History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 23

Author: W.W. Munsell & Co., pub; Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather); Cooper, James B. (James Brown), 1825-; Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918; Street, Charles R. (Charles Rufus), 1825-1894; Smith, John Lawrence, 1816-1889
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 677

USA > New York > Suffolk County > History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683 > Part 23

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As an editor he was noted for his sparkling, incisive style; while as a paragraphist he elicited praise from all who could appreciate keen wit, delicate humor, and polished satire, united to inexorable logic. During his editorship the Babylon Budget gained an extended repu- tation for its originality, its fearlessness, its fairness and its scholarship, and his exit from the editorial chair was sincerely regretted. He is a man of convictions, never concealing his sentiments on any of the great questions of the day; and in party matters he is recognized even by his foes as one of . the few politicians who stand by their party for principle rather than for pay.

He is fond of music; is an excellent violinist, and possesses instruments of rare value.

He holds a conspicuous place in the masonic fraternity; is an active Odd Fellow; is a counsellor. of the Long Island Historical Society, and a member of New York's famous Lotos Club.

In 1869 he was elected county judge and surrogate of his native county, and conducted the office with accept- ance to the bar, while winning respect from all who transacted business in the courts over which he pre- sided, by his dignity, courtesy, judicial fairness and official independence and discrimination. At the end of his term he declined a renomination on account of the inadequacy of the salary, and returned with renewed vigor and increased knowledge to his professional work, in which he is now actively engaged.

JACOB CONKLIN.

The oldest house in the town, perhaps in the county, is situated near the Huntington line. It was built by Captain Jacob Conklin, who was impressed on board of Captain Kidd's ship and served under him on one of his voyages. On Kidd's return from his last voyage, and while his vessel, the "San Antonio," lay in Cold Spring Harbor, Conklin and others, having been sent on shore for water, hid themselves and did not return to the ship. Doubtless they feared Kidd's arrest and trial, and dread- ed lest they might be punished with him. They were for some time secreted among the Indians. Conklin pur- chased a large tract of land from the natives, of which the farm late the property of Colonel James F. Casey is part, and upon which the venerable mansion above allud- ed to is situated. The house was probably erected about 1710, and every part of it bears evidence of its antiquity. The high hill behind the dwelling commands a splendid though distant view of the ocean and bay. Near by are several fine springs of water, one of which is said to be of medicinal character.

Captain Jacob Conklin was born in Wiltshire, Eng- land, probably in 1675, and died at his residence in this town in 1754. His wife was Hannah Platt of Hunting- ton, by whom he had several children, among them Col- onel Platt Conklin, who was an ardent patriot during the Revolution. The latter had only one child, Nathaniel, who was sheriff of the county. He was the third owner of the premises above described. This property de- scended to the grandchildren of Sheriff Conklin, thus having been owned by four successive generations of the family. It has since been owned by Dr. Bartlett, for- merly editor of the Albion, Colonel James F. Casey, and Ulysses S. Grant jr., the present owner.

* Only those of Captain Jacob Conklin and Henry Placide were writ- ten by Mr. Cooper.

From Photograph by Bogardus

P.H. Faster

PRINCE H. FOSTER.

Prince Hiller Foster, of Babylon, was born August 10th 1812, in the town of Pleasant Valley, Dutchess county, N. Y. His father, John I. Foster, was born in what is now Babylon, when it was a part of Huntington. His grandfather was a Hempstead man, living but a short time in Huntington, when he returned to Far Rockaway, where he died. His grandfather on his mo- ther's side was Prince Hiller, of Rhode Island. The Hillers were Quakers. His father went to Dutchess county when about 21 years old, and settled in that part of Pleasant Valley called the "Nine Partners." He was a weaver by trade, and left Queens county because he heard that the land up the Hudson was so rich it needed no manure. This he found to be a mistake.

The subject of this sketch when a boy spent very lit- tle time in school, not more than two years in all. At the age of 16 he was bound as an apprentice to learn the shoemaker's trade, which poor health obliged him to quit after two years. Then he shouldered his axe and went out to chop cordwood at from 25 to 31 cents per cord. After a rough and tumble experience of a few weeks of this work he hired to a farmer December Ist 1831 to work a year for $85, which contract he faithfully performed.

streets. He staid there one month and then engaged with Thomas McCormick in the same business on the corner of Prospect and Gold streets, at $6 per month and board. Here he worked eleven months, suffering all the time from poor health. He then worked a while in a crockery store in New - York at $ro per month and board. This was in the cholera season of 1834.

