USA > New York > New York City > Old New York : a journal relating to the history and antiquities of New York City, Vol. I > Part 18
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Rapelje's Boyhood.
Notwithstanding all my comforts at home, I had made up my mind to take this voyage. My father wished me to take a thon- sand dollars in cash with me for my expenses, but I preferred taking part of the cargo, and the owners agreed to let me have what sum I pleased. I chose for my adventure peas, ship-bread, and flour to the amount of about a thousand dollars. We laid in full and ample stores ; we had twelve dozen of wine each, porter and eider, the same of Bogert's crackers, made of nothing but flour and water, and by putting them in a bowl of fresh cold water, they would rise up and burst open ; any old man could eat them without teeth. These crackers were delicious ; our modern bakers seem to have lost the art of making them. I often long for the days to return when I could share with the Knickerbock- ers in a enp of tea from the tea water pump. Whatever of other cake and bread and butter, we had always a plate of those Bogert's biscuits soaked in cold water, split open, and a bit of sweet fresh butter put on each half biscuit.
We laid in for onr voyage everything in proportion, as six dozen of ducks. six dozen of fowls. &c. We started in October, and instead of getting as far to windward as Barbadoes. we fell to leeward as far as the island of Dominique, and anchored at the town of Rossean. Governor Bruce, a hearty old officer. invited my fellow passenger and myself to dine with him. as also Captain Saltus. Ile entertained ns in the most sumptuous manner, with the very best Madeira. so good that I was quite inspired by it. He offered us beds in his cool house, but we declined, and went on board. I here think proper to mention that my friend and shipmate was a Mr. William Carpenter, of Brooklyn, who had been brought up a complete merchant. At the time of our arri- val we found that flour was selling at a dollar a barrel less than it had cost us, but the captain luckily hit upon a project to have the price advanced, so that we might have a profit.
After having been in port a couple of days, the captain told the Governor if there wa- any part of his cargo that was wanting he might have it. but he could not sell it and sacrifice the prop- erty of his owners, and as they had money owing to them in the island. he would charter another vessel or two, and purchase all the flour in the island at six dollars and a quarter a barrel. for he
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Rapelje's Boyhood.
knew where to take it, to an island not very far distant, and get seven or more dollars for all they had. The bait took, and I got for my flour one dollar and a half a barrel more than it was at that time selling for. In a few days we sailed to Point a Petre, Guadaloupe, where the captain and the other passenger laid in sugars for a return cargo. They both had been concerned in merchandise all their lives, but they missed a figure in their pur- chase. They could easily have obtained white cloyed sugars for the same or a less price, but no (the prejudice of education is a wonderful thing), they laid out all their money arising from the cargo they had sold, in brown sugars. " Why do you not buy coffee ?" says I, " it is selling for sixpence a pound. New York money." "O, no; that would not do." For my part, I had no mind to lay out my money-I had sold my peas, beans and Hour. and thought I would keep my return moneys snug and not try merchandise again. During our stay at Point a Petre. Guada- loupe, my fellow passenger was taken sick, and I sent for the most distinguished physician in the city. but could not get him to give my friend any medicine. On my urging him to prescribe something. he replied, " I know not the nature of his discase and he had better die with it than that I should kill him by adminis. tering improper remedies for the complaint. Put him into the warm bath three times a day. and give him light chicken broth and grnel, as his appetite may require." The patient gave up all hopes of recovery and made his will, but under this treatment he slowly recovered. The captain earnestly assured me I could now make something of the return cargo, and he had room enough in the hold to put anything I might buy. I therefore bought some claved sugars and coffee for sixpence a pound. We sailed on Monday morning, and on the following Wednesday arrived at St. Eustatia. where I sold my coffee for double the money I gave for it. That was pretty good profit in three days. The captain and my fellow passenger were ready to tear the hair from their heads with vexation. We then started for New York.
