May 9, 1885





The   Record  and Guide.





623





Club on Fifth avenue and Thirty-fifth street, adjoining Mrs. Stew-art's man¬
sion, to make room for the immense apartment house they projiose to Brec¬
on the site. The old sti-uctures on the southwest corner of Mulberry and
Houston streets are to be demolished, to make way for the Puck buUding,
the ownere being Messrs. Ottmann, Keppler & Schwarzmann. Quite a large
number of lesser structures are being torn down, to make room for private
houses, tenements aud flats in various parts of the city. Broadway and other
down-town offlces have very extensivelj- undergone remodelling, and alter¬
ations of houses into store, offlce and busiuess rooms of every description
on the firet floors are beiug undertaken on various avenues and side streets.
It is also reported tha t the factorj- on Whitehall street, opposite the Produce
Exchange, is to be altered into a hotel.





New Rochelle Improvements.

There has been unusual activitj- in buildiug aud real estate in New Ro.
chelle during the past twelve months. Indeed, the local builders and real
estate agents saj' that more building has been done during tho past j'ear
than for the previous ten years together. This in itself is an extraordmary
symptom of the growth of a town, for it can be said of very few places in
New York State that the improvements of a single j-ear have supereeded
those for the whole previous decade. The causes have not been determined
by those who reside here, but thej- are no doubt the result, firstly, of
the extensive improvements undertaken, especially those made by
the Iselin familj-; secondlj", the desirability of New Rochelle for residence
purposes—its cheaper rents, pleasant surroundings and nearness to the city;
and thirdlj', the disposition of manj- New Yorkers to Uve in the countrj-
away from the crowded citj", just far enough distant as to be able to get to
business within about au hour's time.

Foremost among the improvemeuts under waj- is the handsome gymnasium
on the southeast coruer of Main and Centre streets. This is a brick, terra
cotta and stone front building, with tiletl roof. It is iu ornate style and
presents a pictm-esque appearance. It has a frontage of 100 feet on
Main street and 45 ou Centre, exclusive of a plot of ground adjoin,
ing for lawn tennis aud other out-door exercises. The interior
is tis handsome as the exterior. It has a gallerj- all round for visitors,
and wiU shortly receive its gj-muastic equipments. There are
bowUng aUeys below, ladies' and gentlemen's dressing rooms, and
other accessories. The buUdiug is heated by steam and when completed
wUl cost about $7.5,000. Acbian IseUn is the owner. The same gentleman
is building six two-story frame cottages ou his property near Drakes avenue,
from plans by Gporp-e K Thompson ^ to cost ?;3,000 each, aud he is also about
to construct a dock at New Rochelle Creek. Amongst other improvements
under way is a two-story and attic frame cottage, the foundations of which
are just appearing above ground on Hugenot street. It is being built for
J. W. Shearwood .and wUl cost about $3,.50O, the size being 30x30, with 13
loot extension. There is also a two-storj- cottage being built on Hugenot
street, near North, '2-2x36 in size, for William Downing. Henderson &
Sons are building six small cottages ou Drakes lane and two on Sound
View of a superior chm-acter. A. B. Hudson's house on Bay View avenue,
near Franklin, to cost .$3,300, and A. Kimball's house on the same street,
2<i.6x3t;, are both enclosed, the latter costing about .?3,500. There is a
handsome Queen Anne residence beiug built by Shearwood & Steves on the
northeast corner of Maple and Davis avenues, size 40x40, for J. F. Banks,
to eost $10,000, and an ornate cottage and bam have just beeu completed by
them for the Rev. J. F. Elder, of the Church of the Epiphany, Madison
avenue and Sixty-foirrth street, on Centre street, the size of which is 39x40,
and the cost .?10,000. Fred. Lorenzo's hotel, size 00x00, ou Cedar avenue,
near Echo Bay, has just been completed, after undergoing alterations cost¬
ing .?6,000. The excavation has just been commeuced for a saw-mill, 40x
t!0, to be built in the Echo Bay lumber j-ard. Mr. Curtis has just com¬
menced the excavations for a two-story and attic cottage on Echo avenue
and alterations have been begun to Geo. W. Sutton's house on Echo
avenue, to cost S.i,000.

