Life Sketches of Government Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York: For 1874

Excerpt from Life Sketches of Government Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York The publication of Life Sketches began in 1858, and has been continued, with an occasional hiatus, ever since. Each volume contains a condensed biographical sketch of the Governor, lieutenant-governor, State Officers and Members of both branches of the Legislature, and thus fills its niche and has its value in the not unimportant department of works of reference. The present editors prepared the annual for last year, and met with such encouragement and success as induced them to continue the series. The editor of Life Sketches for 1858 expressed the aim and limitation of all the volumes when he wrote, in his Beyond its usefulness as a work of reference, it is, comparatively, of but little interest to the public. The private details embodied in the sketches are designed only to give it interest as a volume for private circulation among the friends of those whose lives constitute its pages. As regards the merits of the present volume, the editors have only to say that they have taken great pains to avoid errors, either of fact or date, and to render the sketches as complete as possible within the limits prescribed.