Middletown, New York

“ Middletown has about forty-seven regularly organized charitable, benevolent, fraternal and social organizations and clubs, exclusive of labor-organizations, societies and organizations connected with its railroads. ”

“ EDWARD ALLEN BROWN, proprietor of the Brown Hotel at Middletown, is a native of Orange County, having been born in the town of Greenville on December 7, 1840. His residence in Middletown dates from 1888, when he purchased the Russell House and conducted it under that name until the spring of 1908, when the new brick building, erected on the site of the old structure, was completed. This hotel now known as the "Brown," is one of the largest and best equipped hostelries in eastern New York, and has a large patronage. ”

“ At the head of the concern were James H. Norton, Isaac F. Guiwits, of Middletown and William H. Nearpass, of Port Jervis. A considerable building was erected on Mill street, Middletown, next to the residence of Mr. Norton, and several presses and a finely equipped printing establishment was installed, to print "patent insides." A big business was there built up, and continued until the purchase and absorption of the plant by the New York Newspaper Union, and the transfer of the same to that city. ”

“ Charles T. Vail, who entered upon a career of high promise at the bar was cut down upon its threshold. No lawyer in Middletown ever had the faculty of winning friends as easily as he. His sunny disposition, affectionate nature and engaging manners won for him a host of admirers, adherents and clients. Undimmed affection in many hearts still sheds a tear over the untimely grave of Charlie Vail.
Dewitt Van Zandt, of the Middletown bar, was the son of that gifted divine, Dr. Van Zandt, so long the beloved pastor of the brick church at Montgomery. ”

“ The town of Wallkill continued to grow steadily, without any change in territorial boundaries, until 1848, when the village of Middletown was incorporated within its limits, but, outside of certain local matters, such as schools, streets, police, and a few other minor matters, the village continued to form a part of the town until the erection of the city of Middletown, in 1889. All the town officers were elected to represent the village and town in all things, excepting the purely local matters, applicable especially to the village. ”

“ Middletown was settled from New York and New England, it is a large Township, there is no such thing as Church or Religion amongst them, they are p'haps the most ignorant and wicked People in the world, their meetings on Sundays is at the Public house, where they get their fill of Rum, and go to fighting & running of races which are Practices much in use that day all the Province over. ”

“ The actual incorporation of the village did not occur until April 7, 1848, when the preliminary proceedings in regard to the incorporation were approved by Judge D. W. Bates. The first president of the village was Stacey Beakes, and associated with him as trustees were Coe Dill, William Hoyt, Israel Hoyt, Israel O. Beattie and Daniel C. Dusenberry. John B. Friend was clerk. Of the above named trustees, Daniel C. Dusenberry is still living (1908) .
The growth of Middletown has always been gradual, and it has never been what might be called a "boom town." In 1807 the population was forty-five ”

“ Continuing northward about two miles is the village of Middlehope, formerly known as Middletown. It is the center of a prosperous fruit section where many varieties of fruit originated with men foremost in pomology. North of this settlement is Cedar Hill Cemetery. The grounds are from the design of August Hepp, and are under the control of the Cedar Hill Cemetery Association, which was organized in 1870, mainly through efforts of Enoch Carter. Roseton, four miles north of Newburgh, on the banks of the Hudson, was named after John C. Rose, who established extensive brick yards here in 1883. ”

“ A Mayor, Robert Lawrence, now holding the office; president of the common council, two aldermen from each ward, city clerk and collector, city treasurer, corporation counsel, city engineer and surveyor, superintendent of streets, recorder, two justices of the peace, and three assessors. Each ward also elects one supervisor, the duties of whose office are the same as those of town supervisors.
Middletown has a most excellent and efficient fire department, of which Charles Higham is chief. The force, as now organized, consists of one hook and ladder company, truck drawn by horses ”

