USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. II. Second Edition > Part 26
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The sloop Experiment, 80 tons burden, was fitted out at this port by Capt. Stewart Dean, and sailed for China. (See Annals, I).
1786. April 4. An act passed the legislature of the state of New York, for erecting the south-east part of the county of Albany into a new county, by the name of Columbia.
July 5. The supreme court closed its July session, when Caleb Gardner, convicted of passing counterfeit Spanish dollars, received sentence of death. Two weeks afterwards, the sheriff advertised that the person then under sentence of death in the City Hall would be hanged on Friday the fifteenth of September ; and that any person willing to undertake the execution, was desired to apply to the said sheriff.
July 22. The corporation and citizens of Albany cele- brated the centennial anniversary of the charter of the city (See vol. 1, 335).
The number of houses in Albany at this time was found, by actual enumeration, to be 550. A statement of the num- ber of houses in the principal cities and towns at this time, will serve to show their relative proportions :
Philadelphia, 4,600
Wilmington, 400
New York,
3,500
Annapolis,. 260
Boston, .
2,100
Fredericktown, .. 400
Baltimore,.
1,900
Alexandria (Va)., 300
Charleston (S. C.), 1,540
Richmond,. 280
Albany, .
550
Petersburgh, .. 290
New Haven,
400
Williamsburgh, 230
Hartford,
300
296
Notes from the Newspapers. 1787.]
It will be seen that Albany was the sixth in point of numbers. The census of Boston was found to . be at that time 14,640, exclusive of strangers, which gives seven per- sons to a house. At this rate Albany would have had 3,850 inhabitants. To carry out the calculation, Philadelphia would have contained 32,200, New York 24,500, Baltimore 13,300, Charleston 10,780. The number of strangers might have increased the estimate one-eighth.
1787. Jan. 1. The city authorities fixed the price of flour at 18s. per hundred weight and the assize of bread at the rate of 1lb. 12oz. for 4 coppers. In February, the assize of bread was 1lb. 8oz. of superfine flour for 4 coppers, and 1lb. 10oz. common ; flour, 20s. per cwt.
The population of the state at this time was 220,000 whites, 18,889 slaves, and 12 Indians who paid taxes. In 1756, the whole population was 83,233 ; in 1771, 148,124.
A nail manufactory was established in " Orange street, near the High Dutch Church," by Garret Witbeck, who manufactured 8s. and 10s. at 1s. per lb., and 20s. and 24s. at 11d. per lb. He claimed that they were fully equal in good- ness to any imported, and hinted at the great importance of encouraging such an establishment in this country. The forging of nails, notwithstanding their prodigious consump- tion in this country, was, until 1810, a handicraft trade : the machinery by which they are now produced is an Ame- rican invention. In the same year, Stevenson, Douw & Ten Eyck erected a similar establishment.
A correspondent of a New York paper, Dec., 1785, observed that the infatuation which possessed many of the people of this state for theatrical exhibitions was truly alarming. That, strange to tell, the honest, sober Dutchmen of Albany, who were once distinguished by industry and a laudable parsimony, were now plunging into that very species of luxury and folly, which stamps upon the metropolis an indelible stigma. That it was still more observable and wonderful to relate that even the fathers of that ancient city had sanctioned the establishment of a public theatre, by granting their permission to players. That in justice to the magistrates of New York, it was necessary to say, that though it was not in their power to prohibit, they had never extended their authority so far. as to license the opening of
.
1
297
Notes from the Newspapers.
1788.]
the theatre ; and if common fame could be credited, none of them had countenanced the comedians by attending their exhibitions.
April 22. The sloop Experiment, Capt. Dean, returned from a voyage to China, without the loss of a man during the voyage. (See Annals, I, 261, 2d edition).
June 28. A regiment of militia was organized in the east- ern part of the manor of Rensselaerswyck, under the com- mand of Lieut. Col. John Van Rensselaer. The officers took the oath of allegiance and office before Matthew Viss- cher, clerk of the county of Albany : after which the regi- ment was formed, and the militia law and the officers' commissions were read by Adjutant Henry. At the same time two companies of light infantry were formed, the volunteers being so numerous as nearly to fill them in a short time. The uniform of these companies is thus described : The commissioned officers, dark blue coats, faced with white, and white under clothes ; non-commissioned officers and privates, a white linen hunting-shirt and overalls, a round hat three inches in the brim, bound with white tape, and covered with a piece of bearskin four inches wide over the crown; a good musket, bayonet and cartouch box, twenty-four cartridges suitable to the bore of the musket, two spare flints, one knapsack and blanket. .
