A Little Taste Of History (15)

Topic: Important Men of NYC #2

Burchard, Samuel Dickinson: (1812-91). An American Presbyterian clergyman, born in Steuben, N.Y. He graduated at Centre College in 1836, and soon became prominent in Kentucky as an anti-slavery and temperance lecturer. He became pastor of the Houston Street Presbyterian Church in New York City in 1839, and of the Murray Hill Church in 1879, but in 1885 he withdrew from active work, and became pastor emeritus. On October 29, 1884, toward the end of the bitter Blaine-Cleveland Presidential campaign, he was the spokesman of a large party of clergymen of all denominations, who waited upon Blaine at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to assure him of their support. Toward the end of his generally temperate address, he characterized the Democratic Party as the party of "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion." This unfortunate alliteration, which Blaine did not at the time take the pains to repudiate, was immediately made use of by the Democrats as campaign material. The words were printed on leaflets which were spread broadcast among the voters, flaring placards, ringing endless changes on the letters "R.R.R.," were exhibited in all the large cities, and the Democratic press persistently attributed the sentiment to Blaine himself and charged him with being a rabid anti-Catholic. It is generally believed that the phrase alienated enough Catholic voters in New York State alone, where the Democratic majority was only 1047 votes, to turn the national election, which hinged on the electoral vote of New York, to Cleveland.

Damrosch, Frank: (1859---)A prominent American musician, son of Leopold Damrosch. He was born in Breslau. At first a clerk in a music store in Denver, he later drilled the chorus in the German opera in New York, which his father conducted. In 1892 he organized the People's Singing Classes in New York. Of these, now numbering about 1500 members, the more advanced form the People's Choral Union. They are most important factors in popularizing music, and their annual concerts are of a high artistic order. Damrosch also became conductor of the Oratorio society, Symphony Society, president of the Musical Arts Society, and supervisor of music in the public schools of New York City.

Damrosch, Leopold: (1832-85) A German-American musician, violinist, composer, and conductor, born in Posen, Prussia. His parents chose the profession of medicine for him, and after graduating at the University of Berlin he returned to Posen to practice; but his passionate love of music, which he had continued to study incidentally, prevailed, and in 1854 he abandoned medicine for the study of counterpoint and composition under Hubert, Ries, and Dehn. In 1855 he started out as a concert violinist in Magdeburg; became acquainted with Liszt, and under his influence began to write for the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik. He was director in Posen and in Breslau, and in 1871 came to New York as director of the Arion Society. The credit of firmly establishing choral organizations in New York belongs entirely to Damrosch. He founded the Oratorio Society (1873) and the Symphony Society (1877), and organized several large musical festivals. All these played a most important part in the musical life of New York City. But the most brilliant achievement of his life was the successful establishment, in 1884, of German opera in New York City, at the Metropolitan Opera House, notwithstanding the obvious difficulties of the undertaking. Among the operas given, Fidelio, Tannhauser, Lohengrin, and Die Walkure were the most important as comparative novelties. He died in New York, and imposing funeral services were held in the Opera House. His works comprise several cantatas, a festival overture, beside violin concertos and songs. (14)

Sources Utilized to Document A Little Taste Of History

Contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net

Chit-Chat Over Coffee Swirls (16)

Topic: The Gold Rush

In 1848, a Swiss trader by the name of John Sutter, who was the owner of over 18,000 sheep, oxen, horses and cows, was living quite comfortably on his large land grant in the Sacramento Valley. According to historical facts,on January 24, Sutter hired a carpenter by the name of James Marshall, to help build a sawmill, Sutter's Mill, on the American River. There Marshall discovered grains of gold. Sutter's workers quit to look for gold and before long, word got out and other local gold seekers squatted on his land, ruining Sutter within a few years. Territorial governor R.B. Mason reported that there was enough gold in the country drained by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to pay for the Mexican War a hundred times over and that up to $50,000 in gold was being taken every day. President Polk addressed this issue in his message to Congress on December 5, 1848. Soon every one had gold fever and the gold rush was on. San Francisco's waterfront area was notorious for its brothels, bars and gambling houses. In 1849 It was named the Barbary Coast. By 1850 San Francisco was a bustling city of 25,000 and California became a state. By 1853 San Francisco had a population of 50,000.

The gold rush to California attracted immigrants from every part of the world. Much of America's workforce twas on the east coast, and before long the workers left the factories and industries to seek their fortunes out west. Everyone was looking for a piece of the action as America expanded. Steamship companies, railroad companies, state immigration bureaus, as well as industrial firms and private enterprises, turned to workers in Europe. Ruthless businessmen hired unscrupulous agents to work on commission. They were sent to Europe with a collection of enticing pamphlets, advertisements, drawings and pictures. "Remember promise them anything, just get them over here. There's big bucks in it for you."

