When the Americans, in accordance with orders, tried to pull it down to hoist the American colours in its place, they found that it had been securely nailed to the pole, the halliards cut, and the staff well slushed with grease. It was a dilemma awkward on one side as it was amusing on the other. We may imagine the departing soldiers waiting a short distance from the shore to watch the frantic efforts of their successors to exchange the flags. A flag was fastened to a stick by the Americans, and while this makeshift was flying several guns of the salute were actually fired, but the British ensign was still waving overhead, and the American's pot of ointment was polluted by this very obtrusive fly. At the nick of time there came a young soldier, John Van Arsdale by name, late of the Continental army, and it was his good fortune to succeed where others

Two Cities on One Site

had failed. Disdaining to attempt to seale the greased pole unaided, as others had done, he called for a hammer and nails. With pieces of board he fixed crosspieces to the flagpole, making a ladder by which he ascended and finally tore down the obnoxious bunting.

THE HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT FOR WASHINGTON

Chapter III

New Buildings '&" and Old

AT the end of the eighteenth century there were a large number of historic houses clustering about the old fort. The names of some of the most notable New Yorkers were associated with them, and the reign of social leaders long celebrated for courtly and unstinted hospitality gave distinction to a neighbourhood now occupied by steamship offices and noisy with a jargon of foreign tongues. It was here that was situated the great house built for the first President of the United States and his successors.