The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-16
THE SUN. SUNDAY, july 16. 1908.

ciety. not long ago." no said, 1T was dis-
covered that there was letter Of instruc-
lions Issued by Queen Anne to her cousin,
Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury. as Gov
ernor OF the Colony Of New York In the
year 1902 The charter OF course. must
be somewhere, but where? Time and
money wero spent, and It was finally located
In tie possession OF Comptroller circuit,
who, by permission Of the Sinking Fund
Commission, turned It over to the society,"
While he IL explaining this an old gentle
man comes In. He IL of the typo familiar
t. visitors at resorts OF antiollar rims. His
Sparse hair is white, his shirt Is rufIled
and collar with big points encircles his neck.
silk hat wide OF brim and broad Of band
is held in his hand His cheeks are smooth
as a bGbys.
He fumbles long while in big wallet
and finally extracts card Of introduction
from one Of the members. He has been
coming for years, 80 it il whispered, hut
never omits the formality Of his entrance.
This time he asks with apologies for the
trouble he causes. to be allowed to look
at the set Of diaries of Phiip Hone. Mayor
of New York. which cover the period from
1929 to 1851.
But beth the Cornbury charter and the
Homo diaries are for the time being UNI
getatable. To your surprise you learn that
these valuable documents, with others of
their kind, are packed away in almost
inaccessible places. owing to lack of room.
THAT is not the worst he adds.
Slowed away somewhere is the order to
execute Nathan Hale. l could not get 1t
without long search"
Another paper which would take weeks
to find ia the famous despatch from Perry
announcing his victory on Lake Erie.
when one realizes the amount Of money
spent futilely, it does seem n aha me. says
the assistant librarian, that we can't have
an appropriation sufficiently large to take
care OF these priceless papers. The State of
Massachusetts has Just appropriated suf-
ncicnt money to take care of all such docu
ments by ha wing them put under silk, which
is the only way to preserve them. The
silk is made of peculiar lightness Of te xture,
every pa 90 is covered with it and the reader
does not have to touch the paper at all
BY this means documents may be preserved
indefinitely without changing.
THE new building which Ia being erected
on West Seventy-sixth street, near the
Museum of American History. will help
us out good deal, but unless wo ha We more
funds on hand 1t will have to stop at the
first story. This building has been started
through the generosity Of the MEM
bers, without aid from either city or State.
Henry Dexter donated $4,000, in addition
to the granite for the front of the central
building, and other members have responded !
generously"
Here is exhibited Peter Marie's collec-
ton of miniatures which was refused by i,
the Metropolitan Museum. Ina case further
down the room the Bryan collection Of
olden time miniatures may be seen.
In the foreground an old and unique
print of New York, dated III, shows "A |
South Prospect of we Flourishing City of
New York in the Province of New York |
in America" In it the sea wall Of the Bat
terry looks like an uneasy angle worm. and J
the ships on the bay have apparently ar
ranged themselves to have their pictures
taken. |