Frederick Law Olmsted SUBJECT FILE Parks New York, N.Y. (Esp. Central Park) 1859 Sept.-Dec.N.Y. Sept 2d. 1859 My dr Sir Unless you are compelled by necessity to make the police appointments perhaps you had not better make all of them I shd be glad to see you before they are indicated & named if practicable Yours &c And. H Green F L Olmsted E Sept 2 59A. H. Green desiring delay in reference to Police appointments Sept 2d 1859ask [?] New York March [?]A. H. Green Authority to employ 10 (Ten) additional Parkkeepers September 20 1859My dear Su, I am particularly (a?) (a?) to retain lane than me of them twice (a?) lease temporarily out if you can (a?) the finch (a?) delivered is the (a?) I shall take if at a favor. I have (a?) to (a?) that to allow no Backer to Assiah then. to shall to give to monday myrtle Charle w. Ellich Lebb 2. '59C.W. Elliot deserving all trickery to be discharged Sept. 20 1859 Charles Ted & (a?) ParisBoard of Commissioners of the Central Park, OFFICE BANK OF COMMERCE BUILDINGS New York, Sept 5 1859 Si I observed a person in the Palm yesterday, sunday selling pamphlet and as he said by your permission. Is then a (a?) (a?) not he allowed if that you (a?) (a?) if for the picture Money(a?) (a?) And(a?) all Chief Prof(a?) C. PaulComr Green relating to selling Articles upon the Park Sept. 5th 1859 [?]new york sep 8 Dear Si, I am just informed that you have made (a?) 14 a 14 now affordable for the public and have paid to attend to my (a?) relative to the man recommended by to (a?)- I should (a?) to know the (a?) for them covers, as I know you dare not day it, that they now in every way a proper house for a palace offer for the pack- the crown in many matters in the one way commodity. Lonce saved your head, I doubt whether, I in so doing served the interest of the Park. Yours J.F. Butterworth Mr FL Olmsted SaratogaButterworth refers to police appt. Hiram B. Ferguson Sept. 8th 1859Board of Commissioners of the Central Park, Office, Bank of Commerce Buildings. New York, Sept 14 1859 Dr Sir I have twice telegraphed you that I thought you had better be here. I trust you will be here on Friday at farthest. I think it important that you shd. be here soon if you go back early in the week. Trly And. H. Green FL Olmsted Esq A in C.A.H. Green - directing return of A - in - C. Sept. 14th 1859[?] Nassau St. 16 Sept: F.L. Olmsted Esq: My dear Sir- I have your letter from Saratoga Springs- I pray you so far as I am concerned to dismiss from your mind all thought respecting the matter of Thos: Darragh- Your esplanation was quite unnecessary - he has not been to me, and if he does come he will not come a second time with such a Complaint I have too much confidence in you in advanceto believe that any but the best reasons influence & control your decisions in the multifarious &arduous duties committed to you. Yours Very truly R.M. BlatchfordR.M. Blatchford relative to Thos Darragh Sept 16th 1859New York Sept. 20. 1859 Hon Thos. C Fields Dear sir The bearer M Amil Fischer desires to be appointed as Policeman on the Central Park. Fischer is highly recommended by our German friends and I know his appointment will give great satisfaction to the Democracy of the Ward. If you can aid him in any manner you will assist a very worthy man and confer a particular favor upon. Very respy yours Smith Ely [Jr?] Mr Olmsted will much oblige me if he will appoint Mr Fischer. Yr tr Thos. C. Fields I shall feel much obliged to Mr Olmsted if he can appoint the [?] M. Fischer, who is very warmly recommended to me August BelmontComm Belmont & Fields & Smith Esq ___________ Police [?] for Amil Fischer __________ Sept 20th 1859To the Executive Committee of the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park. The undersigned a committee appointed by the Executive Committee to examine and respond upon the subject of the reduction of the force now employed on the Central Park, report that they have attended to the duty by personal examination on the Park of the several heads of the work and that in view of the state of the Funds of the Commission, they are of opinion that it is competent to diminish the number of laborers and mechanics one third without delaying the planting or the opening of the roads the present season. The Gardeners now employed including those engaged in preparing the ground amount to 440 This force it is not proposed to reduce. Mr. Kellogg