The Little Washingtons' Travels Part 3

"Yes, and I think it would be a good thing for you and me to plan about our future business careers. S'pose we open a subway line like this and run opposition. Besides making a lot of money easy, we will help the public, 'cause there won't be such a fearful crowd going on two lines as there is on one," said Jack with good logic.

"You're right! And what's more, we'll make our guards act politely to folks. I saw that horrid man slam the door right in an old man's face, as he was going to step inside! And those side doors were only opened once since we started, yet crowds of people waited outside and got left when the train pulled out of the station, and the guard leaned over the platform and laughed!" declared George, who, although on his first trip, saw conditions that make New Yorkers fume and fret, without redress anywhere.

At this moment the guard shouted, "South Ferry! All out!" Mr. Parke and the ladies caught hold of the children's hands to save them from being crushed between doors and pa.s.sengers, and after climbing another flight of concrete steps, they all breathed the sweet, fresh air once more, and Martha said:

"Don't let us ever travel that way again! It's awful!"

"But think of the millions who _have_ to travel that way, up to the Bronx or Was.h.i.+ngton Heights, or over to Brooklyn. There is no other way to get there except by foot, or paying several car-fares for changes of line," said Mr. Davis, who seemed thoroughly acquainted with conditions in New York.

However, the children forgot the annoyance of travel the moment they found the small steamer "Liberty Island" at the wharf. They all hurried on board, and were danced over the choppy waves of New York bay. On the sail over to the statue, they saw Ellis Island where the immigrants landed, Governor's Island of Revolutionary fame, the heights of Brooklyn just on the edge of the water, and then were landed at Liberty Island.

Troops were quartered here, and everything was under military discipline. Visitors were still permitted to the tower, but no one was allowed to go about the camps, or to question the men.

The elevator landed the children high up where the balcony encircles the statue, but Mrs. Parke declared that they were not going to mount the steep and winding stairs, as nothing was to be gained by climbing up the hundreds of steps. The view from the balcony was the same as up in the head.

As they walked around the outside of the figure, Mr. Parke told the children some interesting items about the statue.

"Bartholdi's statue named 'Liberty' was presented by the French people to the United States in 1885. It is the largest statue ever built. It was conceived by the famous French sculptor whose name it bears. It is said that the face is a likeness of his mother, who was his model for this renowned figure.

"It took eight years to construct the statue, and it weighed, when completed, 440,000 pounds. Of this, 146,000 pounds is copper and the balance iron and steel. The latter two metals were used to construct the skeleton framework of the inside.

"The mammoth electric light held aloft in the hand of this giantess is 305 feet above tide-water. The height of the figure is 152-1/2 feet; the pedestal is 91 feet, and the foundation 52 feet, 10 inches. Forty persons can stand at the same time in the top of the mighty head, which is 14-1/2 feet in diameter. The index finger of the hand is eight feet long, and the nose three and three-fourth feet. The colossus of Rhodes--once regarded as a world-wonder for its great size--is a pigmy in comparison with this figure."

The children listened to these stupendous figures, that gave them a good idea of the great work done on Liberty Statue, and were all the more interested in seeing the giant steel beams and bolts that held up the skeleton of the figure.

After they had gone down again and were walking about the base, while waiting for the return of the steamer to convey them back to New York, they listened to Mr. Parke describing the method of lighting at night, so that the entire statue seemed bathed in light. They looked at the great globes of electric lights grouped at various points of the stone parapet, and wondered at the unseen power that would reflect such brilliant illumination up at the figure as to make it plainly visible for miles across the sea.

On the sail back, the children saw the old fort where prisoners were kept herded together in great ma.s.ses when the British took possession of New York and Long Island.

The Aquarium was visited, and after admiring the strange and beautiful fish in the gla.s.s tanks, the children found great sport waiting for the sea-lion to utter his fearful roar, as he flopped into the large tank of water, scattering water in every direction and thoroughly sprinkling the unwary who stood too near the railing.

Then Mr. Parke led his party across Battery Park to a triangular green.

"Who knows what this is?" asked he.

"Why, it's another stairway to the subway cellar," said Martha, who spied the sign over the entrance.

The ladies laughed, for they knew the right answer to the question; but the children had not the slightest clue to it.

"This is Old Bowling Green. Here the Dutch used to meet daily and play bowls, while the wives and children sat on the rude wooden benches placed on the outside and chatted or watched the game."

"Are there any more old places like this in New York?" asked John.

