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NEW YORK (CITY) 405 Union Square, near it ; and the Fifth Avenue, in 28th street near Broadway. Niblo's thea- tre, in Broadway near Prince street, has been devoted in recent years chiefly to spectacular pieces. Miscellaneous dramas are represented at "Wood's museum, Broadway near 30th street, the Park theatre, Broadway near 22d street, and the Bowery, in the Bowery near Canal street; German plays in the Stadt and Ger- mania theatres, the former in the Bowery near Canal street, and the latter in 14th street near 3d avenue; varieties in Tony Pastor's opera house, Bowery near Spring street, and Theatre Comique, Metropolitan, Olympic, and Globe theatres, all in Broadway between Broome street and Astor place; and minstrelsy in Bryant's opera house, 23d street near 6th ave- nue, and San Francisco minstrel hall, Broad- way near 29th street. The academy of music, in 14th street and Irving place, is devoted chief- ly to grand opera ; and Stein way hall, nearly adjoining it, is used for concerts and lectures. The square bounded by 4th and Madison ave- nues and 26th and 27th streets is occupied by the hippodrome, erected and opened by P. T. Barnum. In the Central Park garden, 7th avenue and 59th street, concerts are nightly given during the summer, to audiences of from 1,000 to 2,500 persons, by Theodore Thomas's orchestra of 50 performers. In the Bowery are numerous German gardens, the largest and most popular of which is the Atlantic, near Canal street, where from 1,000 to 1,500 Germans nightly listen to orchestral music and drink beer. The Tivoli, in 8th street near 3d avenue, and Terrace garden, in 58th street near 3d avenue, are also places of popular resort, chiefly for Germans. The leading clubs are the Union (founded in 1836), the Travellers' (1865), and the Knickerbocker in 5th avenue, the Army and Navy (1871) in W. 27th street, and the New York at the junction of Broadway, 5th ave- nue, and 25th street, chiefly social; the Cen- tury (1847) in E. 15th street near Union square, the Lotos (1870) in Irving place, the Arca- dian (1871) in Union place, literary; the Pa- lette (1869) in E. 22d street, composed of art- ists ; the Union League (1863), occupying a fine building in Madison avenue and 26th street, and the Manhattan (1864) in 5th avenue, political, the former republican and the latter democratic; and the New York Yacht club (1844) and the American Jockey club, in Madi- son avenue and 27th street, sporting, the latter having a house at Fordham. The Union League club was organized during the civil war, and was active in aiding the federal cause. The Astor library, in Lafayette place, was founded by a legacy from John Jacob Astor in 1848 ; it is for study and reference, no books being taken away. (See ASTOK LIBRARY.) The mercantile library in Astor place, and the apprentices' library in Broadway, both established in 1820, and the society library in University place, organized in 1754, are lending libraries, and have reading rooms supplied with the principal American and foreign magazines and newspa- pers. The privileges of the mercantile library are obtained by the payment of small annual dues. The society library occupies a building 70 by 100 ft. It belongs to shareholders, but others are entitled to its privileges upon the payment of periodical dues. The apprentices' library belongs to the " General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York." It is free to apprentices ; other per- sons are required to pay small annual dues. The principal law libraries are that of the New York law institute in Chambers street, accessible to members of the bar on payment of an initiation fee and annual dues, and that of the "Association of the Bar of the City of New York " in W. 27th street, incorporated in 1871. The city library in the city hall, free to all, is a collection consisting chiefly of the city documents and the laws and ordinances of other cities. The Mott memorial free medical and surgical library, in Madison avenue, was founded by the widow of Dr. Valentine Mott, and comprises his medical library of 2,000 vol- umes, 800 volumes contributed by Dr. Alex- ander B. Mott, and other donations and pur- chases. The other principal libraries of a pub- lic character are the eclectic (circulating), in 17th street near Irving place ; the printers' free library, in Chambers street ; the woman's libra- ry, in Bleecker street, belonging to the work- ing women's protective union; that of the "New York Medical Library and Journal As- sociation," in E. 28th street; the Harlem li- brary; and the Washington Heights library. There are also a number of circulating libraries, consisting chiefly of novels. The number of volumes in the various libraries not connected with institutions of learning is as follows : LIBRARIES. Vol- ume*. LIBRARIES. Vol- umes. Astor 148,000 New York hospital. . 9,720 Mercantile 148,000 Bar association 8,000 Society 64,000 Harlem 6,090 Apprentices' 50,000 40000 Lyceum of natural "history 5,000 30000 City 4,000 Law institute Cooper union Geographical society. 17,500 12,600 11,000 10704 Mott memorial Medical library and journal association 4,000 8,545 3,500 American mstuute . 3,000 tian association 10,000 Washington Heights. 2,565 The Lenox library (free), founded by James Lenox, a wealthy citizen, was chartered in 1870. A splendid building of Lockport lime- stone has been erected by Mr. Lenox, occupy- ing the entire 5th avenue front between 70th and 71st streets, facing Central park; but the library has not yet been opened. It is to re- ceive the "collection of manuscripts, printed books, engravings and maps, statuary, paint- ings, drawings, and other works of art" made by the founder, and particularly rich in early American history, Biblical bibliography, and Elizabethan literature. Other donations have