A CONGRESS OF NATIONS

This week marks the 75th anniversary of the beginning of our country's involvement in World War II. Rather than think of conflict,  we suggest that our focus this week (and in the coming new year)  be on peace.  And we recommend that you read this book in the Bullis Collection that is a collection of essays on promoting peace without resorting to arms.

Prize Essays on a Congress of Nations;

for the adjustment of international disputes, and for the

promotion of universal peace without resort to arms. 

Together with a sixth essay, comprising the

substance of the rejected essays.

By William Ladd (1778-1841), etc.

Published in Boston by Whipple & Damrell, 

for the American Peace Society, 1840.

 According to Wikipedia, William Ladd "was one of the earliest American anti-war activists, and the first president of the American Peace Society." Although other state and local peace societies already existed at that time, Ladd established the American Peace Society in 1828 and was its first president.

Ladd's proposed plan was for a World Congress and Court of Nations, "somewhat similar to the later League of Nations or United Nations." 

And the Lawbook Exchange website reports that this book was "The first important statement on the preservation of peace through international mediation published in the United States. It became a central text for American peace organizations and participants in international law conferences, and did much to persuade Americans to accept the idea of an international peace organization. It was also distributed widely in Europe, where it was well-received."

As we've mentioned in prior posts, the Bullis family members,  throughout the generations, always supported and served their country in wartimes.  The presence of William Ladd's book in the Bullis Collection indicates they possibly were also supportive of the author's premise of "promoting peace without resorting to arms."  Perhaps those of us today, by reading this book, can get an idea of what we need to  do individually to help bring about peace to this world that we share with each other.

IDLE THOUGHTS

Thanksgiving ... Black Friday ... Cyber Monday ... Holiday Season ... we're in what is possibly the busiest time of year for so many of us.  And sometimes it makes us volunteers want to just crawl into a corner of the Bullis Room, take one of the many good books off the shelf, open it, breathe a sigh of relief, and relax as we slowly turn the pages and take in the words and illustrations found there.

We did just that last week and found what we think is the perfect book to read while the rest of the world buzzes around us:

The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow: A Book for an Idle Holiday

This book was written by Jerome Klapk Jerome (1859-1927) and published in 1890 by Henry C. Holt & Company, New York.  The Goodreads website refers to Jerome as; "English author, known for his humorous essays." 

Humor! Isn't that what we need more of? Especially this time of year? So, when holiday hubbub has stressed you to (or near) the max, we're suggesting that you drop by the Bullis Room and take a look at this book. In case we still haven't convinced you this is a "must read," here's an excerpt from the introduction:

"One or two friends I showed these papers in MS. Having observed that they were not half bad, and some of my relations having promised to buy the book, if it ever it came out, I feel I can no longer delay its issue. But for this, as one may say, public demand, I, perhaps, should not have returned to offer these mere 'idle thoughts' of mine as mental food for the English-speaking peoples of the earth.  What readers ask nowadays in a book is that it should improve, instruct, and elevate. This book wouldn't elevate a cow. I cannot conscientiously recommend it for any useful purpose whatever. All I can suggest is, that when you get tired of reading 'the best hundred books,' you may take this up for half an hour. It will be a change."

Chapter headings include: "On Being Idle"; "On Being in Love"; "On Cats and Dogs"; "On the Weather"' "On Being Shy"; "On Babies"; "On Eating and Drinking".

And now it's time to wish you a happy (and idle) Holiday Season, from the Bullis Room staff and volunteers. 

(Oh ... one more thing - if you'd like your own copy of Jerome's book (or want to purchase it as a holiday gift for a friend or relative), you'll find it on your favorite online bookseller site -- both paper and E-reader versions.)

November 11 is Veteran's Day

As the early forefathers of our country studied the different ways of governing, they were taken with the Seneca ways.  Their democratic ways served as inspiration for our constitution.  Our constitution is defended by brave men and women who respond to the call of military service.  Our freedom does have a cost.  Since the Revolutionary war, approximately 656,000 military personnel have died in battle.  There have been 1,478,000 non-mortal wounds in that time period.  And this statistic does not include the effects on families, on service members adjusting to domestic life, the lack of medical services sometimes, etc.  Freedom is not free!  And we thank those who have given of their lives to defend the U.S. Constitution.

