

UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. (NEW YORK.) 



775 



affording such protection, proper legislative ac- 

 tion be taken to protect men who give services 

 voluntarily for the welfare of the State." 



State Library. The State Library is in the 

 Capitol in Albany, and is under the charge of 

 Melvil Dewey. In his annual report it is shown 

 that the library has grown from 461,740 volumes 

 in 1902 to 482,697, of which 274,620 are in the 

 State Library proper, 62,259 are in traveling li- 

 braries, and 145,818 are duplicates. The general 

 appropriation for State Library and home educa- 

 tion for 1902 was $122,620, an increase of $12,620. 

 For maintenance $103,589.90 was paid, an increase 

 of $8,005, and $22,767 was granted to libraries, 

 which is $3,167. 98 'more than in 1901. For books 

 $15,138.83 was spent, $4,610.72 for serials, $5,383,- 

 17 for binding, and $4,189.25 for pictures, etc. 

 The library for the blind increases yearly, the 

 circulation having risen to 1,903 from 1,620 in 

 1901. There are 407 active study clubs, of which 

 70 were added last year. There are in the uni- 

 versity 209 libraries free for circulation, besides 

 107 registered libraries. The general summary 

 for the year shows reports from 1,137 libraries, 

 containing 6,975,540 volumes. They added 464,- 

 751 books in 1902. The 550 free lending libraries 

 report 2,598,472 volumes, an increase of 173,212, 

 or 7 per cent. In view of gifts accepted from 

 Andrew Carnegie, these library payments will 

 soon be considerably increased in Amsterdam 

 from $400 to $2,500, in Binghauiton from $2,311.- 

 39 to $7,500, in Kingston from $107.50 to $3,000, 

 in Gloversville from $3,000 to $5,000, in Johns- 

 town from $602.56 to $2,500, in Schenectady from 

 $1,500 to $5,000, and in Yonkers from $2,000 

 to $5,000. New York also, when her Carnegie 

 branches are built, will advance from $305,894.25 

 to $520,000. Ninety-nine library gifts are report- 

 ed for this State, $124,780 in money, $790,000 for 

 buildings, 52,330 volumes, and 2,927 prints, etc. 

 Of these, 24 gifts, amounting in value to $671,- 

 000, were from Andrew Carnegie. 



Stony Point Park. On June 16, with appro- 

 priate ceremonies, occurred the dedication of 

 Stony Point battle-field as a State reservation. 

 This battle-field was purchased by the Legisla- 

 ture in 1897, and was placed in the custody of 

 the American Scenic and Historic Preservation 

 Society. The purchase was supplemented later 

 by a large grant of money, which was placed at 

 the disposal of the society, to be expended under 

 its supervision for improvement of the battle- 

 field. The exercises included a parade, which was 

 reviewed by Gov. Odell; then the flag that first 

 floated on July 4, 1900, from the top of the 

 Eiffel Tower during the Paris Exposition was un- 

 furled. Speeches were delivered, and there were 

 present the West Point Cadets, with their band, 

 a detachment of cavalry, a section of artillery, 

 details from local organizations, and the National 

 Guard. 



Memorials. On Sept. 1 there was erected in 

 Watertown a memorial statue bearing the follow- 

 ing inscription : " To Roswell Pettibone Flower. 

 Born Aug. 7, 1835; died May 12, 1899; Repre- 

 sentative in the Forty-seventh and Fifty-first 

 Congresses, Governor of the State of New York, 

 MDCCCXCIV." A granite slab leading from the 

 entrance to the base of the pedestal contains the 

 additional inscription : " Erected in Affectionate 

 and Grateful Remembrance of His Noble Man- 

 hood, His Distinguished Public Service, and His 

 Loving Kindness to All." The statue was de- 

 signed by Augustus St. Gaudens, and cost $25,- 

 000, which amount was raised by popular sub- 

 scription. The granite pedestal was the gift of 

 the late Mrs. Emma Keep-Schley, of New York. 



On Sept. 19 there was unveiled a statue of 

 heroic proportions on Culp's Hill, Gettysburg, to 

 the memory of Henry W. Slocum, who com- 

 manded the right wing of the National army in 

 that battle. The statue was erected by the State 

 of New York, of which Gen. Slocum was a na- 

 tive. The pedestal is of granite, and from base 

 to top the monument measures 31 feet. The 

 model was executed by Edward C. Potter. The 

 unveiling of the statue formed the principal fea- 

 ture of the thirty-third reunion of the Society of 

 the Army of the Potomac. 



Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The Legis- 

 lature authorized the appointment of a commis- 

 sion to take charge of the interests of the State 

 in connection with the world's fair to be held 

 in St. Louis in 1904, and appropriated $100,000 

 for its expenses. The following twelve-named per- 

 sons were appointed by the Governor to serve: 

 Edward H. Harriman, of Manhattan, President; 

 William Berri, of Brooklyn; Edward L. Bill, of 

 New Rochelle; James H. Callanan, of Schenec- 

 tady; Cyrus E. Jones, of Jamestown; Mrs. Har- 

 riet T. Mack, of Buffalo; Frank S. McGraw, of 

 Buffalo; Lewis Nixon, of Manhattan; Louis 

 Stern, of Manhattan; John K. Stewart, of Am- 

 sterdam; John C. Woodbury, of Rochester; and 

 John Young, of Geneseo. 



Legislative Session. The session of the Leg- 

 islature began on Jan. 1, 1902, and continued 

 until March 27. As elected, the Senate consisted 

 of 35 Republcans and 15 Democrats, and the As- 

 sembly of 106 Republicans and 42 Democrats. 

 Timothy E. Ellsworth was reelected President 

 pro tern, of the Senate, and Samuel F. Nixon was 

 again chosen Speaker of the Assembly. Among 

 the more important measures enacted were the 

 following: 



Giving the United States authority to acquire 

 land on Ward's island for a lighthouse station. 



Giving the Board of Aldermen of New York 

 city power over all terminals and stations, per- 

 mitting the contractor to transfer his contract 

 to operate the road, and changing the method 

 of advertising in connection with condemnation 

 proceedings. 



Authorizing the Board of Taxes and Assess- 

 ments of New York city to reduce an assessment 

 found to be excessive. 



Amending the law relative to the selection of 

 trial jurors in New York County to insure the 

 placing of non-voters on such lists. 



Providing that New York city may spend an- 

 nually $3,000,000, instead of $2,000,000 for re- 

 paving streets. 



Authorizing New York city to appropriate 

 $5,000 annually for the Benefit fund of the for- 

 mer Volunteer Fire departments of the former 

 towns of Flatbush, New Utrecht, Gravesend, and 

 Flatlands. 



Giving preference for appointment to the regu- 

 lar department to volunteer firemen whenever 

 the paid Fire Department of New York City is 

 extended into any part of Westchester County. 



Appropriating $60.000 to replace State property 

 destroyed in the Seventy-first Regiment Armory. 



Appropriating $20,000 to replace property of 

 the Seventy-first Regiment and the other military 

 organizations destroyed in the fire of the Sev- 

 enty-first Regiment Armory- 

 Authorizing the procuring of new grounds for 

 the College of the City of New York, the cost 

 not to exceed $55,000. 



Authorizing New York to appropriate $25.000 

 for the American Museum of Natural History. 



Authorizing Buffalo to issue bonds to the 

 amount of $350,000 for improving Buffalo river, 





