In another such document, dated three years later, a negro woman named " Sibb," the property of Abigail Cornell, was adjudged capable of maintaining herself without the assistance of the town. According to the census of 1800, the total number of slaves in the town, which then only included Scarsdale proper, was twenty-four, showing even a smaller ratio of increase than before for the half-century, while there were at the same time in the town twenty free colored persons.

About this time, 1799, the Legislature took steps for the gradual abolition of slavery, and shortly afterwards the following document appears in the town records, followed by others of a similar nature: "I, Bartholomew Ward, of the town of Scarsdale, County of Westchester, farmer, in conformity to an Act of Legislature of the State of Xew York, entitled An Act for the gradual abolition of slavery, do hereby certify to the town clerk of said town that I am now possessed of a female negro child named Doroty, being now of the age of five days, and born of a slave since the fourth of July, 1799. Bartholomew Ward, Scarsdale, October 27, 1801 ." From this time onward the slaves in the town slowly diminished until, in 1820, there remained but seven, while the free colored population numbered thirty-five souls. This was nearly

the end of slavery in the town, and in 1835 not a slave remained.

Industries. -- Although Scarsdale has never contributed largely to the supply of the markets, the chief industries of the town have always been agricultural. There are no statistics in relation to agricultural products in the early days of the town, but from the records of the town-meetings we may infer-- from the number of times the animals are mentioned-- that much of the farm live-stock consisted of swine, and also that they caused considerable trouble.