CHAPTER  2XT,
 

Bnmp Board of   Aldermen—^Passenger   Tnuuportation—^Introdnotion   of

Croton  Watei^Fiist  Local Stage  lines—Pirst  '^L"   Bead—

Advent of the Flat Honse—^B^inning of Central Park.

While "Cradle Days of Kew York" was being compiled reauests
camo to the writer from three old citlsens for information regarding
the progress of Now York between 1835 and 1875—tho period, they say,
"when she began to sit up aud take notice" of the progress of her sister
cities, and when she doffed her swaddling clothes. One of the old citlsens
agreed to give bis knowledge of occurrences, and. with the readers' permis¬
sion, we will digress once more to make room for an Interview with him.
Ke was the President of the Cromwell! an Board of Aldermen.
William B. Do mar est. wbo died a short time ago. This board
got Its name because It suggested to come misguided news¬
paper man Cromweira Rump Parliament. The Cromwellian board had Its
origin In the legislation passed In 1873 osiabllshlng minority ropresenta-
tlou Id the Board of Aldermen. Then, as uow. New York was Democratic,
and a law was enacted electing three aldermen from each Senate district,
for which no voter could vote for more than two. As the State Constitu¬
tion gives every citizen the right to vote for all ofllcers elected In his dis¬
trict, Mr. Domarest headed a movement which elected an aldormanlc ticket
under tho law existing prior to 1S73, These aldermen organised regularly,
aud reported to the Mayor that the t>oard was ready for businesa oo the
date specified In che law, with the result so woll known.

"Speaking of New York." said Mr. Damereet, "It wasn't so
much of a place when I came here to live. In 1849. It was s
two days' drive from Elmlra to Blnghamton; there we took
the New York and Erie Railroad to Piedmont, aud from there
tbe steamer Thomas Powell. Tbis boat was named after its owner, and
shortly afterward he built the Mary Powell—named after his daughter—
which has heen a feature of tho landscape ever since. The only alternative
route was by line boat to Albany, and from there by steamer, Horace
Oreeley and I had the same opinion of these 'line boats,' whose 'cent-and-a-
balf-a-mlle. mlle-aud-o-balf-an-hour.' 1 haven't forgotten yet. Ton slept
in the cabin, and In the morning you had to leave the wooden slab that
answered for a bed, and go on deck. In all kinds of weather, while the
cabin wss being fixed for breakfast.    Walking was more to my fancy.

!'It was the very matter of passenger transportation, together
with the introduction of Croton water, the establishment of sewers,
and the Invention of the flsthouse, that made New York a metropolis. You
wouldn't believe it, hut there was a considerable opposition to all of these
at the start.