USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol IX > Part 12
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The mean temperature of May was 59.40 deg .; highest 82 deg .; lowest 37 deg. Rain 7 days; rain and snow 1 day ; quantity of rain 3.43 inches.
155
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Notes from the Newspapers.
June 3. Jane Ann, wife of Henry Rector, died, aged 33. Thomas Herring died, aged 52.
June 4. The following were chosen directors of the Mechanics' and Farmers' Bank : Benjamin Knower, Peter Boyd, Richard Dusenbury, Ezra Ames, Russell Forsyth, Harmanus Bleecker, William Marvin, William Mayell, Friend Humphrey, John Herman, Robert Dunlop, Henry Newman (in place of Thos. Herring, deceased), Samuel S. Fowler (in place of William Fowler, declined).
June 5. An election for directors of the New York State Bank was held, and the following persons chosen: Fran- cis Bloodgood, Erastus Corning, John Taylor, Thomas Russell, Allen Brown, William James, Isaiah Townsend, John H. Webb, John D. P. Douw, Silvanus P. Jermain, Robert Boyd, Nathaniel Davis.
Thomas Disbrow died, aged 34.
June 6. Abraham Sickles and John Meigs, police con- stables, stated to the common council, that their labors were constantly increasing, insomuch that they were pre- vented from attending to any other business, and asked for additional compensation. Alderman Cassidy also suggested that the salary of the police justice should be increased, as the business of his office had more than doubled since the great influx of population within a year or two.
The board at its last meeting had resolved to construct a steam ferry boat, at the urgent advocacy of John Townsend, for the use of the south ferry. Alderman Gibbons moved a reconsideration of the vote, and offered estimates to show the economy of horse over steam boats; and illustrated his position by stating the experience of Troy, where steam ferry boats had been abandoned, and the proprietors had restored the horse boats. Mr. Townsend replied, and maintained that whether facility or economy was to be considered, a steam boat had every advantage over a horse boat. He contrasted the differ- ence by examples, and had no doubt that the boat could be supplied with coal for fuel at $4 a day. The recon: sideration was not carried.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
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In discussing the arrangements for the fourth of July, Mr. John L. Winne thought the corporation should keep the day in a manner different from that in which it is usually kept. It ought to be observed as a day of reli- gious thanksgiving. He did not expect to effect a change in the common practice; but for himself he would never consent to keep this day as it had been kept. If he kept it he would keep it religiously.
June 12. At an election for directors of the Commercial Bank, the following were elected: Joseph Alexander, Joshua Tuffs, Ira Jenkins, Willard Walker, William Cook, Robert Gilchrist, John Townsend, George W. Stanton, Seth Hastings, Richard Marvin, David E. Gregory, Lewis Benedict, Oliver Kane (in place of A. H. Center, removed to New York).
June 18. At a meeting of the common council, a com- munication was received from Benjamin Lattimore, in- forming that the citizens of African descent intended to celebrate the abolition of slavery in this state, on the 5th of July, and inviting their presence at the African church to hear an oration by the pastor, Mr. Paul. The com- munication was laid on the table.
Alderman Goold offered a resolution declaring that if the consistory of the Dutch church would permit the fill- ing up of the Watering place, the corporation would do it at the expense of the city, and release to the church the money which might arise from the wharfage. It was adopted.
The city superintendent was directed to cut down three large trees at the corner of North Market and Patroon sts.
June 19. The vestry of St. Peter's Church advertised for sale the lots on which the City Hall now stands.
June 20. Martin Hebeysen died, aged nearly 89, a member of the Lutheran church, of which he was some- time a trustee. He was buried from his residence, No. 67 Hudson street.
June 25. The consistories of the two Dutch Reformed churches sent a communication to the common council, acceding to the proposition of the latter to release the
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Notes from the Newspapers.
covenants and restrictions relative to the Watering place, upon the grant and release of the dockage and wharfage being duly executed to the said churches by the corpora- tion.