NARRATIVE OF GEORGE RAPELJE IN 1834.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
The Johns Hopkins University has just published a series of lectures upon the "Federal Government in Canada," by John G. Bourinot, Clerk of the House of Commons of Canada. The work is one which will be examined with pleasure by all who desire to obtain a more thorough knowledge of the workings of the government of that country, which differs in its theory both from the one we are familiar with here and that of Great Britain, but which is still near enough to ours for us to derive mueh instruction from an analysis of its constitution and au examination of its mechanism. Canada is a confederation, having a Par- liament over the whole country, somewhat similar to Congress, and lesser Parliaments, answering, though inexactly, to our State Legislatures. There is nothing corresponding to the latter on the other side of the water, and there is of course very little comparison between the highest legislative body in Canada and that in the mother country. The two Canadian legislative authorities, the general and the local, are divided from each other much more strictly by their fundamental act, or what we should term their Constitution, than ours are. Instead of enumerating a few general provisions showing the nature of the cen- tral government, the clauses giving it powers and limiting them are numerous and strictly defined, while a still more striking difference is shown iu the powers not expressly mentioned. With us they belong to the States ; on the other side of the St. Lawrence they are declared to belong to the Dominion. The Governor- General is an anomaly. He is sent from Great Britain to govern. but he does this only by the advice of his ministers, who are Canadians, and are, as Mr. Bagehot declared about the ministry of England, only a Committee of the House of Commons. But when Ireland had a Parliament it was not thus governed, as can be seen by a study of the administrations of Wellesley and his predecessors. They not only were viceroys, but they actually ruled. The Queen, although she administers by the advice of her ministers, is a person of indubitable power. But the Canadian Governor-General, if he adheres strictly to the constitutional idea. is simply a figure-head. We know, however, that he .really is not. thus proving that pure theory must be modified in practice.
Mr. Bourinot shows the limitations of power in the governments of Canada more clearly than we ever remember to have seen before. Local acts can be di-allowed by the Governor-General. Those of the general government can in turn be disallowed by the English ministry, which is the creature of the British Parliament. There are thus three authorities which must be consulted in mak- ing the laws of the country, one in a distant country and likely to be misin- formed or to judge inadequately of the exigencies of the occasion. The colonies. therefore, find it necessary to keep up agents in London, to look after their special interests. as Burke represented the colony of New York at the time of the passage of the Quebec act, and as Franklin represented Pennsylvania for many years. For the last forty years or more our neighbor has prospered. peace and plenty steadily continuing, while liberty has been united with deference to the laws, but will it always continue to be obedient to the feelings and the preju- dices of those who know nothing about it, and probably care little ?
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Minor Paragraphs.
We recommend this book to those who are interested in problems of govern- ment, apart from office seeking or the advancement of party. It is written in a clear, luminous style ; the author's mastery of the subject is at once shown, and he possesses the historical knowledge and the acquaintance with the work- ings of other governments to make the comparisons in his volume both instruc- tive and interesting.
In the " Bibliography of Franklin," by Paul Leicester Ford, 97 Clark street, Brooklyn, we have a positive addition to our knowledge of the great philoso- pher and statesman. Franklin was the most voluminous writer of his day in America, and the first who attained a European reputation. The circumstances under which he appeared at the French court during our Revolution were such as to lend an interest to even his slightest utterances. Mr. Ford has done well to bring together a record of the productions of his pen. The earliest printed were those which were sent by him anonymously to his brother's paper, but even up to this day manuscripts and printed matter of his are coming to the light. Sparks is given his proper credit as one who did much to gather these fugitive writings together, and careful descriptions are given of the other collected works. But it is not too much to say that Mr. Ford has succeeded in finding many pieces unknown to Bigelow, to Sparks. to Stevens, and to Parton. The volume is handsomely printed, uniform with Bigelow's edition of the works of Franklin.
The University of Virginia sends us its announcements for last session, printed
1 by Everett Wadder, Richmond. A comparison of the list of professors and instructors, and an analysis of the studies now taken up and prosecuted thoroughly, with the curriculum before the war, will show how great a progress has been made within thirty years. The courses are fuller, the text books more elaborate, and the instructors each have a smaller field, thus enabling them to do better work in their departments.
MINOR PARAGRAPHS.
DENNIS, -Where was Dennis's : In a letter of Sir Guy Carleton to General Washington on the 12th of November, 12:3. respecting the evacuation of New York, then shortly to take place. Carleton says that, if possible, he means "to give up this city with Brooklyn on the day following, and Panlus Hook. Dennis's. and Staten Island. as soon after as may be practicable." Again, ou the 19th, he speaks of retaining only " Staten Island, with Dennis's, New Utrecht, and the circumjacent district on Long Island." Where was this place ?