Rev. John Bassett was ordained pastor of the Dutch Re- formed Church, collegiate with the Rev. Dr. Eilardus West- erlo.
August. The trustees of the Lutheran Church, recently erected, acknowledged the receipt of donations to the amount of £552 12s. 2d. more than £214 of which was obtained in Albany and its vicinity. The total cost of the building was £640. (See vol. I, p. 154, 2d ed.).
1788. January, Leonard de Neufville 1 Jan Heefke and Ferdinand Walfahrt, proprietors of the Dowesbourgh Glass manufactory, ten miles from Albany, appeal to the patriot- ism of the state of New York to sustain their establishment. They say the state is annually drained of £30,000 for this necessary article which they can manufacture of any size superior to the English glass.
1 See Annals, x, 219.
298
Notes from the Newspapers.
[1788.
The delegates nominated by the two parties for the con- vention to decide on the federal constitution, were the fol- lowing : Abraham Ten Broeck, Jacob Cuyler, Francis Nicoll, Jeronemus Hoogland, Peter Gansevoort junior, James Gor- don, John W. Schermerhoorn, Federal; Robert Yates, John Lansing junior, Henry Oothoudt, Peter Vrooman, Israel Thompson, Anthony Ten Eyck, Dirk Swart, Anti-federal.
Jan. 26. Charles R. and George Webster and Co., pub- lished a quarto paper, called the Albany Journal, or Mont- gomery, Washington and Columbia Intelligencer, which was published twice a week during the session of the legisla- ture.
Feb. 11. Claxton and Babcock, lately from Lansingburgh, published The Federal Herald. They returned to Lansing- burgh the same year.
March 11. A law was passed by the legislature, authoriz- ing the corporation to raise £2000 for the construction of a new jail (the old one being found inadequate to the safe custody of prisoners), and repairing the court-house. Clin- ton county was taken from Albany county at this session of the legislature.
May 27. The election of members of assembly terminated in the success of the anti-federal party, and seems to have been the first party struggle growing out of the dissension on the question of the constitution. The vote of the two parties in the county of Albany, as canvassed on this day by the supervisors, stood as follows. John Younglove seems to have had the votes of both parties.
ANTI-FEDERAL.
FEDERAL.
John Lansing,. .
. 3048
Jeremiah VanRensselaer, 3042
John Duncan,. 2990
Richard Sill. 1877
Cornelis Vandyck .. 3033
Hezekiah VanOrden,. . 1871
John Thompson, 3006
John Knickerbacker, . 1868
Henry K.VanRensselaer, 2911 - Isaac Vrooman, 1851
John Younglove,. 4807
Stephen VanRenselaer,. 1953
Leonard Gansevoort, .... 1888
The Albany Register was begun this year, by Robert Barber.
The impolicy of imprisonment for debt is aptly illustrated in the following case, where a rich and popular citizen incarcerates a humble artisan for his inability to liquidate
299/
Notes from the Newspapers.
1788.]
his rent, who thereby becomes a charge upon the county, and a defaulter to all the rest of his creditors.
" Whereas the subscriber (a master of shoemaking) is now confined in the City Hall, upper loft, for twenty pounds back rent which he is owing Gen. Schuyler; and as he is desirous of working for his living, and not to be chargeable to the good people of this city, he therefore humbly requests such of the citizens and others as are desirous of having . well made shoes on the most reasonable terms, to favor him with their custom, and they may depend on being served on the shortest notice, and every favor shall be thankfully ac- knowledged by the public's humble servant, THADDEUS LAWRENCE."
Aug. 8. The city of Albany, not to be behind her sister cities, set apart a day for public rejoicings, to celebrate the ratification of the constitution of the United States by the · convention of the state of New York. Every trade and profession seems to have united in the jubilee, with appro- priate emblems, and formed a truly imposing procession under the conduct of Gen. Schuyler. (See vol. 1, 330).
November. The citizens were entertained with the extra- ordinary sight of an "uncommon bird," killed at Saratoga, and sent down as a rarity. "The distance from the tip of one wing to the other, when both were extended, was nine feet two inches; the mouth was large enough to contain the head of a boy ten years of age, and the throat so capacious as to admit the foot and leg of a man, boot and all." No one could decide what species the stranger belonged to, till the counsel of Dr. Mitchell of New York being called in, it was decided to be a pelican; perhaps the only one that ever extended his discoveries to this region.
