The annals of Albany, Vol. X, Part 21

Author: Munsell, Joel, 1808-1880
Publication date: 1850
Publisher: Albany : J. Munsell
Number of Pages: 542


USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. X > Part 21


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Sept. 28. Isaac S. Cuyler died, aged 35.


Sept. 29. The new steam boat Rhode Island made her first appearance at the landing.


John Van Ness Yates was nominated for member of assembly.


Henry W. Delavan died at Ballston, aged 51.


It was announced that the Rev. Isaac N. Wyckoff, of Catskill, had accepted the call from the Second Dutch church of Albany, to become its pastor.


Oct. 3. A fire destroyed a wooden building in South Market street below the steam boat landing.


Oct. 4. The steam boat Swallow, Capt. McLean, made her first appearance.


William A. Gay died, aged 30.


The common council, by a vote of 17 to 1, resolved to subscribe $250,000 to the Albany and West Stockbridge rail road. The only vote in the negative was that of Dr. Bay.


At the annual election of the Albany Military associa- tion the following officers were chosen :


Lt. Col. John B. Van Schaick, president.


Brig. Gen. J. T. B. Van Vechten, vice president. Major Asa Fassett, do


Lieut. Volkert Roth, secretary.


Major William Spencer, judge advocate.


Capt. W. I. Slingerland, treasurer.


Lieut. Edward M. Teall, auditor.


Major Edward Frisbee, adjutant.


Aug. 16. Mrs. Lydia Ryckman died, aged 99.


TAPEE


Lith. of Harry E. Pease, Albany.


EXCHANGE BUILDING,


263


1836.


Notes from the Newspapers.


Oct. 5. Miss Tempe Steele died, aged 76.


Oct. 7. Samuel H. Drake, formerly lessee of the American Hotel, died at Louisville, Ky., where he was a colonel in the Texan army of reserve.


Oct. 8. The steam boat Swallow, arrived from New York at 2 o'clock in the morning, having made the pass- age in 8 h. 42 m., the quickest trip on record.


Oct. 12. A fall of snow sufficiently damp and heavy to break down the branches of fruit and ornamental trees.


Oct. 13. Caroline, wife of Caleb N. Bement, died. Louisa, widow of John Van Schoonhoven, died.


Oct. 19. Harriet, wife of George M. Sayles, died, aged 21.


Oct. 28. Helen, wife of Samuel Pruyn, died, aged 33.


Oct. 31. Charles Knower died, aged 21.


Nov. 1. The corner stone of the Albany. Exchange building was laid with appropriate ceremonies. At 12 o'clock, noon, after an appropriate address by John Q. Wilson, one of the trustees, the stone was deposited in its place, with the customary forms, by John Townsend, president of the board of trustees, assisted by Joseph Russell, chairman of the building committee, and by Mr. Ruel Clapp, builder. Upon the side of the stone was a suitable inscription, and within it was placed a vase containing the current coins, a copy of the daily news- papers, &c., and a scroll containing a list of the subscrib- ers to the stock, 367 in number.


The steam boats Rochester and Swallow left New York at 5 o'clock p. m., with the intention of reaching Albany in the shortest possible time. The Rochester arrived at 20 minutes past 1, having performed the trip in 8 h. 20 m. The Swallow broke down at Coxsackie, when she was about 6 m. in advance of the Rochester.


Nov. 2. James Cumming died, aged 70. Horace Allen died.


Nov. 5. Francis Bryan died, aged 76.


Nov. 10. The election terminated in the choice of the democratic candidates.


264


Notes from the Newspapers. 1836.


Nov. 15. The New York Express was enabled to give the news in the morning from the Albany Evening Jour- mal of the evening before, by the great speed of the steam boat Swallow. This was called annihilating time and space, and was thought to be quite as much in the way of speed as was desirable. Capt. McLean took the Evening Journal in his pocket on leaving the dock at Albany, and the next morning at 2 o'clock, walked into the office of the New York Express with it in season to spread its news before the readers of that paper, so that what was served to tea in Albany was given in New York at breakfast.


Nov. 16. A blacksmith and wheelwright shop in Lydius street, near Lark, were burnt.


Nov. 20. Abraham Oakley Miller died, aged 25.


The following were elected officers of the St. Nicholas Benevolent society :


Abraham Van Vechten, president.


Harmanus Bleecker, Wm. W. Groesbeeck, John B. Van Schaick, vice presidents.


John V. L. Pruyn, secretary.


Richard Van Rensselaer, treasurer.


