Life — February 11, 1886 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

the English, to whom long custom made it more likely than remarkable that such a thing should be done. A charter was granted to certain merchants, giving them “right of prey in the New Netherlands,” and to such a extent did they carry their privileges, and so steadfastly did they prey, that they were per- mitted to assume the honor of being the first. Salvation Army in the land. 4 Block never: revisited the country, as he had conscientious —scru- ples about overtaxing the hospitality of his former neighbors, and his employers, remembering theeasy way in which Hendrick Hudson was lost to sight, sent him off to the Arctic regions after whales, In the meantime Captain Christiansen, who had taken Block's vessel, reached Manhattan Island, but found it rather too hot for comfort to live near his predecessor's neighbors, and so in 1616 he went on up to Albany, where, in accord- ance with cable instructions from the Trading Company, he built a water-proof fort, which he named after the principle thoroughfare in New York at the time, Fort Nassau. This he placed under the command of one Jacob Elkins or Elkins, who was said to have “ winning ways” with the Indians. In this respect he has hardly been outdone by subsequent members of his family, who have shown their devotion to the savage tribes by following them in their Western march, and whose presence in New Mexico on purely philanthropic ven- tures has been frequently remarked. Christiansen, armed with gifts for the chiefs, returned to Manhattan Island and so entwined himself in the affections of the people that, through fear of losing him, they stabbed him in the back at a card party one Sabbath evening. Malicious persons have said that, having taught his newly- made friends the art of poker only too well, Christiansen was on this occasion found guilty of a fifth ace. A thorough examination of the archives of Holland fail to disclose any trace of such a superfluity, and we conclude that Christiansen was a martyr to the love of the savages. Fol CHRISTIANSEN WAS TOO FIVE-ACE-IOUS, It is to be regretted that, while instilling the first principles of this noble game into the minds of the red men, Christian- sen should have neglected his opportunity for giving the great American game an additional card which, in its influ- ence upon the after fortunes of the race, would have been of inestimable value. The merchants to whom the monopoly of the trade had been given assumed the title of the United New Netherland Company, and for four years did a thriving trade. The Manhattanese, not understanding that peculiar system of finance in which the Dutch were adepts, soon found a ready market for their lands, and shifted the load of landlordism to other shoulders. At the expiration of the New Netherland Company's charter it was found that the annual profits for the four years consisted of 500 otter skins, 15,000 beavers, and other freight of a value of $12,000, From this it will be seen that large fortunes were made in the city even at that remote period; and.when we consider that a bell-topped beaver is to-day worth eight or ten dollars, and reflect that each skin produced four bottles of otter of roses, the sums thus realized rival the fabulous wealth of the famous Spada family of Italy. THE POET TO HIS LOVE. Y sun, my moon, my stars, my all, My light of love divine! I would that I might sing thy praise At fifteen cents per line *! #* I'd get rich, W.J-D. AN EARLY BREAKFAST. LD MR. BENTLY: “I see a breakfast has been given to an actor in New York, an’ the paper says the guests were all seated at one o'clock.” Old Mrs. Bently: “One o'clock! I b'lieve fn gettin’ up early, but I would n’t git out 0’ bed at one o'clock to eat the best breakfast ever cooked.” comicbooks.com