354 L e a m a n n . [j. F. I.,

can be m a d e and cont ro l can be exe rc i sed over the work a t all points . W i t h r e g a r d to wills, I p r o p o s e t h a t even if i t be t h o u g h t n e c e s s a r y to keep the o r ig ina l d o c u m e n t the pub l i c shou ld be al lowed access on ly to the p h o t o g r a p h i c copies, wh ich shou ld be b o u n d in i n d e x e d v o l u m e s . T o fac i l i t a te the work some m e t h o d of d r a w i n g up lega l docu- m e n t s m a y be laid down, such as s t a n d a r d size of sheet , c h a r a c t e r of ink, and o t h e r detai ls ; b u t I am i n f o r m e d By an a t t o r n e y tha t r e c o r d i n g officers would , u n d e r p r e s e n t laws and cus toms, p r o b a b l y be ob l i ged to a c c e p t for r eco rd arty legible d o c u m e n t , so t h a t v e r y close r e q u i r e m e n t s would p r o b a b l y be i m p r a c t i c a b l e at first, and as fa r as wil ls are concerned , of course imposs ib le . H o w e v e r , w h a t e v e r the eyes can read, the c a m e r a can also read , and the re will be no pract ical diff iculty on th i s point .

Mr. Get ty , of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l E n g r a v i n g C o m p a n y , has k ind ly m a d e a full-size c o p y f rom a m o r t g a g e l o a n e d me by an a t t o r n e y of this city. T h e o r i g i n a l is a b o u t t h i r t een years old, and hence p re sen t s s o m e g r e a t e r dif f icul ty than a fresh d o c u m e n t : but , as wil l be seen, t he r e su l t l eaves noth- ing to be desired. In fact , the a t t o r n e y w h o l o a n e d the d o c u m e n t m i s t o o k the c o p y for the or ig ina l .

NEW YORK RAPID-TRANSIT SUBWAY.

Work is progressing on the great rapid-transit subway in New York at a most satisfactory rate. Despite the great obstacles presented by the extremely diflleult character of the excavation, the street traffic, which nmst be inter. rupted as little as possible, and the presence of a multitude of large and small street pipes in the exact route to be traversed, the work of building the tunnel is being prosecuted with a speed hardly to be expected. In the meantime a site for the great power house has been selected and contracts have been closed for boilers, engines and electrical generating apparatus. The electrical part of the power-house equipment was ordered only a few days ago. New York hesitated a long time before deciding to go in for a rapid-transit sub- way ; tl(e project dragged along for years with all sorts of changes in the laws and commissions having to do with the subject ; but since the final adoption of the plans and the awarding of the blanket contract, the work has been pushed with a vim and energy that is most commendable.--Weslerz ~&'c- lriciaJz.