About this time, although his father had brought him up a Democrat, he concluded after much examination and thought to quit the party and vote with the Whigs, which he did, and afterward with the Native Americans.

The next spring he leased a store on High street, Brooklyn, near Gold, and commenced in a moderate way the grocery business for himself. Feeling the need of a partner for life he soon after married Adeline, daughter of John Prince of Southold, who was a de- scendant of old Captain John Prince-one of the settlers who came to the town soon after 1640. The year 1836, just before the financial reverses that spread over the country, was a good time for the retail business in Mr. Foster's line. The next year his first child was born, and he bought a house and lot, and was fairly prosperous in everything except his health, which continued poor. He was energetic, and withal a little odd in some of his methods of bringing his business to the attention of the public.

In 1844 he sold out, and on settling up found his ready money was $600. He took a trip to the west, to

In 1833 he went to Brooklyn to visit his uncle William Foster, and thinking he would try city life engaged as clerk in a grocery on the corner of Bridge and High see how that famed country looked, visiting Cleveland,

THE TOWN OF BABYLON.

Cincinnati, and other places. When he came back the Long Island Railroad was built as far as Suffolk Station, now called Central Islip. In the fall of 1844 he located as a dealer in pork and poultry on James street, Brook- lyn, on a site now covered by the suspension bridge. Mr. Foster says he was the first man who made a special- ty of connecting the poultry and pork trades. His health failing he sold his business in 1847, and went to Oyster Bay to a water cure, which did him little or no good. Then he bought stall 3 in Brooklyn market and operated for a short time in pork. In 1851 he bought opposite the City Hall, and fitted up a place for the pro- vision trade, which he conducted till burned out in May 1853, losing a part of his insurance. Then he went into the old Military Garden on Fulton street and fitted a place for business at a cost of $7,500. In 1856 he bought the place in Babylon on which he now lives, doing busi ness in the city winters and living on his farm sum- mers.

After selling his business and having to take it back once or twice, he finally in 1864 made a final sale for $15,000 and turned his attention to his farm and his health. During the next few years he made several ex- periments in gardening and tree-raising, but with no def- inite purpose of starting a nursery. These small begin- nings proving profitable and interesting he decided about 1869 to add to his stock and see what could be done. That year he sold $256 worth; in 1881 $4,500, and over $5,000 in the first half of 1882. People are fast learning that plants and trees grown near home are more apt to live and flourish than those brought from a distance. Mr. Foster's reputation for square dealing and exact rep- resentation stands enviably high.

His health has gadually improved since he left the city. He has studied deeply, for a man absorbed in other business, into the conditions of health and the causes of sickness. Believing that contagious diseases are con- tracted in many cases by inhalation of germs from the air, he invented and has had patented a wire gauze mask to wear over the mouth and nose in localities where danger exists. His invention has been pronounced valuable by investigating men competent to judge. It is in the line of the discoveries of Professor Pasteaure, the eminent French chemist and savant, whose recent deni- onstrations in regard to disease germs have been pro- nounced the most wonderful since the times of Jenner, and have caused the British Medical Association to pro- nounce him the greatest living scientist.

In politics Mr. Foster. is a genuine Republican, active and foremost when hard work is to be done.

In religious matters he is a free thinker, believing that religion is a matter of growth, the faith of a people al- ways changing and rising with its intellectual develop- ment. He thinks the religious dogmas of our forefathers no better adapted to our use than their plows, their sickles, or their stage coaches. He believes our concep- tions of the Almighty will always enlarge with our com- prehension, and that the best way to serve Him is to help His children.

From Photograph by Bogardus.

John Landow

JOHN LOUDEN.

John Louden of Amityville, superintendent of the "Long Island Home Hotel," was born in the town (now city) of Calais, Maine. His family came from New Hampshire, where their record stood high, his grand- father serving in the war of 1812, and his great-grand- father in the Revolutionary war. When 9 years old he left home and lived at the village hotel a year, making himself generally useful. He then did farm work till 14 years old. He next hired to a stock and general produce dealer, who also had a grocery store, and staid with him five years, at $8 per month for the first year, and an in- crease of $2 per month each succeeding year.

