482 



NEW-YEAR'S DAY 



NEW YORK 



Co|.vtlhl 18*1, 1S7, .11-1 

 WOO hi ihe U. 8. br J. K. 

 Llpplocoll Company. 



as nsages of New-year's Day. Suetonius alhnleg 

 to the bringing "f presents to the capital ; and 

 Tacitus makes a similar reference to tin- practice 

 of giving ami receiving New year's gifts. This 

 custom w.'is continued I iy the Chiistiaii kingdom* 

 into which the western empire was divided. In 

 England we find many example- "I it. even as a 



Sart of the pulilic expenditure of tin* niiirt. so far 

 own .-- the reign of Charles II. : and, as all our 

 antiquarian writers iix>ntin, the custom of inter- 

 changing presents was common in all classes of 

 society. In England, as in (Sermany, this custom 

 ha* lieen largely eclipsed hy the still more popular 

 practice of Christmas gifts (see CIIKISTMAS) : in 

 Scotland, as in France and Italy, New-year's Day 

 in still the day most oliserved, ami the festival 

 according to Old Style, twelve davs later, still 

 lingers in corners of the country. In gome parts 

 of tin- I'll it I'd States and Canada gentlemen are 

 exceptionally industrious in making social calls on 

 the lirst day of the vear. In many countries the 

 night of New-year's Eve, ' St Sylvester's Eve,' was 

 celebrated with great festivity, which was pro- 

 longed till 'after twelve o'clock, when the H* 

 Year was ushered in with congratulations, compli- 

 mentary visits, and mutual wishes for a happy 

 New Year ; this is an ancient Scottish custom 

 (see HOGMANAY). In many places the practice of 

 tolling Mis till midnight, and then ' ringing in the 

 New Year,' is still olwerved. Many religious com- 

 munions are wont to celebrate it with a special 

 service or 'watch night.' In the Roman Catholic 

 Church New-year's Day is a holiday of strict obli- 

 gation. See Chambers 's Book of Days. 



New York, called the 'empire state,' is the 

 twenty-fifth in area, the first in population, and 

 the tilth in pop. per sq. m. of 

 the United States. It lies be- 

 tween 4.V and 40 29' N. lat., 

 and l>etween 71 51' and 79 47' W. long. It U 

 triangular in shape, and has an irregular outline. 

 It- boundary line measures 1420 miles, of which 

 879 miles, or nearly two- thirds of the entire length, 

 lie along the shores of Lake Erie, the Niagara 

 River, Lake Ontario, the St Lawrence River, and 

 Lake Champlain. The remaining port ions of the 

 boundary are formed hy arbitrary straight lines. 

 Area, 49,170 sq. m., or almost tliat of England. 

 Long Island is the largest, and Manhattan, con- 

 taining the most populous part of New York City, 

 the must important of the many islands. 



The^urface structure of New York is remarkably 

 diversified, and presents many contrasts of eleva- 

 tion. The state is traversed by numerous chains 

 of mountains and hills, among which lie beautiful 

 valleys. There U also much rolling land, and there 

 arc several extensive plains. Tin; greatest eleva- 

 tions are in the eastern and north-eastern parts of 

 the state, but nearly the whole of the south-eastern 

 part is hilly or mountainous. From this highland 

 region the land slo|xrs gradually, and declines in 

 n -cries of terraces, north and west toward Lake 

 < hitario. The most level portions are those liorder- 

 ing that lake and the St Lawrence River. The 

 mountainous region in the east is cut by the gap 

 of the Mohawk Itiver. The narrow valley of this 

 stream, once traversed by a mighty river which 

 drained the great Ontario bo-sin, joins at right 

 angles the deep depression in which are Lake 

 Cimmplain, I.ake I icorge, and the Hudson Iliver. 

