The Secrets of the Great City

The Secrets of the Great City

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Title: The Secrets Of The Great City
Author: Edward Winslow Martin
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THE SECRETS OF THE GREAT CITY
A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices, the Mysteries,
Miseries and Crimes of New York City
BY
EDWARD WINSLOW MARTIN
CHAPTER I.
THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
The City of New York is the largest and most important in America. Its
corporate limits embrace the whole of Manhattan Island, on which it is
situated, and which is bounded by the Hudson, the East and Harlem
rivers, and by Spuyten Duyvil creek, which last connects the Harlem
with the Hudson. Being almost entirely surrounded by deep water, and
lying within sight of the ocean, and only sixteen miles from it, the city
is naturally the greatest commercial centre of the country. The extreme
length of the island is fifteen miles, and its average breadth a mile and a
half. The city lies at the head of New York Bay, which stretches away
for miles until the Narrows, the main entrance to the harbor, are

reached, presenting a panorama unsurpassed for natural and artificial
beauty. The people of New York are very proud of their bay, and justly
regard it as one of the most magnificent in the world.
The city was originally settled by the Dutch, toward the close of the
year 1614, and called by them New Amsterdam. In 1664, it passed into
the hands of the English, and was named New York, which name was
also given to the whole province. The first settlement was made at the
extreme lower part of the island, on the spot now known as the Battery.
A fort was erected, and the little hamlet surrounded by a strong
stockade as a protection against the savages. The first settlers were
eminently just in their dealings with the red men, and purchased the
island from them, giving them what was considered by all parties a fair
price for it. They felt sure that their new home was destined to become
a place of importance in the course of time. Its commercial advantages
were evident at a glance; the climate was delightful, being neither so
rigorous as that of the Eastern colonies, nor so enervating as that of the
Southern. The hopes of the founders of New York are more than
realized in the metropolis of to-day.
The city grew very slowly at the beginning. In 1686, it was regularly
incorporated by a charter. In 1693, the first printing press was set up in
the city by William Bradford. In 1690, New York contained five
hundred and ninety-four houses and six thousand inhabitants. In 1790,
one hundred years later, the city had a population of thirty-three
thousand. It was not until the beginning of the present century that it
commenced that wonderful growth which has given it its present
importance. At first it spread more rapidly on the east side than on the
west. As late as the close of the Revolution, what is now Chambers
street was the extreme upper limit, and its line was marked by a strong
stockade, built across from river to river, with gates leading to the
various country roads which traversed the upper part of the island.
The City of New York now extends from the Battery to the Harlem
river and Spuyten Duyvil creek, and is built up with great regularity as
far as One-hundred and Thirtieth street. Harlem, Yorkville,
Manhattanville, Bloomingdale, Carmansville, and Washington Heights

or Fort Washington, were all originally