740 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. (NEW YORK.) 



ceive no salary, and were appointed to serve until 

 Jan. 1, 1903, after which date the Governor is 

 given discretion to designate from time to time 

 two commissioners of the Land Office, to act with 

 the forest, fish, and game commissioner, and con- 

 stitute the board for the purchase of forest lands. 

 According to the new law, subsequent to Jan. 1, 

 1903, the forest, fish, and game commissioner may 

 appoint a deputy commissioner at an annual sal- 

 ary of $2,500. 



National Guard. The charge of the National 

 Guard of the State of New York is under the 

 supervision of the adjutant-general on the Gov- 

 ernor's staff. The incumbent during the early 

 part of the year was Edward M. Hoffman, who 

 died in Albany on May 15. The assistant adju- 

 tant-general, Frederick Phisterer, was detailed as 

 acting adjutant-general, and continued in charge 

 of the department until the close of the year. 



Pharmacy. The State Board of Pharmacy, 

 created by the Legislature of 1900, organized early 

 in January, with Robert K. Smither as president, 

 and Sidney Faber as general secretary. Dates 

 were decided upon when examinations should be 

 held in different parts of the State. According 

 to the new law, every drug-store in every town, 

 village, or hamlet having more than 500 popula- 

 tion must be registered, and each store must have 

 a licensed pharmacist. In places having a popula- 

 tion of fewer than 500, stores may be conducted 

 by a druggist. The law makes a distinction be- 

 tween a pharmacist and a druggist, the latter 

 being equal to an assistant pharmacist, and being 

 licensed as such after passing the required exami- 

 nation. The new law will have the effect of more 

 uniform and practical examinations, and will re- 

 sult in the closing of many stores, as drugs have 

 been sold by men who never passed any examina- 

 tion, and were not licensed pharmacists. 



Palisade Park. The agitation for the preser- 

 vation of the Palisades of the Hudson and con- 

 verting the adjacent land into an interstate park, 

 was made the subject of a bill that passed the 

 Legislature and received the approval of the Gov- 

 ernor. Nothing east of the Rocky mountains 

 equals the Palisades in scenic effect. The trap- 

 rock precipice has not the distinct columnar struc- 

 ture of similar rock in various localities, such as 

 Scotland's island of Staffa, and places on the 

 Columbia river and its tributaries; but it is suf- 

 ficiently columnar to present the striking appear- 

 ance of a vast fortification with bastions and 

 salient angles, and the effect is greatly enhanced 

 by position directly on the border of the sea-like 

 lower Hudson for more than 20 miles, the walls 

 rising from 310 feet at Weehawken to 550 feet 

 northward, and almost twice that in hills after it 

 reappears still farther north and west. The great 

 dike is from a quarter of a mile to a mile in 

 width. The park will run from Fort Lee Ferry to 

 Huyler's Landing, and will take in all land from 

 the summit of the cliffs to the water's edge. The 

 intention is to make a driveway along the base 

 on the river side, with here and there a branch- 

 ing road to the top. The bill appropriated $400,- 

 000 for the purchase of the property. The land 

 owned by private persons on which the commis- 

 sion has options will cost $500 an acre, and the 

 cost of riparian rights has been fixed at $10 a 

 running foot. A similar bill, appropriating $50,- 

 000, was passed by the Legislature of New Jersey, 

 and received the signature of the Governor of that 

 State. The Palisades Commission is composed of 

 the following: New York George W. Perkins, 

 president ; Abram S. Hewitt, vice-president ; Ralph 

 Trautmann, treasurer; J. Du Pratt White, secre- 

 tary; Nathan F. Barrett, D. McNeely Stauffer,Col. 



Edwin A. Stevens, Franklin W. Hopkins, J. 

 Abram De Ronde, and W. A. Linn. New Jersey 

 Edwin A. Stevens, president; D. McNeely Stauffer, 

 vice-president; Abram De Ronde, treasurer; J. 

 Du Pratt White, secretary ; F. W. Hopkins, George 

 W. Perkins, Abram S. Hewitt, Ralph Trautmann, 

 Nathan F. Barrett, and W. A. Linn. 



Historian. The work of looking up the rec- 

 ords of the soldiers from New York who died 

 during the civil war has been continued during 

 the year, and the historian reports that he has 

 found inscribed on burial-stones in the cemetery 

 at Gettysburg the names of New York soldiers 

 who are still alive. Considerable interest has 

 been taken in the Battle-Ground Cemetery near 

 Washington, where some of the New York sol- 

 diers now lie buried, having been called out to 

 defend the capital during Early's raid in 1864. 

 The records of the dead at that cemetery include 

 names of soldiers of whom all trace had disap- 

 peared. The New York troops engaged in the 

 action at Fort Stevens consisted of a regiment of 

 cavalry, a battalion of heavy artillery, 11 regi- 

 ments of infantry, and a battalion of another 

 regiment of infantry. 



Legislative Session. The session of the Leg- 

 islature began on Jan. 2, 1901, and continued until 

 April 23. As elected, the Senate consisted of 35 

 Republicans and 15 Democrats, and the Assembly 

 of 105 Republicans and 45 Democrats. Timothy 

 E. Ellsworth was reelected President pro tern, of 

 the Senate, and Samuel F. Nixon was again chosen 

 Speaker of the Assembly. There were 1,701 bills 

 introduced into the Assembly, of which 826 were 

 passed; and 505 bills were introduced into the 

 Senate, of which 409 were passed. There were 731 

 bills that received the approval of the Governor. 

 Among the more important measures enacted 

 were the following: 



Authorizing the State to cede to the Federal 

 Government the lower half of Esopus island in 

 Hudson river. 



Amending the charter of New York city so as 

 to correct defects in the general charter amend- 

 ment act, as follow: To require the written ap- 

 proval Of the sinking-fund commissioners to 

 contracts and leases by the dock commissioner. 

 To require the distribution of school moneys sub- 

 ject to the same regulations as those imposed on 

 the common schools of New York. Relative to 

 the publication of city notices. Amending the 

 educational provision relative to licensing of 

 teachers. To allow the dock commissioner to ap- 

 point a deputy at a salary of $4,500 a year, who 

 shall be empowered to act in the absence of the 

 commissioner. Also, empowering the commis- 

 sioners of the sinking-fund to accept a propo- 

 sition for leasing docks after refusal by the dock 

 commissioner. Abolishing the bipartizan Police 

 Board in New York city, and providing for the 

 appointment of a single commissioner by the 

 mayor, subject to removal, without charges, by 

 either the mayor or the Governor. Authorizing 

 New York city to exchange property in the 

 Twelfth Ward with the College of the City of New 

 York. Permitting New York city to accept the 

 $5,200,000 gift of Andrew Carnegie for a free li- 

 brary system. It authorized the city to purchase, 

 erect, and maintain libraries, also to enter into a 

 contract with Mr. Carnegie to accept his gift 

 under the conditions named by him. Permitting 

 library corporations in New York city to convey 

 their property to the Public Library Astor, Len- 

 ox, and Tilden foundations. Permitting the con- 

 solidation of libaries in New York city. 



Incorporating the Naval Arch Association, to 

 erect a naval arch on the water-front of Man- 



