The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-10-20
THE STATE LIBRARY.

The STATE LIBRARY.
Curiostties OF Literature and Relics
of war-A Place Little known hut
we'll wOrth Getting Acquainted
with-A STORY from Ancient His
tOry-A Few Of the CurfOsftfes.
From the Indianapolis Sentinel.
The state library is terra incogni-
ia, place sometimes heard of, but
never visited by a great majority OF
the citizens of the state and even OF
this city. Why this is SO is lone of
those things no fellow can find out"
In former years one small room was
sufficient to contain all its works, but
it gradually increased in size until,
when the state officers removed to the
building they now occupy, it seized
upon the entire west side of the lower
floor of the state house and now fills
it with all such things as library is
expected to contain, and a great many
things which surprise the visitor.
One entire room and parts OF two
others are filled with curiosities of a
general nature, and mementoes of the
Mexican and civil wars. On entering
the curiosity room one of the first OBJ
jects to attract attention is laded
dressing gown, hanging in glass case.
Not that there is anything peculiar in
it's appearance; but it is an unexpect
ed sight in such place. The inscrip
ton on the card attached shows that
the garment was once the property of
the infamous Wirtz, the commander
of the horrible prison pen at Andcr-
sonville. It is made of brown cloth,
having through it stripes of mingled
h1coI cv,l
ordinary enough looking garment to
have been worn by less notorious
parsonage than its former owner. 1t
library by Lieutenant Sherman, OF
company e. 32d Indiana volunteers.
As showing the extremities to which
the soldiers were often put for writing
material, there is hanging in the same
case a letter from the we'll known and
erratic E. NJ. B. Hooker, of the Goth
Indiana. addressed to Governor Nor
ton. The letter is written on
PIECE OF THIN BARK
stripped from a tree under which the
writer was encamped and is dated
July Oath, 1862, Army Of the Poto-
mac, Turkey Bend of James River"
It is written in Hooker's characters
tic style, and expresses the intention
of the soldiers, to go ION to Rich
mond." One of the most prominent
objects of interest is an ancient armOr
of brass and steel which was brought
back from the halls of the Montezu-
mas" by some enthusiastic volunteer
in the Mexican war. A look at it
brings to mind the pictures sometimes
seen by wealthy people on the backs
of national currency, in which DeSoto
and his mailed explorers first shove
up their vizors to gaze upon the tur-
gid waters of the Mississippi. The
armor may have been worn by Cortez,
when he marched through the land of
the sun-but probably it wasn't.
Side by side with this armor is a
breastplate, found in Zollicoffer's
evacuated camp. on the morning of
January 20, 1862, by Lieut.. Col. Kise,
OF the Tenth Indiana. It is hardly
gotten up in the handsome style OF its
companion, but has dents in it that
show what would have been the fate
Of its wearer had he been unprotected.
AS showing what the ladies at home
were doing for their husbands, lovers
and friends who were wearing the
blue on Southern battle-fields there
are displayed number Of flags and
badges, relics of the Sanitary Fair"
of 1864. Among the mementoes of
''the days of 76' ia case of fac SINH
lies of continental money, from 1854
to that issued In accordance with an
act of the first congress. The first
of the value of twenty shillings was
printed by Benjamin Franklin, gem
tleman who attained some notoriety
during the war and the troul.lous
times following it and also published
some of the sayings of one Poor
Richard" The last is of the value of
50, ''Spanished Milled." From among
a mass of old documents, relics of the
mound builders and implements of
the Aztecs, there stares up a copy of
the inaugural address of Gov. Jen-
nings, delivered in 1916. AS the visi-
tor turns to leave the room he is con-
fronted by lot Of tea box hieroglyph-
les which he, on closer investigation,
discovers to be the signatures of
party OF japanese acrobats who stop
ped at the old Palmer house several
years ago. Col. JEFF. Scott contribu-
ted the curiosity, which is of great in
terest to Celestial visitors to the IL
brary, that is, it will be when they
come. Here also are kept the flags of
the regiments that went from this
state during the war. and some of
those captured from the other side.
SOME RARE BOOKS.
Here and there on the shelves are
rare old works, which would delight
the soul of book worm, especially
one who rejoices in the dead languages.
A mong the works in Latin is a COM
mentary on the entire Scriptures.
Were it not in FIVE large volumes it
could scarcely sustain the title, which
is: "Mathaei Poll, Londiniensis. Sy-
1opsis, Criticorum, Aliorumque Scrip.
tur@ Sacra. Interpretum ct Comment
atorum summo alb eodem studio and
fide adornata. Edito recentior. reyisa
ct amends plurimus repurgata. Cum
Saorcn Conan r.o