The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-10
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
rur wAsHINaToN LIBRARY.

- ,n the CITY Of Washington but none OF them are
|.,.tanty omen to the public The Congressional La
a omen on certain days during tine recess OF Con-
- and AZ oertain hours but the books cannot be Ia
e., az ,oom except for the use of members OF
There IA a large library Of scientific books at
son,an Institution, and In the various depart
.taro arc also valuable libraries but city con.
mem $50. IS seyenty thousand inhabitants needs some
,,ors than this-something which shall furnish the
!, ,,ellectual culture TO the residents and the nu-
,,.ngeYs who are attracted hther by the incen-
L.. 80 business or curiosity. Here, of all places In tho
opbic Is the most appropriate Tor library for the use
a. oaonlea library stored with works of science and
accessible at easy rates of compensation to con-
t readers and at all times open gratultousiy for oc-
reading for reference, or for tho purposes Oh par
,io,. Investigations Such library would be inviting
. ,h bav IN their intervals Of lelsure would tempt the
, 10 occupation would furnish improving or innocent
,oceton for the young and thereby lessen their ab-
,v 10 Weld to 80 many Of the seductive temptations with
which large citicg abound 1t would in word, become
an ectlye ally to the great cause OF popular education
.t,sted by thoughts like these, In the year 1911
an association of philosophical individuals formed
,bs Washington Library" On the 18th oil April,
1sI4 Congress passed an act incorporating them and
their successors by the OF Tho Directors OF the
Washington Library Company and afterwards, by
nt resolution of tho Sd of March, 1923, granted to
them copy Of the Laws Of the United States the Jour-
nas of Congress- documents and State papers then pub
sbsd and such as should be published annually there
after by authority Of Congress The charter intrusts the
of the library to seven directors elected ny
Aha shareholders on the first Monday of April in each
year. The price Of shares was originally twelve dollars
and tho holders Of them were subject to annual
In I,a bpna nf liner anui ha
funds Of the company the directors subsequently, reduced
the pcc Of shares to six dollars and granted the of
tina library TO persons contributing the yearly of three
dollars but not purchasing shares The sales of shares
the yearly payment by shareholders, and the periodical
cootons have hitherto constituted the only fund for
purchasing books and defaying the necessary expenses
Of the library but many Of citizens have at various
times made liberal donations Of books and have done all
in their power to sustain the enterprise until 1t has been
placed on firm and substantial basis.
Among the early shareholders in this Library find
tho names of John c. Adams John O. Calhoun, William
H. Crawford VIM Gunton, james Monroe, Peter Force,
Josepb Gales John Sessford W. w. Seaton, Philip r.
Fendall Roger G. Weghtman, Asbury Dickns, William
Hickey, james Laurie, q Collins Lee, John W. Maury,
and other weknown citizens. The collection of books
now comprises about $4,000 volumes, many of which
are rare and valuable works This includes the valuable
theological and miscellaneous library of Rev DR. Laurie,
who was pastor of the street Presbyterian church for
Gfy wears and ON his death, which occurred In 1858,
his entire library, consisting of about thousand vol
mes came into the possession Of his sepson Dr. James
c. Hail. by whom it was presented to the Washington
Library Another interesting book to antiquarans is
copy Of "Iconographic Anciennc or collection of au-
lenc portraits of the Emperors Kings and illustrous
M Of antiquity This is believed to be the only copy OF
this work in this country 1t consists of four very large
folio volumes and was the French government
in 1922 through the Count de Neuvilc who that
time tho envoy extraordinary and minister penpotentary
at Washington from the court of France There Is also
Latin Bible which was printed in 1920, and Is thero-
FORE 1888 years old this presented to the Library by
Benjamin B. French in 1881. All tho publications of tho
Smithsonian Institution regularly received at the Ii
brary and the books added by the beralty of Congress
under tho joint resolution Of 1929 together with the
standard works political subjects obtained by pur
chase render the political branch Of the Library
full 1t Is believed, than the branch In any other
public library in country.
The company owns library building and lot Of ground
Eleventh street. Pennsylvania avenue of the
most central and improving parts Of the city; and the
Library is kept open to the public every day. except Sum
day. from ten o'clock, a. M, until ten o'clock. p.
This is easa1t place for resort, in addition to the
standard works the Shelves the table is covered with
selected magazines reviews and newspapers and other
e1positions Of the literature and business Of the day
Nor is light literature forgotten, for works
stnntly being received in this department well in
the solid and the ladies will be pretty to find
the last novel there unless somebody has taken it cut for
persush. Many Of the leading periodicals. foreign and
domestic, also received. We commend this enter
ia,
1t the patronage Of the reading public.
BURGLARS Apour.--Hardly day passes without the
of some depreciation by the gang Of
house-breakcrs who nfesting this city and we
find that neighbors in Georgetown and Alexandria
are suffering from the causes. One of the most
daring Of this kind that we have become ac-
quained with took place Friday afternoon about two
o clock, when the house of Mr.. John M. Young, on
Maine avenue, between Third and half streets
WINS entered by some person persons who robbed the
front paror of number Of small articles such as porce
lain vases and valuable gold bracelet which they found
on the mantepiecc, and made their escape with theft
booty. Mrs. Young only absent for few moments
which shows that the robbers had previously been on
tho watch and improved the opportunity thus presented
This caution to housekeepers to be careful and keep
their doors and windows well secured by day well
by night
In Georgetown the Office OF Joseph Libby & Son was
broken open on Friday night and the burglars blew
open the iron safe with powder and stole thercfrom be-
tween one hundred and hundred and fifty dollars
rom there they went to the warehouse of f. Lyons and
elected an entrance by boring through the window shut
'efs In the rear Of tho building and removing the bar
which fastened the window but being frightened they
only took few coppers and left without attempting tho
safe