Peter Van Deusen and Jacob Van de Bilt established for the convenience of the citizens, a soap and candle fac- tory, which useful branch of business, they say in their advertisement, had been long wanted in the city. To induce the citizens to encourage these domestic manufactures, they offer their articles at New York prices, thus making a saving of freight and cartage; and further to promote economy, manufactured for those who provided their own tallow, at 2} pence per pound, and furnish the cotton wick themselves.
·
300
Notes from the Newspapers. [1789.
1789. Jan. 1. The thermometer at noon indicated 18º above zero ; and on the following morning, at six o'clock, it was 24° below, being six degrees colder than it had ever been known in the city.
Jan. 5. The freeholders of Vanderheyden's or Ashley's Ferry, situate on the east bank of the Hudson river, about seven miles above Albany, met for the purpose of establish- · ing a name for the place; when, by a majority of voices, it was confirmed that in future it should be called and known by the name of Troy. From its important state, and na- tural advantages, it was anticipated " at no very distant period to see Troy as famous for her trade and navigation as many of our first towns." The journals of the legis- lature for the session of 1789 were printed by S. and J. Loudon, at the house of Mr. Thomas McMurry, in Barrack, (now Chapel) street, they being printers to the state.
May. The Albany Gazette, on entering upon its sixth volume, began to be published twice a week. ... ... The fol- lowing is given in the Register, as a particular statement of the votes of the several towns in Albany county for go- vernor. The election was opened on the 28th April, for governor, lieutenant governor, senators and assemblymen.
Towns.
G. Clinton. Yates.
Towns.
G. Clinton.
Yates.
Hoosick,
34
33
Stillwater,
76
59
Saratoga, ..
14
67
Cambridge, ..
100
118
Steventown,
21
173
Albany (3 wards),
55
153
Ballstown,
168
76
Rensselaerwyck,.
23
188
Katskill, ..
39
33
Schaghticoke, ...
7
54
Watervliet,
50
294
Halfmoon,
73
47
Schenectady,
71
132
Coxsackie,
40
53
Schoharie,
129
30
Pittstown,
56
31
Duanesburgh, .. . . 14
9
Eastown,
30
27
1000
1577
. .
The returns were very imperfectly given by the papers, the adjoining counties being seldom reported, and never accu- rately. The polls were closed in the city, we are told in the middle of the week; but in the east and west districts of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, ballots continued to be received until Saturday afternoon. The election of Go- vernor Clinton was carried by the heavy majority from Ulster county, which gave him 1039 out of 1145.
301
Notes from the Newspapers.
1789.]
July 6. The legislature met at Albany. The message of Gov. Clinton, at the opening of the session, occupied thirty-two lines in the newspapers.
On the first of June, the thermometer stood at 40°; on the 30th, at 80; on the 14th July, at 56; on the 24th, at 84; on the 12th August, at 80; on the 30th, at 47; these being the highest and lowest ranges for those months.
At the July term of the supreme court, held in Albany, Elihu Smeeds of Pittstown in the county of Albany, in- dicted for the murder of Ezekiel Mitchell, and convicted of manslaughter, was adjudged to receive thirty-nine lashes, at the public whipping post, and be imprisoned three ca- lendar months. Six others, convicted of stealing, were condemned to receive thirty-nine lashes each ; while about the same time, Francis Uss, convicted of breaking open and robbing a store in Poughkeepsie, was publicly hanged.
There was a scarcity of breadstuffs this year, through- out the country, and complaints were made of monopo- lizers. Flour sold at New Orleans for twelve dollars a barrel. Complaints were frequent of the scarcity of pro- visions in the western part of the state, on account of the flood of immigrants. In the vicinity of Niagara, it was difficult to subsist the new comers. A letter from "Cooper's Town, Otsego Lake," May 7, says: "The vast multitude of people that come daily to this country have caused a scarcity of provisions almost to a famine. In the Genesee it is quite so. Corn will bring ten. shillings in cash, and six shillings at Albany; and it is said potatoes at Niagara are twenty shillings. However alarming this may be, it proceeds from no other cause than that of an innumerable quantity of people flocking in. I have had thirty in a day seeking land of me."
Nov. 3. A snowstorm commenced at ten in the morning, and continued during the day; and the weather was re- markably cold, having every appearance of winter: a cir- cumstance not before recollected by any of the inhabitants at so early a period.
The amount of receipts and disbursements of the city of Albany for the first six years succeeding the revolution, was as follows :
Annals, ii.
26
302
Notes from the Newspapers. [1790.
Received.
Disbursed.
1783-4
£625 7s. 5d.
£589 11s. 3d.
