Chapter XXXII

Thomas Musgrove used to live in the Swamp, in Jacob, corner of Frankfort street, where he had a morocco factory.

Henry A. Burr, the great hat man, bought that property of the heirs, and also some lots adjoining, on Cliff street, and has built there an immense building, reaching almost up to the clouds, and as large as the Astor House. In the centre are ponderous wheels moving, and terrible steam engines in operation. Part of the building is used by John A. Gray, a printer of the city in 1862. The other part is used by the owner, Henry A. Burr & Co., in their hat body business. Mr. Burr has a patent for making particular hat bodies, and all the hatters in the United States pay tribute to him. Hence he does an immense business. The great engines do the work for both Burr and Gray.

The old owner of the larger portion of this property was the above named Thomas Musgrove. He was an Englishman, and started in the Swamp very poor. He determined to re-visit England at some future day, but said he would wait "until he could go in his own ship." He realized his determination, for he made a large sum of money. He went to England, and although he came back to his adopted land, he died where he was born. His heirs sold out to Mr. Burr. Mr. Musgrove left no sons. He had three daughters. One married Daniel Braine, who had been a clerk to Mr. Musgrove, and succeeded him in business, on the same spot, but afterwards failed. Her maiden name was Ann Musgrove. The second daughter, Betsey, married a brother of Daniel, named James H. Braine, of the firm of Roland & Braine. They were in the flour business and shipping trade to Nova Scotia. He went to England with his father-in-law, Musgrove. He died well off. He was one of the executors of Musgrove. The third daughter married a Mr. Griffiths, a leather dealer. His wife died sometime ago. They had no children. Whether he is living or not I do not know. Daniel Braine left several children. His widow is still alive.

James H. Braine left several children.

Another old Swamp resident was Joseph Thompson. He was not a leather dealer, but kept a grocery at 58 Frankfort street, head of Jacob street, as late as 1832. He had a store also at 393 Pearl street. Thompson was originally a shoemaker, before he sold rum. He was the father of the celebrated "One-Eyed Thompson," whose real name was William. Old Joseph had several children. He sold rum in his grocery, and his wife was one of his first victims. He was a great fisherman, and was away on fishing excursions half his time. William, or "One-Eye," was the oldest. When quite a boy he lost the use of his eye by a pin dart sent into it by one of his playmates. A remarkably clever youth, was Thompson, but was mixed up in city criminal matters to an alarming extent. His suicide and remarkable letter to his wife will be remembered by many of our readers. He had an idea that if he were dead, the world would use his wife and family better than if he were alive. I believe he was mistaken. His death was a nine days' wonder, and was then forgotten. His father, old Joseph Thompson, failed in the Swamp, and then retired to East New York (Long Island,) resumed shoemaking, and there died. Old Joe was well off at one time, but never rich.

Another old Swamper was George Gilpin, who kept a leather store at 56 Frankfort street, and resided at No. 31. He also kept at No. 15 Jacob street. Mr. Gilpin was a Quaker from Delaware, and in the Revolutionary War had been a drummer. He used to smile and be very much pleased when he encountered our citizen soldiers with fife and drum. He had married two or three times. His widow lived in Vandewater street, No. 22. She died very recently. One of Mr. Gilpin's daughters is still living. She married Rowland Robinson, an old Quaker. He is dead. Her name was Rachel.

Michael Lowber was a tanner in Philadelphia, and had several brothers in the business. He failed, and came to New York during the last war, and started boot crimping in Higgins' blacksmith shop, in Frankfort street, near Cliff. He afterwards lived at No. 64, and carried on the currier business at No. 66 Frankfort street. He died, leaving several sons. His widow, fifteen years afterwards, kept a boarding house at No. 255 Pearl.

William C. Lowber, one of his sons, kept an ink factory at No. 37 Ferry street, corner of Cliff.