Like so many Long Island lads this Maine boy was smitten with a desire to go to sea, and he indulged it, sailing first as cook, then before the mast, and later as mate. He was offered a ship, but the sailor's life did not suit him.

In 1861 he enlisted in the 12th Maine regiment, and did his duty in a patriotic soldierly way till his health failed, about a year after, when he was discharged and sent to the Massachusetts general hospital, where he lay five long months. During this sickness the surgeon told him he had every known fever. His strong constitution finally threw them all off, but when he left the hospital he could barely stand. Home was sought, but a three

THE TOWN OF BABYLON.

months stay resulted only in a very slow improvement. At this juncture he tried a voyage from Maine to Boston. It lasted 22 days and ended in a shipwreck, but the in- valid was nearly cured by it.

The first work he did after his army experience was as advance agent for "Cooper Brothers' Great Show," in which capacity he crossed the ocean and traveled seven months in Great Britain, returning to Calais a well man. Then he was engaged in the general produce business five years. During this time he was a policeman in the city of Calais for a short time, and in 1865 was very active in the recruiting business. He was also deputy marshal and helped capture the St. Albans bank robbers, so no- torious at the time. He was afterward appointed a cus- tom-house officer of the port of Calais, which position he retained one year.

Not liking the climate of Maine he in 1869 sold out in Calais and moved to Brooklyn, where he was engaged for six months in the general produce business. This did not pay, and Mr. Louden removed to Babylon. There, with Yankee aptitude, he went to work as a carpenter, and from that to driving a butcher's wagon. He remain- ed two years with the firm of Wood & Terry, butchers and dealers, as driver and general managing agent. His duties took him all over the country and brought him in contact with all classes, who soon knew him as a re- markably active, clear-headed, enterprising man.

This acquaintance with the people resulted in his being offered the superintendency of the Suffolk county alms-house at Yaphank, which he accepted and held elected over the Republican candidate, John A. King. by six years and two months. He employed the inmates so skillfully that he cleared up the county farm and made it the finest in that section. His reputation soon spread abroad, and he was offered by the charity commisioners · the position of assistant superintendent of the out-door poor of the city of New York. He resigned his place at Yaphank to accept this position and performed its duties eleven months, when he was appointed deputy superin- HENRY PLACIDE. tendent of the work-house on Blackwell's Island, where he staid five months. At this time he was appointed gen- eral superintendent of Blackwell's Island, and afterward general inspector of the institutions of charity and cor- rection of the city of New York. This position he held when, at his suggestion and by his exertions, the Long Island Home Hotel at Amityville was commenced. He resigned his post at New York in October 1881 to enter upon active duty as its superintendent.

But for John Louden this humane institution would not have been in existence to-day. It is essentially the child of his heart and brain. While superintendent at Yaphank he had large experience with insanity in its many shades and manifestations, and he proved by actual ago the venerable Thurlow Weed, whose praise is praise and successful trial that common sense and humanity are the qualifications needed in dealing with the insane. He took off their straight jackets and treated them kindly, and was rewarded by seeing in a great many cases reason resuming her throne. It was the burden of his thought how to best restore these unfortunates. He was so practical and so successful with his theories that his

fame as' a manager spread far and wide, other managers coming long distances to see the working of his system.

To these experiences and these results the public is indebted for the new Amityville home, which Mr. Lou- den has been instrumental in creating, with the help of large-hearted men of means and brains. It is believed that here the mentally disordered can find a real home and a host of real friends, through whose aid they may be restored to sanity and to their families.

Mr. Louden has been for many years an earnest work- ing Republican in politics. Wherever there has been the most to do there he has always been found, active, hon- orable and true.

In 1864 he married Sarah, daughter of Richard Trim- ble of Calais, by whom he has had five children, three boys and two girls. Four of his children are living, one daughter having died.

PERRY BELMONT.

