Legislature for the necessary funds with which to put this building in habitable condition. At present, the Superintendent is obliged to rent, at his own expense, a cottage half a mile from the park. This is both unjust to the Superintendent and highly inadvisable from the administrative standpoint. We believe that the Superintendent of a park of 350 acres should live within the bounds of the territory for which he is accountable, not only that he may properly perform his duties, but also in order that the public may have ready access to the executive office for information, permits, etc. We urgently press this need upon the consideration of the Legislature. John Boyd Thacher Park is the nearest State Park to the State Capital. It is wonderfully situated from the scenic standpoint; it offers splendid facilities for camping and healthy out-door life in summer; and it is one of the richest places of scientific interest in the State, as is evidenced by the constant visits of the leading geologists of the country. The opportunities here presented for education, recreation, and health recuperation are so great that any money expended by the State in this direction is one of its best investments.

The large barn at the same place was partly razed, as it had become dilapidated, and the beams were used for trackage and cribbing in moving the administration building.

The old hog pen back of the administration building has been converted into a serviceable tool house.

Bungalow Moved and Remodeled

In 1916, the unsightly little building which stood in a prominent place at the top of the Indian Ladder road and was used for the sale of refreshments was moved farther back up-hill to a site where it is now partly screened by trees. A veranda was built on three sides, the peak of the roof lowered four feet; a new door added; stone steps built; and an exterior chimney of native limestone erected, completely changing its appearance for the better. We designate this building as the Bungalow and in 1916 it was again rented for the sale of refreshments, the concessionaire being Mr. Franklin Secor.

In front of the Bungalow, a parking space for automobiles was made by removing the trees and stumps of a dead peach orchard,

plowing and grading the ground, covering the parking space with crushed stone, and curbing it with glacial pebbles. The parking space is 45 feet broad and 175 feet long. On one side is a parapet wall of stone with seats.

The whole treatment of the Bungalow and parking center has elicited much favorable comment.

Roads and Gutters

As soon as the new parking space was completed southwest of the Bungalow, we laid out and constructed a new road, to be a section of the main highway to the top of the Indian Ladder road, bending it around to the west and south of the parking space, and thence northeast to the top of the Indian Ladder, thus permitting the abandonment of a difficult and dangerous part of the old highway. The new section is a dirt road, but it will be surfaced properly with crushed stone as soon as funds are available.

The principal roads and gutters of the park were repaired as much as funds would allow. One hundred and sixty feet of eightinch sluice pipe in four-foot lengths was used to replace temporary wooden sluices put in the year before.

A bridge was built on the road to the Crevice.

Miscellaneous Work

The snows of the winter of 1915-16 broke down many trees and large branches which were removed in the spring of 1916. On the night of December 22, 1916, a severe gale uprooted many trees, four of which blocked roads. These were removed the next day.

During the summer of 1916, the hay-fields were planted with timothy and red clover. If, as we have requested, the State provides horses for use in the park work, the crop from these fields will contribute toward their feeding. Otherwise, the hay can be

sold for the benefit of the State.

Thacher Point near the top of the Indian Ladder road has been graded at the north end. The old gateway giving entrance to the point was walled up and a new entrance at a better place opened. We have deemed it advisable to close this point to horses and motor

cars.

One of the more spectacular of the numerous "rock-holes" of the plateau of Coeymans limestone has been cleared of stones, soil and rubbish, and has become the object of interested attention.

In May, 1916, we set out 3,000 trees in the nursery and planted 600 larger trees in desirable places for landscape effect.

Need of Proper Buildings for a Labor Center

We have asked the Legislature for funds with which to repair the old cottage at the so-called Labor Center or to build a new one suitable for housing the employes of the park. It is always difficult to get laborers for the park because there is no place in or near the park where workmen can be boarded conveniently and economically. In July and August, 1916, partly for lack of these accommodations, it was almost impossible to induce workmen to come to the park, and for a time it became necessary to abandon work almost completely and confine ourselves to policing the park and making a small amount of road repairs.