1784-5
277 6
1
334 13 9
1785-6
476 17 8
482 6 2
1786-7
2392 10 10
2465 10 2
1787-8
1421 5 11
1348 14 4
1788-9
547 7 9
..... 443 10 11
1790. January. It was deemed "indispensably necessary" by Mr. Cornelius J. Wynkoop, that there should be in the city "an auctioneer and vendue master for dry goods, household furniture, &c." Whereupon he opened at No. 8 Market street, " a licensed auction office." ...... De Hart & Kinney received the postage for carrying the mail between New York and Albany.
Feb. 1. The legislature granted Ananias Platt the exclu- sive right of running a stage between Albany and Lansing- burgh.
April 2. The legislature passed an act for the improve- ment of the navigation of the overslaugh, by allowing the proprietors of Mills and Papskni islands to erect a dam to prevent the passage of the water between them, and throw it into the main channel. This, it was thought, would more effectually benefit the navigation, than the employment of " an unwieldy machine, which at best only affords a tempo- rary relief."
The prisoners confined for debt in the city hall, which was the jail, celebrated the 5th July (the 4th being Sun- day). There was an allusion to the fifteenth year of Ame- rican independence, and their confinement for debt. Their fifth toast was: May the time come when no honest man shall be confined for debt." The time did arrive, in less than half a century, when dishonest men even were seldom confined for debt.
October. The mail stage between Albany and New York, which seems to have been suspended, was announced to commence running twice a week as formerly ...... The synod of New York and New Jersey erected a new presbytery in the northern part of this state, under the name of The Pres- bytery of Albany ; to which they committed the care of all the congregations in this state in connection with them,
303
Notes from the Newspapers.
1790.]
which lie north of the Catskill mountains on the west side, and of the southern boundary of Columbia county on the east side of Hudson's river. It was appointed to meet for the first time on the ninth November, in the city of Albany ; and to be opened with a sermon by Rev. William Schenck, the senior pastor. In the absence of Mr. Schenck, Rev. John Warford of Salem preached from Luke xiv, 23. Rev. John McDonald of Albany was appointed stated clerk ...... There were but two mails which reached the city of Albany at this time; one from New York, and the other from Springfield, Mass. (See vol. I, p. 56) ...... The revenue of the city for six months preceding the twelfth October, was £918 16s. 10}d .; the expenditures, £728 9s. 7d. Among the expenditures is an item of £3 10s. paid constables for patrolling the streets on Sundays. £24 2s. 4d. was received of P. S. Van Rens- selaer, for ground in Barrack (Berg,1 now Chapel) street.
December. The state of the weather is thus given for a part of this month :
8th. Thermometer indicated 4 degrees below 0. 9th. 10 deg. below 0; the barometer higher than had been observed in four years, and the weather colder for the season than had ever been known in the city. 17th. 2º below 0. 18th. 8° below 0. 19. 16° below 0. 20th. 20° above 0. 22d. 0. 28th. 4° below 0. 30th. 3º below 0. 31st. 8° below 0. Jan. 2d. 10° below 0.
1 This being the most westerly and highest street, was called Berg street, that is hill street, which in time came to be written by the English, Barrack street, from the Dutch pronunciation bar- rg, as though it were two syllables. Thus the Helderberg, was pronounced Helder-bar-rag, and is often written by unlettered Ame- ricans, Hallebarrack.
304
Lancasterian School.
LANCASTERIAN SCHOOL.
In the year 1810, the common council had under con- sideration the project of establishing a free school, on the plan of Joseph Lancaster. As yet there were no public schools in the city. The Mechanics' Society had, a number of years previous, erected a building on the corner of Chapel and Columbia streets, and maintained a school, which was not altogether confined in its privileges to the children of its own members. On the 26th May, 1812, the legislature passed a law incorporating the Albany Lancasterian School Society, which had then been some time in operation. The petition stated that Philip S. Van Rensselaer, John Lansing junior, Simeon De Witt, and others, had associated them- selves for the laudable purpose of establishing a school in the city of Albany, for the diffusion of common education ; and presented a petition to the legislature, setting forth the benefits that would result to society from such an institution, by implanting in the minds of children the principles of
305
Lancasterian School.
