Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 41, no. 1041: February 25, 1888

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February 25, 1888 The Record and Guide. 237 Conoerninq Hen and Things. Owners of real estate in New York will not be overpleased to learn from a local geologist that in the course of time this city will be underwater. It is an undeniable fact tbat tbe ocean is encroaching upon the shore here¬ abouts, and that there has been a steady subsidence of the land of this island, as well as the surrounding country, extending back through a long series of years. In ages past New York waa a high, rocky promontory, and a river ran from New England whose outlet was a hundred miles to the south and east of our harbor. Mar.y elderly New Yorkers will remem¬ ber that their fathers told them that in tbeir boyhood's days they could wade across theButtermilk Channel between Governor's and Long Islands. The Indians had a tradition that their fathers could croaa from the West¬ chester to the Long Island shores by jumping from rock to rock. How¬ ever, New York is likely to last soma time yet. A thousand years will probably make some difference in relation to t'le land and the surrounding waters, but iu the meantime ths rapid transit and improved system of docks, the Harlem Canal, and the deepening of the channel in the outer harbors, as well as the tunnels and bridges which will connect it with the . main land, will make this city the foremost one in the world, despite its final destiny to sink under the waves. *** The proposition to force the patent medicine owners to submit their for¬ mula to the Board of Health, and have the drugs and their proportions printed on the labels of the bottles, is a good one and ought to be adopted. The public should not be at the mercy of quacks who put up poisonous pre¬ scriptions, or worthless ones, to injure the health or deplete the pockets of the community. The medical profession ought to insist upon something of this kind being done. It is known tbat many popular patent medicines are really dangerous, aud that some of the soothing syrups for infanta havo for their basis opium and other poisons even more injurious. But the patent medicine people have plenty of money to bribe the lobby, and then the newspapers in view of their large advertising patronage will very gen¬ erally oppose this attempt to discredit tbe more worthless patent medicines. ** * Some members of the House of Representativts woke up to the fact that the people of the United States have been giving a subsidy of millions of dollars annually to the publishers of cheap literature by sending their works through the mail at newspaper rates. Tbe average citizen is forced to pay 2c, an ounce for the transportation of his letters, which pays a very hand¬ some proflt, but the dime novel people bave been getting their trash through the mail for a cent a pound, upon which there is a heavy loss. The annual Post-office deficit comes from transporting newspapers and cheap pohJications at about one-fourth the cost to the government. The news¬ paper proprietors profit to tbe extent of some eight to ten million annually, which is paid them by the people of tbe United States, thia being about the difference between what they give the government for carrying their issues and what it costs tho Post-office to do so. The newspapers will aay nothing about Ihe further robbery of the public Treasury by the issues of cheap publications as it would attract attention to this big steal of their own. *** At least a certain portion of tbe traveling public will notice with pleasure that the Pullman Company have at last abolished the absurd phrateology by which they have hitherto desiguated their cars. Ouly tbe word " Pullman" will henceforth be painted on the board over the win¬ dows instead of the old conglomerate title "'Pullman Palace Drawing- Room Sleeping Car," or some equally ridiculous straining after the superla¬ tive. The bad example of the Pullman's in this matter has borne grotesque results nhich we see in the new " Palace Cattle Cars." *** The Spencer collection of paintings now on exhibition at Ortgies', ad- joiniug the Stewart naansion, is one of the best private collections of the worka of foreign artists which has beeu placed upon the market. There are sixty-eight pictures in all, and they possess, on the whole, a high order of excellence. Several of them are familiar to the public, having been seen in the Morgan and Stewart coUectiona. Some of those worth noting are Julei Breton's "Ls Soir," Meissonier's "Standard Bearer" and "A Musician," Jerome's "Serpent Charmer," Frrmentin's "Arab Falconer," Corot's "Morning," Rouaaeau's "Sunset in a Wood;" " Above the Clouds," by Diaz, a fine study of the nude, showing grace, dignity and power; and " A Clearing in the Porest of Fon tai neb lean," by the same artist, remark¬ able for its light-cioud effect on the sombre foreground. The pictures are best seen to advantage by the gaslight, aud lovers of good paintings who may visit the exhibition should do ho in tbe evening. There is also a flrst- class collection of etchings in the aute-room. The exhibit is well worth seeing. *** Some very good art publications are quietly making their way by sub¬ scription. Amongst tbese are Turnure'a Art Age and Kelly's Art Review. The former issues a fine etching with this month's number, entitled " Nar- cissa," Amongst its other recent publications is au etching of "The Click of the Latch," after F. D. Millet. The Review publishes monthly several good pictures, copies of the masters, which are, on the whole, admirable works of art. * * * The Mayor has presented to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund tbe reaolution of the Architectural League of New York, condemning the arrangements adopted by the Commissioners of tha Sinking Fund ts obtain plans for the new municipal building in City Hall Park, A committee of five presented the resolutions to tbe Mayor, who, it is said, seemed to regard the action of the architects as an impertinent interference. Whether any¬ thing will be done io the matter i,t is inipoasible to say, The dale for receiv¬ ing plans has been extended from March lat to April 2fl, but this is proba¬ bly due, to the fact that few, if any, plans have been received. It is certain that few archjtecti cf repute will haye anything to do >vith a com¬ petition of tbe kind arranged by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund. IC this had been the end in view, things coukl not have been better planned. The profession b^s washed its hands of the whole Jiiitter andawaita the result. We shall no doubt have another beautiful exompls of the pas sibili- ties of municipal architecture, as in the Court House, and that ideal study iu terra cotta—Jefferson Market. The New York and Harlem Raiiroad Co, have petitioned thtj Board of Aldermen for permisaion to use electricity iat the company was publishing false reports and cooking up its accounts in tbe interest of stock gambling. In the reports the trutu was suppressed, the llo.ititig debt not reported, and while the road was not earning any m mey, it was paying dividends on its stock, which was accomplished by barrowiug monov. Someof thedirectors were gambling ia the stock and other inlluencea in the management were impelled to pay these unearned {lividends through vanity. The object of the gambling directors was plunder. The company had borrowed $15,(J00,O0J to pay dividends which bad not been earned. He specified one account of $1,28<),000 in the report of l87-{, whioh he said was false and misleading, 'When asked, " Wbo suffered by this?" he anfiwered,