D. C. W.
NEW YORK CONFISCATION ACT .- An Act for the Forfeiture and Sale of the estates of Persons who have adhered to the Enemies of this State, and for declar- ing the Sovereignty of the People of this State, in respect to all property within the same. - Passed October 22, 1779.
Therefore be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, etc., That John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, formerly governor of the colony of New York,
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Minor Paragraphs.
William Tryon, Esq., late governor of the said colony, John Watts, Oliver De Lancey, Hugh Wallace, Henry White, John Harris Cruger, William Axtell, and Roger Morris, Esq .. late members of the council of the said county; George Duncan Ludlow and Thomas Jones, late justices of the supreme court of the said colony; John Tabor Kempe, late attorney general of the said colony; William Bayard, Robert Bayard, and James De Lancey, now or late of the city of New York, Esqs. ; David Matthews, late mayor of said city ; James Jauncey, George Folliot, Thomas White, William Me Adam, Isaac Low. Miles Sherbrook. Alexander Wallace and John Wetherhead. now or late of the said city, mer. chants ; Charles Inglis. of the said city, clerk, and Margaret his wife; Sir John Johnson, late of the county of Tryon, knight and baronet; Gny Johnson, Daniel Claus, and John Butler. now or late of the said county, Esq. : and John Joost Herkemer, now or late of the said county, yeoman; Frederick Philipse, and James De Lancey, now or late of the county of Westchester. Esqs. ; Fred- crick Philipse (son of Frederick) now or late of the said county, gentleman; David Coldlen, Daniel Kisam the elder, and Gabriel Ludlow, now or late of Queens County, Esqs. : Philip Skeene, now or late of the county of Charlotte, Esq., and Andrew P. Skeene. son of Philip Skeene, late of Charlotte county: Benjamin Seaman and Christopher Billop, now or lete of the County of Rich- mond, Esqs .; Beverly Robinson, Beverly Robinson the younger, and Malcohn Morrison, now or late of the county of Dutchess, Esqs. : John Kane. now or late of the said county, gentleman; Abraham C. Cuyler, now or late of the county of Albany, Esq. ; Robert Leake. Edward Jessup, and Ebenezer Jessup. now or late of the said county, gentlemen; and Peter In Bois and Thomas Il. Barclay. now or late of the county of Ulster, Ests .: Susannah Robinson, wife of the said Beverley Robinson, and Mary Morris, wife to the said Roger Morris; John Rapelje, of Kings county. E-q : George Morrison. Richard Floyd. and Parker Wickham. of Suffolk county. Esqs. : Henry Lloyd, the elder, late of the State of Massachusetts Bay, merchant: and Sir Henry Clinton, knight, be and each of them are hereby severally declared to be. ipso facto, convicted and attainted of the offence aforesaid, and that all and singular the estate, both real and personal, held or claimed hy them the said persons severally and respectively. whether in possession, reversion or remainder. within this State. on the day of the passing of this act, shall be, and hereby is declared to be forfeited to, and vested in the People of this State.
MONUMENTS IN THISHY CHURCHYARD AND ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD. - There are many notable graves in these two cemeteries. On the south side of Trinity Church, near it- western end. is that of Gallatin. The monument reads : In Memory Of | Albert Gallatin ; son of Ino. De Gallatin, and of Sophie Alber- tina Rolaz De Rosey, his wife ; he was born at Geneva, in Europe 20th January 1761 ; | Landed in America 14th July 1780 : died at Astoria 12th August 1549. | Deeply imbued with the bobl and liberal spirit of the times, he came to America amidst the scenes of her Revolution ; I and after very many years of public service in Congress, and in Executive offices of the highest trust, at an advanced age, [ he withdrew to private life, and passed the remainder of his days in philosophie studies, and literary pursuits. | and went to the grave universally honored. | Passing from this sepulchre southward, to the right is the
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Minor Paragraphs.
