The most important gifts received during the month were: From the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, 10 volumes, the Electrical Handbooks, printed for the use of the circular tour of the International Electrical Congress, 1904; from William Harris Arnold, a copy of "Manhattan in 1628," as described in the recently discovered autograph letter of Jonas Michaëlius written from the settlement on the 8th of August of that year and now first published, with a review of the letter and an historical sketch of New Netherland to 1628 by Dingman Versteeg, New York, 1904 (Japan paper); from the Artists' Fund Society of New York, 1 volume and 25 pamphlets, an almost complete file of its reports; from the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies, "Edisonia," a brief history of the early Edison electric-lighting system; from the Austrian cities of Gorizia, Sarajevo and Trieste, 17 volumes and 30 pamphlets, documents; from Samuel P. Avery, 5 volumes, 30 pamphlets and 19 prints, among the volumes being two on Whistler by Mortimer Menpes and by Théodore Duret; from Jules Breton, a copy of the 2nd edition of his work "La peinture," Paris, 1904; from British Columbia, 36 volumes and 11 pamphlets, sessional papers and journals of the Legislative Assembly; from the Chemical Society, London, 3 volumes of the catalogue of its library; from the Chilean Secretary of Education, about 150 pieces, including the Anuario hidrografico de la Marina, 1 to 23, Diego Barros Arana's General History of Chile, Sinopsis estadistica y geographica, 1893 to 1902, etc.; from Edmund W. Davis, his "Salmon-fishing on the Grand Cascapedia," privately printed at New York, 1904, (no. 8 of 100 copies on Japan paper); from John W. Dietz, his poems, "Herbstblätter," Chicago, 1888; from Carlo Gardini, Bologna, 2 volumes of the Annuario della regia universita di Bologna, 1902/03 and 1903/04, from Sir Seymour Haden, a signed etching "inscribed to Mr. S. P. Avery"; from the Italian cities of Bologna, Modena, and Naples, 18 volumes and 9 pamphlets, all city documents; from the Governor General of Madagascar, 3 volumes of the Guide-annuaire; from the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners, 2 copies of its report for 1903; from the New York City Comptroller, 1,500 volumes and 768 pamphlets, miscellaneous documents; from Miss E. W. Palmer, I volume, a manuscript journal kept by Benjamin F. Palmer, captured in an American privateer in 1813 and confined in Dartmoor prison until the end of the war, and in addition 17 copies of American newspapers ranging in date from 1803 to 1825; from Henry Phipps, 26 copies of Dr. L. F. Flick's "Crusade against Tuberculosis," Philadelphia, 1904; from Rudolph Puchner, 3 volumes, "Aglaja" Milwaukee, 1887, "Klänge aus dem Westen," 2nd edition, Milwaukee, 1898, "Anna Ruland: Sittenbild aus dem Westen der Ver. Staaten," Dresden, 1903; from Charles Scribner's Sons, 222 prints; from Mrs A. Steinach, a copy of the late Dr. Adelrich Steinach's "Geschichte und Leben der Schweizer Kolonien in den Ver. Staaten. . . unter Mitwirkung des Nord-Amerikanischen Grüth-Bundes," New York, 1889; from the Swiss cities of Locarno and Luzern, 4 volumes and 25 pamphlets; and from the Cantons of Luzern, Ticino, and Uri, 43 volumes and 156 pamphlets, these all being municipal and cantonal publications. At the Lenox branch the exhibition of political campaign material was continued until November 9th and was then replaced by a collection of etchings and drawings by Félix Bracquemond on November 14th, and on the lower floor was begun on the 22d an exhibition of a collection of etchings and sketch books by Robert F. Blum. At the ASTOR the exhibition of plates illustrating anniversaries connected with well-known men and events was continued, with the addition of some Russian and Japanese prints relating to the present war. The exhibitions of prints at circulation branches (CHATHAM SQUARE and 125TH STREET) remained as before. At the Circulation branches the picture bulletins and reading lists were as follows: CHATHAM SQUARE, Thanksgiving day bulletins (2), Children of Japan, James Whitcomb Riley, Our familiar songs and those who wrote them, Eugene Field, The songs of Germany, Monuments of a prehistoric race, Emergencies, The colors of Colorado, The care of the eyes; EAST BROADWAY, Famous men and women born in November, Presidents of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, Thanksgiving day, First New England Thanksgiving day and New England's