Queens Goes Democratic In November 1912
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the Long Island Star-Journal, a

daily paper that informed the community about local and world news until it folded in 1968. A banner across the Star-Journal masthead reminded readers that the newspaper's name came from the merger of the Long Island Daily Star (1876) and the North Shore Daily Journal--The Flushing Journal (1841).

Welcome to November 1912!

On November 5, Woodrow Wilson was elected President. Queens had "never been more Democratic" than it was on that day. Wilson carried the county by 13,000 votes over Republican President William H. Taft and Bull Moose Party candidate Teddy Roosevelt. William Sulzer was elected governor of New York and carried Queens by an even larger margin of 17,500. (On October 13, 1913, Sulzer became the only governor of New York to be impeached and removed from office.) The total vote cast was about 52,000. A Democratic New York legislature was swept into office also; in fact, the entire Queens delegation to Albany was Democratic.

The Star noted also that Andrew Carnegie had voted at 1269 Madison Avenue and that John D. Rockefeller had voted at 984 Sixth Avenue, both in Manhattan.

On election night, the Star projected election returns on a large bulletin board covered with a sheet on the opposite side of the street from its Borden Avenue offices. The bulletins were written on glass slides which were projected by a "stereopticon" (a common device then for projecting 2-dimensional images) located on the second floor of the Star Building. At its peak, the crowd was estimated at 2,000 and was quiet and well behaved. But occasionally, an ardent Bull Moose supporter "would cut loose a yell when a bulletin favorable to Roosevelt was shown, which was not very often."

On November 13, a number of Long Island City manufacturers and property owners appeared before the Dock Commission to discuss plans for the Dutch Kills terminal project. They stated that $30,000,000 was a conservative estimate of the amount that would be invested in development there in the next few years. The Degnon Terminal and Realty Improvement Company, the prime mover in development of the area, contemplated the erection of huge warehouses and loft buildings on its property in the vicinity of Hunterspoint Avenue and Newtown Creek. The Long Island Rail Road was behind in a project to create an enormous market, which might involve the investment of $4,000,000, in the same area.

The plan contemplated the erection of warehouses and factories and the laying out of railroad tracks in such a way that every plant would have its own railroad siding at its back door. The general intent was to create an industrial and commercial community where the cost of handling goods would be reduced to a minimum. Water transportation was to be supplied by Newtown and Dutch Kills Creeks. Both streams were capable of accommodating a large barge and car float (railroad cars on barges) traffic. If Long Island City became the home of

another large industrial terminal like Bush Terminal in Brooklyn, then it was reasonable to assume that hundreds of manufacturing concerns would locate there and bring with them thousands of employees who would prefer to live in the area, if housing accommodations could be provided.

Gazette photo Dutch Kills Creek is a tributary of Newtown Creek pictured at left.

In Queens Supreme Court, Justice James C. Van Siclen disposed of a calendar containing 100 applicants for U. S. citizenship. He was assisted by U. S. Examiner C. P. Miller. The candidates were put through the usual severe test. Fifty-one were admitted and the remainder were either dismissed or "set over" to allow the applicants to complete further study.

Of the 51 admitted, 14 were from Germany; eight from Italy; six from Russia, seven from Ireland; four from Austria; four from England; two each from Holland and Sweden; and one each from Greece, Scotland and Switzerland. A remarkable fact was the ages of the new citizens: one was 68 and had been in this country for 50 years; seven in their 50s; 20 in their 40s and none younger than 25.

One of the oldest landmarks in Long Island City was to be demolished. The old Payntar Homestead had occupied the corner of Jackson and Skillman Avenues in Sunnyside for close to 200 years. For some time past, the house had been unoccupied. Twice in the last month the house was set on fire, whether by accident or "boyish pranks" was not known. But the current owner, Mr. W. Elmer Payntar, concluded that it was better to demolish the building before it became a source of further danger to the surrounding buildings.

On November 1, the Star reported that gangs of as many as 50 boys armed with flour-filled socks and lots of chalk spent Halloween in Greenpoint by charging pedestrians, smashing them on the heads with the stuffed socks, chalking their coats and throwing old shoes and articles of clothing about.

For the most part, the carousing was taken well by older folks, but in some cases, the racket was so bad that the police were summoned. In one instance, Pete Gestlov was struck with a sock containing a rock. He was being annoyed by a band of youths until his patience ran out and he chased the boys. One of the boys darted toward him and struck him with the "loaded" sock. A stunned Gestlov dropped to the pavement. The boys vanished before a policeman arrived from the Herbert Street station. Gestlov was treated by an ambulance from St. Catharine's Hospital for a deep laceration of his forehead.

That's the way it was in November 1912.

Attend the next Greater Astoria Historical Society event on December 4 at 7 p.m. in Quinn's Gallery, 35-20 Broadway, Long Island City. Meet Kevin Walsh, author of Forgotten New York, and purchase a copy of his book. A holiday party will be held after the book signing.

For more information, contact the Greater Astoria Historical Society at 718-728-0700 or visit www.astorialic.org.