Watts vault, in which lie the ashes of Maj. Gen. Philip Kearney. There is nothing to tell who the silent oceupant is, except the pots of scarlet geraniums set out there by the comrades of Phil Kearney Post G. A. R. Farther to the South, where the ground slopes to Rector street, and opposite No. 3 of that street, lies a slab partially covered with grass and earth. By kneeling down and eleansing the face of the stone this inseription ean be made out: G --
Bend's | Vault 1715 | Bishop | Benjn, Moore | & Charity | His Wife. | The Rev. Benjamin Moore was President of Columbia College from 1801 to 1811, rector of Trinity Church for many years, and Bishop of this diocese for a long time. . Overshadowing this stone, close to Rector street, is that of Hamilton : To The Memory Of | Alexander Hamilton | The Corporation Of Trinity Church Has erected this | Monument | In Testimony of their Respeet | for | The Patriot of incorruptible Integrity | The Soldier of approved Valour, | The Statesman of consummate Wisdom : | Whose Talents and Virtues will be admired | By | Grateful Posterity | Long after this Marble shall have mouldered into | Dust | He died July 12th 1804 Aged 47. | This is on the north side. The inscription is being worn away.
On the south face appears this : To The Memory Of | Alexander Hamilton | who died July 12th 1:04 | Aged 47.
This face being less exposed to the action of storms is in good condition. In the centre. as nearly as may be. of St. Paul's churchyard, and almost on a direct line from the west poreh of the Church, two heavy slabs of brown stone rest on walls rising only a few inches above the carth. Their inscriptions are as fol- lows :
This Tomb Is erected to the Memory of Major John Lucas Of the Georgia line of the Army of the Revolution and Treasurer of the Society of the Cincinnati of that Stato He bore A fever & lingering decay with that Fortitude Which ever marked his Character As a Soldier And Died in this City on Tuesday the 18th. August 1789. Aged 33 Years
And this Tomb contains the remains of Major Job Sumner of the Massachusetts line of the same Army Who having supported an unblemished .Character through Life is The Soldier Citizen and Friend Died in this City After a short illness universally regretted by his acquaint ances on the 16th. day of September 1789 Aged 33 years
Alike in Arms they ranged the Glorious Field
Alike in turn to Death the Victors Yield.
OLD NEW YORK.
NOVEMBER, 1889.
NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF PRINTING IN NEW YORK.
IV.
The beginnings of printing in our ancient city were very feeble. Hildeburn is enabled to mention but thirteen works in the first year, nine in the second, and seven in the third. The first ten years number together only eighty-five. The most in any year of that period was seventeen, and the least four. This. of course, was not enough to keep Bradford constantly in employment, for many of the pieces were trifling and could be done in a day or two. None took over a month, excepting the Laws and Acts of the General Assembly, which was issued in 1004, the labor of it being spread through two years. Those believed to be the first by Dr. Moore are " An Act for Granting to King William and Queen Mary the Rate of One Penny per Pound" upon the estates of Pennsylva- nians : " An Act for Re-training and Punishing Privateers and Py- rates:" " An let Granting to their Majesties the Rate of One Penny per Pound" in New York: " An Act for Raising Six Thousand Pound " on account of the Indian war; " A Catalogue of Fees: " the two proclamations respecting the slaves in Sallee, in Dutch and English, noticed in our last number ; " A Proclama- tion " respecting fire beacons. " An Exhortation & Caution To Friend- Concerning buying or keeping of Negroes;" -An Account of Several Pas-ages and Letters" between Governor Fletcher and the officials in Connecticut : " A Proclamation " ad- dressed to the people of Connecticut : a proclamation relative to
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Notes on Printing in New York.
deserters; and " A Journal of the Late Actions of the French," of which the full title is given on page 153. Hildeburn has the same number, but he apparently consolidates all the epistles of Fletcher to the people of Connecticut, and inserts " An Ordinance establishing Courts," May 15, 1691. The largest of these was the "Journal of the Actions of the French," being twenty-six pages, in the English edition ; the next largest pamphlet has eleven, then cight, six, six, four and three. Five have only one page each. Thus sixty-nine pages make the total of his year's work. Of these, twelve pieces are in English and one in Dutch. The latter language made no comparison in its printed productions with its rival, as although the majority of the inhabitants then and for many years after were Dutch, yet there were few persons of education among them, and the productions of the press in the tongue of Stuyvesant before the Revolution did not exceed ser- enty-five. Printing in French began in 1896, the work being " Trésor des Consolations Divines et Humaines."
