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Library, though small, deserves attention; it contains many valuable works of reference." Four years later a printed statement announced "a well selected library of 1,600 vols., together with all the most popular Foreign and American periodicals and newspapers.' In 1839, the last year of Athenæum entity, the same notice appeared,2 few additions having meanwhile been made.

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A large proportion of the books at the last consisted of bound volumes of periodicals and newspapers, in both of which lines the Athenæum made a specialty. An advertisement in the American, late in March, 1828, gives a full list of the foreign journals, "received at the rooms, by the Packets sailing from England on the first day of every month." In this connection the Hon. John Bigelow, now past ninety years of age, interestedly recalls the eagerness with which he and a friend of his, in 1836 or thereabouts, used to race down to the "Reading Rooms," at the corner of Broadway and Chambers street, for Macaulay's latest article in the Edinburgh Review.

At that time the rooms were open on week days from eight o'clock in the morning until nine at night, generous hours surely. The institution, according to the American, in March, 1828, subscribed for all local "daily papers, & newspapers from principal cities of the U. States and the Canadas, also all the Periodical works on Science and Literature" of this country. The minutes for May, 1834, enumerate current lists of 32 newspapers and 22 periodicals. Just three years before, the board had decided to dispense with "a few of the foreign periodicals, which-besides the irregularity in their

1 New-York As It Is, In 1833, pp. 56-57.

68.

2 New-York As It Is, In 1839, p.

receipt-evidently appeared not to be of much interest to the Members, from the circumstance of the pages of several of these remaining in many cases uncut"!

Although the lack of a quorum occurred so often as to excite no comment, on two occasions explicit and solemn reasons are given for failure to meet. On July 7, 1831, "Owing to the decease of the Hon. Ja Munroe, and the public obsequies this afternoon observed, in respect to the memory of one, who had filled the highest office in the Gift of the People of our common country, the Meeting adjourned to this day, did not take place." Again, from May to November, 1832, the Directors did not assemble once, "in consequence of the prevalence of Cholera, in this City."

The finances of the Athenæum appear to have been managed conservatively, but for all that the institution languished. In May, 1825, the permanent fund was $32,300. Necessary expenditures reduced the amount to $27,300, at which point it remained for eight years, each year's report showing a deficit of over $300. In January, 1834, the Directors bought of Dr. Hosack his house at 14 Vesey street for $26,437.50. After renting out the building for a year or two, they sold it, in January, 1836, for $35,000, at the time when property values were so exaggerated.

In the spring of 1832, the Athenæum left its abode of eight years at Broadway and Pine street for a better location on the second floor of the newly erected Remsen building on the corner of Broadway and Chambers street, at a rental of $800. Hopes of "a beneficial result," according to an executive committee report of 1833, were "realized in some degree" only, for “the patronage bestowed upon the Institution continued to

SUBSCRIPTIONS FALL OFF

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be regulated more by the slight attractions which it offered to the Public, than by a disposition to promote the liberal and benign objects contemplated" by the founders. Reducing the fee from ten to five dollars had already raised the membership of annual subscribers from twenty to seventy-six, and it was expected that the "more central location" would have a good effect. The subscriptions, however, again fell away steadily.

It is now seasonable to review the correspondence between the Athenæum and the Society Library that led to the final absorption of the former by the Library. In following these negotiations, one is indeed led through tortuous "bye-ways and crooked ways." The negotiations in detail read like the record of a military campaign, or, more properly, perhaps, like a series of diplomatic manœuvres. There are all the elements of both: advance and retreat, march and countermarch, attack and repulse, mine and countermine, overtures and withdrawals; terms proposed, rejected, amended, accepted; final agreement. A sizable book might be written on the subject, but space limitations here demand strict condensation.

The first definite proposal of consolidation came in May, 1831, when representatives of the Library Trustees were asked to confer with a committee of Athenæum Directors, "on the subject of an Union of the two Institutions." The joint committee, through Messrs. John J. Morgan, Gulian C. Verplanck and Dr. J. Kearney Rodgers, reported favorably; but a motion to that effect failed to pass the Library board, despite such recommendation, reënforced by communications in the daily papers.1

1 See contributions from "A Friend to Literature" in the American for

May 11th and 19th, and one from "Mercator" in the same journal for

One month later, however, the discussion was reopened in Library councils by the receipt of a set of twelve resolutions from the Athenæum Directors. In brief they pronounced a union "desirable," at the same time suggesting for its name the compound title, "The New York Athenæum and Library," and stated certain terms for a merger, together with the relative standing of Patrons, Governors and Members-that classification then still existing. In return the Trustees, "after an animated discussion," passed a dozen resolutions similar in character, the chief difference apparently being a substitution of "The City Library and the Athenæum" for the new name. Inasmuch as nothing more was done about the matter in that form, it would seem that the rock of disagreement was the order of precedence in the proposed rechristening!

Several years elapsed before a renewal of the agitation, and then negotiations were started by the Athenæum, simply for the Library and itself to establish themselves "in amicable vicinage." In May, 1835, in response to such request, the Trustees appointed Professor Anderson, Dr. Rodgers and Treasurer Morgan to meet Messrs. James Heard, John A. Stevens and William B. Lawrence of the Athenæum. This joint committee drew up a "short and simple exposition" of the situation, which, as read and accepted, covers more than nine full pages in the Athenæum book of minutes. It begins with a convincing preamble on the proper maintenance of "an American Institution for Literary Purposes," which should look for support, "not to the patronizing few, but to the reading many.'

May 13th, this last advocating more regard to the wishes of the mer

chants, "the main dependence of such an institution."