The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-01-12
The Library of Congress.

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| Everybody visits the Library of Con
Igress who visits the Capitol and ad
mires the three grand halls--the m il
ons facing west, aanked by another
hall of equal length on either side. The
entire portion Of the Western projection
in the centre of the original Capitol i,
embraced 10 the Library. From tn,
central door Of the main hall the ives
tern portleo is approached, where sight
scers always betake themselves to gaze
upoa the finest panorama Of the city
offered from any point. Seeing the
view, and casting second hasty glance
around the library, it is usually con-
sidered that nothing more OF interest
remains to be enjoyed, and visitors go
elsewhere. But this portion Of the
Capitol does not merit SO peremptory a
dismissal. In the first place this Lii.
brary is remarkable as the only one in
the world into which no wooden shelly.
ing and no combustible material has
been introduced. IL is absolutely fire
proof. Ia the next place, as Library
Of reference for modern works it com
parss favorablJ with leading European
libraries, though it cannot compete
with them in literature of the middle
ages or rare old manuscripts Of more
ancient date. It has its treasure within
its spacious shelves, among its 200 900
volumes. The range of shelving is
astonishing, being nearly FIVE miles III
its entire extent; this includes the
measurement of the shelving in the
Law Library in another portion of the
building.
Among the treasured volumes most
highly valued is the "Codex Siuaiti.
Gus" being printed copy Of an original
Crock manuscript of the New Tesla
ment, and edited by Tischendorf, a
learned Hebrew scholar Of Germany
(by whom the manuscript was discovered
in convent Of Mt Sinai, aud printed
and presented by the Russian govern.
ment to our own and other governments.
The text Of this is fac smile of that
of the manuscript, and the version is
pronounced By scholars to be at least as
old as that of the Vatican, aud more
complete. 1t was discovered only in
1857. Among the illustrated works
are the Ave folio volumes of "Goulds
Monograph of the Trochilida" Cor
family of humming birds in which
life.size pictures OF the birds are given
in chrome lithography and lly means Of
a secret method which has been patent
ed gloss is given to the pictures aud
radiance to the brilliant coloring OF
those b;r..s having apparently jeweled
crests, which imparts glitter as Of
gems to the feathers, produced by no
other style Of colored print. The fora
among which these birds build their
nests j. also very wonderfully repro.
duced. The BRAZILIAN government has
had prepared and presented to oar gov
eminent magnificent grand folio vol.
ume, entitled Descourlitz's Brazilian
0r1ithology," which was published in
gorgeous style in London. The text Of
this work is French. The binding is
the finest red morocco, skillfully iulaid
with a map Of the country, and with
representations 10 green morocco and
gold leaf of the palm trees Of Brazil. The
fiy.leaves are of white watered silk. The
plates are fue specimens of tinted litho.
grapky.
Iu files of newspapers the library is
rich. The files of all the prominent
New York dailies are regularly kept,
and complete files are preserved Of many
of them from the date Of their publica-
ton. The London Times is filed from
l496, but it assumed no importance for
six years or so afterwards. A complete
file Of the London Gazette is also kept
from 1896 up to date, and of the British
Royal Kaiender from 1772 to date. The
Almanac de Gotha is also preserved
from l776, ten years from the date Of
its first publication, up to the present
time. The files Of all newspapers nov
or heretofore published in Washington
are complete.
1t IS customary for the principa
newspapers each to send copies of it,
daily edition to the library Of Congress
free. Strange TO say among the large
cities, the journals Of Chicago aud st
Louis do not observe this rule. Frou
the South, since the war, the Mobil,
(Ala,) Register is the only paper for
warded to the library.
The books most used in this librar.
are the legal, political aud historical
works. Works Of fiction bear a small
proportion to other Glasses Of literature
Three alcoYes alone are occupied b
novels and the like. and these nlcoye