Thanksgiving day forty years ago, Some writers of to-day, William C. Bryant, Pilgrims, Stories of the red men; ELDRIDGE STREET, Famous men and women born in November, Robert Louis Stevenson, Eastern geography, Thanksgiving day; BOND STREET, Parsifal, Thanksgiving day, Strange sights in Ceylon, Monuments of a prehistoric race, Manners and customs of the Hindus, New books; AVENUE C, Famous men and women born in November, Thanksgiving day, Theodore Roosevelt; OTTENDORFER, Thanksgiving day, Christmas, The Opera, Japan, Prevention of consumption, Strange sights in Ceylon, Care of the eyes, Mass and the molar properties of matter; JACKSON SQUARE, New books, American political novels, Thanksgiving day; MUHLENBERG, Mohammedan world, Japan, Thanksgiving day, Children's songs, Indian music, Earthquakes, Korea and Manchuria, Forestry, The weather, Christmas; THIRTY-FOURTH STREET, New books; BRUCE, Colonial history; FIFTY-NINTH STREET, Famous men and women born in November, Thanksgiving day, Founders of Thanksgiving day; RIVERSIDE, Detective stories, New books, Keats, Shelley, English novelists of the Nineteenth Century; SEVENTY-SIXTH STREET, Painting and sculpture, Mark Twain, Books for boys, Geology and the weather, Boarding school and college stories, Shakespeare, The far East, One hundred best novels, Ghost stories, Music, Books on the sea, Books for young housekeepers, Questions of the day, Books most men like, Books most women like, Detective stories, Dramatized novels; YORKVILLE, Thanksgiving day; ST. AGNES, Thanksgiving day, Japan, India, Congo land, Influence of the French revolution in Europe, Lord Shaftesbury; BLOOMINGDALE, American government, India, Japan, Russia, Thanksgiving day; HARLEM LIBRARY, Thanksgiving day; ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH STREET, Benedict Arnold, Frederick Barbarossa, Daniel Boone, Children's crusade, Nathan Hale, Joan of Arc, English conquest of India, Life-saving service, Martin Luther, Mohammed, Printing press, Thanksgiving day, Sir Horace Walpole, Invention, Engineering, Surveying, Chemical technology, Manufactures, Mechanical trades, Carpentry and building; WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, Thanksgiving day, Evacuation day, Sir Robert Walpole, English conquests in India, Benedict Arnold, Nathan Hale, Daniel Boone, Mohammed, Children's crusade, Joan of Arc, Printing press, Martin Luther, Movements of plants, West Indies, Geological activities of water, Trinidad, Santo Domingo, The Antarctic, Venice, Historic traces in New York, Land of the Incas, Brazil, Guiana. Many of these lists were prepared in connection with the Free Lectures of the Board of Education, and relate to the subjects of lectures delivered in the neighborhood of the branches at which the lists were displayed. There was also an exhibition at the SEVENTY-SIXTH STREET branch, of coral specimens, sponges, college flags, colonial and revolutionary flags, plaster casts, Indian curios and prehistoric relics, insects, fish, birds, minerals, and charts and models relating to astronomy and physiology. Two more branches erected from the Carnegie gift have been opened-TOTTENVILLE and TOMPKINS SQUARE branches, the fourth and fifth of the Carnegie buildings in order of opening. The TOTTENVILLE branch was opened on Saturday, November 26th, at 3 P. M. Hon. George Cromwell, President of the Borough of Richmond, presided, having been delegated by the Mayor as his representative, and made an address on behalf of the City. An address on behalf of the New York Public Library was made by Hon. George L. Rives. Addresses were also made by Mr. Frank Joline, President of the Tottenville Library Association, and Mr. Arthur E. Bostwick, Chief of the Circulation Department. Music was furnished by the Philharmonic Club of Tottenville, and the ladies of the Philemon Club provided refreshments. This branch was organized February 6, 1899, as the Tottenville Free Library, opened to the public at 137 Johnson Avenue, April 29, 1899, chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York on June 26 following, and consolidated with the New York Public Library on December 31, 1903. It has on its shelves about 4,000 volumes and circulates about 15,000 volumes a year. The TOMPKINS SQUARE branch was opened on Thursday, December 1st, at 4.30 P. M. The presiding officer, Hon. Charles V. Fornes, President of the Board of Aldermen and representative of the Mayor on this occasion, made the address on behalf of the City. An address on behalf of