In the foregoing the precipitation includes rain, melted snow, hail and sleet. The observer makes the following special remarks on the different months: January: Much bad weather and muddy roads. No bad storms or excessive cold. February: Venus and Jupiter very brilliant in west on 12th, 13th and 14th. Roads blocked by snow on 27th and 28th. Depth of snow in well sheltered woods at end of month, fifteen inches. March: Cutting fourteen-inch ice on 4th. Roads blocked by snow on 10th and 15th. Ten inches of snow in woods at end of month. Roads blocked by old drifts in places and rural free delivery routes difficult to maintain. Robins and song sparrows appeared in quantities on 25th. River rose very fast on 27th, on which day ice left the river. April: River high on 14th; again on night of 22d. Began plowing on 28th; most ground too wet for work. Roads very muddy. May: Too wet to work fields or roads. Very little grain sown. Planting trees. Springs full. River very high on 16th and 17th. Roads very bad on account of mud. June: Big circle around sun on 14th. Oat crop poor. Beans planted three times. Potatoes and grass good. Roads very bad except last week of month. July: Cutting wheat and haying. August: Harvesting oats. River low. Pastures and meadows burned. Feed short. Roads dusty. Crops need rain. Smoky horizon on 6th and 17th-20th. Aurora Borealis on 26th. September: Good seasonable weather. Crops coming in good. Frost doing slight damage. leaves falling. River normal. Autumn foliage showing. Some October: Fall plowing. Good month for outside work. Ground partly dry and wells and streams low. Bean crop in this section good. Other crops good. November: Good month for outdoor work. First half fair weather and temperate. Threshing beans; good crop. Last half of month roads muddy. No sleighing. Stock in good form. December: Much cloudy weather but few storms. Wells and springs low. Cisterns empty in many places. Good sleighing at end of month. No zero temperatures. First New York Dragoons Monument On January 24, 1917, Senator John Knight of Arcade and Assemblyman Bert P. Gage of Warsaw introduced in the Legislature a bill entitled "An act to provide for the removal of the monument of the First New York Dragoons now located in the town of Portage, in the, county of Livingston, to a point in Wyoming county within Letchworth Park, and making an appropriation therefor." The bill, which is similar to one which was introduced in 1916, reads as follows:* Section 1. The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society is hereby authorized to cause the monument to the First New York Dragoons, now located in the town of Portage in the county of Livingston, to be removed to a site in the county of Wyoming within Letchworth State Park to be approved by such society and the monuments committee of the incorporators of the First New York Dragoons. The sum of seven hundred dollars ($700.00) is hereby appropriated for the purpose of this act. After designation of such site, certified by the presiding officer of such society and the chairman of such committee, shall have been filed with the Comptroller, the moneys hereby appropriated shall become available and shall be expended under the direction of such society and paid out to the order of the presiding officer thereof upon the warrant and audit of the Comptroller. Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. Purchase of the Davis Lot In December, 1916, and January, 1917, the Society acquired title to two acres of land in the heart of Letchworth Park, just east of the main entrance to the Glen Iris grounds, and thus removed a long-standing menace to the park. This parcel was * The bill became a law. known as the "Davis lot." When the late William Pryor Letchworth, the donor of Letchworth Park, made his first purchase at the Portage Falls in 1859, the Davis lot was occupied by William T. Davis. Later it was occupied by his daughter, Maria Davis, who died in 1915. During his lifetime Dr. Letchworth made efforts to acquire the Davis lot, but was never able to secure it at a reasonable price. When Dr. Letchworth gave his estate of 1,000 acres to the State in 1907, the existence of this private holding in the midst of the park gave this Society serious concern, for it was possible that the lot might fall into the hands of a saloon-keeper or some other undesirable neighbor and become a great nuisance. In 1915 the Legislature enacted a law, chapter 496 of the Laws of 1915, authorizing this Society to acquire title to the Davis lot by purchase, and in the event of its not being able to do so, the Attorney-General was authorized to institute condemnation proceedings in the name of the State. In August, 1916, Dr. Charles M. Dow of Jamestown as trustee succeeded in purchasing the lot for the sum of $1,000, and on December 8, 1916, he executed a conveyance to this Society for the same consideration, which was paid in January, 1917. The Society stands ready to transfer title to the State upon reimburse ment. In order that the terms of the deed by which the Society acquired title to the Davis lot may be understood, it is necessary to go back to the year 1846, when John B. Halstead and wife