The Bullis family collected many books on military service.  Charles H. Bullis had fought in the War of 1812 before he emigrated to Macedon in 1839.  His grandson, John Lapham Bullis, fought in the Civil War and the Indian Wars of the West.  And he participated in the Spanish-American War as a Paymaster in Cuba and the Philippines.  Granddaughter, Lydia, married Theodore Wint from Pennsylvania who fought in the Civil War and served in the west.  Granddaughter, Jeanette, married a Lt. who fought in the West and died in the Philippines.  Great-grandson, Charles, served stateside at the end of World War I.   Great-granddaughter, Anita, married into a military family and her son carried on the military tradition.  The family had many links to military service.

So we thank all of you who have served, given your time, your energy, sacrificed for this country, and placed duty to country ahead of personal lives.  Click for thank yous in Wayne County

November is National Native American Heritage Month

This month we celebrate National Native American Heritage Month.  It may seem odd that we mention that because John Lapham Bullis was well known as an "Indian fighter" in South Texas. When he led the United State Colored Troops in the Civil War, he took care of his men.  When he led the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts in South Texas, he also battled for them to get their medals of honor and their military pay.   He was not a man who looked at the color one's skin so much as the fruit of one's actions.  We've read that he was a poor Indian agent but we've also seen census rolls where Apaches named their children after him.  We believe he would want a celebration of this month to honor the heritage of those people.  In the Bullis Room we have many books on this heritage.  OWWL search   Some are about the culture, some about the depredations, some about Quaker effort to help the indigenous people.  Please click on the OWWL search link above to view items from the Bullis Room on this topic.
Also in the Bullis Room we have a display of a replica of the Canandaigua Treaty wampum belt.  This belt is the George Washington belt and is composed of thirteen figures holding hands connected to two figures and a house. The 13 figures represent the 13 States of the newly formed United States of America. The two figures and the house symbolize the Haudenosaunee. The two figures next to the longhouse are the Mohawk (Keepers of the Eastern Door) and the Seneca (Keepers of the Western Door). President George Washington had this belt made to ratify the Treaty of 1794.

From A History of Ontario County, New York and Its People by Charles F. Milliken (Vol. 1 - pages 32-33), we have an excerpt of Friend William Savery's journal.  "14th of the Tenth month - - The party of Senecas, headed by the Farmer's Brother, Little Billy, etc., having arrived, last evening, within four miles, were expected this afternoon; but having to paint and ornament themselves before their public entry, they did not arrive till 3 o'clock this afternoon.  The Oneidas, Cayugas, and Onondagas were drawn up, dressed and painted, with their arms prepared for a salute, before General Chapin's door.  The men able to bear arms marched in, assuming a good deal of importance and drew up in a line facing the Oneidas, etc.  Colonel Pickering, General Chapin, and many white people being present.  The Indians fired three rounds which the other Indians answered by a like number, making a long and loud echo through the woods.  Their commanders then ordered them to form a circle around the Commissioner and General Chapin; then, sitting down on the ground, they delivered a speech, through the Farmer's Brother, and returned the strings of wampum which were sent them when they were requested to come to the treaty.  Colonel Pickering answered them in the usual complimentary manner, and ordered several kettles of rum to be brought, after drinking which they dispersed and went to prepare their camp.  Each chief delivered a bundle of sticks, answerable to the number of persons, men, women, and children, under his command, which amounted to 472.  They made a truly terrific and warlike appearance."   On October 14th was the initial arrival of participants of the treaty group and meetings continued until the Treaty was finalized on November 11, 1794.   Some interesting facts reported in the above book: there were at least 1600 Native Americans there, including Red Jacket and Cornplanter; on October 25th seven or eight inches of snow fell; to provide food for everyone in one day, one hundred deer were killed.  
The treaty was written on parchment in duplicate and signed by 50 of the sachems and war chiefs. This treaty is still in effect although it has had some breaches.  This November 11 there will be a commemoration in Canandaigua.  And you are invited.  Click on the link for information.  

