OF ATEW  YORK CITY.                     375
 

CHAPTER XLII.

Many of our residents, in passing down Pearl street,
beyond Chatham, towards Franklin square, may have
observed over the door of store No. 426, corner of
Madison, an old board sign, with the letters partly
faded, I. & N. Robins & Co. Over that house that
sign has been for fifty-one years. It was once a wooden
building. No. 428 and (before Banker street was
opened and name changed to Madison), was what is
now 426 and 428. It was rebuilt by Mr. Robins in
1838, and the present double building was erected.

John Robins erected his first sign at No. 446 Pearl,
as early as 1799. He has now been in business In
New York sixty-two years, and he is still a merchant,
capitalist, and as active, useful a citizen as we have
among us.

After being a short time alone in business, he took in
his elder brother Johnson, and the firm for a few
years was J. & J. Robins. John was bom in 1779,
and Johnson in 1778. Later, in 1803, the firm moved
to 450, and John also lived in the rear of 440, while
Johnson lived at 484. Johnson afterwards went to the
East Indies, where he died.

Besides Johnson, John had a younger brother,
Nathan, who was born in 1783, and was in business
with him from 1812 until 1840.