An enterprise of such magnitude was not carried forward without extraordinary struggles. To keep the work, so far as possible, out of politics required much ingenuity and persistence on the part of those who were actuated by the most public-spirited motives. It was not possible to wholly eliminate politics and self-seeking. An act of the Legislature in 1859 provided that New York city should be represented by its Mayor, comptroller, and president of the Board of Aldermen, and Brooklyn by the commissioners of the sinking fund. The company was authorized to occupy land under water on each shore to the distance of 250 feet. Meanwhile, operations were begun in the direction of an effort to raise the required $5,000,000 by private subscription, but they were not successful, and it was determined to apply to the cities for aid. Application was made to Brooklyn, through the Common Council, for $3,000,000. After many months the incorporators were successful, and later, in 1868, the city of New York subscribed the $1,500,000 required, and the stockholders made up the additional $500,000. The shares, as has been shown, were fixed at $100 each. The list of the original subscribers, as revealed by the original minute-book still in the possession of the trustees, is very interesting. It is as follows:-- SUBSCRIBERS SHARES. Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of New York 15,000 The City of Brooklyn 30,000 Henry C. Murphy 100 Isaac Van Anden 200 William Marshall 50 Seymour L. Husted 200 Samuel McLean 50 Arthur W. Benson 20 Martin Kalbfleisch 200 Alexander McCue 100 William M. Tweed 560 Peter B. Sweeny 560 Hugh Smith 560 Henry W. Slocum 500 J. S. T. Stranahan 100 Grenville T. Jenks 50 Kingsley & Keeney 1,600 John H. Prentice 50 William Hunter, Jr. 50 John W. Lewis 50 ------ Total 50,000 After the subscriptions were all made, several of the subscribers withdrew or failed to make good their promises, whereupon Mr. Kingsley took up their stock and advanced the amount necessary to cover their deficiencies. In fact, he and the firm he represented took in all over $300,000 of the entire $500,000 subscribed by the New York Bridge Company.