The steam boat Independence made her first appear- ance at the landing in this city, having about 200 passen- gers. She was commanded by Capt. William J. Wiswall, and exceeded any of her predecessors in the elegance of the finish of her cabins.
Mean temperature of the month, 67-82 deg .; greatest height 85 deg .; lowest 51 deg .; rain on 9 days, 3.75 inches fell.
July 2. Rachel Garretson died, aged 77.
July 5. The citizens of African descent celebrated their emancipation in a becoming manner. By a law passed March 17, 1817, it was enacted that every negro, mulatto, or mustee within this state, born before the 4th day of July, 1799, should be free from and after the 4th day of July, 1827. It was enacted by a former statute that those born after the 4th of July, 1799, were born free, the males to serve till 27 years of age, and the females till 25. Many of these people seemed to have entertained a notion that the remainder of their lives was to be a season of perpetual rest, for money would not induce many of them to undertake any labor, until they were brought by starvation to realize the impossibility of sub- sisting by idleness.
July 10. A meeting of citizens friendly to the encour- agement of woolen manufactures was held at the Capitol. and were addressed by Martin Van Buren and John S. Van Rensselaer. The speech of the latter was published in the Daily Advertiser of July 13. The addresses of Chandler Starr and Charles A. Hopkins, merchants, were also published.
July 23. The steam boat North America, built by Stevens, and intended to run between New York and Albany in 10 hours from port to port, arrived on the evening of this day, having been detained by some acci- dent to her machinery. She was commanded by Capt.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
Cochran, was 175 feet in length, about 60 in width, in- cluding the guards, and had two engines.
July 25. A special term of the court af oyer and ter- miner commenced at the Capitol, Judge Duer presiding. The commission consisted of Judge Duer, James Steven- son, mayor, James McKown, recorder, and Richard S. Treat and Welcome Esleeck, aldermen. The panel of grand jurors consisted of Israel Smith, foreman, William Caldwell, Rensselaer Westerlo, Walter Clark, Stewart Lewis, David E. Gregory, John H. Webb, John Evertsen, Sybrant Kittle, Hamlet H. Hickcox, Jason Rudes, &c. The court room was crowded to excess. Jesse Strang, indicted for the murder of John Whipple, was arraigned at the bar and plead not guilty. Elsie D. Whipple, the wife of the deceased, was also arraigned as an accomplice in the murder, and plead not guilty. Calvin Pepper and J. T. Oakley were counsel for Strang; Edward Living- ston, district attorney, assisted by S. A. Foote, conducted the prosecution. The trial of Strang was concluded on the 27th, and the jury after a few minutes absence brought in a verdict of guilty.
July 27. A dinner was given to the Dutch minister, Huygens, at Rockwell's Mansion House, Harmanus Bleeker presiding, who made a speech to the guest in Dutch, and was replied to in the same language.
July 29. Elizabeth, wife of James Caldwell died, aged 73.
July 30. The trial of Mrs. Whipple came on. She was defended by Abraham Van Vechten, Elisha Williams and Azor Taber. The trial continued till the 3d August, when the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, without leaving their seats, although it was universally believed that she was concerned in the murder.
July 31. There were 123 persons in the almshouse, of whom 57 were healthy, 31 infirm, 3 sick, 22 lame, 2 blind, and 8 insane.
Temperature of the month, 72.74 mean ; greatest height 86 deg .; lowest 60; rain on 10 days; 5.43 inches fell.
August 4. Judge Duer pronounced senten ce of death upon Jesse Strang.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
August 4. A new miscellaneous paper made its appear- ance from the office of Daniel McGlashan, called The Comet. It was the experiment of a club of young print- ers, among whom was John Visscher. It had a very short life.
Aug. 8. Abraham Van Schaick died, aged 40.
Aug. 9. Mrs. Sophia W. Jenkins died, aged 52.
Aug. 13. Irunna, wife of William A. Kane, died, aged 50.
Aug. 18. The new steam boat Victory, built in this city by Moses Kenyon, having received her machinery, made the first trip on this day, under Capt. Sanford Cobb. She was 143 feet long, 25 feet broad, and 9 feet deep; and of 310 tons burthen. For elegance she surpassed everything that had appeared, and is believed to have been the first boat furnished with a piano.