the Trustees of the Public Library was made by Hon. John L. Cadwalader. This branch was opened as the Fifth Street branch of the Aguilar Free Library at 624 Fifth Street, January 1, 1887; it was moved to 616 Fifth Street on May 1, 1896, to 106 Avenue C on March 7, 1901, and by consolidation of the Aguilar Free Library with the New York Public Library on March 1, 1903, became the Avenue C branch of the latter. In both these cases the libraries were open for inspection only. The circulation of books was begun at Tottenville on November 28th and Tompkins Square on Friday, December 2d. MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY OF MOBILE IN 1862-1863. Printed from the original manuscript in the New York Public Library, a thin volume of about eighty pages, eight by twelve inches in size, blue paper, bound in flexible calf covers; on the front cover is pasted a slip of white paper with the written inscription: "Mobile Safety Committee, Minutes of the Executive Committee." EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF The Committee Met this day. Present. Peter Hamilton Esq; Chairman and Messrs Duke W. Goodman and Jessie [sic] Carter. William D. Dunn Esq, Chairman and Percy Walker Esq, Vice Chairman of the General Committee, were also present at this Conference of the Executive Committee. On Motion Richard B. Owen, was appointed Secretary of the Committee. The Subject of the high charges for freight of Provisions &c by the Railroad Companies and Steamboats was discussed by the Committee, and the Chairman instructed to prepare a Memorial on the Subject to the Legislature, to be submitted for the consideration of the General Committee. Also an act to prevent the Sale by retail of Spirituous liquors to be likewise submitted to the General Committee. It was resolved that the Committee meet every day at 10 A. M. at the office of the Chairman. And therefore the Committee adjourned to meet again Monday Morning next at 10 o'clock. OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN OF MONDAY NOVEMBER 17. 1862 The Committee met pursuant to adjournment Present P. Hamilton Esq. Chairman and Messrs Goodman, Carter and Wilson. The Chairman & Vice Chairman of the General Committee were also present The Chairman of the Executive Committee read a Communication from the Governor to the Chairman of the General Committee inviting the co-operation of that Committee in the disbursement of a fund of $500,000 appropriated by the Legislature for the defence of Mobile, and expressing his willingness to appoint Commissioners to carry out a plan for the obstruction of the entrance of the Harbor suggested by Lieut Johnston C. S. N. The Chairman of the Executive Committee & the Chairman of the General Committee were on Motion requested to call on Gen! Ledbetter C. S. N. & confer with him on this Subject Whereupon the Committee adjourned OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19. 1862 The Committee Met this day Present, Peter Hamilton Esq Chairman and Messers Goodman & Carter. The Chairman informed the Committee, that he had as directed at a former Meeting prepared and reported to the General Committee the draft of an Act to prevent the Sale of Spirituous liquors. Dr Carter, was on Motion, appointed to confer with Genl Ledbetter, and if practicable have certain old cannon taken from Fort Morgan and now on the Wharf in this city, reamed out and put in a condition for Service. On Motion it was ordered that Charles P Gage Esq and Colonel L. M. H. Walker be added to the Executive Committee or members thereof And thereupon the Committee adjourned OFFICE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The Committee met to day Present P. Hamilton Esq. Chairman & Messrs Goodman Gage and Wilson The Chairman laid before the Committee his Communication to the Governor of the 19th inst, which was approved. The Committee on the part of the Confederate States chartered the Steam Boat Planter to be employed in and about the Bay & Harbor of Mobile the owner to furnish the labor of two Engineers, a Watchman, Carpenter one Pilot Master and Cook, the Government to pay One hundred and fifty Dollars a day and furnish provisions for the Crew also fuel oil and the necessary labor. The Committee also authorized the engagement of schooner Marshall Smith at fifteen dollars a day and a barge belonging to Mr Foster at Eight Dollars a day These Contracts to take effect from tomorrow the 21st inst and to continue until further Notice. And thereupon the Comee adjourned |