In 1852, Mr. Smyth was elected mayor, the city then containing a population of fifteen thousand. Mayor Smyth's first message contained many practical suggestions; for instance, that the police or school committee be empowered to take vagrant children from the streets and put them in school; that proper sidewalks be constructed and maintained; and that a special committee be appointed to confer with the corporations in regard to the introduction of pure water. In May of that year he set trees on Elm street, the commons, and about land owned by the city. To this matter the mayor gave his personal attention, and not only at that time but every year since, with few exceptions, has inspected the trees and given notice to the proper authorities of any lack. This thorough attention to detail, and desire for doing the work belonging to his office personally and not by proxy, was characteristic of Mayor Smyth. In March, 1853, he was re-elected by an increased majority, and the year was marked by the annexation of parts of Bedford and Goffstown to Manchester, and by the rebuilding of the Amoskeag Falls bridge. The subject of lighting the streets with gas was first introduced to the attention of the city councils at that time, and a few lamps experimentally established. The free public library was also urged,--a recommendation then somewhat in advance of the popular sentiment. It was, however, advocated by the late Hon. Samuel D. Bell and some others, and was finally carried through both branches of the city government without serious opposition. It has resulted in the establishment of a library of which any city might be proud, and a building for its accommodation costing, with the recent annex, nearly forty thousand dollars. A special vote of the trustees at that time recorded their appreciation of Mayor Smyth's effective exertions in the matter. Having been a third time elected mayor and with still increased majority, the annual message of 1854 set forth the working plan of the library, proposed a change of city charter to allow the consolidation of school-districts, and again urged the imperative need of a supply of pure water. At the close of this term of office he declined a re-election, but was soon appointed, by the governor, chairman of a committee to locate and build a house of "reformation for juvenile offenders." His associates in this work were the late Hon. Matthew Harvey, ex-governor, and judge of the United States circuit court, and Hon. Hosea Eaton. [Illustration: Frederick Smyth GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 1865-66]