Aug. 24. John Robison, who died on the 22d, aged 88, was buried from his residence, No. 34 Dean street. He was one of the most noted merchants of the city for a great number of years, his place of business being the northwest corner of State street and Broadway.
Jesse Strang was executed in the Hudson street ravine, a few rods above Eagle street. The hills on either side were densely crowded with spectators, as many as 40,000 having collected, some of them from a great distance. He was attended upon the gallows by the Rev. Wm. B. Lacey, and the cord which sustained the drop was cut by by the sheriff, Conrad A. Ten Eyck. It was the last public execution in Albany. The principal avenues to the city were thronged during the fore part of the day with people from the country. The number of vehicles entering from the north was 1100 by count, and 175 were left by the road side above the Patroon's bridge. The citizens had never seen anything to equal it.
A new steam boat called the Emerald, commanded by R. G. Livingston, commenced running between Albany and New York. "One who is not an eye witness of the fact," says the editor of the Advertiser, "can scarcely
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Notes from the Newspapers.
imagine the immense number of persons who daily arrive at and depart from this city in steam boats, and the vast quantity of produce that is shipped from our wharves, and conveyed to market by steam and wind. Last Sunday evening (Aug. 26) within one hour, there arrived six steam boats with passengers, and three of these also having in tow two barges each with freight and passengers. To- gether they must have landed some sixteen hundred pas- sengers. There were never more sloops than at present employed upon the river, and they all go hence fully freighted."
It having been stated that the trip of the steam boat Independence from New York to Albany in 11h. 32m. was the quickest passage on record, Capt. James Benson of the New Philadelphia asserted that he had made the passage in 11h. 12m., including the stops at all the regular landings. Sept. 5, the Independence arrived in 11 hours.
Aug. 31. Ann, wife of John Ewart died, aged 32.
Sept. 6. John Cosgrove died, aged 56.
Sept. 8. Amalonia R., wife of James Ostrander, died, aged 31.
Sept. 9. Adrian Day died.
The mean temperature of the month was 61.62 deg .; greatest height 80 deg .; lowest 42. Rain on 7 days; 5.67 inches fell.
Oct. 10. Margaret, wife of G. V. S. Bleecker, died, aged 38.
Oct. 25. George W. Spaulding died, aged 26.
The mean temperature of the month was 51.48 deg .; highest 66 deg .; lowest 33 deg. Rain on 10 days; 4.65 inches fell.
Nov. 5. Joshua Gray, late keeper of the Pier Exchange, died, aged 25.
Nov. 7. The polls closed after a strife of three days and resulted in a democratic victory. Moses Warren was elected to the senate by 2957 votes; John Gebhard, his opponent, received 2575. The vote for assemblymen was as follows :.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
Democratic.
Republican.
David I. D. Verplank, 2771 William N. Sill, 2748
Benjamin F. Butler,. 2866
Isaac Hamilton, 2617
Barent P. Staats, .... 2696 Daniel Dorman, 2502
Nov. 10. A fire on the pier destroyed a block of four stores belonging to William James, and occupied by Mat- thews Brown, Joseph H. Greene, Slacks & Roggen and F. Van Horne. Mr. James was present and bailed water with great perseverance, but the buildings being of wood, were completely destroyed.
John Knickerbacker died at his residence in Schaghti- coke, aged 76 years, 9 months and 19 days. On the 10th Nov., 1826, at the same hour and moment, his wife died, with whom he had lived 61 years.
Nov. 16. Sally, wife of Matthew Crannel, died, aged 37.
Nov. 20. The morocco factory of Covert & Jones, in Fox street was burnt; loss about $6000, of which $4000 were insured. The morocco factory of Mr. Peterson, adjoining, was also destroyed; loss $3000; $1800 insured.