The polyglot character that New York showed so early it re- tains to this day. I believe that there is no newspaper in Dutch published here at present. although there have been several in the past ; the Mohawk language, in which several works were pub- lished in the last century, is dying out. the Indians of that tribe speaking English familiarly, but there is much French, much Ger- man, and much Italian. Many other tongues of Europe and Asia we have had for years familiarly spoken and printed among us. Among these are Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Welsh, Erse. Danish, Swedish. Russian, Polish, Bohemian. Roumanian, Platt- Dont-ch, Deutsch-Hebräisch and Chinese. None of these are for instruction, but to furnish news to residents of this city, or for other every-day uses. Other languages have frequently been printed in, but the works were intended for foreign lands or for scholars. There are now many printers who are provided for such labors and have in their offices workmen who are proficient in these languages.
The great work executed by Bradford in his earlier years was the Laws of New York.# This was printed at different times. in * The | Laws & Acts | of the | General Assembly | for | Their Majesties Prov- ince | of | New York, [ As they were Enacted in divers Sessions, the first of |
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Notes on Printing in New York. 219
1693 and 1691, but in all the bound copies which have come down to us many pages have been added since the original sheets were folded. Each copy varies from the other. The first printed consisted of a title, with blank verse ; a table of contents, one leaf ; then eighty-four pages of acts. But other acts, subse- quently printed, were intercalated and added, so that the collation becomes very difficult. Some are on smaller paper than the others. The " Laws" is justly regarded as the principal work of Bradford here in early years, both from its matter and the cir- cumstances of its production. There was not, until 1726, al- though in 1709 another compilation was brought ont, any work to match it for magnitude issued from the press here, and for many enactments it remains the sole copy, as Bradford, in printing it, exercised many of the functions of an editor, and omitted those which he thought were not necessary. In these laws we trace the beginning of our commonwealth, there being few wants that could be supplied by legislation. Neither was there then any rage for theoretical enactments, to better the condition of those who were already well off. In this volume and its successors can be studied the growth of each returning year in wealth and pub- lie spirit, by the appropriations made for the support of the civil government, for warlike purposes. for schools, and for public im- provements. The book is not remarkable for its printing. but it shows no doubt as high an average as would have been displayed by printers in provincial town in England. No one knows how difficult it is to execute such work until he has himself attempted it at great distances from places where supplies can be obtained. Only seven copies of this book. it is stated by one possessor. are now known to exist. Two of them have been recently sold. The one in the Brinley collection brought sixteen hundred dollars, and the one in the Vanderpoel library realized thirteen hundred.
A fair example of his early printing may be seen in the proc- lamation issued by Governor Fletcher on the 9th of January. 1693, which has not been hitherto noticed by antiquaries. It is a
which began April, the 9th, Annoq : Domini, | 1691. At New York. | Printed and Sold by William Bradford, Printer to their Majesties, King | William & Queen Mary, 1694. | Folio.
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Notes on Printing in New York.
proclamation of joy on account of the return of King William to England in safety, in the month of October preceding, and on account of the victories of His Majesty's arms in Flanders, and direets that a day of thanksgiving shall be celebrated on the 16th of January for New York City and vicinity, and the 23d for Albany and the rest of the counties in the province. Four sizes of type are used, running from English up to double great primer. In the first line, " By His Excellency," the letters B and E are much larger than the others, and are justified in. This same practice is shown in the line, " God Save the KING." Here King is in capitals of a type much larger than the rest of the line. There can be no question in my mind but that the fonts of type he used were mixed, the letters in many cases mateh so badly. The spacing is very irregular, and transgresses all the canons. The endings of letters are broken off, the hair- lines worn away, and the Roman is eked out by italic. The presswork is reasonably good.
The life of Bradford from this time forthr shows little change. Each year he issued several pamphlets and broadsides, and occasionally there was a larger book. The Quakers seem to have let him alone after he came here, and he was on good terms with the people of the Reformed Duteh Church. He early joined the Episcopal Church, and was in high favor with it, and with most of the Governors. Before any competition was met with he had issued two hundred and sixty different pieces. The "Exhortation against Keeping Slaves" was the first blow in print in America against the unnatural system of slavery that then existed and that continued until Lincoln issued his proclamation against it in 1862, to take effect on the first of January following. In 1694 he printed an Ahnanac, one following almost every year from that time on. " A letter of Advice to A Young Gentle- man leaving the University concerning his Behaviour and Con- versation on the World " was brought out by him in 1696. and for a number of years he issued pamphlets on religious subjects ; not, however, the work of his own pen. The first of these were from the Keithian Quakers, showing up the inconsistencies of the other Quakers. When Keith became an Episcopalian, he printed his new notions. In 1703 the colony of New Jersey, in which
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