May 21, 1887
 

The Record  and  Guide.
 

699
 

Proposed for Membership,

Beverly Ward, of 515 Madison avenue, has been proposed for member¬
ship of the Real Estate Exchange by George S. Lespinasse; reference,
Leopold Friedman.

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Notice to Property-Holders.

City op New Yobk, Finance Depabtment,    )
Comptbolleb's Office, May 13, 1887. j
In pursuance of Section 997 of the " New York City Consolidation Act
of 1883," the Comptroller of the City of New York  gives notice to all
persons, owners of property, affected by the following assessment lists, viz.:

STBEET OPENING.

162d st, bet Brook and Eifcon avs, 23d Ward.

—which was confirmed by the Supreme Courfc, AprU 29, 1887, and entered
on the llth day of May In the Record of Titles of Assessments, kept in
the " Bureau for the Collection of Assessments and Arrears of Taxes and
Assessments and of Water Rents," that unless the amount assessed for
benefit on any person or property shall be paid on or before July 20, 1887,
interesfc will be collected thereon at the rate of 7 per cent, from May 11,
1887. Payments to be made to the Collector of Assessments and Clerk of
Arrears between 9 a. m. aud 2 p. m.
 

Comptbolleb's Office, May 18,18S7.
In pursuance of  Section  916  of  the " New York City Consolidation
Act of 1882," the Comptroller of the City of New York gives notice to all
persons, owners of property, affected by the foUowing assessment Ust, viz.:

'BEGULATING, GBADING, CUBBING AND FLAGGING.

Lincoln av, from Southern Boulevard to North 3d av.
103d st, from 10th av to Riverside Drive.

PAVING.

89 th st, from 2d to 5th av.

FLAGGING, SETTING CXTBB AND GUTTEB STONES.

Elton av, from Washington to 3d av.

FLAGGING.
Lexington av, s e cor 123d st.
St. Anns and North 3d avs, e s, from East 161st (or Clifton) st to East

163d St.
soth st, bet 6th and 7th avs.
83d st, n s, bet 1st and 2d avs.

FENCING VACANT LOTS.

4th av, n e cor 127th st.

7th av, n w cor 126th st.

57th st, n s, 100 feet east of Broadway, running easfc about 150 feet.

1st and 2d avs, SSd and 83d sta—block.

SEWEBS.

Attorney sfc, bet Stanton and Rivington sts.
Hudson st, bet Christopher and Grove sts.
97th st, bet Boulevard and Riverside av.
106th sfc, bet summits easfc and west of 10th av.
106th st, bet Boulevard and summifc east.
114th st, bet 4th and Oth avs,
141st st, bet Av St. Nicholas and 10th avs.

Grove st sewers and appurtenances, b^it Brook and North 3d avs, with
connecting sewers in Bergen av, bet Westchester av and Grove st;
North 3d av, bet Westchester av and 156th st; 151st st, bet North 3d
and Courtland avs; 152d st, bet North 3d and Courtland avs; 153d st,
bet North 3d and Courtland avs; 154th st, bet North 3d and CoUege avs;
Elton av, bet 153d ahd 157th sts; Courtland av, bet 151st and 154th sts,
—which  were confirmed by  the  Board of  Revision and  Correction of
Assessments, May 7, 1837, and entered on  the same date in the Record
of Titles of Assessments, kept inthe " Bureau for the CoUection of Assess¬
ments and Arrears of Taxes and Assessments aud of Water Rents," that
unless the amouut assessed for benefit on any person or property shall be
paid on or before July 25, 1887, interest wUl be coUected thereon at the
rate of 7 per cent, from May 7, 1887.   Payments to be made to the Col¬
lector of Assessments and Clerk of Arrears between 9 a. m. and 2 p. m.
 

An Important Sale and a Successful Broker.

Editor Recobd and Guide:

The sale of the Hamilton block on 3d avenue, between 66th and 67th
streets, which is the most important that has ever taken place on the east
side, led the writer to make some inquiry respecting the broker who nego¬
tiated it. His history is an interesting one, being that of a man who
commenced life without any special advantages, and has made his own way
to a prominent position among business men. Mr. David De Venny,
through whose agency the sale was effected for ex-Alderman McCafferty, is
a native of the north of Ireland, having been born in the County Antrim,
and came to this country thirty-eight years ago. His first occupation was
that of an errand boy in Chatham street. He then became a salesman in
the shoe trade, ahd, after the war, began to speculate in real estate. His
capital consisted only of the small siun which he had been able to lay aside
from his salary, and in fact would have been regarded as merely nominal in
amount for a man who was setting out on the career of a real estate
operator, with a view of making a living and perhaps a fortune in that
pursuit. Mr. De Venny, however, had the confidence in himself which is
one of the first requisites for a successful man, and especiaUy for a
successful speculator. His first investment in real esfcate was in a lease
of a piece of property on Lexington avenue, belonging to the Beekman
estate, for which he boldly parted with the sum of $100. He had no
reason to regret the venture, as he soon affcer sold the lease at a profit
of 100 per cent., and from that time on his operations were successful.
He had the quick perception which told him where, when and how to
buy and sell, and by the commencement of the year 1870 he had acquired
considerable money arid was vrtdely known ainoog real esfcate owners
and dealers. WitU these advanteges be tbsn joined the' fii'ca.of Page &
M@Q$^flE9r(«7, wht} w'ete real estate bro^eTs cm tbe oornsr df S^l.ttfeet
 

