OF   \'EW   YORK CITY.                     159
 

CHAPTER XX.

There Is an old dwelling-house down Broadway, No.
55, that is very remarkable. It has Its history, and a
curious one it will be found if it is ever published, and
I Intend It shall be.

It was Inhabited for many years — in fact was built
by a Mr. Douglas. His widow resided there, and sev¬
eral of her daughters were old maids. One married a
Mr. Cruger, and a Miss Cruger married James Monroe,
who was once a member of Congress from this city, and
is a nephew of the James Monroe who was once Pres¬
ident of the United States.

Mr. Cruger refused to sell No. 55 Broadway, and
there it stands on the lower side of the alley, surround¬
ed by high stores, and looks wonderfully out of place.
Mrs. C. refused to desecrate the house wdiere she was
born by allowing it to be used for the purposes of trade.

The Douglas maids were extremely civil. In those
days, when a person called to collect a bill, they used to
give the young clerk-collecter a piece of cake and a
glass of wine, from out and off one of those solid ma¬
hogany side-boards. All was real in those days. The
wine was old and good. The cake, lemonade, and the
glasses, real cut, and the furniture solid. There was
no jlm-crackery then.

There is an9ther monument left of the olden time.