Hon. Perry Belmont, son of August Belmont, was born in New York city, December 28th 1851; graduated at Harvard College in 1872; was admitted to the bar in 1876, and has since been engaged in the practice of law. In 1881 he was nominated for member of the House of Representatives in the XLVIIth Congress by the Demo- crats of the first district of New York, consisting of the counties of Suffolk, Queens and Richmond; and was a vote of 20,815 to 18, 163. As a young man, in his first term of Congressional service, he has taken remarkably high rank and attracted unusual attention, especially in connection with the foreign relations of the United States government.

Henry Placide, an eminent comedian, made Babylon his residence for about 24 years previous to his death, which occurred there in 1872. He was born in Charles- ton, South Carolina. His grandmother was the cel- ebrated actress Mrs. Pownall, and his father, mother, brother and sister ranked high in the same profession. The last was the wife of William E. Blake, equally dis- tinguished in the theatrical vocation. Mr. Placide pos- sessed talents of a high order. The particular line in which he acquired the greatest reputation was genteel comedy. Honest and capable critics have affirmed that in some characters he was without a peer. Some years indeed, in an able article published in the New York Times testified to Mr. Placide's extraordinary profes- sional ability. In private life he was kind in his family, strictly honest in his dealings and warm and sincere in his friendships. In social intercourse with his neighbors his deportment was gentlemanly and his conversation lively.

Fng d by & H Rychle

Perry Belmont

ONINIO

HALL

DINING HALL, DOTTAGES, AND PAVILLION TO THE SEA COAST.

SURF BATHING, ATLANTIC OCEAN.

SURF

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SURF HOTEL, FIRE ISLAND BEACH, D.S.S.6AMMIS & SON, PROPRIETORS ..

Fro.n Photograph by Bogardus

DAVID S. S. SAMMIS.

David Sturges Sprague Sammis was born in the town of Huntington, near Babylon, in the year 1818. His father, Daniel Sammis, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and lived to be 84 years old. His mother is still living, in her goth year. His grandfather served in the Revolu- tionary war. The Sammises originally came from Hol- lond, four brothers settling on Long Island.

Up to the age of 17 our subject lived on a farm, and learned to handle the shovel and the hoe. In the year 1835 he went to New York to learn the druggist's busi- ness with Edward A. McLean, 208 Greenwich street. There he staid two years, but, the peculiar atmosphere of a drug store not agreeing with him, he left and en- gaged as a clerk with Mackarel & Simpson, stage pro- prietors. In the year 1848 he leased of James Rowe, father-in-law of the late Dr. James R. Wood of New York, the property on the corner of East Broadway and Pike street, New York, where he opened a hotel under the name of the East Broadway House, which was recog- nized as the headquarters for politicians, without regard to party. In 1855 he bought an undivided portion of Fire Island, which had been used theretofore only as a pasture for cattle. The next year he had built a hotel with accommodations for 100 guests, on his recent pur- chase. Under his skillful and liberal management the place at once became popular, proving a financial suc- cess. During the following winter he added 100 feet to his building, making everything first-class, to the extent

of introducing gas throughout the whole hotel. In 1858 he sold the East Broadway House to the well known Nicholas Houseman of New York, since which time he has devoted his entire time to his large and constantly growing interests in Suffolk county.

On another page is to be seen a view of this monster palatial summer resort, which furnishes the very best accommodations for over 500 guests. From its first be- ginnings to the present time it has been the child of Mr. Sammis's own rearing, conceived in his fertile brain, and developed and perfected by his hand and his purse. The undertaking has been every year more and more success- ful, but some losses have attended its history. A $25,000 steamboat, built to carry his patrons across the Great South Bay, was caught in an ice gorge one winter night and utterly ruined except her boiler and some of her machinery. The next spring, with his accustomed energy, Mr. Sammis replaced the wrecked boat with a bet- ter one. To further add to the comfort of visitors to Fire Island he has built a street railroad from the depot in the village of Babylon to the steamboat landing.

Besides this great watering place enterprise, Mr. Sam- mis has large property interests in the village of Babylon, where he resides and where he is noted for personal worth and public spirit. Mr. Sammis is a representative man of the times, wide awake, far-seeing, of excellent judgment and perfect integrity, with a large heart and a broad, genial nature, that makes a host of friends and holds them.

THE TOWN OF BABYLON.

CHARLES S. SCHLEIER.