Nov. 21. Sarah, wife of John C. Draper, died, aged 29. John T. Norton, Jeremiah Clark, Jacob Mancius, Jared L. Rathbone, Israel Smith, John I. Godfrey, Edward C. Delavan, Lyman Root, E. F. Backus, Rufus H. King, Aaron Thorp, David Wood, Chandler Starr, Henry L. Webb, and James Goold, gave notice in the state paper, that they intended to apply to the next legislature for a new bank in the city of Albany, to be called the Canal Bank of Albany, with a capital of $500,000.
The mean temperature of the month was 33.87 deg .; greatest height 52 deg .; lowest 22 deg. Rain and snow on two days; 2.76 inches of water fell.
Dec. 10. The trustees of St. Mary's church petitioned the common council for the grant of a piece of ground adjoining the church, for the purpose of erecting thereon a new edifice.
Dec. 13. Catharine, wife of Thomas Gough, died, aged 37.
Dec. 12. Cynthia, wife of Elias Mather, died, aged 37.
Dec. 17. Robinson's Corner, the northwest corner of State and North Market streets, was sold by auction, and
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Notes from the Newspapers.
purchased by Thorp and Sprague for $33,500; with very indifferent buildings on it. The lot comprised an area of 2461 superficial feet .
Susan, wife of Francis Spalding, died, aged 32.
Dec. 18. Robert McElroy died, aged 43.
Dec. 27. A fire broke out in the druggist store of Rus- sell D. Shaw, corner of Pearl and Beaver streets, which destroyed the contents of the store, insured for $1000, and considerably damaged the building, which was also occupied by William J. Van Zandt as a dwelling.
Dec. 30. Bridget Smith died, aged 85.
The mean temperature of the month was 29.77 deg .; greatest height 46 deg .; lowest 3 deg. Rain on 7 days; snow on 4; rain guage 3.91 inches.
The mean temperature for the year was 48.13 deg .; highest 90 deg .; lowest 18 deg. below 0. Rain on 79 days; snow 22 days; rain and snow 6 days. Rain guage 49.80 inches.
1828.
Jan. 7. At a meeting of the common council, Dr. Peter Wendell declined the appointment of almshouse physi- cian, and the board balloted for a successor to the former incumbent, Dr. S. S. Treat, whose place Dr. Wendell had been elected at a former meeting to fill, when Dr. Barent P. Staats received 15 votes and Dr. Alden March 5.
At the same meeting John S. Van Rensselaer and others petitioned that State street might be paved from the Capitol west to the centre of Lark street.
Jan. 14. The stockholders of the Albany steam boat association held a meeting for the election of directors. The board elected was as follows:
Joseph Alexander, John Dowse,
George W. Stanton, Daniel Wilcox,
David P. Winne, O. R. Van Benthuysen,
Hallenbake Stafford, Agur Wells,
John Taylor, George Marvin,
William Stead,
Daniel Powers.
William Bay,
This company owned the Victory. They resolved to
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Notes from the Newspapers.
build a new boat, and Capt. Cobb having resigned, they promoted him to the captaincy of the new boat, and ap- pointed Thomas Wiswall captain of the Victory.
Jan. 20. The steam boat Saratoga arrived from New York in the afternoon, but left her dock in about an hour after her arrival.
Jan. 21. The river was closed by ice.
Jan. 22. It having been determined by a number of citizens, principally episcopalians, to have another fe- male school in the city, a meeting was held at the Co- lumbian Hotel, on this day, at which Henry Trowbridge presided, and James G. Mather was secretary. At this meeting the following persons were chosen trustees: Barent P. Staats, Richard McMichael, William B. Lacey, James G. Mather, Henry R. Weed, Peter Van OLinda, Agur Wells. At a subsequent meeting Rev. Wm. B. Lacey was chosen president, and Peter Van OLinda secretary and treasurer.
Jan. 24. Capt. Angus McDonald died, aged 55.
Jan. 26. Mrs. Pamelia Davis died, aged 30.
Dr. Joseph B. Stewart died.
Tobias V. Cuyler died.
The temperature of the month averaged 29.92 deg .; greatest height 45 deg .; lowest 0 deg .; rain 4 days, snow 6.
