Thursday, June 16, 2011

The State of Coney Island - 1848

Welcome to 1848. More from Governor Gil Davis. What a great way to start the new year!

ANOTHER NEW STATE.--The Herald has the following pleasant bit of burlesque upon the proceedings of the late convention held, by certain facetious, oyster-loving gentlemen, on Prospect Hill:

State of Coney Island.-- Pursuant to notice given delegates from Clam-town, Oyster-bay, Lobster and Crao-fish village, assembled at the Pavilion at Tent-town, on Thursday evening last, for the purpose of taking into consideration the expediency of applying to the powers that be, to set apart as a new State, viz: The State of Coney Island. Gil Davis, on being called to the chair, made a few remarks relating to the present and former greatness of Coney Island, in an agricultural and maritime point of view, as well as her late oppression in the outcry and run upon her Fishing-Banks and Plain-fields. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That Coney Island is so situated in her local position, being altogether isolated and distinct from the rest of the Union, having, moreover, a superabundant population, that it would be greatly to her advantage to have conferred upon her the character and honors of a sovereign and independent State.

Resolved, That the town of Clams, and the bay of Oysters, as the future capital of the State, ought to be united under one municipal organization, and that their streets and inhabitants ought to run together.

Resolved, that Gil Davis, our able and efficient President, who has so long and ably presided over the territory of Coney Island, be, and hereby is, appointed Governor of the new State.

Letters from eminent and distinguished citizens of the Clam State expressive of their approval of the objects of the meeting, and who, from various causes were unable to attend, having been read, the meeting adjourned to the first of April.

--Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Wednesday, March 1, 1848

Note the date the meeting adjourned to, in case you couldn't tell it was a joke. I THINK the meeting actually took place February 24 (the Thursday before publication date; 1848 was a leap year per Calendar Home http://www.calendarhome.com/cgi-bin/tycyear.pl?year=1848&change=1&suppresshol= ). Then again, the Eagle could have taken more than a week to print it...

And this is the order they were actually printed--the explanation follows THE NEXT DAY.

THE NEW STATES.--The movement made by the Long Islanders to obtain a charter "to have conferred upon Long Island the character and honors of a sovereign and independent state," as appears by the meeting lately held in Brooklyn, at which resolutions were passed to carry these objects into effect has caused great excitement among the neighboring population, and has given rise to a meeting on Coney Island to effect a similar purpose, the particulars of which have been furnished by our reporter.--Herald

--Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Thursday, March 2, 1848

No comments:

Post a Comment