Rev. Thomas E. Vermilyea and Rev. Isaac N. Wyckoff, chaplains.


John W. Bay and Harman Wendell, physicians.


Gerrit W. Ryckman, Egbert Egberts, Edward Brinker- hoff, Charles B. Lansing, Henry Bleecker, Jr., John Townsend, John Van Buren, Cornelius Ten Broeck, J. C. Van Schoonhoven, John C. Yates, managers.


Nov. 21. At a meeting of the common council Mr. James G. Wasson, of the finance committee, reported recommending the appropriation of $46,000 for the ex- penses of the current year, as follows : $7,000 for lamps, $9,000 for city watch, $20,000 for contingencies, $5,000 on city debt, and $500 on City Hall; which was adopted.


Nov. 24. A fire destroyed the dry goods store of Mc- Cabe & Holmes in South Market street; loss $4,000.


Nov. 27. Shaw's rope walk was burnt.


Nov. 28. Catharine, widow of Gershom Fuller, died.


265


1836. Notes from the Newspapers.


The river was closed so that the steam boats could not get above Van Wie's point.


Dec. 1. Mrs. Phebe Shepherd died, aged 59, and was buried from the house of her son-in-law, G. V. S. Bleecker. Dec. 7. James Hilton, a revolutionary soldier, died, aged 84.


Anthony I. Quackenboss died in New York, aged 40.


The river was open opposite the city, and the Swift- sure and Oliver Elsworth, took a number of boats in tow in the expectation of reaching New York with them.


Dec. 8. The Evening Journal furnished its readers with the message 24 hours in advance of the mail. It was brought from New York to Rhinebeck by steam boat, and from thence to Hudson by stage; an express brought it from Hudson to Greenbush, 32 miles in 2 hours. The expense of getting the president's message before the public in Albany, at this time, was very great, and the stratagems resorted to by the publishers of the three papers to head each other off, were quite amusing.


Dec. 11. Sarah Lucretia, wife of James Keeler, died, aged 63.


Dec. 15. Evelina Ross died, aged 20, and was buried from the house of Mrs. Leonard Gansevoort, in Chapel street.


The following were elected officers of the fire depart- ment :


Dennison Worthington, president.


Walter R. Bush, vice president.


John Cuyler, secretary.


Ephraim N. Pratt, treasurer.


Stephen Mix, collector.


Dec. 16. The steam boats came up no further than Hudson, and the river was again closed to navigation.


Dec. 17. Alida, widow of D. I. Winne, died, aged 61. Dec. 18. Mary C., wife of Alfred Dorr, died, aged 33.


The ladies held a fair at Stanwix Hall for the benefit of St. Paul's church, the receipts of which amounted to $1,200.


266


Notes from the Newspapers. 1836.


Dec. 19. Erastus Corning was reelected mayor, 11 votes; Teunis Van Vechten received 7.


Dec. 20. The common council passed an ordinance to prevent forestalling in the market. The following salaries were increased :


Chamberlain, .. $250 per annum.


Supt. Almshouse,. 200 do


Almshouse physician, 100 do


Clerk of the board, 100 do City marshal, salary fixed at 400 do


Alderman Bloodgood laid on the table a resolution in relation to the subscription by the board, to the stock of the Albany and West Stockbridge rail road; the object of it being to prevent the city from becoming involved beyond the amount of its subscription.


Dec. 28. Henry Hoyt died.


1837.


Jan. 3. Eliza, wife of Theodore Olcott, died, aged 25. Mrs. Hannah Gladding died, aged 63. Alexander Stevenson died, aged 31. The legislature met.


Jan. 6. Abraham Van Vechten died. (See biogra- phical sketch on a subsequent page). Isabella, wife of Daniel P. Marshall, died, aged 41.


Jan. 7. Mrs. Martha Humphrey died, aged 88.


Jan. 8. Mary, widow of J. W. Rockwell, died, aged 64.


Jan. 9. Dr. March applied to the common council for the Lancaster school house to be used as a medical col- lege in the event of a charter being granted by the legis- lature. Another application was made at the same time for its use as a piano forte manufactory.


Jan. 11. Philo S. Webster died, aged 29.


Jan. 12. James Hickson died, aged 67. John S. Salter, formerly an Albany merchant, died at Elizabeth town, N. J.


Jan. 23. Daniel Mott died, aged 74.


267


Notes from the Newspapers.


1837.


Jan. 26. Ebenezer Baldwin died at New Haven, aged 46; he distinguished himself in the political and literary circles of Albany, in the time of Governor Clinton.


