Part 3 (2/2)

Mr Bunner was over sixty years old when he went to live in Oswego, but he soon became identified with the interests of the place and added much by his activities to its local renown In an undated letter to my father, he thus expatiates upon his situation in his adopted hoes in no uncertain colors:--

I am here unquestionably an exile but I will never dispond at my fate nor whimper because my own folly, want of tact or the very malice of the times have placed me in Patmos when I desire a more splendid theatre I can here be useful to my family--to my district I can live cheaply, increase hbors, which I prefer to the feasts of your ostentatious mayor or the more real luxury of Phil Brasher's Table Our population is s rapidly in numbers; and the society we have is inin your hoence without pretention, active uery--men whom nature intended to flourish at St James, but whose fate fortune in some fit of prolifick huate the cold spring breezes of the lake a fall unrivalled in mildness and in beauty even in Italy, the land of poetry and passion We have a whole lake in front, whose clear blue waters are without a parallel in Europe We have a beautiful river brawling at our feet, the banks of which gently slope and when our village is filled I will venture to say that in point of beauty, health and variety of prospect it has _nil simile aut secundum_

Our house was the rendezvous of many of the learned and literary men of the day, ould sit for hours in the library discussing congenial topics Aden Hoffman

He had an exceptionally melodious voice, and I have often heard hiued orator” It has been asserted that in criminal cases a jury was rarely known to withstand his appeal He hter of Judge Sahout Monroe's two administrations was Secretary of War In the ”Wealthy Citizens of New York,” edited in 1845 by Moses Y Beach, an early owner in part of _The New York Sun_, the Hoffman family is thus described: ”Few families, for so few a nuer swath' or 'bigger figure' in the way of posts and preferallantry, poetry, judicial aculed with this naard this statement as just and truthful

Still another valued associate of h Maxwell, a prominent member of the New York bar In his earlier life he was District Attorney and later Collector of the Port of New York The Maxwells owned a pleasant summer residence at Nyack-on-the-Hudson, where we as children hters forhter, Virginia De Lancey Kearny, subsequently Mrs Ridgely Hunt, which terminated only with the latter's death in 1897

Frouest at our house He and my father forhout life Mr Verplanck was graduated froest Bachelor of Arts who, up to that ti Both he andtopic of conversation, especially as both of them took an active part in state affairs I have many letters, one of them written as early as 1822, fro upon political matters in New York For four terress, while later he served in the State Senate and for many years was Vice Chancellor of the University of the State of New York He was an ardent Episcopalian and a vestryman in old Trinity Parish He was a brilliant conversationalist, and his tastes, like my father's, were decidedly literary In connection with William Cullen Bryant and Robert C Sands, he edited _The Talish the year 1827 Mr Verplanck lived to an old age and survived et his old friend Almost a score of years after my father's death, on the 4th of July, 1867, Mr Verplanck delivered a scholarly oration before the Talowing tribute to his memory:

In those days Jaate of this city, was a powerful leader at Tammany Hall, and from character and mind alone, without any effort or any act of popularity He was not college-bred, but he was the son of a learned father, old Malcolreat school of Scotch Latinity

Jaood classical scholar, and he was a sound lawyer He was not only an assiduous, a kind, sound and just istrate, but one of unquestioned ability In his days of Surrogateshi+p, the days of universal reporting, either in the s on the shelves of lawyers, or in the crowded coluh they were just at hand Had he lived and held office a few years later, I do not doubt that he would have ranked with the great lual science As it is, I fear that James Campbell's reputation must share the fate of the reputations of many able and eminent men in all professions who can not

Look to Tiuard

The most prominent newspaper in New York in my early days was the _Courier and Enquirer_, edited by General Jaan his literary career by editing the _Morning Courier_, but as this was not a very successful venture he purchased the _New York Enquirer_ froed the two papers Several leading journalists began their active careers in his office, a others James Gordon Bennett, subsequently editor of _The New York Herald_, Henry J Ray, father of Madaene Schuyler, who at one time edited _The American_ and subsequently becae Jalander by birth, was also connected with the _Courier and Enquirer_ for about ten years In 1860 he became a member of the staff of the New York _World_, which, by the as originally intended to be a se President Lincoln's administration General Webb sold the _Courier and Enquirer_ to the _World_, and the two papers were consolidated William Seward Webb of New York was a son of this General Webb, and the latter's daughter, Mrs Catharine Louisa Benton, theof Colonel James G

Benton of the arton, and is one of the pleasant reminders left me of the old days of my New York life

_The New York Herald_ was established some years after the _Courier and Enquirer_ and was fro sheet It was exceptionally spicy, and it dealt so entleman of the old school with very conservative vieas not, to say the least, one of its strongest admirers Several years before the Civil War, at a ti point, its editor, the elder James Gordon Bennett, dubbed its three journalistic contemporaries in New York, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil--the _World_, representing human life with all its po as the flesh; and the _Tribune_, as the virulent champion of abolition, the counterpart of the Devil hi the winter of 1842 Janes Crean of New York, to Washi+ngton on their wedding journey As this season had been unusually severe, great distress prevailed, and a nuanized a charity ball for the relief of the destitute It was given under the patronage of Mrs

Madison (the ex-President's ), Mrs Sale Tayloe (Julia Maria dickinson of Troy, New York), and other society matrons, and, as can readily be understood, was a financial as well as a social success Tickets were eagerly sought, and Mr Bennett applied for them for his wife and himself At first he was refused, but after further consideration Mrs

Madison and Mrs Gouverneur of the coranted his request on condition that no mention of the ball should appear in the coluly attended the entertainment, where the latter was much admired and danced to her heart's content Two days later, however, ers, an extended account of the ball appeared in the _Herald_ This incident will be better appreciated when I state that at this time the personal mention of a woman in a newspaper was an unheard-of liberty It was the old-fashi+oned idea that a woman's name should occur but twice in print, first upon the occasion of her e and subsequently upon the announcement of her death My husband once re a description of a dress worn by one of hters at a ball, that if such a notice had appeared in a newspaper in connection with his sister he or his father would have thrashed the editor

John L O'Sullivan, a proal, edited a periodical called the _Deazine forazine_ in June, 1850, and that for so_ Post was established in 1801, many years prior to the _Courier and Enquirer_ It was alidely read, was dearded While I lived in New York, and also much later, it was edited by Williaifted as an editor as he was as a poet I have before me now a reprint of the first issue of this paper, dated Monday, November 16, 1801 I copy some of the advertisements, as many old New York names are represented:

FOR SALE BY HOFFMAN & SETON

Twelve hhds assorted Glass Ware

2 boxes Listadoes, 1 trunk white Kid Gloves, 200 boxes Soap & Candles, 60 bales Cinnamon, entitled to drawback

Nov 16

FREIGHT

For Copenhagen or Hah, The bark BERKKESKOW, Capt

Gubriel Tothaht for either of the above places, if application is made to the Captain on board, at Gouverneur's Wharf

GOUVERNEUR & KEMBLE

FOR SALE

Gin in pipes; large and s of Tu and short; black and blue Dutch Cloth; Flour, by