There is a good deal of building going on in West New Rochelle, though
the improvements are of a less exjiensive character. B. Kii-schholTs hotel
on the northwest corner of Union avenue and Uniou place, size 40x40, is
about to be enclosed. A 40x40 frame store is being built on North street
by Jas. Secor, w-ho is also buikUng several houses on the same street.

Among the structures recently completed is Thos. L. Disbrow's house on
Main street, a two-story and attic cottage, 34x36; a similar cottage, 29x31,
for Mr. Wadlej', the florist, near the depot, at a cost of $3,.500; additions to
a cotton factory, size 35x160, for E. O. Clark, on Main street, near Centre, at
a cost of $6,000; two houses for James Brinzebach on Church street, uear
Main, 23x3S each, costing $4,000 altogether; one for S. J. Thicket on Lafay¬
ette avenue, 29x30, with a new barn, 30x30, costing aliout $4,(K)0;
a house for T. L. Disbrow, adjoining, costing about $3,500; one
for WiUiam E. Moore on the same avenue, near Franklin, size
30x30: one for Joseph Sweet on Lafaj-ette avenue, and another
for J. Grinzebaeh, completed last fall; a two-story brick store
I and dwelUug, 33x.50, and extension, has recently been completed on Main
street, for R. Abrahams, the clothier, at a cost of $5,0<I0; two houses for R.
Crawford on Burling lane, size '3SxliO, costing $3,000 each, and two houses
for John aud Henry Keifer on River road, near Leiand Castle. Nor must
the Masonic Lodge on Maiu street be forgotten. This is a three-story build¬
ing and was completed several months ago.

Though the season is as yet early, quite a uumber of buildiugs are con¬
templated, in addition to those already mentioned under way. It is said that
some flfty houses will be commeuced this spriug to meet the large demand,
and that eightj- wiU be built this j-ear.

fllfrnd CliMib.'xfaUi is prepariug the sketches ''or an ornate two-story and
attic frame dweUmg, 3Sx43, with modern improvements, to be buUt on Bay
View avenue, near Franklin, for A. Kimble, .at a cost of $4,5tX). He has
also the plans uuder way for a two-and-a-half-story cottage, 35x35, to be
buUt on Lafayette avenue, for A. B. Hudson, to cost $3,00U; three ornate
cottages on the same aveuue, adjoining-. 3Sx50 each, for W. Hudson, and
threetwo-aud-ar-half-stiij-dwellings,  '2'osM each,  tobe built on Hugenot





street, near Centre, for Peter Yost, at a cost of $3,000 each. The same
architect is drawing the preliminary sketches for a three-storj- brick and
terra cotta frout store and office building, 40x60 to be erected on Main
street, for James Conant, the druggist, who -will occupy the first storj-. The
cost is estimated at $1'3,000, and the present sti-ucture on the site wiU be
torn down in four months to make way for the improvement. The Rev.
Thos. McLaughUn, pastor of St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church, intends
to buUd seven small dwellings on Main street, opposite the gynmasium.

A companj- has just been formed to erect a water works with a capital of
$80,000, in shares of $100. The organizers and offlcere are Messre. Adrian
Iselin, Jr., Delaucey A. Kane, J. W. Todd, C. O'D. Iselin, J. Raymond
Smith, J. W. Knapp, J. Wheeler Hardley and S. C. Knapp, all well-known
local residents. These works will give an adequate pure water supplj' to
the increasing requirements of the town.

Now that the New York Central and New Haven roads havo decided to
permanently locate their depot where it now stands, the direction is given
to future building in New Rochelle, aud this may explain some of the
activitj', as all doubt is now removed in the minds of propertj'-holders on
that score.

About a mile from the depot is Hugenot Park, with its fine high grounds,
giving a view of the surrounding countrj-. This park is mostly the prop¬
erty of the Hugenot Park Land Association. It contains a number of flne
residences, among which Major Bergholz's is the handsomest. It stands
out on a bank surrounded by sloping grounds, in which is a large artificial
lake and several flne pieces of statuarj-, the surriiimdings being quite
picturesque. Some seventy-five acres of land iu this handsome residence
location is to lie sold in June e>i6(oc by the above associatiou.





That Russian Loan.