Feb. 1. Elbert Willett, formerly city chamberlain, died, aged 90, and was buried from No. 69 Hudson street.
Feb. 3. Peter Donnelly, Jr. died, and was buried with military honors. He entered the army at an early age, and served with distinction. He was at the taking of Fort George and Little York, and was also with the 18th regiment which fought gallantly at Forty-mile creek.
Feb. 6. Mary Van Allen died, aged 72.
Feb. 7. Adam J. Van Allen, consort of the above, died, aged 70.
Feb. 11. De Witt Clinton died at his residence, corner of North Pearl and Steuben streets, aged 59, and was buried with great ceremony on the 15th.
Rev. George Upfold, formerly of Albany, was elected rector of St. Thomas's church, New York.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
Feb. 19. The steam boats Olive Branch and Matilda arrived from New York.
Feb. 27. Samuel Webster, son of the late George Webster, died, aged 25.
Elizabeth Bell died, aged 80.
James Hawes, a cooper, was drowned at the lower end of the Pier.
Feb. 27. Jane C. Eights died.
Thomas Marvin died, aged 28.
Solomon Southwick was nominated for governor of the state by citizens of Batavia, anti-masons in politics ; which nomination he accepted.
Feb. 29. A meeting of citizens was held in the session house of the First Presbyterian church, to devise measures for the promotion of the due observance of the sabbath. Lieut. Gov. Taylor presided, and John F. Bacon acted as secretary. A pledge was drawn up and signed by sixty persons, to use their best endeavors to dissuade the owners of steam boats, canal boats, stages and hacks, from trav- eling on the sabbath, and to encourage and patronize such of them as should cease running on that day.
The mean temperature of the month was 34.81 deg .; highest 55 deg .; lowest 18 deg. Rain on 6 days, snow on 4; 22 inches rain fell.
March 2. Jacob Vandenberg, of the firm of H. & J. Vandenbergh, died.
March 3. Catharine, wife of Henry Fryer, died, aged 43.
John W. Dana, formerly a merchant of Albany, died at Gibbonsville, aged 40.
March 5. John Hansen died, aged 27.
March 6. The copartnership of S. P. and A. Jermain was dissolved; the business continued by the latter.
March 9. Thomas Fitzsimmons, Jr. died, aged 23.
William Dey Ermand died.
March 16. John McGivney died.
March 18. The theatre opened under the management of George Vernon, recently from the Theatre Royal, Hay- market, London.
Capt. James Cheeney died, aged 31.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
March 20. William Clench died.
March 21. Moses Guest died at Cincinnati, Ohio, aged 73. Captain Guest was a native of Albany, bore an active and zealous part in the conflict of the revolution; and during his long life sustained the character of a pa- triot, a philanthropist and a Christian.
March 24. On the petition of John S. Van Rensselaer to have the " small street running diagonally from Hud- son to Liberty street" paved, it was proposed to call it Diagonal street, and it was so called until the delta was formed into a square, by taking in that street and some additional ground. The common council at the same time directed the city attorney to prepare a law to change the name of Frelinghuysen street to Franklin. A peti- tion was made for pitching Union street from Lydius to Hamilton.
March 29. John W. Yates, cashier of the New York State Bank, died, aged 58. He received a liberal educa- tion, having graduated at Columbia College in 1787. Although educated for the bar, he became a clerk in the Albany Bank, were he continued until the incorporation of the New York State Bank in 1803, when he was ap- pointed cashier. He held the office twenty-four years, and sustained the character of a man of integrity and business talents. He was a scholar in the largest and best sense of the word; one who showed to the commu- nity that liberal studies were not incompatible with the ordinary pursuits of life; and as a classical student he had no superior in the city.
Finlay McNaughton died.
March 31. The law changing the name of Frelinghuy. sen street to Franklin street, passed the board of com- mon council. This street, like many others laid out in the Pasture, was named after one of the domines of the Dutch church.
Allen Brown having leased the Watering place for $720, three hundred dollars were allowed him to improve the same.