Historic marker at Bullis House

Finally, we have a historic marker at the Bullis House.  A grant from the Wm G. Pomeroy Foundation was used to purchase it. The Pomeroy Foundation supports programs related to blood cancers and helps to preserve history.  The Foundation works closely with the National Marrow Donor Program to conduct bone marrow drives in all communities.  Mr. Pomeroy was

diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2004 and received a stem cell transplant in 2005.  He has since established a foundation that focuses on two of his greatest passions: curing blood cancers and local history.  We are very grateful to the foundation for our historic markers and also that through the blood drives 21 donors have been matched to those in need of treatment for a blood cancer.   A huge thank you to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation!                                                                                
And now for the photo of the historic marker; the dedication will be held in the spring along with an Open House.  Watch for our announcements next spring.

BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS

On Thursday, October 27 through Saturday, October 29, the Friends of Macedon Public Library will launch their Giant Fall Book Sale during regular library hours. This is an opportunity for all of you book lovers to add to your collection without draining your bank accounts. In fact, on Saturday, the Friends will sell a special book sale bag for only $1.00, and you can fill it will as many books of your choice, for just an additional $2. That's a super bargain!

So please plan to stop by the Community Room and look through the books that are organized by genre (and alphabetized( for your convenience. You'll be helping finance library programs while acquiring some really good reading for those long winter nights that are fast approaching us.

And after you've shopped the book sale, we suggest you stop by the Bullis Room and look at the "George Washington Treaty Belt" that is on display there (November, which is Native American month).  It is one of two replicas, the other to be carried on Treaty Commemoration Day on November 11 in Canandaigua.

The current book display outside the Bullis Room is "The Spirits of the Bullis Room." If you haven't seen the various books on religion and spiritualism, you have until the end of October to look at the variety in the Bullis Collection on those subjects.  November's display will feature books on Native Americans.

POLITICS IN THE BULLIS ROOM

In this election year, you may be wondering how our country's political system and its parties evolved.  Well, guess what -- there are "scads" of Bullis books on the subject,  but we're going to give you an introduction to only a few.

1)  For a general idea of how our political system evolved (up to the early 1890s):

History of American Politics

Author: Alexander Johnston (1849-1889)

(Rev. & Enl. by William Sloan; continued by Winthrop More Daniels)

Published: New York, Scribner - 1895

2) For an idea of how our  political system may have been affected by religion:

Religion and Politics

Author:  Algernon Sidney Crapsey (1847-1927)

Publisher: New York, T. Whitaker - 1905

3) Or, for those of you who are science-minded:

Physics and Politics;

or, Thoughts on the application of the principles of 

"natural selection" and "inheritance" 

to political society

Author: Walter Bagehot (1826-1877)

Published: New York, D. Appleton and Company, 1875, 1973

4) And, if your interests lie across the ocean:

                                                
The Mirrors of Downing Street;

Some political reflections by a gentleman with a duster

Author: Harold Begbie (1871-1929)

Published: New York, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1921

So ... you are invited to stop by the Bullis Room (during regular library hours) and increase your knowledge on a large variety of subjects, including politics.  The books are patiently waiting for you!

EXPLORING IN THE BULLIS ROOM

Yep ... that's what Bullis volunteers (and some visitors) have been doing this week: exploring the Bullis Room shelves for books about explorers and their discoveries.  Being that Columbus Day is tomorrow, it seemed a good and right thing to do.


And what did we find? Here are a few for your reading pleasure and information:

The Discovery of America: 

With Some Account of Ancient America and the Spanish Conquest

Author: John Fisk (1842-1901)

              Published by:  Houghton Mifflin, Boston: 1892

Our Lost Explorers: The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition 

As Related by the Survivors, and in the Records and Last Journals of Lieutenant De Long

Author:  Richard W. Bliss; Compiled by: Raymond Lee Newcomb

Published by:  American Publishing Co., Hartford, Connecticut, 1882

Columbus and Columbia;  A Pictorial History of the Man and the Nation,

Embracing a Review of  Our Country's Progress ...

Authors:  James W. Buel  (1849-1920);   John Clark Ridpath (1840-1900);

Benjamin Butterworth (1837-1998);    James Gillespie Blaine (1830-1893)

Published by: Caie,  Cincinnati, 1892

Missionary Explorers Among the American Indians

Edited by: Mary Gay Humphreys

Published by:  C. Scribner's Sons, New York, 1913

We actually found a total of 35 Bullis  books telling of discoveries in the Amazon, Jerusalem,  Argentina, Paraguay, China, Nippur, the Nile,  Equatorial Africa, Siberia, and Scandinavia (to name a few),  

So ... tomorrow is a holiday and many of us have the day off work -- but Macedon Public Library will be  open.  Please consider stopping by and spending part of your day exploring the Bullis Room for yourself. 