the acting [chief] superintendent of the labor can employ during good weather as follows: On Roads 500 On Bridges 300 On Transverse Roads 150 On Drainage 60Carpenters 30 Blacksmith &c 50 In completing Lakes 250 In Rock excavation 115 Trenches for Croton Pipe 80 In ornamental Bridges 200 being in all 2175 There is now employed about 3200 the committee recommend that from and after Saturday the 17th the force be reduced to 2100 that the average to October 20th shall not exceed that number, that from and after that date the force be reduced to 1000 men or less as may be conveniently employed. This force would be within them means at the disposal of the Commission without the issuing of new stock. The committee also recommend that in view of the lateness of the season that the contracts on Bridges VIII, IX &XI be postponed to as late a day as possible, and that temporary structures be forthwith constructed in order to complete the drive by the earliest day practicable. The Committee further rec- [*rec*]omend that the general foreman of Bridges and general foreman of Transverse Roads be put under one general head, and that one of these general foreman be discharged also that the assistants of Geo E. Waring Jr be discharged. The Committee further recommend that the Engineer force be reduced and that the Architect in Chief be requested to report to what extent the same may be done and if the services of the Cheif Engineer may not be dispensed with Dated New York Sept 14 1859 signed{ Mr A [Chace?] J.F. Butterworth } [*?Committee of Ex com*] H. G. StebbinsReport of- a Com. of B[?] in relation to Roade- Sept 1859New York, Nov 14th 1859 To the Board of Central Park Commissioners, Gentlemen; The undersigned, residents and owners of Real estate in 84th Street between the 8th Avenue and Bloomingdale Road, and in the vicinity thereof, beg leave respectfully to represent to your honorable board, that from an inspection of the plan for laying out the Central Park, as at present adopted, they have observed that it is intended to have one of the carriage drives of the Park open on the 8th Avenue opposite 85th Street. Your memorialists, while sharing in the general satisfaction which is felt to their fellow citizens in the progress of this important improvement to our city, and while they cannot but feel a diffidence in attending their visits upon your board, are still lead to believe that upon a reconsideration, your Honorable Board may be disposed to to change the contemplated entrance from 85th Street to 84th Street, and theybeg leave respectfully to offer a few reasons for the proposed change- 84th Street is now being graded between 8th Avenue and Broadway and will, in the course of a few months, afford a fine roadway from Bloomingdale Road directly to the Park, with sidewalks for pedestrians. The street is now occupied with a number of residences, which give it an improved appearance and so soon as the grading is completed, it is intended to have the street lit up with gas, which will give it additional advantages as an entrance to the Park. It is believed that the nature of the ground inside of the Park, interposes no obstacles to the proposed change. There is now a gateway at 84th Street, which has been used as an entrance and there is a graded roadway within the Park, opposite said gateway and on the line of 84th Street. The only alteration required in laying out the drive, will be to make a shorter curve around the foot of the hill lying to the Southward of 84th Street. The Croton Acqueduct which now crosses the 8th Avenue at 85th Street, will, while it remains, be an impediment to free ingress and egress. to and from the Park, while its contiguity will seriously interfere with any architectural effect that may be attempted in the erection of ornament gateways. 