Feb. 2. Alexander Finlay died.


. Edward Elliott died at St. Croix, aged 23.


Feb. 5. Richard Leonard died, aged 37.


Feb. 6. Margaret, wife of Joseph Davis, died, aged 33.


Feb. 9. Jonathan Tilyou died, aged 54.


Feb. 14. Frederick Cuyler died in Romeo, Michigan, aged 33.


Feb. 19. Robert Gray died, aged 35. He was the first librarian of the Young Men's Association.


Feb. 21. Oscar F. Griffin died, aged 26.


Feb. 22. Mrs. Elizabeth Locherty died, aged 77.


Feb. 24. John I. Cluett died, aged 84; formerly of New York.


Feb. 25. Mrs. Margaret Boyd died, aged 30 ..


Feb. 28. Levinus Van Schaack died, aged 43.


March 5. George Fiske died, aged 58; formerly of Claremont, N. H.


March 10. Eliza Treat, wife of John W. Bay, died. Silas Booth died, aged 79; a soldier of the revolution.


March 18. Daniel Hare, Jr., late a merchant in this city, died at Esperance, Schoharie county.


March 22. Rachel, widow of James Bleecker, died, aged 79, and was buried from the house of her son, G. V. S. Bleecker.


March 24. William Hinton died, aged 35.


March 28. The ice moved out of the river before the city without doing any damage.


March 29. Michael Strong died, aged 62.


A fire in Orange street destroyed. the two story dwell- ing of John Shell.


March 31. George S. Knower died, aged 20.


A sloop arrived from New Baltimore, the first craft of the season.


April 1. The steam boat Emerald, the first of the season, arrived from New York.


268


Notes from the Newspapers. 1837.


April 2. Abraham Mansfield, formerly of Albany, died at Italy, Yates county, N. Y.


April 3. Rev. E. N. Kirk left the city to sail for Europe.


April 5. Elizabeth, widow of John Lansing, died,


aged 80.


April 7. Louisa, wife of Henry Allan Grant, died, aged 25.


April 8. James Beekman died, aged 79,


April 14. Mary, wife of Liberty Wait, died aged 24.


April 16. Mrs. R. W., wife of John Savage, died, aged 52.


April 18. Mary Haring Knapp died, aged 20.


The Daily Advertiser was sold by Messrs. J. B. Van Schaick & Co., to Rensselaer Van Rensselaer. Taking advantage of the increased speed of the night boats, which arrived at two or three o'clock in the morning, they adopted a new arrangement by which the news of the New York evening papers was given the next morn- ing in the Advertiser, making a difference of twenty-four hours over the old order of publishing.


April 20. The corner stone of the Third Dutch church was laid, corner of Green and Ferry streets. The Rev. Drs. Ferris, Thos. E. Vermilyea, I. N. Wyckoff of the Dutch Reformed churches, and the Rev. Dr. Sprague of the Presbyterian church, assisted in the cere- monies. The ground on which the church was to be erected, was given by the Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer. The corner stone was laid by the venerable Christian Miller, one of the fathers of the Dutch church in Albany. This church was organized 14th Dec. 1834, when it consisted of 19 members; it now numbered 79, and about 75 families.


April 24. A fire in Washington street destroyed a range of buildings from 65 to 81, inclusive.


April 28. Mahala Sanford died, aged 54.


May 2. Charter election, in which the Democrats were, for the first time in many years, left in the minority.


269


Notes from the Newspapers.


1837.


WHIG.


DEMOCRAT


First Ward.


Aldermen. G. V. S. Bleecker, ... 595 O. R. Van Benthuysen,. 426


Chas. S. Olmstead, .. 578


Lemuel Jenkins, .... . 425


Assistants. Albert VanVoast, ... 568 Charles Dillon,. .. 457


John Thompson, ..... 543 George Warren, 439


Supervisor. C. W. Bender, . ..... 534 B. P. Staats, . 463


Second Ward.


Aldermen. Ichabod L. Judson, .. 466


Josiah Winants, .... 461


William Seymour,. .. 325


D. S. Kittle, . 334


Assistants. William Davis, 449 R. W. Peckhanı,. 351


S. Rathbone, ..


.


463


B. Robinson, . 328


Supervisor. Hazael Kane. 445


John I. Burton, . 352


Third Ward.


Aldermen. John W. Bay, . 269 John L. Wendell, . 124


John Groesbeck, ....