THE BRIDGE IS OPEN!!!

The bridge over the canal at Canandaigua Road in Macedon opened to traffic yesterday.  The previous bridge was closed in 2010, so for local residents and commuters who can now travel a more direct route to and from the village, this is cause for a BIG celebration.  (Especially so since the new bridge's two lanes have eliminated the need to wait your turn to cross the previous one-lane.)

This bridge is just a bit north of the Bullis house, and the previous structure (built in 1912) was used a great deal by the Bullis family as well as other Macedon residents. Nettie Bullis herself probably drove across that bridge on work days to her job at Gleason Works.  So if she was with us today, what would be Ms. Bullis's reaction to the new bridge? Hmmm ...

Due to the Bullis Family frugality,  we can speculate that Nettie Bullis  may well have thought that, although the new bridge is a big improvement, that the original bridge was good enough ...  that it served her and other drivers quite well.  However, being a strong community supporter,  Ms. Bullis might also have thought that a new structure was safer and thus justified. So as we drive over the new bridge in the days and weeks to come, let's silently celebrate the new structure, the tax dollars that  made it possible, and strong community supporters, like the Bullis Family.

THE SPIRITS OF THE BULLIS ROOM

With Halloween "just around the corner," volunteers this week looked for books on spirits in the Bullis Collection. Here are three of several that they found:

Click on photo to read

Spirit Rapping Unveiled! An Expose of the Origin, History, 

Theology and Philosophy of Certain Alleged Communications from the Spirit World,

by means of "spirit rapping," "medium writing," "physical demonstrations," etc.

By Hiram Mattison (1811-1868)

Published by Mason Bros., New York, 1853

Currently in display case

Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World

By Robert Dale Owen (1801-1877)

Published by J. B. Lippincott & Co, Philadelphia, 1860

The Widow's Mite and Other Psychic Phenomena

By Isaac K. Funk (Isaac Kaufman Funk) (1839-1912)

Currently in display case

Published by Funk & Wagnalls Company, New York, 1904

Sooo ... we suggest you stop by the Bullis Room and spend some time with these books (and any others you find of interest). And next week we'll have another list for you. (And that's a promise!)

STUDYING THE STARS

Today,  Star Trek fans around the world are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the series. Fifty years ... half a century ...  very impressive.

The Bullis Collection has a book that you Star Trek fans out there might also find impressive. (At least, some of our Bullis volunteers who are also Star Trek fans have "oohed" and "ahhed" while looking at the maps and diagrams.)

A New Star Atlas for the Library, the School,

and the Observatory in Twelve Circular Maps:

Intended as a companion to 

'Webb's Cellestial Objects for Common Telescopes'

by Richard Anthony Proctor

Published in London by Longmans Green,  in 1881

The Star Trek series (according to several sources) reflects the fictional universe in the 23 or 24th century, over 200 years in the future. Proctor's book, with its charts, maps and diagrams, shows the universe as understood 135 years in the past.  Comparing the Star Trek universe, the 1881 view, and our current knowledge of the skies is interesting, to say the least.

So we suggest you add A New Star Atlas ...  to your "must stop by the Bullis Room and look through these books" list, and plan to do that soon.

WOOD

If any of the Macedon Bullises had been living at the time of the first Lumberjack Festival, they surely would have  been involved in some way, because they were known for their community  loyalty. No, they probably wouldn't have competed in the various events, but perhaps they would have shown their support by their attendance  or by sponsoring an event. They might even have offered some of the trees from their property to be used for the competitions. And this latter is where we drew a connection with the local festival and the Bullis family because there are several books on trees and wood in the Bullis Collection.

If you are also interested in this subject,  you'll want to look through these books that are on the shelves here in the Bullis Room:

Wood Preservation in the United States

by W. F. (William Forsythe) Sherfesee

Published by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C., 1909

Timber: An Elementary Discussion of the

Characteristics and Properties of Wood

by Filibert Roth

Published by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division,

Washington D.C., 1895

Formulas and Tables for Architects and Engineers

in Calculating the Strains and Capacity of Structures in Iron and Wood

by Franz Schumann

Published by W. Choate & Co., Washington City, 1873

Strength Values for Structural Timbers

by McGarvey Cline

Published by U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1912

So ... the next time you're in the library, consider spending some time with these books - or some others - in the Bullis Room.

