New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-07-30
rms tonaaEs,IorAL LusnAsr.
A 5KBrCH Os TIKI Boo1-MRs OF coNGRESs-Bow
OH FATgtcTIo SPEECHES ARE PREPARED.

A sKErCH OP TIKI B0oK-MRE oP CoHGRBSs-Bow
oUR rAreicTlc SPEECHES ARE PREPARED.
wAsnsGIoS July Il. 1886.
Tue most costly ard wonderful font o. tho Capitol
fsoes away fou Washington City; bat the quiotest and
coolest fsce Of the baiing Is that which oyerooks the
shady ground, s n, head Of Peahsy 5oniasyc and Of
this tho yey oeaier Is the Library Ball.
Il comprises much Of the lain building Of t,o Original
cap ,o iho majestic iron dome directly oyorhonging IT,
aad close is ntcnof entnlce tho most venerable
and historic plaoosiLo o.d Sucne Court the old Iousc
tho old Scrl. Prom i wnic rs is 11or5cd glorious
prosrcc rnaio sou and suorabe close "a tho oyc ~ e
olege IA the sopng Lawn md The pah o. wateI in the
basin vheso Thomas Benton stopped 10 dr ak every morn
ug before goiag 70 his desk ana ohequcd, and sunny
AMI rpllas, further away ~ inc tns;r o we tyi inc
s7e. Of the r.,el. tie stride Of the high AEhngion
Hghts.
Within this Library Hal. the les: Of ths county
have fe their .ltencss sitting Ia silent coYes 20 hear
VIA, lcc lad sag Jl ,lcf yei undorefed argument
and eoing ght they CLEANED Of tho methods u tho
Mssie OaoTs who hal passed the isyef Of craftsmanship
ard len the uitorances 10 dis ourags I'M tauon
Tn, library II m great part reproduced every yein the
addrsses OF public men. The Giobe may be called
reissue o.. IN parts, There IS TO pagarh, 50 great as an
DcmosihCnes Cicero, Cato, Chatham. Nrabeau, Web
stor-ihese az TIE men The rest are the u mics.
Tie Congressional Abmr is assuming, 81 the spacious
extensions Of almost completed and ty the more
ccscron4 contributions which arc hlng cyoD taeso nsS
corridors, place Of dignity enonf The collections on The
for 50,@o volumes yet unbousLi.
HISTORY of The LIBRARIES or rHE UNITED STATS
in 1892 act o. Congress permitted The purchase OF
81 900 worth Of books for the use OF the two Houses.
Ony 3O00 volumes stood in the library whom The British
burned the Capt0. IN l5lJ. Then Thomas Jefferson,
bong II stationed ccunstlnces, offered 70 sell ms
p yste library Of 900 hooks 20 the United States They
appraised At tSvoo, and raid for in bonds OF the
United states To this Transaction the federais party,
on personal grounds, made stout opposition. The
lrrv 81 jefferson was DOT the leading private collection
Of the country but was well adapted 10 lawyer and
politician, and 10 such pleasant sInstter OF morals and
metaphysics as Jefferson loved 20 indulge IN. NO one
oonsrcuous donation OF books received from
private individual and the general yearly appropriation
Tor the purchase OF books continued 20 be ron sVoo 70
A. 900 year. Now and then the British Museum aud
the French BboHeqgs lmppiai sent pat kage OF fer
publications a. its shelves; but IN 1901 detective
fue caused fire break into the library and Of the
IS 900 volumes there assembled bat 20,cOo saved
The hremen with traditional disregard for letters, in
troduccd hose into the library aud wet everything from
osepbus 20 Kossuth The yaluo OF the books lost mar
ketaby. was probably $500 900.
In Ise the old library had been rrpuit, acoordns to
the designs Of Thomas u. Walters al cost oi x5.Wo
only liberal appropriation lS5OOO sineo which time the
common sum devoted 10 this cause has been OoO year
Next year go 900 will be asked for, TO meet aceruns IN
debtedness which is many dollars as the British Muse
nm ANNUALLY receives pounds recent act Of Congress
Transferred this place the 10000 volumes Of the snithso
aian Institute
The two new wings have cost 100000. Their ceilings
shelves walls and floors OF solid wrought iron; Only
ne cOmbustlDle.
former capacity Of the place. The shelves have uniform
space them and the bottom shelf around tho en-
tire library practical that II can be removed TO ADMIT
tho great foos There three floors or stories In The
main library and four stories In the wings these stories
are common In each wing, but gained from below by
two sairweys only. IL tho main hall, which IS the south
front OF the capitol the architectural decorations next the
ceiling take up the fourth storys space al OF which Is
utilized In tho extensions On each hoor there are ~
acoyes for readers making upward OF liO IN all Ana
there are besides tables in the new wings, which VIII
la he library Accommodate
time 49, =,
The ornsmentaon OF the library Is not unlike that Of
the Astor Library too ornate possibly in the main cor
rdor but not glaringy so; while IN the wings care has
been taken TO subdue ell decorations 10 consistency
with the quiet and contemplating purposes for which the
n,ee il 10 be used The plaster buss and casts Of soc
les Plato and other worthless, which adorned tho library
some years ego, were, happily destroyed by the ire.
They cheap They turned Inc S IS IN psse
who disturbed tho readers IL respect to tho material OF
the floor the library is defective Every step on tho hard
marble disurbs the reader, while In the British Museum
the doors sre of guta percha which the wheels Of
chairs and the march Of visitors is noseles The gliding
TO which We have adverted possibly out OF keeping Will
probably DO found not too bright Tor tho dark days OF
Washington when even the soul OF Carlyle would be IN
THE LIBRARY DIRECTORY.
There il probably no gentleman In America possessing
more prfto knowledge OF books ard authors than tie
present Librarian Of Congress, MIR. A. X. Spoord Oh
North Eastern Ohio, Gppointee OF Mr.. Lincoln. One
Of his first abors has been tho csaogung OF tho ooos
has given stimulus to tho collection which has already
made II of credit throughout he country AID foreign ms
SONS aud 10 be hoped that III this case at least the
eouutry will one public s6ygDt not subject ~ the
Imi,aio", Ok psrssrsbip The Congressional Library
now oanumbes in the quantity OF It's works any eoec.
ton in America Two hundred thousand dollars spent In
collecting books in Europe would mako 1t 50 inyalnaee
that the Capital City would foon become resort for
scholars of all specifications Mr. sponord has eight
assstsnts and his control OF the Smithsonian Library
will place him In correspondence with 500 learned soci-
cites in oil parts Of Ehrope. With these there VIII DO
constant exchanges OF books snd pamphlets Mr Spot
ford is also resolved 10 hathe copyright act demand-
ing copy OF every printed book TO be Deposited IN tho
Library 10 ALEC carried cut 10 itf extremity No copy
night % valid without such derosluon.
cURIosITIEs or sPERcH-aAKlSG.
- To this b all the preparers of set speeches
TINT they may ind wisdom and phrase MeDougen Of
California is steady reader Of Comtos Positive Pboso'
ply; MIR. Demng, author OF the famous Marlborough,
Hannibal and Grant Speech read ~ weeks hero TO getitp
Charles reads books than any other senator
and Representatives they are his messmates trss Brown
h. close student of mental science and political Phoso.
phy John l.. Baldwin and Mr.. Edmnnds OF Vermont
are attentive readers. Counoss OF CaltoflA and lev
others never drew q book from the shelves.
The State Department has special library OF "a, ooo
Volumes sud from thssv Nit Ssvsd cots his essy dcnon
| snd psfpStssi tseyttaSA