“ Middletown has a most complete water system supplied by three reservoirs, located in the towns of Wallkill and Mount Hope, and named respectively, Monhagen, Highland and Shawangunk. All water for domestic use is thoroughly filtered before being conveyed to the city.
The city has several miles of well paved streets, and is lighted by both gas and electricity.
The telephone system consists of two companies. The Orange County Telephone Company has about 1,600 telephones in use, and also does the long-distance business in the city for the Hudson River Telephone Company. ”

“ Of the latter there are nine, and of the labor organizations, twenty.
A fine State armory is located here, which is the headquarters of the First Battalion, First Regiment, N. G. N. Y., A. E. Mclntyre, Major, commanding. This armory is also the home of Company I (24th Separate Company) , First Regiment, N. G. N. Y., of which Abraham L. Decker is captain.
There are two Grand Army Posts in Middletown, viz: General Lyon Post, No. 266; Captain William A. Jackson Post, No. 301.
Middletown has a very efficient Business Men's Association, which was incorporated November 20, 1902. ”

“ Moses D. Stivers seven years, and Charles J. Boyd twenty-five years, retiring from the printing business in 1906. In all these years the Press property became very valuable, owning one of the finest locations in Middletown, and conducted in such a manner that it was a positive pleasure to be employed therein. Mr. Slauson is a writer of ability, using the choicest language in diction, structure in phrasing, and style enriched with the higher graces of composition. John Whiting Slauson was born September 18, 1846, in the town of Greenville, this county. ”

“ He died in Port Jervis, October 26, 1894.
BAILEY, WILLIAM P.—William F. Bailey through the '90's was one of the most alert reporters that Middletown ever had. He was a graduate of the Press office, and his work was always in the lead. He is now in the insurance business in New York City.
GIBBS, WHITFIELD—Whitfield Gibbs was, for a short time, in Orange County journalism, having been the owner of the Walden Citizen late in the '90's. Mr. Gibbs now resides at Hackettstown, N. J. He is an able writer, and a good newspaper man. ”

“ Middleton looked inquiringly at him and he said, "Pardon me for laughing; I was thinking of the important business which calls Bob to New York."
"Nothing bad, I hope," said Mr. Middleton.
"Nothing worse than going for a wife," answered Raymond. "He is not suited with Kentucky girls, but must needs plod back to New York."
"If appearances do not deceive, you, at least, seem likely to be suited by a Kentuckian," replied Mr. Middleton, at the same time turning his black eyes on Mrs. Carrington with something of a quizzical expression. ”

“ I am half in love with Detroit. I may as well admit it, for you are sure to find me out. She is beautiful—not with the warm, passionate beauty of San Francisco, the austere mountain beauty of Denver, nor the strange, sophisticated, destroying beauty of New York, but with a sweet domestic kind of beauty, like that of a young wife, gay, strong, alert, enthusiastic; a twinkle in her eye, a laugh upon her lips. She has temperament and charm, qualities as rare, as fascinating, and as difficult to define in a city as in a human being. ”

“ Before noon the next day, everybody in Brookville had been made acquainted with the misfortune of the Middletons; and neighbors came with kind offers, which the old man could not accept. He had settled what to do, he told them, and thought it was the best plan. The white cottage must be sold or rented, and, indeed, he had already dictated a letter, which Sophy had written, to a gentleman in New York, who was looking for a summer residence, and had once expressed himself pleased with the situation of Mr. Middleton’s house, and the scenery about Brookville. ”

“ And even as this old guide-book boasts of the, to us, insignificant Liverpool of fifty years ago, the New York guidebooks are now vaunting of the magnitude of a town, whose future inhabitants, multitudinous as the pebbles on the beach, and girdled in with high walls and towers, flanking endless avenues of opulence and taste, will regard all our Broadways and Bowerys as but the paltry nucleus to their Nineveh. From far up the Hudson, beyond Harlem River, where the young saplings are now growing, that will overarch their lordly mansions with broad boughs, centuries old; ”