conveyed a parcel of 6.34 acres (including the 2 acres acquired by this Society) to Nathan Davis and Abner Hall. The parcel is described as being situate in the town of Portage, county of Allegany, and State of New York, being part of lot No. 94 in Elisha Johnson's subdivision of the Cottinger tract, beginning in the center of the highway on the north line of the said lot, three chains and nine links from the northeast corner of lot ninetyfour; thence west on said north line twenty chains to the center of the highway on the Hogs Back (so called); thence south seventy-two degrees east eleven chains and twenty-five links: thence south forty-five degrees east two chains and fifty links; thence south seventy-eight degrees one chain and sixteen links; thence south ten degrees west two chains and ninety links; thence south sixty-five degrees east four chains; thence north eighteen degrees east two chains and forty-two links; thence north fifty degrees west sixty-seven links; thence north thirty-three degrees west two chains; thence north twenty-nine degrees west two chains; thence north sixty-five degrees east four chains and fifty links; thence north forty-five degrees east two chains and thirteen links to the place of beginning, containing six acres and thirty-four hundredths of an acre be the same more or less. (Liber 15 of Deeds, page 229, in the office of the Clerk of Wyoming County, in Warsaw, N. Y.) On July 25, 1848, Abner Hall and Betsey, his wife, by quitclaim deed conveyed to Nathan Davis 4.43 acres or a little more that the eastern two-thirds of the above parcel. Nathan Davis thereby became sole owner of said 4.43 acres. This parcel is described as beginning at the northeast corner of six acres and thirty-four hundredths of an acre of land conveyed by John B. Halsted and wife to the parties herein mentioned bearing date March 28th, 1846; thence west on the north line of the said six acres and thirty-four hundredths of an acre, thirteen chains and ninety links; thence due south to a line mentioned in said deed, running south seventy-two degrees east; thence south seventy-two degrees east to the eastern extremity of said line; thence running south forty-five degrees east two chains and fifty links; thence south seventy-eight degrees east one chain and sixteen links to the fifth angle mentioned in said deed; thence easterly to the tenth angle therein mentioned; thence (according to said deed) north twenty-nine degrees west two chains; thence north sixty-five degrees east four chains and fifty links; thence north forty-five degrees east two chains and thirteen links to the place of beginning, containing four acres and forty-three hundredths of an acre be the same more or less. (Liber 81 of Deeds, page 183.) On November 22, 1853, Nathan Davis and Susan H., his wife, by warranty deed, conveyed to William T. Davis the easternmost two acres of the above-mentioned 4.43 acres, said two acres being an irregular triangle bounded on the north by the north line of lot No. 94, on the southeast by the highway running from Castile to the Middle Fall, and on the southwest by a line running one rod from the bank of De-ge-ya-soh Creek. This is the parcel acquired by this Society. It is described as beginning at the northeast corner of six acres and thirty-four hundredths of an acre of land conveyed by John B. Halsted and wife to Nathan Davis and Abner Hall March 28, 1846; thence west on the north line, within one rod of the creek; thence in an easterly direction one rod from the bank of the said creek to the highway running from Castile to the Middle Fall; thence along the highway in a northerly direction to the place of beginning, containing two acres of land, be the same more or less. (Liber 30 of Deeds, page 80.) William T. Davis, who occupied the premises, was twice married. By his first wife he had six children, namely: Nathan W. Davis, Maria A. Davis, Mrs. Mary S. Patrie, Norman S. Davis, James Davis and Mrs. George Dietz. His first wife died several years prior to 1882 and he married again. By his second wife he had only one child, namely, Clayton E. Davis. About 1882 William T. Davis died, leaving as his heirs and next of kin the following: His widow, Nathan W. Davis (son), Maria A. Davis (daughter), Mrs. Mary S. Patrie (daughter), Norman S. Davis (son), Albert A. Davis (grandson and son of James Davis above mentioned), Mrs. George Dietz (daughter), and Clayton E. Davis (son). On May 8, 1893, Nathan W. Davis and Eliza, his wife, by quitclaim deed, conveyed to Maria A. Davis their interest in the twoacre parcel. (Liber 41, page 453.) On the same day Mrs. Mary S. Patrie, Norman S. Davis and Carrie, his wife, and Albert A. Davis and Ina, his wife, by quitclaim deed conveyed to Maria A. Davis their interest in the two-acre parcel. (Liber 113, page 423.) In 1915 Maria A. Davis died. On August 24, 1916, by warranty deed, the beforementioned two-acre parcel was conveyed to Charles M. Dow as trustee by Miamma Davis, Jennie Davis, Letchworth P. Davis and Margaret, his wife, Clayton E. Davis and Alice, his wife, Elvin J. Patrie, sole legatee of Mrs. Mary S. Patrie, deceased, and Daisy M. Patrie, his wife, Caroline Davis, widow of Norman S. Davis, |