LUMBERJACK

We want to remind you of two lumberjack events in our community. The first is a presentation tomorrow here in Macedon Public Library's Community Room, and the second is the Macedon Center 34th Annual Community Lumberjack Festival in September.

Tomorrow (Saturday, August 27, 2 PM) Marty Dodge,  (currently volunteer woodsmen coach for FLCC), will present his new video, "In Celebration of the Joy of Coaching." This video will highlight some of his experiences in his 37 years as FLCC's Woodsmen's Team Coach (1974 to 2011). Included will be successful techniques that made FLCC's team the most successful woodsmen's squad in the country for the 70-year history of the annual college spring championship. Marty will also display a few items of equipment that are essential for competitive success.

We hope you can experience tomorrow's presentation because it will give you a greater appreciation of the skills that contestants will be using during the Macedon Center  34th Annual Community Lumberjack Festival, September 10 and 11. Gates open at 8 PM each day, and admission is only $3 Adult, $2 Seniors and $1 Kids 6-14. You'll get to see log rolling, two-man crosscut, chain sawing, ax throwing, hot saw, spring board, and more.  A grease pole climb (which is great fun to watch) will also take place at 5 PM on Saturday. And there are lots of displays by crafters and collectables offered for sale both days as well as a petting zoo.  Food is available all day, starting with a lumberjack breakfast (7-11 AM, Saturday; 8-Noon, Sunday).

And speaking of lumber and wood ... there are several interesting books in the collection covering these topics. We'll talk about those in our next post.

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

It's four years away from the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the amendment that prohibited any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. And last Thursday (August 18) the 96th anniversary of this landmark legislation was celebrated at the Susan B. Anthony Museum in Rochester, just a "hop, skip and a jump" away from the Bullis Room.

Again, we remind you that The Life and Works of Susan B. Anthony  by Ida Husted Harper (1851-1931) is on the Bullis Room shelves.  Just ask for help at the library's front desk for help in locating and using this book.  (Just looking through it gives the reader a much greater appreciation of Anthony's accomplishments.)

We also hope you'll click on this link for our 2009 post on this blog, highlighting Nettie Bullis's influence on other women and girls of her generation as well as the work of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton:

http://bullisbookchronicles.blogspot.de/2009/08/womens-equality.html

SPORTS BOOKS

With the summer weather come thoughts of outdoors ... and outdoor sports.  So volunteers spent some time this week looking for Bullis books on that subject.  Here's what we found.

For those of you interested in activities for young men, we suggest you take a look at:

Athletic Sports and Recreations for Boys

by J. G. Wood, 

published in London & New York,  Routledge & Warren, 1861

However, if you're an adult who likes the outdoors, you might want to spend some time with these books, the first of which was written by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, Sketches of Sport on the Northern Cattle Plains

by Theodore Roosevelt

published in New York by G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1905 (c. 1885)

Wild Northern Scenes: or, Sporting Adventures with the Rifle and the Rod

by S. H. Hammond

published in Philadelphia by John E. Potter & Co, 1863

And for those of you who are very adventuresome, this may be the book for you.

Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and Discoveries, during

four years' wanderings in the wilds of  southwestern Africa.

by Karl Johann Andersson

published in New York by Harper & Brothers, 1856

Happy reading!  

THE ORBS AROUND US

The Orbs Around  Us: A series of familiar essays on the moon and planets, meteors, and comets, the sun and colored pairs of suns is the full title of a book from the Bullis shelves written by Richard A. Proctor and published in London by Longmans, Green and Co. in 1872.

The title gives a good description of the contents, and those of you interested in the sky will want to spend some time with this book. Besides the moon, planets, meteors, comets, and suns, the author also includes two essays titled "Other Habitable Worlds." Proctor discusses whether there are inhabitants elsewhere as well as on Earth--and remember,  this is written from the perspective of 144 years ago. Interesting, to say the least!

If you enjoy star gazing, we think you'll want to look through this "old" book and get some "new" ideas about what to look for, when and where to look, and the meaning of it all.

The door to the Bullis Room is open. Come on in.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Before you venture out this summer to enjoy some of our many wonderful national parks, we invite  you to take a look through this item from the Bullis archives:

General Information Regarding Yellowstone National Park:

Season of 1918

Written  by the National Park Service, United States

Published by the Government Printing Office, Washington, 1918

This 82-page booklet can give you an interesting perspective about Yellowstone - the way it was a century ago compared with what it is today.   And you'll  be able to better appreciate the wonders in the park's almost 3,500 square miles full of lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

(Have a safe trip!)

FLAG DAY and OUR WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

The next time you are in the library, you'll want to spend some time looking at the display in the case outside the Bullis Room. This month, the display showcases Bullis books that pertain to Flag Day and our War of Independence.

Here is a partial list of those on display:

The Pictorial History of the American Revolution;

with a sketch of the early history of the country.

By Robert Sears (1810-1892)

      The Life of George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces;

during the war which established the independence of this country, and

first president of the United States

By John Marshall (1755-1835)

Published by Crissy & Markley, and Thomas, Cowperthwait and Co., 1850

The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution;

or illustrations, by pen and pencil, of the history, biography, scenery, relics, 

and traditions of the war for independence

By Benson John Lossing (1813-1891)

Published by Harper & Brothers, 1855

The books will be back in the Bullis Room, available for reading, in mid-July.  So please plan to visit the Bullis Room to take a closer look at some of them. We especially recommend The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution as a reminder of what our military men and women did for us during that war as well as all the wars that have followed.

NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

May is National Military Appreciation Month. And one way we can truly appreciate this country's current and past military personnel is to better understand what they experienced while serving their country.

These four Bullis books relate the personal experiences of military personnel in the mid-1800s and early 1900s:

My Story of the War: 

A Woman's Narrative of Four Years Personal Experience 

as a Nurse in the Union Army, and in relief work at home,

in hospitals, camps, and at the front during the war of rebellion.

With anecdotes, pathetic incidents,and thrilling reminiscences portraying 

the lights and shadows of hospital life and the sanitary service of the war.

By Mary Ashton Rice Livermore

Published by A. D. Worthington and Company, Hartford, 1888

The Autobiography of a Veteran, 1807-1883

By Conte Enrico Moroso della Rocca

Published by Macmillan, New York, 1898

My Army Life and the Fort Phil. Kearney Massacre,

With An Account of the Celebration of "Wyoming Opened"

By Frances  Courtney Carrington

Published by Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1910

A Soldier's Memories in Peace and War

By George John Younghusband

Published by E. P. Dutton & Company, New York, 1917

Even though the month of May is set aside for us to show appreciation to our military personnel, any day or month is appropriate to do so. Therefore, feel free to stop by anytime during the year the to spend some time with one or more of these books.  

And on behalf of the Bullis family, we say a sincere thanks to all of you who have served, or are serving, in our military.

U.S. GRANT

Since our country is in the midst of another general election year, we've been looking through some of the Bullis books about past elections. This week, we focused on:

A New, Original and Authentic Record of the Life and Deeds of

General U.S. Grant

By Frank A. Burr

Published by H.B. Graves, Rochester N.Y., 1885

Included in the text is an account of Ulysses S. Grant's election to the presidency.  At their May, 1868 national convention, the Republicans  unanimously selected Grant as their candidate for the presidency. The 1868 election was the first following the Civil War and this nation was still in recovery from that devastating event.  The Republican party supported the Reconstruction plan set up following that war, while the Democratic party generally opposed the plan.  Grant's victory resulted in the original Reconstruction plan being implemented. (And one result of this was Congress's ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment, a/k/a the right to vote.)

Can books about past elections give us some perspective on the current campaign? We suggest that they can. Author Frank Burr's book is available for your use, during regular library hours.

ARBOR DAY

Yes! Today is Arbor Day in New York State! And our environmental conservation friends tell us it's a good day to plant a tree.

The state's Department of Environmental Conservation says the holiday, first celebrated in 1872, was created to encourage farmers and settlers to plant trees for shade and lumber. For us today, it's a good time to help our environment by adding to the tree population.

And it's also a good time to look at some of the Bullis "tree books" to get ideas about the kind to plant as well as how to identify and care for those that may be currently growing in and around our neighborhoods.

So we invite you to stop by the Bullis Room and look through some of these "oldie but goody" books. And then, we can all get out our shovels, dig a hole, and plant a tree.

Here's a list of some of the "tree books" you can find in the Bullis Room:

Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them

Author: Harriet Louise Keeler

Publisher: C. Scribner Sons, 1900

A Guide to Trees

Author: Alice Lounsberry

Publisher: F. A. Stokes, 1900

What May Be Learned From a Tree

Author: Harland Coultas

Publisher: Appleton, 1860

Handbook of the Trees of the Northern States and Canada, 

East of the Rocky Mountains

Author: Romeyn Beck

Publisher: R.B. Hough, 1924, C1907

Familiar Trees and Their Leaves, Described and Illustrated

Author: Ferdinand Schuyler Matthews

Publisher: Appleton, 1911

Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs,  Hardy in North America

Author: Alfred Rehden

Publisher: Macmillan, 1934

Oh - one more thing - a trivia question!  What is New York's state tree?

EARTH DAY DISPLAY

A few weeks ago, we posted information about our planned Earth Day display in the case outside the Bullis Room.  That display is finished, ready for you to view. As we wrote earlier, it was a difficult task choosing only a relative few to display of the many Bullis books related to gardening and taking care of our Earth.

The ones we decided on cover topics ranging from potatoes to daylillies and manure to indoor gardening. There's even a children's gardening book. All of the books, however, have the common theme of caring for our environment.

So please stop by and take a look at the display. And if you see a book or two that you would like to spend some time with (and we think you will), you can do so in a couple of weeks when the books are back in their place on the Bullis Room shelves.

FROM THE BULLIS ARCHIVES

Last week, in looking through more items in the Bullis collection, we came across the photo below.

Do you recognize any of the men in the photo?  There's a poem written above the photo:

"Never Lose an old friend,

No Matter what the cause,

We wouldn't ever do it

If we didn't look for flaws.

The only thing worth while having

Is the friend who's stood the test

And who has such a friend as this

Knows friendship at its best."

At the bottom of the photo is a lengthy list of names and this photo information:

1880  Christmas  1925

St. Petersburg FL

10-12-1923, 5 PM

Ramona Heights

If you think you might be able to identify any of these men, and/or know how any of them are connected to the Bullis family, please contact us.  If you're not sure, we'll be glad to show you that long list of names (31, to be exact).

EARTH DAY

Earth Day is April 22nd. To honor this worldwide event that dates back to 1970, we are planning a display of some of the Bullis books and catalogs on gardening, farming, and landscaping.

Choosing which books to put in the display case is not an easy task.  There are so many volumes with interesting content and illustrations.  And although we've been cautioned not to judge a book by its cover, some of these older books have such decorative covers, it's hard not to instantly declare them "spectacular," before we've even opened them.  However, we're usually not disappointed when we do look inside and see the striking photographs and drawings.

Also, the content of these books is informative and helpful, even though it may be dated. For example, if you're thinking of planting some trees as an Earth Day observance, the Bullis collection has several books on that subject. And there is even a book on effectively using manure for fertilizing those new growths.

The Earth Day display should be ready by early next week. So please plan to stop by during April to feast your eyes on the colorful illustrations and to get some "old" tried-and-true ideas that you can use in a "new" way.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH DISPLAY and ...

... GREEN STUFF!

In honor of Women's History Month, the display case outside the Bullis Room is now full of books by women authors. Please be sure to stop by in the next couple of weeks, to see just a few of  over 250 books in the collection written by women.

And since some of us have been seeing little green stuff popping up out of the ground, it's time to once again take a look at the Bullis books on Spring bulbs as well as the general gardening books. You'll see some of these books in the display case in the months to come. In the meantime, you can stop by the Bullis Room and take advantage of the tried and true gardening advice in the books on Shelf FF (the center shelf, on your left as you enter the room.

And while in the Bullis Room, please be sure to sign the Guest Register that is on a table by the door. There's space for comments, too, and we'd love to see what books you found useful as well as other thoughts you'd like to share with us.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Last month, Bulls Room volunteers talked about how to recognize and observe International Women's Day (March 8) and Women's History Month (March). We decided to start by making a list women authors in the Bullis collection.

The spreadsheet is still in process and so far we have 245 items, which include well-known as well as lesser-known women authors. Here are some of the titles that have attracted our attention and are on our "must take a closer look" list:

Costumes of Colonial Times, Alice Earl (NY, 1894)

Gleanings from Old Shaker Journals, Clara Endicott Sears (Boston, 1916)

Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony, Ida Harper, (Ind., 1899)

Memoirs of the Emperor Napoleon, Madam Junot (Washington, 1901)

Tales of New England, Sarah Orne Jewett (Boston, 1895)

Life of Abraham Lincoln, Ida Tarbell (NY, 1900)

Our next step is to display these books (and others) in the case outside the Bullis Room. We hope to have that completed tomorrow, so please stop by and see these books as well as others because they represent one of the many, many achievements of women in the past two centuries.

LEAP YEAR

Well ... this year we have an extra day in February, which we can put to use in the Bullis Room working on our various projects, hoping to "catch up" a bit. It also means one more "official" day of our Black History Month and Presidents' Day display in the case outside the Bullis Room.

Then ... tomorrow officially begins another month and the display case will feature Bullis books by women authors in recognition of Women's History Month.

So ... we invite you to stop by the Bullis Room in March to view the display case and remember some of the great women authors of the past.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

As part of our Black History month, volunteers looked this researched Bullis books on the subject of the Sixteenth President of the United States and his role in the abolishment of slavery in this country. One document in the collection that immediately caught our eye is:

Memorial Address on the

Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln:

Delivered, at the request of both houses of the

congress of America, before them,

in the House of Representatives at Washington, 

on the 12th of February, 1866

by George Bancroft (1800-1891)

Published by Washington Government Printing Office, 1866

Here is a quote from  this message delivered 150 years ago yesterday:

"Jefferson and the leading statesmen of his day held fast to the idea that the enslavement of the African was socially, morally and politically wrong. The new school was founded exactly upon the opposite idea; and they resolved, first to distract the democratic party, for which the Supreme Court had furnished the means, and then to establish a new government, with negro slavery for its corner-stone as socially, morally and politically right.

The storm rose to a whirlwind; who should allay its wrath? The most experienced statesmen of the country had failed;  there was no hope from those who were great after the flesh; ... could relief come from one whose wisdom was like the wisdom of little children?

"The choice of America fell on a man born west of the Alleghenies in the cabin of poor people of Hardin County, Kentucky  -- Abraham Lincoln." (pages 15 and 16)

When you're in MPL this week, we suggest you take a closer look at this document.  We think you'll find it an interesting and informative read.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

If you haven't read Frederick Douglass's book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave,  we urge you to:

A) Stop by the Bullis Room and take a look at the collection's copy published in 1847 in Boston at the Anti-slavery office; and,
B) Get a copy (through PLS or your friendly online bookseller) and sit down for a good read.

This is a book that will grab your interest from the very beginning. In fact, a letter from the abolitionist Wendell Phillips, dated April 22, 1845, is printed in the Preface. In it, Phillips declares:

"I was glad to learn, in your story, how early the most neglected of God's children waken to a sense of their rights, and of the injustice done them. Experience is a keen teacher; and long before you had mastered your A B C, or knew where the 'white sails' of the Chesapeake were bound, you began, I see, to gauge the wretchedness of the slave, not by his hunger and want, not by his lashes and toil, but by the cruel and blighting death which gathers over his soul.

"In connection with this, there is one circumstance which makes your recollections peculiarly valuable, and renders your early insight the more remarkable. You come from that part of the country where we are told slavery appears with its fairest features. Let us hear, then, what it is at its best estate—gaze on its bright side, if it has one; and then imagination may task her powers to add dark lines to the picture, as she travels southward to that (for the colored man) Valley of the Shadow of Death, where the Mississippi sweeps along.

"Again, we have known you long, and can put the most entire confidence in your truth, candor, and sincerity. Every one who has heard you speak has felt, and, I am confident, every one who reads your book will feel, persuaded that you give them a fair specimen of the whole truth. No one-sided portrait,—no wholesale complaints,—but strict justice done, whenever individual kindliness has neutralized, for a moment, the deadly system with which it was strangely allied. You have been with us, too, some years, and can fairly compare the twilight of rights, which your race enjoy at the North, with that "noon of night" under which they labor south of Mason and Dixon's line. Tell us whether, after all, the half-free colored man of Massachusetts is worse off than the pampered slave of the rice swamps!"

Again, we strongly suggest you spend some time with Frederick Douglass's book which, according to the abolitionist Phillips, is written with truth, candor and sincerity.