Daily national Democrat., 1860-01-06
Libraries.


The increasing number Of public libraries
in this State gives good evidence Of the in
tellectual capacity Of the people. Almost
every city and town of any importance in
the country has either public library OF its
own or library or libraries established by
literary and other associations. In San
Francisco, there is the library Of the Mercan
tile Society, the library of the Odd Fellows,
and the library of the Mechanics Institute
there are also the libraries of the Sunday
Schools, the libraries Of the Day Schools, the
libraries Of the Churches, the libraries Of the
What Cheer and other houses, the libraries
Of Engine Companies, and various other Ii
braries which we cannot now call to mind,
all containing large assortment of well Sc
lected books, and many Of them works OF
great rarity and costly value. In Stockton
there are several very fine private libraries,
to which are annexed scientific cabinets and
Laboratories. We do not reeollect whether
the city owns library or not.
In Sacramento, the State Library contains
many thousand volumes of great worth, be-
sides being general repository of the doe
umentary history of the State, MS well as of
the United States and a considerable portion
Of tina. of England. Everybody who likes
has access to it, and it is q great convenience
to legislators, editors, lawyers, ministers and
gentlemen generally of the learned profess
ion, who are necessarily compelled to do n
good deal of thinking for the masses, by pre-
senling in compact form the results of long
and tedious investigations through huge vol
umes which men in other employment never
have time TO read. Besides this State Ii
brary, the Mercantile Association has libra
ry, which we have heard is n good one !;
also, we believe, the Pioneer Association has
very excellent library, and several of the
Engine Companies have theirs. There are,
moreover, many private libraries and scen-
tic cabinets in the city.
As to Marysvile, she has a City Library
which is credit to her intelligence and
mental cultivation. The provision for in
creasing the number of its volumes annually
by appropriation from the City Council is a
wise and good one, and we hope never to
see the Council slack in its ful6lment The
Masonic Association have a very seect and
very excelleet collection of books, which
they are increasing from year to year. The
Odd Fellows, also, we believe, have very
good library although not large one
Among the private libraries, Rev. Mr. Walls
worth's is, so far as we can learn, the largest
and best, containing many old and curious
works. His cabinet of curiosities, collected
from various regions and climes, is a rare and
valuable collection
Nevada is indebted for her principal ma
terials for reading, if we mistake not to
literary association in her midst-an institu-
tion of much energy and promise
Shasta is also indebted, we believe, in a
similar manner. Yreka also, and many other
mountain and interior towns, both north and
south.
For so young State as this. these indica-
tions Of progress and refinement are highly
creditable. They give promise of great
lhings for the future, and argue forcibly, we
think, that, while yet in the dew and fresh
les Of her youth, California will be in a po-
ition of full and perfect equality with her
lister States in all the glores which attach to
he home of literature, science and the arts |
he pureness of her bracing atmosphere, the
tirring invigoration of her every day life,
be varied beauty and grandeur of her
cenery, are all favorable to the development
# intellect in its most ideal capacity, and
We may naturally look for a strong minded
ace of men upon these shores