religion and morality, and by assisting their parents in pro- viding suitable situations for them, where habits of industry and virtue may be acquired ; 'and that it would enable them more effectually to accomplish the benevolent objects of their institution, if their association was incorporated. The trustees named in the law to serve the first year, were Philip S. Van Rensselaer, Simeon De Witt, Stephen Van Rensselaer, Elisha Jenkins, Archibald M'Intyre, John M. Bradford, William Neill, Timothy Clowes, John Mac Jimpsey, John Lansing junior, James Kent, John V. Henry and Charles R. Webster. The members of the common council were made members of the society by virtue of their office; and any person contributing twenty-five dollars to its benefit, was entitled to send one child to be educated gratuitously. The school was conducted in the upper part of the building of the Mechanics' Society, until the completion of the school- house on Eagle street in 1817. Mr. William A. Tweed Dale was appointed preceptor. His report of the business of the year 1814, was as follows :
Salary of the teacher, $700.00
Rent of school room, 82.50
Fitting up Pettibone stoves, and ventilating, .. 91.00
Incidental expenses,.
331.03
$1204.53
The income of the society arose from the following sources :
Allowance by the corporation out of the excise receipts, $500.00 School fund appropriation, 487.66
Tuition fees from scholars, 400.00
$1387.66
The number of scholars instructed during the year was 400, half of whom were new pupils, or such as had not pre- viously attended the school.
On Monday, April 5, 1817, the ceremony took place of opening the new school house, the building now occupied by the Medical College and Law School, of which the woodcut on the preceding page is a correct representation, the wing having been added since the school was abandoned. The house was built by order of the common council, at an
306
Lancasterian School.
expense of $23,918.93. It was capable of accommodating 450 children, and a large infant school; and afforded a resi- dence for the principal. A procession, consisting of the trustees, principal, and four hundred scholars, formed at the house of the president of the society, Philip S. Van Rensselaer, corner of State and Chapel streets, and moved to the Capitol, where it was met by the governor of the state, mayor and recorder of the city, and the clergy and · citizens ; whence it moved to the school house. There the exercises consisted of a prayer by Rev. Mr. Bradford, an address by Dr. T. R. Beck, and prayer and benediction by Rev. Mr. De Witt. From the address we learn that during the six years the school had been in operation, 1149 scho- lars had been educated in it. The institution was designed to gather in the poor and neglected children of the city, who were growing up in idleness and ignorance. Of the thousands who were educated within its walls, many doubt- less owe a life of happiness and prosperity, in some instances of eminence, to the teachings there imparted. It continued in operation until about 1834, when it was abandoned. Mr. Tweed Dale, who superintended the school from its founda- tion till that time, a period of about twenty-three years, was now advanced in life. He was, before his arrival in this country, a pupil of both Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster, the rival claimants of the honor of having established the system. Incalculable benefits were rendered to the children of the poor in England and America, by the establishment of simi- lar institutions, at a time when education was mostly con- fined to the higher classes.
This institution was superseded by the schools which went into operation in every part of the city, under the common school system of the state. The edifice was vacant for several years, when it was appropriated to the use of a medical college, of which an account is given in Collections Hist. Albany, II, 219.
In 1818, Mr. Lancaster visited Albany on his tour in the United States; the trustees of the Lancaster school pre- sented him with the following address :
"Sir : The trustees of the Albany Lancaster school so- ciety, avail themselves of your unexpected appearance in this quarter of the world, to show you a young scion from
307
Ancient Funeral Custom.
that tree which you have planted, which is rapidly spreading its branches over every region, and imparting its blessed fruit to every nation. You, sir, have devised, matured, and brought into universal practice, a system of education, by which the knowledge of letters, science, morality and reli- gion, can with comparatively little effort and expense be communicated to millions of juvenile minds, who by the ordinary established means of education would not have become partakers of its invaluable benefits. Accept, sir, this tribute of our respect, which we tender to you as one of those rare benefactors of mankind, whose services merit such peculiar public acknowledgments as cannot be with- held without incurring the justly deserved imputation of public ingratitude.
" SIMEON DE WITT, " President.".
ANCIENT FUNERAL CUSTOM.
The following is copied from a memoir read by Judge Benson before the New York Historical Society in 1816 :
A family in Albany, and from the earliest time, of the name of Wyngaard. The last in the male line, Lucas Wyngaard, died about sixty years ago, never married, and leaving estate : the invitation to his funeral very general. Those who attended, returned after the interment, as was the usage, to the house of the deceased at the close of the one day, and a number never left it until the dawn of the next. In the course of the night a pipe of wine, stored in the cellar for some years before for the occasion, drank ; dozens of papers of tobacco consumed; grosses of pipes broken; scarce a whole decanter or glass left; and, to crown it all, the pall-bearers made a bonfire of their scarves on the hearth - bordering on barbarism ! not to be denied. We are more temperate, wholly free from excess and riot - admitted.
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