“ But philosophers are uncommon.
To Helen Maitland, leaving Fifth Avenue at Fifty-ninth Street and straying northwestward into the early autumn splendor of the Park, it seemed as though for the first time she could understand the viewpoint of those unidentified myriads to whom New York is a fetich; and as she walked on beneath the trees soon to lay aside their valedictory robes, she appreciated most fully those to whom Central Park is a fetich within a fetich, a guarded flame within the inmost chamber of the shrine. ”

“ The park is different every time of the year. Now it's all covered with snow. Pretty soon the buds will be all over the trees." She smiles contentedly. "I really think that if I had to leave the West Side I'd leave New York. Because to me, this is New York." ”

“ Franz smiles at the mention of Manhattan. "When I signed the contract, they asked me where I wanted to stay. In the suburbs? I said no, I want to stay in the city. A friend of mine knows a businessman who lives beside the Central Park. He is most of the year outside the country. The apartment was free, and he let me have it for six months. I was very lucky. I like to walk around the park to watch the people. I have been to Lincoln Center a few times, and of course different shows on Broadway. But I never saw a city like New York. You have so many good restaurants. It's unbelievable." ”

“ I cannot go."
"Fudge on being so very modest," replied Mr. Middleton. "It is nateral-like that you should want to see him, and nobody'll think less of you."
Fanny answered, "You know I have thought of going to New York with Mr. and Mrs. Miller. I am still anxious to do so; but to New Orleans I cannot, shall not go, unless you command me to do so."
"Saint Peter!" said Mr. Middleton. "What's the row now? What's happened to make little Sunshine spirt up so? Don't you want to see Dr. Lacey, child?" ”

“ We have no desire to exaggerate, or to color beyond their claims, the importance of the towns of Manhattan. No one can better understand the vast chasm which still exists between London and New York, and how much the latter has to achieve before she can lay claim to be the counterpart of that metropolis of Christendom. ”

“ I can't honestly say I chose the West Side. When I came to New York in 1970, I lived where I could, which happened to be the West Side. But now that I'm here, I like it. I was brought up in New York and went to Columbia ... . I've always identified myself with Manhattan. My publishers — almost all of them are in Manhattan. Taxis are available at any time. I West Side, as far as I'm concerned, has more good restaurants within walked distance than any other place on earth, though I have not been to Paris. I have learned to tolerate the traffic and the pollution and the litter. ”

“ I have an electric piano, which I play with headsets. ... I've run two marathons here in New York. I'm too big to be a good marathon runner, but I do train hard. My ambition is to find some race to win."
John says he likes the West Side to much that "my friends have to drag me to the East Side. I do all my shopping on the West Side because I figure, why shouldn't I help out my friends who live here by shopping at their stores?" ”

“ Why would a sophisticated Timesman choose the West Side over the East? "There are many more wonderful buildings on the West Side," says Goldberger. Unfortunately not many of the buildings on the West Side have been kept up as well as the East Side. ... In terms of apartment house architecture, Central Park West is probably the best street in New York. It has all the grandeur and beauty and monumentality of Fifth Avenue and it also has the relaxed atmosphere."
There's not one West Side," he continues. "There's at least 10. Around here is one neighborhood. ”

“ It's the whole country that makes or breaks a thing like this; New York has very little to do with it. Now if it were a play, it would be different. New York does make or break a play; but it doesn't make or break a book; it doesn't make or break a magazine. The great mass of the readers are outside of New York, and the rural districts are what we have got to go for. They don't read much in New York; they write, and talk about what they've written. Don't you worry." ”

“ Her father asked her to resume her travelling dress, and then by a street-car they soon reached a quiet restaurant near Central Park, from which the outlook was upon trees and shrubbery. The people of New York are singularly fortunate in their ability to reach, at slight expense of money and time, many places where the air is pure, and the sense of beauty can find abundant gratification. Mildred felt that only extreme poverty could rob them in summer of many simple yet genuine pleasures. ”