170 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



when at last they came they located too far from 

 my property to be of service to me, telling me 

 that they must be nearer the railroad. 



It occurred to me that it might popularize 

 the property if the State Capitol could be 

 located upon it. I memorialized the Legislature 

 through the Senate, setting forth the fact that 

 Elizabeth had once been the capital of the State, 

 that the removal to Trenton had been made for 

 reasons that were now arguments for its return, 

 etc., etc., closing with the offer to the State of 

 land suitable for the erection of a Capitol and a 

 cash subscription of seventy-five thousand dol- 

 lars toward its construction. 



The Senate took up the matter with apparent 

 seriousness and appointed a committee to exam- 

 ine the property offered and report to the Sen- 

 ate. A day was appointed for the examination 

 of the property and for a dinner at my house. 

 I invited to the dinner members of the Senate 

 and House, representatives of the Elizabeth City 

 Government, journalists from New York and 

 New Jersey. I had the run of the Tribune of- 