 Both of these valleys pass directly through the 

 Appalachian system of mountains, and divide the 

 state into three distinct sections. The mountains 

 are also dfapned in three groups. The Ad iron - 

 dark- (highest |Miint. Mount Marry, 6400 feet), in 

 the north ca-tcrn iiart of the state, are completely 

 isolated by the valleys of Lake Champlain and the 

 Mohawk River from all other part* of the Appal- 



achian system. South of the Mohawk valley are 

 the Cutskills with various associated grotij 

 as the Hclderliergand the Sliawangunk Mountains, 

 covering an area of about 500 s<|. m. The Shawnn- 

 gunk Mountains me continuous with the Blue 

 or Kittatinny Mountains of Pennsylvania. The 

 Taconic range of New England enters the state 

 still farther south, and passes south-westerly into 

 New .lersey. This range is cut by the Hudson 

 River, and forms the celebrated Highlands. 



The geology of New York is peculiarly in 

 ing ami comprehensive. With tne exception of the 

 Jurassic format ions and a few others clo-cly iclated 

 in time with the Jura-Tria-, its rocks exhibit de- 

 posits of nearly every period, from the primitive 

 Archienn rocks to the Tertiary and recent alluvium. 

 Briefly and superficially classified, the outcropping 

 rocks are disposed as follows : In the north eastern 

 part of the state, with the Adirondack- a- a centre, 

 is a somewhat circular area of Aroha-an formation. 

 Along the eastern side of the Hudson Kiver and 

 near its mouth, the Airha-an rocks again appear, 

 and are continuous with the primitive formations 

 of New England. Nearly surrounding the Adiron- 

 dack region is a licit of Silurian rooks, which ex- 

 tends southward along the western shore of the 

 Hudson, and westward, bordering upon Lake 

 Ontario and Lake Erie. North of the Adiron- 

 dacks is a belt of Cambrian rocks, and south and 

 west of the Silurian belt the greater part of the 

 formation belongs to the Devonian age, with 

 traces of Carboniferous dciiosits, but no true coal- 

 measures. There are in tne state some extensive 

 iron-mines, deposits of lead, copper, x.inc, and other 

 valuable minerals, and an abundance of building- 

 stones. The salt-springs, especially those of the 

 Onondaga salt group, are of great value. There are 

 also valuable petroleum springs, and mineral and 

 medicinal springs the most noted are those at 

 Saratoga, Hall-ton. Sharon, Richfield, Avon, and 

 New Lebanon. 



The most important river belonging entirely to 

 the state is the Hudson (q.v.). The Oswego. 

 draining a chain of lakes in the central part of 

 the state, the Black, ami the (Jonesce ore affluents 

 of Lake Ontario : the St Lawrence forms part of 

 the northern boundary : the Niagara connects 

 Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the Delaware, the 

 Sn-i|uehanna, and the Allegany rise within and 

 drain the southern portions of the state. 



New York lies mainly in the lake region of 

 North America. The eastern part of Lake Fiic. 

 one-half of Lake Ontario, and one-half of Lake 

 Champlain arc controlled by the state. Among the 

 numerous lake- of noi tli eastern New York. Lake 

 (;<-oige and the Adirondack lakes are the most 

 noted. Theie are three groups of picturesque lake- 

 ill central New York. The mountains, rivers, and 

 hikes of New York make it famous for its scenery. 

 Of this, one of the most notable features is the num- 

 ber of waterfalls, among which the mighty Niagara 

 is of course pre eminent. Other lieautiful falls are 

 the Falls of the (.enesee (q.v.), Trenton Falls, the 

 Kiiatci-kill Falls in the Catskills, and those of 

 Cohoes, Ticonderoga, and at \Vatkins Glen. 



The average temperature of New York is aliout 

 47 F., with a range of over 100. The climate 

 is thus subject to exticmes, but is very healthful. 

 Although tiie surface is so div eisilied, nin-t of the 

 soil is arable, and much of it i- fertile. Moie than 

 one-half the area of the state is under cultivation. 

 The usual farm products are raised in abundance. 

 In the lake valleys there are many vineyards. 

 Hops and tobacco are also important crops. In 

 the vicinity of New York and the other large cities 

 market gardening is a profitable occupation, and 

 the highland regions yield excellent milk, butter, 

 and cheese. But manufacturing is the leading 