278 Andrew E. Brown, .... 127


Assistants. John Davis, . 275 William Froment, .. .. 126


William Thorburn, .. 270


Wm. Hendrickson, .. 131


Supervisor. Friend Humphrey, .. 274 E. R. Satterlee,.


128


Fourth Ward.


Aldermen. H. A. Williams, .... 464 James Maher, 425


Seth Jarvis, .


467


George Hanford, 445


Assistants. S. T. Thorn, . 484 C. Vosburgh, 455


Lyman Philleo, . . 459 John Sharts, 427


Supervisor. James Keeler, 411 P. P. Staats, 444


Fifth Ward.


Aldermen. Giles Sanford, .. 284 James Gibbons, 366


Gerrit L. Dox, . . ...


270 Daniel D. Shaw, 389


Assistants. B. B. Tallman, ....


285 J. A. Putnam, 362


Parker Sargent, . .. 290 James McCabe, . 378


Supervisor. John Trotter, Sen .... 291


H. V. Hart, .. 372


May 5. Alexander Fulton died of wounds received by falling from a house in Washington street, at the late fire.


May 8. At a meeting of the common council Hon. Erastus Corning resigned the office of mayor, which he had discharged with zeal and ability, and with universal satisfaction.


An experiment was made with the steam boat N. Cobb, having on board Bennett's Improved Steam Gene- rator, to reach New York with 33 cords of wood. The boat was detained by an accident and fell short of her destination 50 miles when the 3} cords of wood were consumed.


270


Notes from the Newspapers. 1837.


May 9. The new board of common council met ; Wm. Parmelee was chosen attorney, and George W. Weed clerk. There was a complete discharge of all the city officials, and new ones appointed in their places.


May 11. The banks stopped specie payments, the New York banks having stopped the day before.


May 12. Edward Mitchell died, one of the permanent recruiting party of the United States at this station.


May 14. Joseph Wilson died, aged 73.


May 15. Mrs. Abby Steele died.


Miss Cynthia R. Sherman died, aged 33.


Teunis Van Vechten was elected mayor by 14 votes.


May 16. The legislature adjourned after a session of days, having passed 478 laws.


May 22. Richard S. Treat died, aged 68.


Elisha B. Janes died, late principal of the Pearl street Academy, aged 36.


Louis De Witt died.


May 24. Ellen. wife of Dennis Cane, died.


May 28. Robert McLachlan died, aged 28.


Mrs. Elizabeth Parker died, aged 52.


May 29. At a meeting of the common council John Townsend and others petitioned the board to issue small bills, under five dollars, to supply the great scarcity of small change of all kinds. It was referred to the finance committee, who subsequently reported adversely to the petition.


June 6. The grocers held a meeting at which they resolved that under the present system of selling bread they were nothing more than mere collectors for the bakers, and that they would take no more bread of them at present, but would exert themselves to bring about a reform.


June 8. Jonathan Goldwait died, aged 42. June 14. Francis C. Pruyn died. Jesse Howe died, aged 37; of the firm of Howe & Watson.


June 17. Adam Kittle died, aged 24.


June 19. Miss Grace McNoah died, aged 21.


271


Notes from the Newspapers.


1837.


June 21. William Ettridge, proprietor of the Utica House, died, aged 51.


June 22. Susan, wife of Benj. Van Benthuysen, died, aged 52. June 25. Elizabeth, wife of Wilson Robinson, died, aged 51.


June 26. Joseph Russell died, aged 80.


June 29. The common council removed George J. Loomis, Lemuel Steele and William Seymour, who had been appointed commissioners for the erection of school houses.


June 30. General Robert Dunbar, Jr., died, aged 64. He had been for more than thirty years the principal agent of the patroon. and enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all who knew him.


July 6. Margaret, wife of John Nellegar, died.


H. C. Wendell died, aged 56.


July 11. Valentine W. R. Satterlee died, aged 46.


July 12. Catharine, wife of Ethan Allen Fay, died.


July 13. The pier company having applied to the common council for permission to widen the pier 15 feet, the petition was refused.


The competition was very great among the steam boats. There were the Old line, the People's line, the Night line, the Day line, and the Eagle line. One night several boats would leave crowded to suffocation at 50 cents a head; the next evening a solitary boat would depart at $3 a head.


The Eagle Tavern, rendered so famous by its landlord Leveret Cruttenden, passed into the hands of H. H. Crane, from Rochester.


