps.

He was a useful citizen and a genial and faithful friend. His death from apoplexy was very sudden, occurring October 7, 1877.

Captain Francis E. Bailey was born in Coleraine, County of Antrim, Ireland, October 21, 1841. He came to America when he was six years old, and resided with his parents in St. John's, Philadelphia, New York City, and Toronto until the death of his mother in 1855. Until the War of 1861 he was engaged in various ventures on river schooners, on the Erie Canal, on the farm, and on voyages by sea. He enlisted in the U. S. naval service, in which he honorably and bravely served for his three-years' term of enlistment on the frigate Wa- bash, which went into action at Hatteras Inlet and Port Royal, and on the monitor Montauk, which was several times in hot fights in Charleston harbor. He returned to Albany and worked as a blacksmith until he was appointed Patrolman on the Capital Police Force in 1865, upon which he has served with uncompromising fidelity to law and order ever since. He has followed up many noted criminals, whose career had baffled detective skill, and arrested and brought them to justice. He has held the rank of Sergeant of Police during about ten years. His whole service has been honorable to himself and useful to the city.

Captain George W. Oliver was born in Bethle- hem, Albany County, May 29, 1844. Enlisted in Forty-fourth N. Y. S. V., Ellsworth's Regiment, September, 1861, and served with great distinction as Corporal for three years in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac, including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Spottsylvania. At the latter place, when he saw the regimental color-bearer shot down and the flag in danger, he, with great promptness and daring, ran and seized it, and safely bore it aloft until the battle was over. He has served faithfully as Patrolman, Sergeant of Police and Cap- tain in the Albany Police for twenty years past without a blot on his record.

The venerable Elisha Mack deserves special men- tion. We prefer that he speak for himself:

"Prof. TENNEY: I herewith reply to your kind re- quest. I was born on the 7th of February, 1811, in Windsor, Berkshire County, Mass. In the spring of 1812 my parents removed to a village in the town of Watervliet, known as Washington. In 1816 we came to this city. On the 4th of March, 1819, my mother died, and I was sent to my paternal

MAYORS OF ALBANY.

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grand-parents in the town of Middlefield, Hamp- shire County, Mass., where I lived about four years, when I returned to my father's house. I attended the following named schools in this city: the Lan- caster, Miss Jenks', and Mr. Moulton's. When about sixteen years old, my father had a silver French watch stolen. A few days after the occur- rence I saw two young nien engaged in swapping watches. I approached toward one of the men, whom I at once accosted: 'I guess you can tell me where my father's watch is?' The watch had a picture on the dial, which I described. The stranger told me he had seen the watch. It was thereby recovered.

"In 1838 I was appointed a police officer. The police records kept by the Magistrates-Cole, Kane, Comstock, and Loveridge-will show that I have been of service by making important arrests. I ascertained the name and home of the Pye rob- ber. In the spring of 1856 I was superseded as a police officer by John Maloy.

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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 147

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