"Yes, I thought we might go over and visit the place called 'Ye Olde Taverne,' that has been carefully kept from mercenary realty investors all these years. There you will find the quaint old style of building in vogue during the time of Howe's victory over the American forces in New York. If the old beams and wood could but talk, what interesting tales of treason, patriotism, plotting and celebrating, it could tell us.

"As we will be right near the Stock Exchange after we leave Fraunces'

Tavern, I will see if it is possible to have you visit and watch the buying and selling that goes on in the 'pit' every day. The Exchange closes at three, so we must not delay, if we would visit this scene."

The children followed eagerly as Mr. Parke led the way across Broadway and down lower Pearl Street to the quaint old gable-roofed building still intact after all these years. They gazed wide-eyed at this relic of Was.h.i.+ngton's period, and felt that the hero of their readings and play was very real indeed.

Coming out on Broad Street, they then went to the Stock Exchange building, but Mr. Parke discovered that no visitors were admitted there since war was declared. Only those known to be in business on the stock market were permitted to enter.

CHAPTER III

SIGHT-SEEING IN NEW YORK

"Well, as long as we can't visit the Stock Exchange, we may as well stop at Wall Street and see the Subtreasury and Old Custom House."

Mr. Parke's suggestion met with approval, so they all followed him up the wide street known as Broad, pa.s.sing the curb brokers, as they stood screaming and gesturing at each other.

"Oh, don't go so close to that street fight, uncle!" called Anne Davis, tugging at Mr. Parke's sleeve.

"What's the matter there, father? Is some one killed?" worried George, watching the mob anxiously.

"No, they are merely shouting out prices, or dealing in stocks. These are called curb brokers, because they have no 'seats' in the Exchange and cannot deal in there," said Mr. Parke.

"Do any of you children know why Wall Street has its name?" asked Mrs.

Davis.

"I suppose because it does a wall of money business every day," ventured Jack, trying to be wise.

"No, it was Wall Street long before any stock market was founded in New York. It had a high, long wall crossing here from the East River to West Street, and back of this wall stood an old Dutch Colonial house, with fine orchards about it. So solid was this wall that the conflicting armies of the British and American sides found it very convenient for a refuge and protection. Then, too, when some old Dutchman or alien of New Amsterdam--for it was so called by the discoverer of the island, Hendrik Hudson, in 1609--wanted to designate a certain district of the town, he would say 'in front of the wall', or 'so-and-so distant from the wall,'

until it began to be known as 'The Wall.' Then the lane that ran in front of it was becoming quite a thoroughfare, as so many people had to go about the area of land enclosed by the wall, that it gradually became known as 'Wall Street.'"

This information was very interesting to the children, and Mrs. Parke said: "Tell them about the purchase of this island."

"The land on which New York stands to-day was secured from the Indians for $24.00 worth of beads and trinkets in 1626, although the island was found by Hudson in 1609 on his voyage of discovery along the bay and up the Hudson River.

"In 1664 the English took it from the Dutch and changed the name to New York after the English n.o.bleman. When Howe took it from Was.h.i.+ngton's army, his men were so reckless in their merry-making that fire broke out in a tavern down here and soon the wooden houses, with their dried-s.h.i.+ngle roofs, were blazing. In that fire more than a thousand buildings were destroyed, and the fine old mansions of lower New York, then the fas.h.i.+onable section of Dutch and English wealth, were razed to the ground. The few places escaping the conflagration were those below this fire-line, or the homes better protected by owners, who kept a bucket-brigade at work to thoroughly soak the outside of the buildings."

"Now that we have seen the sights on Wall Street, what else can we see downtown?" asked Jack.

"Well, we can visit the old church here at the head of Wall Street, and then we can also visit the graveyard of the old church standing on the corner of Fulton and Broadway. Here we will find old flat stones marking graves made before the days of the Revolution; and some of the famous men we read about are buried in this busy section of lower New York.

That will fill in our time until we start back uptown to the hotel,"

said Mr. Parke.

So the children wandered about the gra.s.s-covered burial spot, where centuries ago funerals of great men were held, and now old stones still showed the spots where they had been laid to rest.

So completely worn out were they from that well-filled day of sight-seeing, that all were ready for bed soon after dinner that evening. When Mr. Davis came in from a late business conference, no one felt like talking of the day's exploits.

Mr. Parke was to attend to his business the following day, and Mr. Davis offered to act as official guide to the party. John was sent uptown to his great-aunt in a taxicab and told to be sure and be on hand by ten the next day.

"What shall we visit to-day?" asked Mr. Davis, when all the travellers had gathered about the breakfast table in the morning.

"You know best--we want to see the forts and the places where they show things left by Was.h.i.+ngton," said George.