and 5th avenue, which is now the site of fche Vanderbilfc residence. He
remained in this firm, doing an important business, until 1871, when he
opened an ofiice for himself on 6th avenue, near 53d street, where he remained
till 1874. That year found him among the many operators who had become
so used to success that they scarcely realized the certainty of a reaction
from the long-aontinued advance in prices, and had not prepared them¬
selves for it. It was a terrible year for the speculators, who were loaded
with property which they could not hold, while prices were dropping,
business was dull and foreclosures were numerous on every side. Mr.
De Venny felt the effects of the storm severely, but took the besfc possible
course under fche circumsfcances and began early fco unload insfcead of main¬
taining a useless struggle againsfc the fcendency of the times, as many did to
their complete ruin. As an old sailor would express it, he ran before the gale
instead of trying to fight it. He sold bis unimproved property at a lo^s of
about $100,6)0, but was thus enabled to keep his paying property,
the income of which was suflBcient to support bim and his family in the
hard times. It was then that he realized the advantages of having made
a judicious selection of property of this kind, as even those who were
owners of buildings found difficulty in making them return anything at
all satisf actory in rent. As times grew worse tne savings banks began to
give way, and Mr. De Venny was appointed an appraiser by Hon. Henry
L. Lamb, the Bank Superintendent of the State. Under his direction he
both appraised and sold the property which had been taken under fore¬
closure by the Uuion Dime Savings Bank, and obtained fair prices for
it for the times, and completed his work to the satisfaction of the Bank
Department. In 1880 Mr. Lamb was retired, owing to the defeat of his
parfcy, but Mr. De Venny did some work for his successor Mr. Hepburn.
He then began business as an active real estate broker again, and in 1882
he was nominated for Alderman, running against Gen. Joha Cochran.
The district was Republican by 2,100 votes, but the result was such that a
change of 160 votes would have elected Mr. De Venny, audit is said that
he would have been elected if it had not been for the treachery of his
party. He was indorsed by such men as John H. Sherwood, President
Sherman of the Mechanics' Bank, and C. P. Huntington.

Early in 1885 he took an ofiice on 3d avenue, near 67th street, and
has since made a number of important sales. Ha took charge of the
Hamilton block, filled it with desirable tenants and made it a financial
success for the owner. He has now gone into the building business and
commenced the erection of five houses on the northeast corner of 95th
street and Lexingfcon avenue, and if as successful in fchis new line as he has
been in real estafce .operafcions he will cerfcainly do well. He intends to
continue in business as a broker, and has removed his ofiice to No. 1477
Lexington avenue. For his building operations he has certainly selected a
beautiful spot, as well as a high, dry and wholesome one. Property in this
vicinity lay dead for a long time, o\ying to the depot of the^elevated road
obstructing and closing the avenue. Mr. De Venny, knowing that it was
to be opened, made an early move in the way of improvement, and others
are now preparing to follow suit. His buUdings wUl be flve story brick
and stone apartment houses with a fine corner store, substantially and weU
buUt in aU respects and handsomely finished.                        Watchman.
 

Our Sumptuous Private Dwellinas.

Travelers abroad find many things to admire which have no counter¬
parts in this country. There are castles, churches and moss-covered ruins
which appeal to an artistic taste and are reminiscent of noted events in
history. But in many things we are far ahead of the Old World. This is
shown in our parlor cars, our river steamboats, our great hotels, and more
than anything else in the nearly perfect planning of the houses we live in,
particularly those of New York city. All our architects and builders are
forced to consult economy in the matters of ground room, and it has
foUowed that the avemge New York house contains more comforts and
luxuries than do the much larger domestic edifices of London, Paris and
the other continental capitals. Every inch of the room of our dwellings is
converted to some useful purpose. An evidence of this will be found in
the twenty-one houses now in the market built by Charles Graham & Sons.
They occupy the crown of Lenox HUl, and anyone who will examine them
wiU be struck afc the perfection attained in domestic architecture as shown
by these specimens. These houses vary from seventeen to forty-six feet
wide and ara builfc in so subsfcantial a way that they will lasfc for genera¬
tions. Unhappily there are too many dweUings put up in New York
which are made to sell, not to endure. But there are some firms which
have an honorable ambition fco erect sfcrucfcures fchafc will not dishonor them
when perhaps centuries hence their buildings may have to be replaced by
others. The homes to which we have referred are among the best and
most substantial constructed on the east side. That quarter of the city
does not afford many sites for fine houses of the first class. • The next great
building movement involving choice residences will probably commence
to the west of Morningside Park aud continue up on the northwest side
of the island. It is probable that a different style of architecfcure will
obfcain from that which characterizes the east side and of which the
Graham houses are among the best specimens.
 

Back Numbers Wanted.

Twenty cents apiece will be paid at the ofiice of The Recobd and
Guide, No. 191 Broadway, for copies of each of the following numbers of
said paper:

Year 1868_Prom No. 1 to 26, inclusive, and 31.
Year 1869—Nos. 68, 70, 84, 90 and 93.
Year isro—Nos. 94, 95, 99.101, 103, 104.105, 108,114,116,120,123,139,134,

135, 136,139, 140,141,143,143 and 144.
Year l87l_Nos. 148,152,153,157,160,161,162,164,167, 168, 170, 172, 173,

177,178, 182,190 and 191.
Year l873_Nos. 253, 254, 270, 371, 272 and 275.   -
Year isrS—No. 368.

Year ISTB—Nos. 414, 419, 423, 437, 438, 429, 447 and 453.
Year 1879- Nos. 578 and 604.
Year 1880_Nos. 618, 619 and 653.
Year 1881—No. 668.
Year issa—Nos. 727 and 728.
 

Benner predicted in a letter to The Recobd and Guidk that this would
b»adry year, and that speculative high prices would show themselves in
grain and cotton. There are a good many complaints recently of dry
weather ia the West and Southwest.
 

A Western tJnlon Teldgirapl) otHtie Is aoou to b@ opened ii) ths h^U Oi th^