Visitors

We have no means of learning accurately the number of visitors to the park. The Superintendent has kept a memorandum of his count of persons actually seen, but we calculate that at least onefourth as many more visitors are not seen by him. We estimate that the number of visitors during the year ended December 31, 1916, was about the same as during the preceding year, that is to say, about 12,000. The most notable group of visitors is mentioned under the next heading.

Visit of State Geologists

On September 5, 1916, the State Geologists of Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wisconsin, the Director and Chief Geologist of the Federal Survey, together with the staff of the New York Geological Survey and a few invited guests who were in attendance at the meeting of the Association of American State Geologists at Albany, visited John Boyd Thacher Park. Dr. John M. Clarke, State Geologist of New York and Director of the State.

Museum, acted as leader of the field-trip, which was the first of a series made during the convention. The excursion was made by motor-bus from Albany to the Indian Ladder where the Helderberg escarpment presents such excellent opportunities for observation and study.

Dr. Clarke, Dr. R. Ruedemann and Dr. E. O. Ulrich pointed out the minor sub-divisions of the formations, and the members of the party discussed the reasons for the subdivisions and for some recent changes in nomenclature. Contacts between the Indian Ladder beds (Hudson River) and Brayman shales, and between the Brayman shales and Manlius limestones were studied and the cause of the brecciated character of the beds was considered.

Upon reaching the summit of the Indian Ladder road, the visitors surveyed the beautiful scenic prospect from John Boyd Thacher Park, and then proceeded toward Thompson's Lake. On this ride the party observed the karst topography which is developed where the Onondaga limestone reaches the surface. Thompson's Lake is believed to rest in a solution basin from which the water drains through underground passages.

At Altamont the party was entertained at tea by Mrs. John Boyd Thacher, who gave John Boyd Thacher Park to the State of New York in memory of her husband.

The territory visited is classic ground for geologists, and the visitors expressed themselves as highly delighted with the trip. In the evening the party assembled in the office of the Director of the New York Survey at Albany for a conference. On September 6, 7 and 8 the party visited successively the Saratoga Springs State Reservation, the Cryptozoan Ledge near by, the State Reservation at Crown Point, the Au Sable Chasm, Valcour Island, and other sites which are historic and picturesque as well as of geological interest.

No Man's Land

In January and February, 1916, the Superintendent spent much time in research with a view to learning the ownership of the face of the limestone cliffs forming the eastern face of John Boyd Thacher Park. The State's title to the land forming the

park on the plateaus above the escarpment runs only to the edge of that portion of the cliffs south of the Indian Ladder road. Along the face of these cliffs, south of the road, and about a hundred feet from the top, there is a precarious foot-path called the Bear Trail, leading to several physical features particularly interesting geologically and scenically. It is desirable that this trail be improved so as to make it safer and more easy of access, but we would not feel warranted in expending State funds thereon unless the State owned it or had a legal right of way upon it. For the purpose of ascertaining the ownership, we instituted our inquiry. An examination of the deeds conveying property on the low-land beneath the cliffs indicates that the titles extended not to the top edge of the cliffs where the State's title begins, but only to the foot of the talus slope. Back in 1830 this interval between the boundary lines of the low-land and the high-land owners was called "the Commons or No Man's Land." Title to this No Man's Land appears to vest in the heirs of Patroon Kiliaen van Rensselaer, now represented by the Van Rensselaer Land Company of Albany.

In March, 1916, we approached the representatives of the Van Rensselaer Land Co., with a view to eliciting an expression of their disposition with respect to conveying to the State either the fee-simple to or the right-of-way over the area including the face of the cliffs and comprising, roughly speaking, from 150 to 200 The land company still has the matter under consideration.

acres.

Financial Statement of State Funds

Following is a statement of moneys received and disbursed on account of John Boyd Thacher Park during the year ended December 31, 1916: