ANDREW JOHNSON

In 2011 we highlighted Bullis Collection books about the Civil War as we recognized the 150th anniversary of that conflict's beginning. This week we fast-forwarded to the end of the war, as we  looked at a book published in 1866: Life and Times of Andrew Johnson, Seventeenth President of the United States. Written from a national stand-point. By a national man. The title reveals a great deal about this book and its author, Kenneth Rayner. And in his preface, Rayner tells the reader why he considers it important that President Johnson's position be thoroughly  understood and appreciated by the public as they dealt with the aftermath of that war.

Whether Rayner's book had any influence at that time, we do not know. However, on February 24, 1868, the House of Representatives impeached President Andrew Johnson following his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. Johnson was later acquitted by the Senate. However, the president who assumed office when President Lincoln was assassinated was not elected to that office for the following term leaving us to assume that the issues Rayner raised remained unresolved.

This is another Bullis book that you can access on line. However, if you'd like the experience of sitting amidst and breathing the aroma of  classic books while you're enjoying Rayner's book, please pay us a visit in the Bullis Room. We're looking forward to seeing you.

BULLIS BOOK REVIEW CONTEST

A $100 prize is being offered in a contest designed to raise awareness of this collection. The Friends Endowment for the Macedon Public Library has approved funding for this contest.

Contestants are asked to write a 500 to 750 word review of a book contained in the Bullis Collection. Participants will be divided into two categories, those 18-years-of-age and under, and those over 18 years. A $100 prize will be given to the winner in each category.

The Bullis Committee has compiled a list of eligible titles from this collection. Entrants must choose a book from this list; that book will then be removed from the eligible list. The entrant may choose to read the book in the Bullis Room (these books do not circulate), or may read a digital version of the book online; copies of a number of the books are also available through the Pioneer Library System.

Contestants must register in the Bullis Room at the library by July 5; completed reviews must be submitted by August 13; winners will be announced by August 27. The contest is open to residents of Macedon and the surrounding area.

Those interested may visit the Bullis Room to fill out an entry form and select their book on either Friday, June 25, from 11 AM to 5 PM, or on Saturday, June 26, from 11 AM to 3 PM. Appointments for other times are available by calling June Hamell at (315) 986-5932, ext. 119.

A full description of the contest rules may be obtained from the library or by checking the library website at: http://www.macedon.pls-net.org/index.htm

This is your special invitation to participate in this contest. It's an opportunity to enjoy a good book and have a chance at winning a picture of Benjamin Franklin.

WOMEN'S EQUALITY

On August 26, 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed. Since that day, women have exercised their right to vote. Fifty-one years later August 26 was designated as Women's Equality Day to commemorate the passage of that Woman Suffrage Amendment.

Nettie Bullis was 27 years old in 1920. She began working for Gleason Works that same year, and held the position of Assistant Secretary of the Company at the time of her retirement in 1967. It was not common for a woman to advance to a high level of management in those days. This leads us to the conclusions that (1) Nettie Bullis was an extraordinary woman (which we already knew) and (2) the management at Gleason Works recognized early on the importance of equal opportunity, regardless of gender.

Nettie Bullis's father undoubtedly influenced his young daughter to think beyond traditional "women's work" when he allowed her to accompany him and take notes for his surveying projects. Both of her parents may also have encouraged her to read some of the books on great women from their collection. (Please see the list of books on the subject of women in our March 26, 2009 post entitled "Women's History Month.")

One other book in this collection that may have planted some seeds in Nettie Bullis's professional mind is THE LIFE AND WORK OF SUSAN B. ANTHONY F, by Ida Harper, published in 1899 by Bowen-Merrill in Indianapolis. And another document that Nettie Bullis may also have read with interest is ADDRESS TO LEGISLATURE OF NEW YORK, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1854. (Unfortunately, this document was destroyed in the library fire eight years ago so it can't be accessed here, but it is available from other sources and worth taking the time to read.)

The achievements of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton influenced our whole country. Nettie Bullis's achievements and generosity benefit the women, men, and children of this community and county. We are grateful for all three of these women and others like them who furthered women's equality.

DIGGING

No, we volunteers haven't been gardening here in the Bullis Room even though the many books on that subject inspire us to get dirt under our fingernails. Instead we've again been digging through the many papers, documents, and photos we have on the Bullis family and their extended family and friends. This includes the Knapp, Breese, Loomis, and Rodenberger families.

The Bullis Room Committee's goal is: "To present the contents and value of the Bullis Collection and the historical footprint of the Bullis family to the Macedon community." Accomplishing this goal means we need to be familiar with every book, pamphlet, letter, note, journal, and photo in this collection. Obviously, that takes lots of digging, sometimes until our heads are swimming with facts and details and we say "Enough for now." We always come back to the task, though, motivated by our respect for the Bullis family and inspired by our love of the Bullis Room and everything in it.

Last week we were also inspired and motivated by our visit with an extended-family member of the Bullises who shared photos and clippings as well as memories of Nettie, Charlie, their parents, and the Bullis house. This information enhances our understanding of Nettie Bullis and her family and motivates us to do--guess what--MORE DIGGING!

(We'd love to hear from you if you have any memories of or information about these families.)

THE JOYS OF READING

Renewing old friendships of heroes and heroines;

Traveling to faraway places without leaving home;

Expanding the mind to learn anew;

Studying the past and learning from our ancestors
and much more.

Give yourself the gift of time this winter,
settle down with a good book.

You won't regret it.


HAPPY HOLIDAYS
THE BULLIS ROOM COMMITTEE

A CALENDAR FOR THE NEW YEAR

You may already have a 2009 calendar hanging on your wall, and have several appointments and activities jotted down for the new year. Or perhaps you use an online calendar program to plan your busy days.

Looking through the shelves recently, I found a different kind of calendar in the General Science section of the collection. And it's as current today as it was when it was published in 1892. This calendar is in the form of a book titled Sharp Eyes: A Rambler's Calendar of Fifty-Two Weeks Among Insects, Birds, and Flowers. Illustrations by author Wm. Hamilton Gibson enhance the descriptive prose between the covers of this unique book. Open it at random and you're sure to find something inspiring and informative, no matter the page.

Sharp Eyes impressed me so much I did a web search and, yes, copies are available online. (I've sent a link to my favorite Santa, in hopes he takes the hint.) Fortunately for all of us, it's on the shelf here in the Bullis Room and you're invited to stop by on a Thursday morning to take a relaxing ramble through this beautiful seasonal calendar.