July 21. A fire broke out in South Market street which swept down the block bounded by that street on the west, and by Hamilton, Quay and Division streets. Among those burnt out were Ralph Pratt & Co., E. C. Aikin, Matthew Howe, James Goold, E. S. Herrick, George Guardenier, Thomas Hill, Thomas Watson, J. B. Morgan, P. & H. B. Van Buren, James Gallagher. The Exchange Coffee House and one other brick building alone were saved.


272


Notes from the Newspapers. 1837.


July 24. Leonard G. Van Vechten died, aged 25. Margaret, McKee died.


July 28. David I. Boyd died, aged 50.


July 30. Margery Cumming died, aged 50.


July 31. There were 484 paupers in the Almshouse.


Aug. 6. Erastus St. John died, aged 22.


Aug. 7. Charles Pohlman resigned the office of assist- ant engineer of the fire department.


Aug. 13. Jane, wife of Wm. Seymour, died, aged 41.


Aug. 15. Ezra Thayer died, aged 72.


Aug. 20. Catharine, wife of Ambrose Spencer, died, aged 58.


There were 16 steam boats at the dock.


Aug. 26. The common council was convened at 3 o'clock in the afternoon at the request of twelve members, to take into consideration the case of a circus company. They had erected a circus at Kane's walk, and the board had prohibited their performances. Alderman John Groesbeck advocated the granting of a license to them, but the board refused to do it.


Sept. 3. A fire in Exchange street destroyed Thomas's cooperage.


Sept. 4. A law having been passed by the common council prohibiting circus exhibitions in the city, it was repealed by a vote of 11 to 6.


Sept. 5. A special meeting of the board was held, at which an appropriation was made of $1,000 to aid in improving the channel of the river. Eagle street, which was still unopened, was directed to be pitched and paved from Hudson to Eagle street. The city attorney reported that he had sued the Albany City Bank for extending their building beyond the line of the street, and obtained a judgment of $25, notwithstanding which, they contin- ued to proceed with the building. The board directed the attorney to prosecute the bank from day to day until they suspended the progress of the work and removed the obstruction complained of. The edifice was completed as it was begun nevertheless.


Sept. 6. John Phillips, Jr., died, 51.


1837. Notes from the Newspapers. 273


Sept. 6. Mary, wife of Dr. Joel A. Wing, died, aged 46.


Sept. 7. Sanford Rowe died, aged 20.


Sept. 8. Robert Martin, formerly one of the proprie- tors of the Albany Daily Advertiser, died, aged 39.


Sept. 9. Catharine Ann, wife of Rev. Dr. Ferris, died in New York.


Sept. 10. Charles L. Chapman died, aged 36. Harman Van Allen died, aged 22.


Sept. 12. The sabbath schools of the city held their anniversary under the arrangement of Philip Phelps, John Winne, Jacob Hochstrasser, L. P. Noble, Charles M. Jenkins, and Archibald McClure.


Sept. 13. Jane, wife of John Peebles, died.


Grandin Augustus Bogart died at New Or- leans, aged 23.


Sept. 15. Catharine, widow of John L. Viele, died,


aged 44.


Sept. 16. Philip De Freest died, aged 38.


Mary L. wife of Rev. Dr. W. B. Sprague, died, aged 33.


Sept. 18. A new steam boat built by Peter Burden, arrived from New York in 13 hours, having been de- tained two hours.


Sept. 19. Elizabeth, wife of Elisha Dorr, died.


Sept. 20. Alanson L. Covell, pastor of the First Bap- tist church, died, aged 34.


Sept. 29. Sanford Cobb was elected chamberlain of the city, vice P. V. Shankland resigned.


Oct. 2. The board of aldermen discussed the propo- sition to appoint a comptroller of the city treasury. It was argued that at present about $400,000 passed through the hands of the chamberlain annually, and that in the collection and disbursement of so large a sum there should be a check upon the officer having control thereof, although no loss had yet accrued. The subject was referred.


At the same meeting Messrs. Britton B. Tallman, Sim- eon De Witt Bloodgood and Isaac N. Comstock, were elected commissioners under the act of the legislature, for the erection of district school houses.


[ Annals, x.] 24


274


Notes from the Newspapers. 1837


Oct. 3. Matilda, wife of Douw Fonda, died.


Oct. 15. Thankful, wife of Joseph L'Amoreux, died, aged 54.


Caroline, daughter of the late Obediah Cooper, died, aged 56.


Oct. 23. Gertrude Wandell died, aged 85. John C. Winne died, aged 40.


The board of common council created the office of au- ditor, and elected Robert Brown to perform its duties.


