The old merchants of New York City / by Walter Barrett.

196

THIE OLD i MER CH./1VS,

Greenwich street, as his tenant; Ben, the lawyer, who
was a partner of Attorneys Haight & Disosway, at 28
Pine. The mother, Mary, widow of the old founder,
Benjamin, of 1784, died at 51 Wall street, if I am not
mistaken, in 1821.
In 1834, both of the houses moved to Water street.
George Haight was called "'Spectacle" Haight, because
he wore glasses. George Haight & Co., the opposition,
dissolved in 1838, but George carried on the business
under his own name, at 174 Water street, until 1840,
when he moved to 45 Liberty. In 1841 he gave up
business, and died at the house of his sisters in 1854.
John E. Haight lived at 129 Hudson street until 1846,
when he died.
The house of D. L. & J. E. Haight was, during its
whole existence, one of the most prosperous in New
York City. It was originally engaged in the dry goods
business, but in the war of 1812, and afterwards, nearly
all of the dry goods jobbing houses failed. The D. L.
Haight firm determined to engage in a new business
about 1816, and they went into the hat and shoe trimmings, and it eventually became an enormous business
in the city. At first, a few skivers were quite a sufficient stock to be kept on hand; now, a stock of 20,000
dozen is sold year after year.
In 1835, D. L. & J. E. Haight & Co., or R. & H.
Haight moved to 170 Water street, the partners being
Richards K. and D. H. Haight. The two brothers
were remarkable men up to 1835. Old David L., the
founder of the house, had early removed from Dey
street to No. 5 Whitehall. Upon his old ground,
where he had his store, he had erected a hotel, the
Franklin House. It was the second hotel of any note
put up in this city, the City Hotel, on Broadway. bho