The mean temperature of the month was 38.58 deg .; [ Annals, ix.] 15
.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
the highest 68 deg .; lowest 19 deg. Rain on 5 days; snow on 3. Nearly 2 inches of rain fell.
April 9. The celebrated Clara Fisher made her first appearance at the Albany theatre, as Clari in the Maid of Milan.
April 13. Cornelius Brower died, aged 90. He lived on the site of the Female Academy.
April 16. James Anderson, a native of Lanark, Scot- land, died, aged 40.
The ladies of the city were actively employed at this time in making up clothing for the Greeks struggling against the Turk.
April 17. A fire broke out in the bell foundry of Lewis Aspinwall, in Beaver street, about midway between Green and South Market, which communicated rapidly to the adjoining buildings, and before it was arrested, swept down nearly all the buildings on both sides of Beaver street, and on the north side of Hudson street. It was the largest fire that had occurred in the city for many years. The loss of property was perhaps $40,000, upon which the whole amount of insurance was $20,000.
Mrs. Elizabeth Davis died, aged 77; formerly of New Bedford, Mass.
April 22. At a meeting of the common council it was proposed to widen and improve Beaver street at the place of the recent fire. Moses Phillips, manager of the theatre, presented $50 for the benefit of the sufferers by the fire, the proceeds of one night set apart by him for that pur- pose. Gerrit Y. Lansing tendered his resignation as an alderman of the third ward, being about to remove from the city.
April 26. Alexander McKay died, aged 47.
The mean temperature of the month was 44.94 deg .; highest 62; lowest 31 deg. Rain on 10 days, rain and snow 2 days. Rain guage 2.52 inches.
May 1. A partnership in the dry goods business was formed between Samuel Pruyn and John I. Olmsted, un- der the firm name of Pruyn & Olmsted.
Dr. J. Eights and S. S. Treat formed a partnership as physicians.
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Notes from the Newspapers.
May 5. A meeting of citizens was held at the Atheneum to take measures for the erection of a monument to the memory of De Witt Clinton. Hon. William A. Duer presided and Peter Gansevoort, Esq., was secretary. Committees were appointed to solicit subscriptions in each ward. The meeting was well attended by the magnates of the city and much enthusiasm prevailed, but nothing more was accomplished.
May 6. An election was held with the following result :
First Ward .- Supervisor, B. P. Staats, 397; J. V. N. Yates, 56. Assessor, Gerrit Lansing, jr.
2d Ward .- Supervisor, William Seymour, 256; T. A. Bridgen, 2. Assessor, Ichabod Judson.
3d Ward .- Alderman, Gerrit Gates, 99; Asaph Preston, 45. Supervisor, Nicholas Bleecker. Assessor, Teunis Slingerland.
4th Ward .- Supervisor, William Mayell, 220; James P. Gould, 224; W. Mayell, 5. Assessor, Philip Hooker.
5th Ward .- Supervisor, John N. Quackenbush, 255. Assessor, Benj. Wilson, 249.
Mr. Gates was elected alderman to fill a vacancy occa- sioned by the resignation of Gerrit Y. Lansing.
Orrin Fuller died, aged 42.
May 8. John Easton died, aged 23. He was the grand- son of John Easton, who many years before came to this country from Scotland, and lived and died in this city, a worthy and respectable citizen. The deceased was the hope and promise of the family, and only male descend- ant in the second degree. He was to have been married at the time the winding sheet claimed him for its own.
May 12. Daniel Skinner, of the firm of Webster & Skinners, died in Hartford, Ct.
May 13. A sale of lots below Ferry street took place. Upwards of a hundred were sold, and brought over $21,- 000. It was a tract which had always lain waste, and was much of the time under water. It extended from Ferry street to the south line of the city, was bounded on the west by Court street and on the east by the river,
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Notes from the Newspapers.
being 1900 feet in length on the river, and divided into 28 blocks, comprising in all 130 lots, not all of which were sold.
May 14. Jonathan Fryer, formerly of Albany, died at Norwich, Chenango county, aged 33.
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