Another son was ship news reporter to the Courier and Enquirer for many years. One of his sons is the famed Lowber who dealt in real estate, sold some to the Corporation, sued the city, got judgment, and sold the City Hall and contents at auction, when A. C. Flagg was comptroller. Old Michael lived in New York. It was proposed to him at one time that he should go to Philadelphia. "No," said he, "I had rather die in New York than live in any other place." His widow died some time ago. A very lovely daughter married Charles Dall, a carpenter, at 39 Chapel street. Another son of old Michael, if I am not mistaken, was commander of the steamer "Ericsson."

Abraham Bloodgood was a remarkable man. He was an old currier and leather merchant in the Swamp, and did a very large business for many years; retired from business in the Swamp about 1815, and resided at No. 52 Frankfort street. His son John M. carried on business at No. 62, afterwards.

Old Abraham died in 1837, aged seventy-five. Up to that time he was President of the Contribution Fire Insurance Company, holding that office at the time of his death.

He had several children; three sons, and, I think, one daughter. John M. was one. Young Abraham was a midshipman, and commanded a gun boat during the last war. He was engaged in the attack made on a British frigate off New Rochelle. He was a great, puffy person. A third son, and the youngest, never did any business, but lived upon his money. I think he is yet living. John M. and Abraham, Jr. are both dead; a daughter was married.

Old Abraham was a stern character, and in his day a great Tammany Hall man, and a leading politician. He commenced as early as the start of the Republican party under Jefferson in 1801. He was elected assistant alderman of the Fourth Ward by that party in 1804 and again in 1807.

Previous to that time he had shown his earnestness by deeding away his store to make Republican voters in the Fourth Ward for the election of 1801.

It is very curious that in those days the Federalists nicknamed the Republicans by calling them Democrats, in scorn for their supposed sympathy with the French Jacobins and bloody Democrats of the French Revolution. Nor was the title adopted by the Republican party until the election of Jackson in 1828, when men of that party called themselves Democrats. To carry the election in 1801, the Republicans, and foremost among them Abraham Bloodgood, commenced to make votes. None were voters except freemen and freeholders, and it was necessary that a man should have a freehold estate in landed property to entitle him to the elective franchise for charter officers. The law shut out many worthy citizens. In the Fifth Ward property was purchased by many persons. Mr. Bloodgood in the Fourth deeded his store to thirty citizens. The ward was carried by twenty-five majority for his party. Among his political friends were David Bryson, John Targee and James Hopson.

Mr. Bryson was a tanner and currier at 48 Frankfort street, and had a house at 46. It was a two story wooden house. His tan yard is now owned by Colonel Kumble.

Targee was a gold and silversmith at 192 Water street, between Burling Slip and Fulton street. His house was in the Fourth Ward, at 27 Frankfort street. They were called the "Swamp clique," and for years ruled the democratic party. Old Mr. Bloodgood's store in Frankfort street was the rendezvous. It was called "Swamp Place." All the leaders of the party could be found at that spot occasionally. Grand schemes were concocted there.

Mr. Bloodgood was a great talker. He always enjoyed the best of credit, and was rich. His ideas in politics were confined. He believed in nobody who did not side with him in his political views. He was devoted body and soul to Jackson.

The David Bryson before alluded to was a great man in his latitude. I believe he was an Irishman, and that he came to this country at the time of the Irish rebellion in 1798, when Dr. McNevin, Emmett, and other Irish patriots came here. He commenced busi- ness in the Swamp as a tanner and currier, and made himself well off by 1814. When prosperity dawned upon him in his new home, he displayed the true Irish feeling by sending out funds to Ireland to bring out the rest of his family who were not so well off as himself. His parents came over. David Bryson was a most worthy man, and those who knew him best loved him most.

He had a son Peter M. Bryson, who is cashier of the Phenix Bank. The elder Bryson had much to do with that bank in getting it incorporated. He owned largely of its stock. He was for a long time one of its directors. He died in that capacity. Out of respect to his memory, and regard for his son, who had long been a clerk in the bank, they made him cashier. David Bryson left a large estate. His house, a two story frame building, in Frankfort street, standing back, opposite Gold street, still stands. The son asks for it $30,000. He has the true Knickerbocker feeling about selling. He asks a certain price in advance of the times, when parties get up to it, he adds on another $5,000, and so it has been going on for some time. They never reach his price. This is the way all the old hold-on Knickerbockers become so very wealthy.

