MAG All A. 



47 



ology, biology, and pathology are found in succession 

 by one ascending from the first to the fifth floors. 



For the degree of doctor of medicine three years of 

 study are required, including two full winter sessions of 

 lectures, the second in this college, with the passing of 

 written examinations under seven professors. There 

 are three sessions of study : The preliminary, in Sep- 

 tember ; the winter session, October to March ; the 

 spring session, March to May. The attendance of 

 students has reached 649 in 1888. The total number 

 of graduates exceeds 5000. The professors and lec- 

 turers number 60. Nearly 100 students arc enrolled 

 from countries other than the United States. Liberal 

 proviskrn is made for the aid of meritorious students. 



The department of law in the university, com- 

 monly entitled "The University Law School '' was 

 fully planned in 1835 by the Hon. Benjamin F. Butler. 

 .Attorney-General of the United States, and his plan 

 was adopted by the council. The position of senior 

 law professor was offered to Mr. Butler and accepted. 

 to take effect in 1837. This plan and the correspond- 

 ence relating thereto were published in 1 S35. But the 

 execution or the plan was arrested, and it was not till 

 1858 that the faculty of law was organized. Since 

 that date instruction has been carried on without inter- 

 mission. The annual average enrolment of students 

 has heen about fifty. The number in 1888 is one hun- 

 dred. The course for the degree of bachelor of laws 

 is completed in two years, terminated by examinations 

 both oral and written. 



In addition to the three professors there arc seven 

 lecturers chosen from amon<r the eminent members of 

 the .New York bar. who deliver each a course upon a 

 special field of legal learning. There is a special prize 

 given to the junior passing the lx>t examination, an 1 

 prizes to seniors for pre-eminence iu the oral examina- 

 tion and in the written. 



The law library was founded in lXf,3, by John Tay- 

 lor Johnston, and has received some large additions. 

 Its collections are supplemented by those of the neigh- 

 boring Astor Library. The lecture- and library-rooms 

 of the law school arc in the main university building. 



The chancellors of the university have been James 

 Mathews, |). I).. Theodore Frclinjrhnysen, LL. 1).. 

 Isaac Ferris. I). I)., LL. D., Howard Crosby, 1>. !>.. 

 LL ]>., John Hall, I), f).. LL D. Since 1885 the 

 executive work has been devolved UINUI a vice-chan- 

 cellor, Henry Mitchell MaeCracken, D. D., LL. D. 



NBZ PERCYS, or S.UIAPTINS. a tribe of Ameri- 

 can Indians, who also call themselves Numcpo. The 

 origin of the name Nez I'erce (Pierced Nose) is un- 

 known, and there is no proof of their ever having 

 had a custom to justify it. But. like other tribes of 

 the' North-west, they practised Hatteninir of the head 

 of children to some ext.-nt. L-wis and Clarke in I Sill! 

 found them on the Clear-water and iVwis Kivers, and 

 a treaty of iieace then made was faithfully observed 

 until after tire admission of Oregon ax a State. In 

 \ *''>- ("apt. BonneviUe found them friendly, and in 

 ]s:;t'i IJev. Marc-ns Whitman and llev. Lyman Spaul- 

 ding. Ix-ing sent out by the American Board of Com- 

 missioners for Foreign Missions, established a mission 

 among them. They were then reckoned at 400O souls. 

 Whitman made >|>ecial effort to promote agriculture, 

 and Mrs. Spaulding conducted a successful school. 

 Considerable improvement has been made in their 

 condition, and after the American Hoard withdrew its 

 aid the work went on. But in the spring of 1847 

 trouble arose from a severe epidemic of measles, intro- 

 duced by a. band of white immigrants. In Septeuil>er 

 Dr. Whitman was murdered by the Cayuses. The 

 minion, which had Ix-cn mainly sustained by his labors, 

 was destroyed. Yet in ls;V>. when the Indians of 

 Oregon, alarmed at the inroads of the whites, made 

 an insurrection, the NV/. IVrces, who had Ijeen de- 

 prived of much of the land they claimed, remained 

 faithful to their treaty. They saved tin- life of Gov. 

 tjleven.- and ;i.--i>(.-d the troops u.idtr Col hJ'i-ptoe. 



