POK CENTENARY EXERCISES. 9 



of those others who have aided in this undertaking, I have the 

 In mi >r. Mr. Commissioner, t< > give into yi >ur keeping this mi >nu- 

 ment to Edgar Allan Pec." 



1 Inn. foseph 1. Berry replied, accepting the gift I'm- the City. 

 mi behalf of the Park Department, giving an interesting de- 

 scription from his personal recollection and knowledge, of the 

 former stale of the neighborhood and of the features of the 

 surrounding country, visible from the Toe cottage, before 

 fields and farms and country roads and cow-paths had given 

 way to city improvements, and when the drowsy hamlet of 

 Fordham did not suspect that it was soon to be swallowed up 

 by the distant Xew York, lie brought hack the old setting of 

 the cottage very vividly, telling of his own familiarity with it, 

 and reminiscences of the relations of his family with the other 

 families of the place, including the Poes. 



At the close of these exercises those present were trans- 

 pi Hied to Xew York University in special cars, where a large 

 audience filled to overflowing the great hall. Professor 

 Woodberry came from Beverly, Mass., to preside. A number 

 of guests occupied places on the platform, literary men, repre- 

 sentatives of universities and local organizations. Among 

 them Mr. Richard Watson Gilder, since deceased, deserves 

 mention for the ready aid and counsel he gave to the com- 

 mittee during the preparation of the program. Of those who 

 contributed to the musical part of the program Mr. David 

 Bispham should he remarked. His performance was unique 

 in giving a completely satisfying rendering of The Raven. 



