New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-16
"A SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE,
peooK1,Yws HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY
T., conversation with q Tribune reporter recently,
M Rev Dr. storrs referred to the fact 'hat 70 us'
rrt twcniy.fiye years since the Long Island Hsto.
81 Soo,otv WAS founded ave began In 1852 SAID
H.. ain a hired hall which we did not have the money
10 nav for. without book or pamphlet ana win no
,esonrces and now We have that nne puliohs
clinton and Pierrepont sts., 40,ooo pooAS, ov'ooo
pamphlets many Of them moro dimcui .nan pooAs "
nrocure and a fund of 100000. mink 'ha'
pretty good showing for quarter OK . oen.u9, s"1
congratulate mysen anu 'nos' "A W. -, -. =
recocnze tho value Of circulating libraries, but
with all their merits there is tendency to caser " tue
,opar taste to provide fiction, books OF apu
The lighter sort of literature But students Anu 'no
who use many books do not want to 80 10 i'orsty
with the chance of not finding the books they W
see To professional men library Is hke oc''ona,
they want 10 be sure Of finding what they want Ih IL
NV this Is what the Historical Library affords We
have not the money yet get many valuable works w0
should have but the fund Is growing, and IN anotne
twenty-6ye years We will have library wnlcn VIA
be beneficial to every person OF culture VINO hVos u
prookyn / went into the work heartily because
saw the need and desired TO do what could to supply
tho LACK 49,,
,,a nresident of the Long Island Historical Society,
which Is one of the most successful institutions ever
Soundcd In Irookyn The initial action "hich mas
had such good results was taken IN the "'h'cr u
1863 when Alden T. SpooDer, who hao taArn siea'
interest in historical matters In Broohyn' was IL"
strumentaI In drawing up circular letter gaining
upon public spirited citizens In the three COUNTIES
Of Long Island Kings, Queens and Suffolk TO attend
. ,neotinp To organize Historical Society In the
I.mIlton Bulding at Court and Joraemon ss, Brook
lvn The organization was perfected In the Ioi'oW-
snr MAY. and J. Carson Brcvoort who recently dieo'
was elected the first president, the Rev. Ut n D.
gtorrs was made chairman OF the Executive ooih'
,nttee. and Dr. Henry r. Stiles author OF the His
tory OF Brooklyn" librarian. Rooms were secureo
I'm the Hamilton Building, and when they "eio
opened there had been 800 volumes and looo pain
nbets obtained as nucleus The number was soon
,ncre.sed nv 100 volumes from the old City Library,
then defunct, and from various sources STEADY
Increase ensued.
lie HAS WATCHED ITS GROWTH.
In 1865 George Hannah succeeded Dr. Stiles as
librarian and has since remained In that posiuoh'
lie has seen the collection in his care increase rom
n few thousands TO nearly 1OO,ooo DOCKS anu
namphlets many Of them rare and valuable INC
collection of American history ana OF oooKs reiauhs
IN Long Island is complete. There Is precious COZ
lection of books upon Dutch History In tho Netner-
lands and tho New Netherlands, many Of which Henry
n Mummy secured when Minister to The Hague. Inc
e-st volume Is Dutch manuscript presented by him.
The society remained In the suite OF hrea rooiiS III
the Hamilton Building until 1881, when the presen.
commodIous and handsome building was erected az
Clinton and PIerrepon SITS. The site had been securea
In 1867 at cost Of s325oo. and In 1877 the sum Oh
100000 was raised for the new structure, massiVe
.diace of brick and terra Gotta conveniently arranged
and admirably adapted to the uses Ior "non "~
Hesigned, put up.
II Is four stories in height and contains all the room
needed for many years. Tho first moor Is o'o.piVu
by hall for the lectures and other meetings Oh He
society, and which is In frequent demand LOT 'oi
certs and other public exercises III is 80 afahsou
that when the present library room over IL becomes
too small for the collection OF books the present
can be used for the same purpose besueS ue
library proper on the second and third noors tnero
are reading rooms where the daily newspapers apu
magazines are kept on file for the members inc
books are conveniently arranged In aicoves ana
are placed in the central space for the use OF noso
consulting the volumes. There were 300 subscribers
40 the Dmldinr Fund and the amount expended upon
the structure was S121 $50 One OF the CHEZ Dene
factors OF the library has been George seney, who
gave $50 900 toward the Endowment Fund, sso'oVS
for binding books and pamphlets, ana $l2ooo ior INC
purchase Of rare historical works.
The third floor of the building is devoted 20 museum
of articles of antiquarian and chronological interest,"
Including many rare and curious relics OF the ao-
original inhabitants Of Scawanhaka, or the Istnd OF
Nassau now known by the prosac name Oh LONG
Island. The museum was founded IN 1854 LOT 'he
purpose Of preserving what might be OF interest III
local natural history and ethnoogy, and consiaer-
able number Of curiositles from many parts OF the
word enrich It, The membership Of the society includes
most of the leading citizens Of Brooklyn, and q
number from other parts of Long Island The annual
dnes are a. and like sum is charged for an initiation
fee Besides The privileges of the library, the mem
befs receive tickets 10 the hist0mcal ana popular
lectures given under the auspices OF the society every
Many men have addressed the the s sOsisy
of century its existence including In recent wears
such men as Matthew Arnold Donald g; MITCHELL n.nsra
Greeiy, Or. James NJ. Ludlow, Henry NJ Stanley Me-!
George william Curtis III iSS nSoo a9a men nns WSc
have recently read papers before the society have
t SseR G The Rev DANIEL Van Pe ana Dr. A. Put
The present number Of members is 1900 Of whom ho
to sl1o ooo and the annual income from az
about II Is hoped to 6 nere2iH ' be
assured In the past year the society has lest o S0n ne
fSsnI s PePTepon n Barnes Carson
Charles E Bn John 7. Howard, judges Nelson ana
Humphrey The last named left the society the sum
of $1,000 besides several important gifts duTlag
Ea,ks E One about 70 iii
caused by death some young men IKE Johh hn law
Pee S a9e son Of the late Henry peTepon have
Just been elected directors and new interest .ae
Thar Sary nd %ssh BY It's ns sn %? sapssed last
year LOSE volumes were added TO the COLLECTION ana
las many pamphlets ...,r
7 At the recent annual election the following CONN.,
cIliors for tho society chosen: Kings County,
The Rev. Dr. A. ". Lttlejohn, J. s. T. strananan
pavId D. Stone, the Rev Charles Cuthbert Hail VII
lam b Leonard Jasper w. Gilbert, the Rev. FrederlcR
a. Farley Professor Darwin G. Eaton, DR. T. hoflmer
Lloyd, George L. Nichols, Frederick A. Ward. queens
NJ Gilman John A King benjamin ID. HICKS SUI
to,k County, James II. T,hill, J. Lawrence, smith
Professor T.. n. Horsford, the Rev. kpher "h'aAe''
William Nicol and John r. Reid
BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
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