FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 79 



tended eastward without delay; and fortunately this can easily 

 be done. 



Boat-House Restaurmit. — The Boat-House Restaurant is 

 slowly but surely gaining patronage, and it is only a matter of 

 time until it will have a well established reputation with Park 

 visitors. Several improvements have been made during the past 

 year, adding to its attractiveness and raising the standard of 

 the service. On account of its being located outside the enclosed 

 portion of the Park, and convenient to the Subway terminal, 

 there has been considerable demand for the facilities it affords 

 for catering to private parties, small clubs and other organiza- 

 tions. This class of business has assisted materially in ac- 

 quainting the public generally with the existence and location 

 of this restaurant. 



Boatiyig. — The Boating receipts for 1909 increased 33% over 

 those of the previous year. An idea of the popularity of this 

 pastime with visitors may be gained by the fact that more than 

 11,500 row-boat tickets were sold during the season, which was 

 an increase of about 2,500 over the total number of the previous 

 year. 



The new electric launch "Penguin," which was put into ser- 

 vice when the season opened, was a much-needed and valuable 

 addition to our equipment. In 1908 the single launch "Alba- 

 tross" carried 9,557 passengers, and in 1909 the two launches 

 carried 17,938, almost double the number handled in 1908. Part 

 of this increase was due to the fact that the rate for small chil- 

 dren was reduced to five cents. 



Guide Books. — It was expected that the "Elephant Edition" 

 of the Guide Book, of which 30,000 copies were printed in 1907, 

 would be sufficient for the year 1909. Inasmuch as the sales 

 during April, May and June were so large that it seemed certain 

 the edition would not run through the period of the Hudson-Ful- 

 ton Celebration, a new edition of 30,000 copies, to be known as 

 the "Bison Edition," was ordered. By rushing the work, a partial 

 delivery, with a special cover in Hudson-Fulton colors, was made 

 barely in time for the celebration. These books sold remarkably 

 well, 3,000 being disposed of during the period between Septem- 

 ber 25th and October 9th. The profits from the Guide Book were 

 greater by far than in any previous year. At the same time a 

 special Hudson-Fulton Bulletin, written by Dr. Hornaday, was 

 on sale wherever the Guides were sold, from September 25th to 

 the close of the year, and 2,300 copies were sold during that 