Oct. 29. Captain John C. Baker, Jr., died at New Orleans.


Oct. 30. A fire was discovered in the coal yard of Walter R. Morris & Co., corner of Quackenbush andı Water streets, which was supposed to be a case of spon- taneous combustion. Another fire in the evening de- stroyed the cabinet shop of James H. Turley and the! spirit gas manufactory of John G. Webb, 290 North Market street. In removing a cask of gas it took firer and flowed down the gutter to Maiden lane, forming a novel and interesting exhibition.


The common council repealed a law which prohibited farmers selling meats in State street, or any other part of the city.


Nov. 3. Mrs. Jane McNoah died, aged 55.


Nov. 4. Eleanor, wife of Jonas Stafford, died in New York.


Nov. 6. Mary, wife of Lawrence Howard, died, aged 52.


Nov. 7. Mrs. Mary Stewart died, aged 85.


Sarah, wife of O. R. Van Benthuysen, died, aged 52.


Nov. 9. The election which was still held during three days, terminated in the defeat of the democratic party. Daniel D. Barnard was elected to the assembly, John B. Van Schaick to the senate, H. B. Haswell county clerk, and Michael Artcher sheriff. The Evening Jour- nal displayed the great eagle in its columns for the first time, with the motto "As goes the fourth ward, so goes the state," so often boasted by the Argus.


.


275


Notes from the Newspapers.


1837.


Nov. 10. Maria Antoinette McElroy died, aged 42.


Nov. 11. Henry Bleecker died, aged 75.


Nov. 13. The common council resolved to raise the following sums of money by tax :


For lamps and city watch,. $15,000


contingencies,. 20,000


city debt and interest, 5.000


on account of City Hall, 5,000


building school houses, 2,500


$47,500


Nov. 29. Gertrude, wife of Francis Van Dusen, died, aged 57.


Conrad A. Ten Eyck had held the office of county clerk with ability during a long period; and on retiring the Albany county court and bar united in a compliment- ary letter to him.


Dec. 4. Mrs. Sarah Pemberton died, aged 59.


Dec. 6. Sally, wife of David N. Parker, formerly of this city, died in New Orleans, aged 32.


Dec. 14. Cornelius B. Marshall died.


Dec. 17. Robert B. Bennett died, aged 36. William Alvord died at Savannah, aged 36.


Dec. 27. Teunis Van Vechten was reelected mayor. Dec. 28. Sarah S., wife of William C. Miller, died.


1838.


Jan. 6. Solomon Southwick issued a new weekly paper called The Family Newspaper.


Jan. 12. James F. Linacre died. aged 32.


Jan. 26. The river was free of ice.


The first annual report of the harbor master, under a law of the last legislature, presented the following statement:


Vessels. Tons.


249 sloops, 12,326


32 steam boats, 8,253


40 tow boats, 7.059


129 schooners,. 8,318


276


Notes from the Newspapers. 1838.


1 brig, 120


3 perriauguas, 200


7 Philadelphia barges, 889


11 scows,. 429


473 vessels. · 37,595 tons.


These vessels made from 1 to 100 trips each, produc- ing a revenue of $563.91 at 1} cents per ton.


O. M. Coleman, a mechanic of this city, produced an automaton which played upon a musical instrument distinct from itself, an achievement never before accom- plished. It consisted of the figure of a female, and played any tune within the compass of an accordion.


Jan. 29. The fur manufactory of Packer, Prentice & Co., in Water street, was destroyed by fire, loss about $5,000; $2,100 insured.


Jan. 30. The grocery of Wm. M. Bender, corner of South Pearl and Lydius streets, was burnt, loss $2,000; $1,200 insured.


Feb. 3. Jane, wife of John Garnsey, died, aged 38.


Feb. 5. Peter Brown died, aged 57.


The superintendent of the Almshouse reported 639 paupers. The salary of the overseer of the poor was raised to $550. The expenses of the last quarter were $5,652.52.


The common council were petitioned to open Colonie street from North Market to Orchard street.


The eastern mail was lost in crossing the river by the breaking of the ice.


Feb. 17. Isaiah Townsend died, aged 61. He was a native of Orange county, and came to this city in 1799. As the senior partner of the house of I. & J. Townsend, he had been engaged in active and extensive mercantile and manufacturing business for the last 36 years. The house, by its enterprise and liberality, had done much to promote the manufacturing interests of the country, and still more to advance the prosperity of this city. He is characterized, as in all things, an upright, just and ge nerous man, who lived a life of honor andusefulness.




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