Few men have the natural or acquired ability of brain or purse to become the founders of cities. Grasp of the present, penetration of the future, knowledge of men, the power of concentrated action, and the means to move the machinery of accomplishment, these are the indis- pensable qualifications of a great organizer. One man whose acts prove the possession of this combination is Charles S. Schleier, the founder of the city of Breslau.

He is a native of the celebrated old city in Germany after which he has named the vigorous town he has planted in Suffolk county. There he was born, in 1823, and there he would have continued a very successful mercantile career. But in the revolution of 1848 he es- poused so heartily the rights of the many against the usurpations of the privileged few as to become obnox- ious to the government. In such a land he could not enjoy his personal rights, and he came in 1852 to America and settled in the city of Brooklyn. There he engaged successfully in the paper hanging and wall dec- orating line of business. In a few years he became a noted man. His business expanded from store to store and street to street.

But his nature was too large and too active to be con- fined within the harness of any one line of occupation. He put new life into the people of his nationality in Brooklyn. He started the first German weekly in that city-the Brooklyn Volksblatt. In 1864 he started the Brooklyn Deutsches Wochenblatt, which he has conducted ever since as editor and publisher.

In social matters he displayed the same fertility of conception and rapidity of execution that characterized the operations by which he obtained his livelihood. In 1855-only three years after his arrival-he organized the first dramatic social club, known as the "Thalia,' which numbered 165 members, who owned their club house. In 1860 he started the "Urania " dramatic club, in 1868 the "German Dramatic Club," and in 1873 the "German-American Association," at 500 Atlantic avenue. In most of these clubs he was honored with the presi- dency, and in all of them he was an active member.

In politics he was equally interested and energetic, organizing in 1862 the German reform party of Brooklyn, which controlled nearly 8,000 votes and was known as the "German-American Democratic Central Asso- ciation." Until 1870 he was either president of the cen- tral club or of the executive committee, from the active duties of which his Breslau undertaking compelled him to retire. The many German processions in honor of McClellan, Seymour and Hoffman were planned and conducted by him.

He was foremost in forming many secret and benevo- lent orders; the well known order of " Herman's Sons " delegated him in 1868 to represent over 100 lodges at the great convention in Chicago, where he was elected as second grand national president, for a term of two years.

Chair Company," of which he was president. He was interested in the New York Pier and Warehouse Com- pany, and was agent for the (Baltic Lloyd) Stettien steamship line. These were a few of the activities of the man who planned and in 1869 executed the founding of the city of Breslau.

Through industry, perseverance and economy he had accumulated a fortune, which he proceeded to invest in this vast undertaking. By the Germans, in whose par- ticular interest it was done, the planting of this town was thought a most important event, and he permitted no occasion to pass unimproved in which its interests could be brought prominently before the public. His extensive acquaintance, the confidence reposed in him, and his general knowledge of mankind, with his individual resources, all went to make up the broad vantage ground on which this important enterprise rested. After the preliminaries were finished, and his plan was duly pro- mulgated, people flocked to him to make purchases. In a few months nearly a thousand lots were sold, and a building association was formed of over 500 members. The corner stone of the first building was laid June 6th 1870, on which occasion no less than 10,000 people from far and near were present.

The amount of land originally purchased by Mr. Schleier was 6,000 acres, which was surveyed and laid out in lots of various sizes. The number of lots sold up to July 8th 1882 was 25,209. The growth of the city has been steady, but not rapid. Like most other undertak- kings of great proportions, it has met and overcome un- expected obstacles. The number of families on the ground as actual settlers is about 600. In 1881 36,000 letters were received and distributed at the post-office, and during the same year there were 52 births. Mr. Schleier donates land to all manufacturers who will locate their works there. Among the new manufactories which have accepted his terms are establishments for making canes and umbrellas, dress trimmings, cutlery and cigars; and a company has been formed for planting mulberry trees here and producing silk cocoons.

One of the finest beds of clay known exists at North Breslau, suitable for the manufacture of brick; and so pure is the clay that an expert from Germany pronounces t the best he has ever seen for making the finest porce- lain ware. "The Breslau Brick Company " has been or- ganized, with an office in New York. C. S. Schleier is president and D. G. Harriman is secretary. The com- pany aims to manufacture all goods of which clay is the raw material.

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