They were assigned a new reservation on the Lapwai 

 River in Idaho, but those that settled here were rudely 

 disturbed in 1859 by gold-seekers and for a time thor- 

 oughly demoralized. The Presbyterians revived the 

 mission in Oregon and again had success in training 

 the Indians in religion and peaceful i; dustry (See IN- 

 DIANS, AMERICAN). Others of the tribe refused to 

 accept the treaties which reduced their reservations, 

 and their remarkable history is given under INDIAN 

 TERRITORY. 



NIAGARA. This river flows from Lake Erie to 

 I Lake Ontario, a distance of 36 miles, 

 5 in wh . ich . 5t has a to . tal M of 336 f ' eet - 



o ,, , 

 472 



485 



. . . - 



Am. Rep.. <>2 being in the rapids above the mag- 

 nificent cataract which has given it 

 fame. The American Fall is 155 feet high and 1100 

 feet wide ; the Horseshoe Fall 165 feet high arid about 

 2IMX) feet wide. These are separated by Goat Island, 

 which contains 02 acres. The total width of the river, 

 including the island, is 4750 feet. The water passing 

 over the falls every hour is estimated at 100,000,000 

 tons. Both the American and Horseshoe Falls are 

 rapidly wearing away in the centre. The tendency to 

 this in the Horseshoe Fall has been apparent for many 

 years, but to-day the centre is in the form of a V. with 

 the apex many rods up the stream. The American 

 Fall has not shown such a tendency until quite re- 

 cently, but now there is a well-defined V in the line, 

 as it is seen from Luna Island. Those who have 

 watched the recession of the falls believe that soon 

 nearly all the water will pass through an inner chan- 

 nel far away from the vintor. There is also danger 

 I hat the Canadian side of Goat Island may be washed 

 away. Much of that side of the island, which is to- 

 ward the former Terrapin Tower, has disappeared within 

 a few years, and the Legislature of the State has been 

 iisked to appropriate money for the sinking of wooden 

 cribs to prevent further erosion. 



The Falls of Niagara are one hour's ride from 

 Buffalo, twelve from New York, fourteen from 

 Chicago. The principal village on the river is Ni- 

 agara Falls, N. Y. Iwo miles below is Suspension 

 Bridge. Opposite this what was formerly known 

 as Clifton is now Niagara Falls, in the Province of 

 Ontario. Fifteen miles to the north, at the mouth of 

 the river, is the town of Niagara, Ontario. On the 

 American side there is a distance of three miles be- 

 tween the falls and the whirlpool, but there is easy 

 communication by horse-cars. On both sides of the 

 river the immediate vicinity of the falls is free to all 

 visitors. 



\ini/iirii Reservation. The Legislature of New 

 York in lss:i authorized the Governor to appoint five 

 persons to be known as "The Commissioners of the 

 State Reservation nt Niagara," who were empowered 

 to select and locate such lands as might be proper and 

 necessary to be reserved for the purpose of preserving 

 the scenery of the Falls of Niagara and of restoring 

 such scenery to its natural condition. The compensa- 

 tion to be paid by the State to the respective property- 

 owners, having been determined by appraiser's ap- 

 pointed by the courts, the Legislature, in 1885, appro- 

 priated the sum of $1.433,429.50 for the payment of 

 the several awards. The act also provided that the 

 lands shall be kept open and free of access without 

 fee, charge or expense to any person for entering upon 

 or passing to or over any part thereof. Subsequently 

 the control and management of these lands was given 

 to commissioners, who have power to lay out, manage, 

 and maintain the reservation. They serve without pay, 

 but are reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the 

 performance of official duties. Vacancies in the board 

 are filled by the Governor. They are authorized to 

 appoint a secretary and treasurer of the board. They 

 are required to make an annual report of their pro- 

 ceedings, with such recommendations and suggestions 

 as they see fit. 



" 1'iie New York State Park at Niagara Falls" 