Abraham Bloodgood's son John M. was a character in his day. He went by several nicknames: Jack, Justice, and Commissioner. He was a street commissioner in 1830, and resided at 604 Broadway. He married a daughter of a painter,—Cornelius Hoffman, who lived in the Swamp at No. 2 Jacob street. She had some property. J. M. Bloodgood's life would be equal to any romance.

John M. kept in Frankfort street, opposite Jacob. He rebuilt the store on his father's old place, and then carried on boot crimping. He failed in it before 1828, and afterwards took office and left the Swamp. He was a Police Justice a long time. He made a funny magistrate. He was merciful always to good looking girls, that came before him for justice. He rarely committed any female if she was very pretty, but would tell her to fix herself up and be a better girl in future.

He was eccentric. On one, if not more occasions, he started on New Year's day with a large basket, and went around to rich people and collected cakes, pies, meat and any other kind of eatables. When his basket was full, he went with it among the poor and needy, and distributed the contents. Again he would replenish from the able and again dispense food to the needy, and so he kept on doing until after sun down, relieving distress.

What a noble example to follow! How much better than getting silly drunk, and making minnies of themselves, as thousands of our youths did last New Year's day.

Jack Bloodgood could drink more than a fish; yet he never was seen by any man or woman so drunk as to stagger. He was an immense favorite in this town—particularly among old New Yorkers, and even now tears will start in some men's eyes when you talk of old Jack. In his way, old Jack was as great a Sport as ever lived in New York city. He was a good-hearted man though rough.

Jack was succeeded in the boot crimping business by Ely J. Lundy, who kept a wooden shanty in Frankfort, opposite Jacob street. He had invented a machine for forcing leather into a kind of shape. Both Lundy and John M. Bloodgood were firemen, and belonged to No. 7.

Justice James Hopkins was also a member of the same company. He was a Swamper and lived in Vande-water street, No. 24. He lived there before the war, and as late as 1844. He died in that house, I believe.

Another fireman belonging to No. 7, was a German named Dieterich, who lived on the corner of Frankfort and Pearl, No. 351. The old German kept a bakery before 1795, under the firm of George Dieterich. His son was taken in forty-five years ago. One son kept at 42 Sixth street. Another son, named Daniel, was a crimper at 64 Frankfort, and lived at 102 Cliff. Old George, (the son in 1815) is still living. Henry was the fireman, and belonged to No. 7 engine, kept in Rose street, just out of Frankfort street.

This Dieterich and James Hopson, (before the latter was a chief magistrate,) were with their engine at a fire in Vesey street, on the north side and below Church. James Hopson was the foreman of the company. Dieterich was a dashing, daring fellow, and held the pipe. A chimney fell and buried both Hopson and Dieterich. A fireman got hold of the pipe, and tried to play water upon the burning bricks, when Jack Bloodgood, who belonged to the company, and who was a mighty powerful man, came to the rescue. He scattered the bricks, got hold of the two men, and dragged them out. They were both badly burned and bruised, but luckily no bones were broken, which was very remarkable. Neither Hopson nor Dieterich left their homes for weeks and months.

Daniel Dieterich succeeded Jack Bloodgood in the crimping business, and was in it himself many years after Bloodgood failed and retired.

John Jacob Astor was once in the employ of old George Dieterich and peddled cakes for him.

In Chapter 20, I stated that John Jacob Astor peddled cakes, cookies, and tea rusks, and daily supplied the little shop kept by old Abraham Bininger's wife, aunt Katy, in 20 and 22 Augusta street, now City Hall Place, and that he was then a boy of eighteen or twenty years of age, but recently arrived in this country.

I stated also in another chapter that in the early years of our city, the largest bakeries sent out their apprentices to peddle and cry the luxuries of the oven, and that it was in this capacity that Astor peddled cakes.