85th Street is not yet opened by law and is impassable from 8th Avenue to Broadway, not only for vehicles, but also for pedestrians and there are no improvements whatever between these limits and even if adopted in preference to 84th Street, the latter must necessarily be used as an approach to the Park for some time to come - the only adjacent opened street being 86th Street, which has not yet been graded and has two very steep ascents and descents between the 8th Avenue and Broadway. By adopting 84th Street, in a few months, it will afford a graded and lighted communication with the Park from the Bloomingdale Road, which is now so much desired. As 86th Street will connect with the transverse road which crosses the Park at that point, it will be the only line of communication for carts and vehicles of traffic, from one side of the City to the other for the distance of several blocks, and will, on this account, be a crowded thoroughfare. Your memorialists in view of this contingency, think it would be advisable to provide some relief by having 84th Street made an approach to the Carriage drive with the Park. In conclusion your memorialists beg leave to say, that they have contributed largely to the establishment of the Park and being, as it were, the pioneers of improvement in their vicinity, would feel especially gratified if your Honorable Board would, unless some insuperable objections interpose, accede to their wishes, by adopting the suggestion made. We are, Very Respectfully John P. Paulison 84th St. near 9th Ave A.J. Dovale 84th St corner of 9th Av F.C. Cooper 84th St. near 9th Ave. John W. Andreas 84t St.[?way] 9th & 10 Aves James Ladds Cor 10 Avenue 83 Street Geo. H. Hiller 84th st between 8 & 9 Ave Wm D. Maltbie 84th St near 9th Avw A. Andreas 84th St near 10th Ave L.F. Buckler 84th St near 10th Ave Geo W. Stevens 84th St near 10th Av. Homrich Schnitcker 84th St. 9. Ave August F. Bays 84th St. nr. 10th Ave. Patrick Breman 84th St & Broadway James Flynn 84th St Broadway O. H. Serles 84th St. B. 9 & 10 St Wm Henry Araoux 84th St. bet 9 & 10 Aves Alonzo R Hampton 84th Street 9 & 10 Ave [*Paulison J. P & others petitioning for change of entrance from 85th St to 84th St & 8th Ave. Recd by Board Nov 17/59. Refd to A-in-C. to report thereon. Geo. M. VanNort. Clerk.*] [* Arch C to rept thereon Mr Pieper will please examine grades & be prepared to report verbally. F.L.O.*]New York Novr 18/59. My dear Mr. Elliott, Our worthy old friend, Captain Taylor, has a son William C. Taylor, a young man of excellent, temperate habits and quite trustworthy, who is now at home & without as much employment as he would like. Our old friend, naturally supposing that, as the central park proceeds toward completion, a gradual increase of the police force there will be called for, has thought that possibly his son might find, as a park policeman, a situation. If we can help him to do so, we shall, as you know, be serving an excellent man & citizen, without injuring the public interest. The young man I think, would by his fidelity & attention to duty, prove just such a policeman as the commissioners would like to see on the grounds. Will you help him if you can? Yours very truly Francis L. HawksComs Elliot & Rev. Dr. Hawks Wm E Taylor police app. Dec. 5th. 1859No. 31 Pine Street, Room No. 9, New York Dec 5th 1859 Dr Sir The Bearer William C Taylor takes with this, a letter from Doctor Hawkes I write with him in recommending this young man, to your favour. He wants a place on your police, & is the same person named by me to you a few days since Yours truly H.M Elliott Capt RenarchBoard of Commissioners of the Central Park, Office, Bank of Commerce Buildings. New-York Dec 21 1859 My Dr Sir I shd be pleased to see you as soon as you are down town & before you enter into any communications respecting the matters of which we were speaking yesterday as to appointments. I hope you are improving. Yours trly And. H. Green FL Olmsted EsqA.H. Green full referring to interim Dec. 21. 1859Tuesday evng Dec: 27 My dear Sir Your note of 26 Dec: finds me at dinner with some friends which is my apology for this crude note- I shall be most happy to see you - but I am engaged tomorrow evening. I will meet you tomorrow at The Astor House precisely at 3 1/2 O.C. if agreeable or at my own office in Bank CommerceBuilding at 3 O.C. If I do not see you at the latter place at 3 I will be at the Astor at 3 1/2 Yours truly R.M. BlatchfordR.M. Blatchford Private Dec 27th 1859Wed: 28 Dec: 2 1/2 P: M: F.L. Olmsted Esq My dear Sir I greatly regret not to be able to keep my engagement with you. But I am unexpectedly called to Albany & must leave my office at 3 O.C. I wish I had appointed an earlier hour to see you I purpose being being back tomorrow night Yours Very truly R.M. BlatchfordBlatchford December 1859 Board of Commissioners of the Central Park Office, Bank of Commerce Buildings, New York Dec. 28 1859 My dr Sir I understand that Flynn is about to resign from the Police. I wish to recommend very strongly John Learny for his place or any vacancy. This man Learny is a very active, well appearing man & urged from such sources as to entitle him to respect. very [respy [Jno?] H. Green F. L. Olmsted A in C CP [*Officer Flynn resigned Decr 26th 1859 Atn [?] C.P. [?]