BINGHAMTON, N. Y., city and county seat of Broome County, at the junction of the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers and on sev eral railroads, 50 miles east of Elmira. It stands more than 867 feet above tidewater, and both rivers are here spanned by several bridges. The city is supplied with water by the Holly system, which cost over $1,500,000; has nearly 100 miles of streets lighted by electricity, and contains over 30 churches and chapels, public school property valued at over $1,175,000, a public library, two national banks and assessed property valuation (1910) exceeding $31,486,554. Among the attractions of Binghamton, which has been named the "Parlor City," are Ross Park, Ely Park and O'Neil Park, and the driv ing parks and fair grounds. The noteworthy buildings include the State asylum for the in sane, United States government building, State armory, courthouse, city hall, two orphan asylums, an opera house and the Casino and the home office building of the Security 'Mutual Life Insurance Company. Binghamton ranks
as the third cigar-manufacturing city in the United States, and according to the census of manufactures for 1914, it then had 245 indus trial establishments of factory grade, employ ing 8,413 persons, of whom 7,428 were wage earners, receiving annually $3,653,000 in wages. The capital invested aggregated $18,237,000, and the value of the year's output was $18,360,000; of this, $7,976,000 was the value added by manu facture. Other important manufactures are valves, cigars, silks, scales, chemicals, furniture, sheet-metal work, glass, gloves and refined oils. An interesting feature of the city is the large number of cottages owned by the working peo ple. Binghamton received a city charter in 1867. Pop. (1900) 39,647; (1915) 53,668.