MODERN CITY ROADWAYS. 



527 



those formed of stones in tlieir natural condition, variously known 

 as bowlders, pebbles, or cobblestones. 



The first attempt at a street pavement in this country was doubt- 

 less that referred to by Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer, in the 

 Goede Vrouw of Mana-na-ta, where she says, in speaking of what 

 was once called Brower Street, because it passed by the great brew- 

 ery built by one of the first of the Van Cortlandts: " This street lies 

 between Whitehall and Broad, and was one of the first lanes laid 

 out by the settlers, and ^vas commonly known as ' The Road.' In 

 1657 it was paved with small round cobblestones, and the circum- 

 stance created such a sensation that the country people visited it 

 as a curiosity, and it was one of the sights of the little dorp. The 

 burghers laughingly nicknamed it Stone Street, which name it still 

 retains. The improvement was effected by Madame Van Cortlandt, 

 as she could not endure the dust that filled her tidy house, caused 

 by the heavy brewers' wains that were constantly' passing her door." 



This cobblestone pavement, laid on Stone Street nearly two 

 centuries and a half ago, has been a persistent type, and, on ac- 

 count of their availability and cheapness, such stones continued 

 to be used in many 

 cities until within a 

 very few years. 

 When they Avere well _,_'--■ 

 shaped and uniform 

 in size they made 

 quite a durable pave- 

 ment, and, though 

 rough and noisy, 

 were capable, when 

 well laid, of sustain- 

 ing a considerable 

 traffic. Fortunately, 

 the better class of 

 these stones are- now 

 so scarce and the 

 poorer ones are so 



execrable tnat tUlS ^ Street in ;Xaple:^, shuwixg Lai;oe i'AVLS'G Stones. 



type of pavement is 



becoming obsolete, though there are many miles for which more 

 civilized pavements are yet to be substituted, two hundred and 

 thirty-eight miles of which are unfortunately in the Borough of 

 Brooklyn. The next step in advance was tlie use of stone shaped 

 to uniform size, or aiDproximately so, and wdth a more or less smooth 

 surface. This is the pavement in most general use to-day, and for 