*]A.H. Green Jno Learny Police applicant Dec 23rd 1859 To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Central Park. "The Independent Base Ball Club" of the City of New York respectfully represent: That they have been an active, organized Club for three years, and now number some thirty members, most of whom are clerks, merchants, or professional men: that the sedentary and in-door nature of their occupations renders the exercise of Ball- playing highly beneficial to them, both in a sanitary and recreative point of view; that their days of playing are Wednesdays & Saturdays; & that their present grounds, at the corner of Second Avenue & Eighty-first Street cannot be leased for another season in consequence of the opening of a new street. In pursuance, therefore, of their earnest desire to continue this invigorating & healthful exercise, & in view of the difficulty of obtaining an eligible location therefor, the said Club respectfully petition your Honorable Body for the allotment to them of such portion of the play-ground of the Central Park for the purpose above mentioned, as mayto you seem convenient & in accordance with your arrangements with other parties. E.M. Kellogg, [Msg.?] 96 4th Avenue, President Wm Steel, Secretary New York, Dec. 1st 1859.Independent Base-ball Club. Rec'd by Board Dec 31, 1859 Ref'd to A in C & Supt to report thereon. Geo. M VanNort. Clerk. [*A in C. to report thereon.*]Analytic Laboratory & Offices of Consulting Chemist 18 Exchange Place [?] Hanover St. N.Y. "Copy" I have analyzed a Sample of Animal Manure from DeBurg & Co. Moisture 11.0 Organic & Nitrogenised Matter 41.5 Bone Phosphates 24.0 fixed Alkaline Salts 4.5 Soluble in Bi Phosphates 4.0 Sulphate & Carbonates of Lime 3.5 Silica or insoluble Matter 11.5 100.0 Proportion Soluble in Water 21 p.c. Fine Ammonia 5.00 Signed Isaiah Deck Date Dec. 28/59 Decr. 1859-To Putting up stoves taken from 79th St 16 Joints new pipe @ 2/- $4.00 3. Elbows 2/- .75 2. Men & Boy 2 days Each 5.00 $9.75 He has no order for this B.F. Crane1859Copy- To the Honorable the Commissioners of Central Park. THE MEMORIAL of the Subscribers, owners of property within the district which by the law of 1859 was declared to be a Public Place, and was annexed to the Central Park, respectfully represents to your Board: That by an Act of Legislature, passed on special application of your body, the property of the subscribers was condemned to public uses without their consent, and has been placed beyond their control, unless under uncertainties and embarrassments by which it could not be sold by them excepting at prices well known to both buyer and seller to be far below its real value. These embarrassments arose from the fact that no assurance of the action of any Board of Appraisers could be arrived at, and also because neither party could enjoy that control of his property which forms so essential an element in the value of possessions of every kind. This property has been suspended for more than eighteen months, through a period of great activity in real estate in that section of the city : an activity stimulated in a great degree by the action of the Legislature, before alluded to, embracing, as it did, within the limits of the Park a picturesque district eminently adapted for the purpose. The extension then decreed, brought into market and greatly increased the demand for the low and level lands bordering on and adjacent to the new northerly boundery of the Park, and instigated many new contracts and purchases, based on the faith of the law, at prices far above previous experience, and far above the probable value of the property in the event of the repeal of the law in question, or of any impediment to its prompt consummation. Should your Board take any action by which the Park would be brought back to the original line on the 106th street, great injury would result to many interests, both within and without the Park extension, and many new interests vested upon the faith of the law would be impaired. In the event of any action being taking by your Board which should successfully