Editor Record and Guide :

It was a bright suggestion of yours that American bankere should sub¬
scribe for a Russian loan. Russia has never defaulted on anj- national obli¬
gation, and no matter what her future financial difficulties might be, her
American creditors would be certain of the principal and interest on the
bonds issued to them. Russia is growing in population and wealth, and her
national securities sell far below their true value, as will be seen by the fol¬
lowing table, which shows the market price of British 3 per cents compared
with Russian 5 per cents:

2 per cent. Consols,     Russian 1870, 6 p. c.     Russian 1873, 6 p. o.
Highest.   Lowest.       Iiighest.   Lowest.        Highest.   Lowest.

1870...............    941^          88M                 88W          78                    ........

1871...............    94              91%                  98              »2ii                  .......

1872................    94%          om                 95             81%                 ........

1873................    94              om                 98U          9IU

1874................    93«         91U              104'«         96?|              103>i         94W

1875................    9,'i^          9\%               lOeW          961..J               104              94M

1876...............    97U           9334                 10-2SlJ           73                       99'.*           74i2

1877...............    974|           93                       93Xj           T0J4                   88%           69^

1878 ..............    9m          98                     90              70W                 S7%          74

1879................    99%           94?.^                   93%           H-i\4                   90!^           82

1880............... 1009-4           9TJ4                   M'^           8-J^                   91S^           81^

1881................ 103               98>-4                   9-i^           87                       95!^           86U

1882................ 1021*           99                       88               80>.«i                   87               SOfi

1883..............    10291          99-?i                 X9%           S15.4                 88^           8IM

1884..............1025^         9»%                97;.»          NiU                96^          8S^

By all means let us lend Russia say $50,0(H),0(X). We have the money to
spai-e, and our entering the market as a lender instead of a borrower of
money would create a profound impression in the money markets of the
rest of the world. We could then begin to speculate as to how soon it will
be when New York will become the leading iuteruatioual moii'^y market.

BOSPHORUS.





About Public Halls.

Editor Record and Guide:

Were you not a little too previous in pronoiiueing the hall of the Cotton
Exchange acoustically perfect? It seems that the brokers have been forced
to remove their pit to the southwest comer of the room because of the echo
in the centre of the hall. The same trouble exists iu the new Board of
Trade hall at Chicago. The three pits are too near together, and the rever¬
beration is deafenmg. It is singular how otherwise competent architects
will neglect this important matter. Even the Real Estate Exi'haiige in
Liberty street is uot yet quite right, and something \vill have to be done to
put a stop to the echo which is heard iu different parts of the hall.

Dealer.

--------•--------

Damages for Breach of Contract.

In the delightful monograph of Mr. Janies W. Gerard upon the old
"Stadt-Hnys" of New Amsterdam, read before the New York Historical
Society in 1875, we find the following extract ^from the records, a contract
of sale of land. It shows the important part plaj-ed by John Barleycorn in
the legal transactions of those daj-s.    It is as foUows:

" Before me, Comeilus Van Tienhoveu, Secretary of New Netherland,
appeared Harck Sybesen, who acknowleilged to having sold to Bareiit
Dirckson his house and lot, earth and nail fast, both big and little, as the
same is situated on the island of Manhattan, near Fort Amsterdam, which
Dircksen also acknowledges to have imrcliHscil for 17.5 guilders and a halt
barrel of beer as a treat for the com]iaiiy, to bo i)aiil in fourteen days, when
the deliverj' of the house and depemleiicies shall take place.''

" It is agreed that if either party backs out or repents of the sale he shall
pay a half barrel of beer."

-------•--------

The Field Code

Editor Record and Guide:

In your last issue you say : "This now ' Field Code,' as it is termed, has
been adopted by eighteen States, in only one of whicli has there been auy
complaint of its workings. In California, it is alleged, it has led to litiga¬
tion, and an increase in the number of law books. On the other hand, it is
maintained that the litigation has been caused bj' the adoption of a new con¬
stitution in IS79 of a very radical and subversive character."

By consulting the statutes of the various States, you will find that this
civil code has been adopted in no State except California. Under its blessed
rule the corporations obtained a power unknown in other States, and then
followed the reaction of Kearneyism and the new State Constitution.

May New York not have the same experience '.   J. Bleeckee MilLiER,