I also stated that on one occasion, Mrs. Ehninger (who was John Jacob's sister, and had married a George Ehninger, a distiller of cordials,) got vexed that her brother sneered at her husband's occupation. She replied: "Yakob was noting put a paker poy und sold pread und kak."

Astor was born in 1763, and arrived in New York in the summer of 1784. The first night he ever slept in New York was in the house of old George Dieterich, in Queen street. It is now 351 Pearl street, and stands on the corner of Frankfort. At that time no street had been cut through from Pearl to where Frankfort ended, a few feet past Vandewater street.

Old George Dieterich was a German, and had known Mr. Astor on the other side of the water. For some days he made his home with Mr. Dieterich, in that fashionable neighborhood; found his brother Harry, who was a butcher boy, and hired to a man who sold meat in the Oswego market, then standing on the north-east corner of Broadway and Maiden Lane, where the Howard House now stands.

Old George finding young Jacob anxious to be employed, hired him to peddle cakes, cookies, doughnuts, &c. For a long time young Astor continued with Mr. Dieterich, but seeing an opening for an active young man, he hired a store in Queen street, a little further up, on the opposite side. It was a wooden shanty, and the first building rented by the since great Astor. It was at 362 Pearl street. Here Mr. Astor commenced selling toys and German nicknacks.

Watson, in his "Annals of New York," confirms my statement. He says, in 1841-"John Jacob Astor, so very rich, is a German who began among us with a store of German toys; can now build a hotel worth half a million, and give it to his son. The brother of John Jacob Astor was a butcher and was very rich also."

In contrast to these facts, what a lie the "Life of Astor" is. One written by D. R. Jacques, says: "Astor brought over with him a few hundred dollars worth of musical instruments to Baltimore. Among the passengers on the ship was a furrier, very clever in the business, very shrewd, and willing to communicate. Astor made his acquaintance. His attention had been previously directed to the fur trade, and he accordingly addressed numerous inquiries to his new friend in relation to the various kinds and qualities of fur, and the mode of transacting business. The furrier advised him to go to New York, and ultimately accompanied him thither. The proceeds of the musical instruments were, by his advice, invested in furs. With them he hastened back to London, where they were disposed of to great advantage. He at once prepared to cross the Atlantic, and devote himself systematically to the fur trade, as the business of his life. To do this, it was necessary to study the markets of Leipsic and London, and the other fur markets of Europe."

Peanuts! How ridiculous to write such highfalutin stuff of such a man as Astor. There are hundreds in our midst even now who know better—know that it is not true—know that Mr. Astor's first years in this city, were years of humble struggling—they know that he peddled cakes—know that he dwelt with old German George Dieterich, at 351 Pearl street—know that he started a toy shop afterwards, and when John Jacob got into the fur business, it was not in at the "cabin windows." For a long time he peddled skins, and bought them where he could; and bartered cheap jewelry, birds, &c., from the pack he carried on his back.

A historian says: "When Utica first began its career, John Jacob Astor and Peter Smith traveled the ground from Schenectady to Utica, purchasing furs at the Indian settlements on the route. The Indians aided them in carrying them back to Schenectady. They opened a store in New York city for their sale; and when their stock was exhausted, they again penetrated the lonely forests of the frontiers, and replenished their store. Astor continued this business many years, but Smith purchased land, and died at Schenectady very rich.

Gerritt Smith is the son of this Peter Smith.

What romance is in Astor's real life, but not in such stuff as cooked up by Jacques.

To return to the residence of old George Dieterich, the baker, where Astor lived. The old gentleman would be a hundred years old, if he were alive now. He was in business as late as 1815, with his son George. That son is now a man, aged over eighty years; very rich, but a bachelor.

The old mansion, 351 Pearl street, stands yet. The upper part is the same, as in the days of the Revolution. Many a party has Washington attended in that old house. It is rich even now in quaint wood carving. The present store underneath is what was once the cellar of the house, that part of Pearl street having been lowered within a few years ten feet. G. Prince & Co., extensive druggists and apothecaries, keep the store 351, which was established in 1825. The upper part is the same as it was seventy years ago. It is occupied as a boarding house.