effect a discontinuance of the proceedings now pending under the law, one of [these] th[???] would ensue : 1st. Either our property would remain condemned to public uses for an indefinite period without compensation being made to us, or 2d. A new commission of appraisment must be created, subjecting both the owner and the public to still further serious delays and uncertainties, or 3d. The laws must be repealed. The first-named proposition would be so manifestly unjust and oppressive, that it need not be discussed. The second would be exceedingly difficult of arrangement, because under no conceivable condition of affairs could a new commission of appraisement be formed to do justice to the owners of the property in question. Commissioners have once been appointed in accordance with the law, one of whom was named by your Board, who have prepared their report, and that report is in progress of presentation to the Court. It is understood, however, that some of the members of your Board are opposed to the confirmation of this report, either because it is deemed too favorable to the property owners, or else on the ground that the Park Commissioners would not be justified in accepting this addition to the Park at so high a cost. With the utmost respect for your Board, we suggest for your consideration the question, naturally arising: Is this the hour for you to count the cost of your own proceedings? We respectfully submit, that the taking of private property for public purposes is at best a high handed act of political sovereignty, and the only barrier between the arbitrary power of the State, and the otherwise defenceless property owner, is the jury appointed by the law to guard his interest. The Commissioners of Award and Assessment, constituting, as they do, this jury, are created for the very purpose of securing to the owners of property, so taken, their constitutional right to the full value of their property. They are specially bound to protect them to the fullest extent. In this case they have done no more than this. Their decision ought not to be disturbed, nor should any course be pursued which would result either directly or indirectly in injustice or injury to the owners of property. Should you successfully oppose the continuation of the proceedings now pending, which you yourselves have initiated, and by any act or resolve cast a reproach upon the members of the Commission of Award, you would seriously damage them in public estimation, and we submit that no competent independent gentleman will consent to serve on a new commission with such an admonition hanging over them that the same fate may attend them at the completion of their arduous and harassing duties, even though performed to the best of their ability. The third alternative is a repeal of the law, and this is the only one which can do any measure of justice to the owners of property inside the extension, and which would do incalculable injury to owners outside. But what measure of justice would it accomplish toward your memorialists. Our property has been held, damaged in title and value for something more than eighteen months, through a period of great activity and prosperity in real estate operations, and now under the present political and financial convulsions, which no man can measure, we understand that you propose to exert your influence to cause to be repealed or annulled a law enacted by the Legislature, under a memorial from yourselves, which was passed through no agency of ours, and this because the appraisement does not meet your approval. Your memorialist do not touch upon the legal question, as to the right of your Board to interfere with the due course of proceedings in this matter : upon that point a conflict of opinion exists between eminent legal men, and we prefer to present to you only the moral aspects of our case. On the grounds above indicated, and for other reasons, we solemnly protest against any action on your part adverse to the confirmation of the Report of the Commissioners of Estimate and Assessment in the matter of the extension of the Central Park. HENRY H. ELLIOT, JOHN PYNE, MARY G. PINKNEY, by THOS. WATT, GOUV'R. MOR. WILKINS, D. R. MARTIN, HENRY HEYWARD, ELIAS H. ELY, ARTHUR W. BENSON, E. C. DELAVAN, WM. WINSLOW, for St. Nicholas Ins. Co. [?]Protest of Property Holders against the adverse action of CP Comm in the matter of the Extension