cluttered up as much as the latter. It will not be painted white, like the present Stony Point lighthouse, but will be of light colored brick. He expressed his willingness to recommend to his superiors that after the new lighthouse is built, the old lighthouse and the unused portion of the Federal reservation be turned over to the custody of this Society, to be treated in harmony with the State reservation. We expressed our readiness to assume this additional care, but stated that we could not bind the State to make appropriations for the necessary new roads and paths. We assured him, however, that we would commend the matter to the favorable consideration of the Legislature in the hope that suitable appropriations would be made in due time.

This plan, if carried out will materially enlarge the Stony Point Park and add greatly to the interest of visitors.

Death of William Ten Eyck

The Society records with sincere sorrow the death of William Ten Eyck, the faithful keeper of the Reservation, which occurred suddenly from heart failure on Thursday, June 29, 1916.

Mr. Ten Eyck was born at King's Ferry Landing on Stony Point adjacent to the property now constituting the State Reservation, on March 11, 1846, and had therefore reached the allotted age of three score years and ten. He was the son of Henry Ten Eyck and Ann Higgins and grandson of David Ten Eyck and Elizabeth Springsteen. His earliest Ten Eyck ancestors in this country came from Holland.

David Ten Eyck, who was born April 26, 1774, and died November 21, 1849, at the age of 75, was for many years the ferryman at the historic King's Ferry which plied between Stony Point and Verplanck's Point. He was the "jolly old ferryman mentioned by Benson J. Lossing in his "Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution." Lossing visited Stony Point in 1848, the year before the ferryman died, and gleaned from him much local lore. David Ten Eyck, according to the historian, had plied the oar at King's Ferry almost continuously since 1784, but in 1848 the ferryman lacked six years of deserving the title of "octogenarian which Lossing applied to him. Speaking of Stony Point, the historian says: "Upon its mounds I sat and listened for an hour

to the adventurous tales of the octogenarian until the long shadows of the mountains warned me that the day was fast waning." The old ferryman is buried in the little graveyard at Stony Point.

William Ten Eyck's maternal grandfather, Higgins, died of heart disease in the old house which still stands in the State Reser vation near its southern boundary.

William Ten Eyck married Sarah Gilleo who survives him with nine children seven daughters and two sons. Ten granchildren represent the youngest generation. At the time of the Civil War an injured leg prevented Mr. Ten Eyck's enlistment in defense of the Union, but he was an ardent patriot and was very proud of the Revolutionary history of the region in which he was born and spent all his life. He always lived at Stony Point and took particular pride in the care of the State Reservation from the time of his appointment on August 15, 1903, to the time of his death. Nothwithstanding his advanced years, he was out cutting grass the very day before he died. His faithful service and neverfailing courtesy were thoroughly appreciated by the officers of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society and by the people visiting the park. For the past twenty-five years Mr. Ten Eyck was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, by the members of which, as well as by his acquaintances generally, he was highly respected.

Mr. Ten Eyck's funeral was held on Sunday, July 2, 1916, the officiating clergymen being the Rev. R. I. MacBride and the Rev. W. C. Timbrell. The interment was at Mount Rest Cemetery in the town of Stony Point.

The announcement that the Scenic Society, as custodian for the State of New York, had appointed Mrs. Ten Eyck to the position of keeper of the reservation to succeed her husband, gave much satisfaction in the neighborhood as Mrs. Ten Eyck was a genuine and practical helpmeet to her husband in the care of the property and takes the same pride in it that he did. When it is remembered that the United States employed a woman, Mrs. Nancy Rose, as keeper of the lighthouse on the adjacent Federal reservation for half a century up to the time of her death, the engagement of Mrs. Ten Eyck as keeper of the State Reservation seems to be quite in harmony with the traditions of this historic locality.

Stony Point Committee

The standing committee of the Society having charge of Stony Point consists of Mr. Gordon H. Peck, of West Haverstraw; Mr. Henry K. Bush-Brown of Washington, D. C.; Hon. Thomas H. Lee of Stony Point; Henry Fairfield Osborn, Sc.D., LL.D., of New York; Edward L. Partridge, M.D., of New York; Hon. Cornelius A. Pugsley of Peekskill; and the Secretary of the Society.

Financial Statement of State Funds

Following is a statement of state moneys received and disbursed on account of Stony Point during the year ended December 31,

FORT BREWERTON STATE RESERVATION

Need of Improvement

Pursuant to chapter 653 of the laws of 1904, the State purchased in 1906 an acre of land in the town of Hastings, Oswego county, einbracing the site of old Fort Brewerton, and placed it in the custody of this Society. The property lies on the north side of the Oneida river about eight rods from the river. The village of Brewerton is directly opposite on the south side of the river in the county of Onondaga. The nearest railroad station is Brewerton, which is on a branch of the New York Central railroad about 13 miles north of the center of Syracuse. A bridge, forming a link in the State road (the main north-and-south highway, formerly called State street), crosses the river at this point and gives access from the village to the fort site.

A copy of the deed conveying the property to the State will be found in our Report for 1916 at pages 61-63; and a history of Fort Brewerton in our Reports for 1905 at pages 176-189, and 1914 at pages 379-404.

Since the property came into our care we have repeatedly sought from the Legislature the money with which to put it in proper order, but the limitations of the state treasury have not thus far permitted the granting of our request. In the general appropriation bill passed by the Legislature of 1916 there was an appropriation of $1,000 for "fence and pedestal," but it was vetoed by Gov. Whitman with the comment that "This item is disapproved because in view of the high market price of iron and steel, this expenditure should be deferred until next year." We hope that the present Legislature will provide a few thousand dollars to enable us at least to enclose the property with a fence and erect a suitable indication that the property is historic and belongs to the State. The wall should be something so substantial that it will not entail constant expense for maintenance; and we recommend either a stone wall or a fence of stone posts and two lines of heavy iron pipe. As soon as possible the earthworks should be restored and the moat cleared out. Our experience at Stony Point Reservation with the remnants of Fort Wayne shows that when work is done in a solid manner, the current expense for maintenance is very small. We earnestly renew our request for this provision.