After the California gold rush, gold and silver began to be discovered in large quantities in Colorado, Nevada, and Montana, then elsewhere in the West, and finally in Alaska. In 1877 prospector Ed Schieffelin made a major gold discovery in Tombstone, Arizona. It is said that he called the site Tombstone because soldiers scouting the Apache had told him if he went off prospecting alone in this Indian country all he would find would be his own tombstone. By 1881, 7,000 people lived in this boom town of shacks, tents, saloons, and dance halls where feuds were common. Boot Hill was the name given to Tombstone, Arizona's cemetery, because those that were buried here, died with their boots on, as a result of the frequent violent confrontations between the ethnic groups.

Then there was the Klondike/Yukon/Alaskan gold rush which started in August 17, 1896, when George Carmack, his Indian wife, and their relatives discovered a large quantity of gold in the gravel of a creek three miles from Dawson; he then named the creek Bonanza (it's a tributary of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers in the Yukon territory of Canada.

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Table Of Contents : Mimi Speaks Blog

There are many people who love to read blogs, but just don't have the time to waste, or are in the mood to go through it's entire contents trying to find something that may be of interest to them. Usually when people approach a blog, they like to go quickly from one thing to the next. As for actually reading the text, there is little evidence of that unless the subject matter should catch their eye, then it becomes worthwhile.

Since my blog was started in 2007, there have been postings of 201 tid-bits of information, which talk about history, life situations, goals and success. So my dear reader, for your benefit, I am making every attempt to improve the navigation to this treasure trove of information as quickly as possible. For this purpose I have created a table of contents divided by categories, for easy accessing. However if there is something that may catch your eye, I suggest you find yourself a comfortable chair, and while you're at it, grab a steaming hot cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and you'll be all set to settle down for a while. So happy reading.

MAIN DIRECTORY

Table of Contents (2)

(A. ) Getting To Know Mimi (B.) N.Y.C. History (C.) East Harlem
(D.) Spanish Harlem (E.) Black Harlem (F.) New York State

Table of Contents (3)
(G.) Chit-Chat Over Coffee Swirls

Table of Contents (4)
(H.) Jewish Knowledge (I) Self-Improvement (J) Historical Facts On England & United States

Table of Contents (5)
(K) Miscellaneous (L) Timetables (M) Ethnic Groups (N) Legal Talk
(O) Entertainment: Backward Glances (P) Immigration

Table of Contents (6)
(Q) Women__Bio Sketches, Feminine Fancies, Recipes, Kitchen Talk.
(R) Worship

Table of Contents (7)
(S) A Little Taste of History

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Contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net

A Little Taste of History (14)

Topic: Early Banks of New York City #1

The Citizens' Savings Bank
The Citizens' Savings Bank, of 56 and 58 Bowery, at the corner of Canal Street, one of the most notable institutions of the kind in the City of New York, is in a sense the creation of its President, Mr. Edward A. Quintard. It may at least be said that he has made the history of the bank what it is. Its two highest executive offices he has successively occupied during the long period of thirty-five years, having been its Vice-President from the date of the organization of the institution in 1860, to 1867, while since 1869 he has been its President. The Citizens' Savings Bank is one of the double column" financial institutions, its assets on January 1, 1897, being $12,747,153.09. The total number of accounts which had been opened at the same date were 236,184. Of these 7,575 were new accounts for the year 1896.

The Bank of New Amsterdam
Organized in 1891 under the State Banking Act, the Bank of New Amsterdam has been successful from its inception. It is located in the Metropolitan Opera House, northwest corner of Broadway and Thirty-ninth Street, and transacts a general business, being a leading depository for business family, and personal accounts of that wealthy district. The bank is provided with every facility, has a special department for ladies issues letters of credit to travelers in all parts of Europe, and gives its depositors all the discount facilities consistent with sound banking. It does an extensive business in Eastern Exchange, and has correspondents in all the principal cities. Mr. Frank Tilford became President of the Bank of New Amsterdam on July 7, 1896, at which time the average deposits were about $1,500,000. On November 3, 1898, the average deposits were $3,500,000 with surplus and profits of $376,000, which shows a very large increase in its business.

The German Savings Bank
In the City of New York, of which Hon. Philip Bissinger has been President since 1864, is among the most notable financial institutions in the United States. At present writing its total resources reach the aggregate sum of more than $44,000,000, while the number of its open accounts is 93,000. Principally through the activity of Mr. Bissinger, the bank was organized in 1859 by twenty-five incorporators. The bank was organized in the belief that the growing tide of German immigration afforded an opening for a German savings institution. This judgment was vindicated at once, for at the end of its first year of existence the bank could boast of 1,873 depositors and deposits amounting to $259,954.87. (16)

Sources Utilized to Document A Little Taste Of History

Contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net or miriam@thehistorybox.com