Harlem

THE BROWNSTONE DISTRICT of Harlem just now presents a remarkable contrast to that of former years at this season. In past summers hardly one family our of every ten was to be found at home; they were either in the country or at the seaside. This year not one out of every twelve houses is closed up. Whether it is by reason of the war scare or on account of a scarcity of money it is impossible to say, but the fact remains as stated. This has had one good result, however, In former years many of the large dry goods stores in Harlem found it necessary to lay off a number of their hands on account of the dull trade; this year all hands are fully employed.

PLANS HAVE BEEN MADE TO BUILD two new uptown Baptist churches, the one to cost about $50,000 and the other $60,000. One is the Morningside Congregation, West Harlem, which has been worshipping for some time in a room in West One Hundred and Sixteenth street, the Rev. D.A. MacMurray, Pastor. The other is a new Alexander avenue church, Bronx borough, to take the place of the present structure. The pastor is the Rev. William Carey Newton, who was graduated from Rochester Seminary this year.



Bronx

A NEW SOCIAL CLUB has just been organized in the borough of the Bronx, to be known as the Borough Club of Highbridge. The prospectus states that the objects of the club are the promotion of social intercourse among its members, the maintenance of a reading room, library and other aids to literary pursuits, and the furnishing of suitable facilities for athletic enjoyment and recreation. A club house is being built at the corner of Ogden and Merriam avenues. The officers are: Charles Hilton Brown, president; J. Schuyler Anderson, Vice president; Charles H. Dannewicz, treasurer; Louis G. Friess, secretary.

DURING THE PAST YEAR or two the Lutheran churches in the borough of the Bronx have been making marvelous progress, probably more so than that of any other denomination. The latest addition was made Sunday afternoon, when the cornerstone of St. Paul's Evangelical Church was laid at Westchester avenue and One Hundred and Fifty-sixth street, with appropriate ceremonies.

THE PLANS FOR THE SOUTH approach to the new Third avenue bridge were altered and changed time and again, and this caused no end of delay. The design of the north approach was changed at a later period from solid masonry to metal, and further delay to the completion of the bridge ensued. Apparently these setbacks proved no lesson either to the taxpayers interested or to the city authorities, for there is a proposal on foot now to change the approaches to another new bridge which is about to be built over the Harlem River at One hundred and Forty-ninth street, and a hearing on the subject will take place on Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, before the Board of Public Improvements, at 346 Broadway, Manhattan. it is proposed to widen East One Hundred and Forty-ninth street fifty feet on the north side, between River avenue and the bulkhead line of the river, diverting Exterior street from East One Hundred and Fiftieth street to the intersection of East One Hundred and Forty-ninth street to One Hundred and Forty-fourth street to a width of 100 feet, thereby making River avenue the exterior street and placing the southern terminus of River avenue at East One Hundred and Forty-ninth street, so that the approach to the new bridge will begin at Exterior street instead of at Gerard street. If this proposal is agreed to it will very materially change the original plans.

THE CITY IS EXPERIMENTING with a new street pavement in the borough of the Bronx. On Jerome avenue, used almost exclusively by owners of fast horses, several blocks are being paved with a specially prepared brick. If the experiment proves successful it will be used extensively in the borough.