Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-05-07

in the way but the statute of May IL
1867, expressly declares the wife to be in
competent, as witness for or against tn
husband
Yours, with respect,
GEORGE W. KNAEBEL,
Clerk of City Court
THR FLETCHER LIBRARY.-0ur reader
must not suppose because little has beer
said Of late about the Fletcher Free Library
that little has been doing toward getting i
in readiness for public use. The work 0
purchasing, eataloe uing, and providing in
creased accommodations for the increasing
number Of volumes has been going steadil y
forward and has now reached point
where the Trustees must be able say thai
they can see through the work prelimi-
nary to the opening. OF the amount Of thi,
work absolutely necessary few have the re-
motest conception and no one probably
can fully understand 1t without actual ex-
peiience in some undertaking Of the kind
1t i kind Of work which cannot be well
done in a hurry. 1t is being done too
thoroughly to admit of haste-and it will
not have to be done over.
The greatest Improvement which strikes
the eye On entering the Library, is the gal
lery recently added This surrounds the
room on three sides. Ii Is eighteen feet
wide, and IT, edge is guarded by neat
black-Ha.aat railing. Ii is reached By
stairs ut the north end Of the room Ii
gives a mary alcoyes above d there are
below, with the addition Of shelves across
the south end above, where there are none
below. Il thus little more than doubles
the shelf room in the Library. This add
The books now in the Library would more
than f. the shelves, as originally planned.
/ As it l., there Is ample room for all, and
room for tie additions ensured by the fund, .
/ for probably five years TO come. The gal
| lery i supported on neat, turned pillars Of
native wood, oiled. A railing, surmount-
cd By a broad reference shelf Tor the con-
yeuicrce Of the users Of the Library. fences
in the alcoves below. These additions
greatly improve the appearance Of the
room as wei as add to It's capacity and con-
venience for IL users.
The fund for the original purchases :
now substantially expended. and it has been
spent with admirable economy and
judgment Good judges have assured Us
that they find It difficult to understa ID how
such a number Of such good books could
have been bought for SO 600 Though,
of course. some serious gaps remain 10 be
filed, the library IS to-day one that the
Trustees aud the city have no reason to be
ashamed Of The books now number about
: 100 No, Of them are now arranged in
the alc9ye,. They axe classified in the fol-
lowing order
Above
l. Nltural Sciences
> Eaglish and Foreign History
;. American History E-clesiastieal Hi
tory.
4 English Fiction
5. TRANSACTIONS American Fiction Jl.
veulle Literature.
Is. Voyages and Travels
:. Biography.
= Fine Arts Poetry.
g. Periodicals Public Documents
10. Domestic Science Political Science.
II. Theology; Medicine
i. Periodicals..
- French Fiction.
Il. Language and Literature English
Literature, English Collected Works
Is English Essays French Collected
Works and Essays American Collected
Works and Essays.
l6 Public Documents and Periodicals
l.. Reference Department.
Each Of these larger divisions has its sub
divisions. The classification Is the work Of
Miss Il Il. Ames, Of Boston, the accom-
plished lady to whom the task Of arranging
and catsloguing the library has been en-
trusted A. Miss Ames has already been
several months upon this work. and as some |
persons find il difficult TO understand how |
50 much time can be required for 1t, We
may explain briefly that her work involves. |
in fact, the making OF three catalogues. Fnst |
Is the Accession Catalogue" so-ealled, |
which i a manuscript Record Of the books. |
for the use Of the Librarian and Trustees, the /
books not being classified in it, but entered as
the invoices are received. The record of each |
work i comprised under fifteen heads, in |
Guiding the number Of the entry the au-
thor : name, the title OF the book the .
number OF volumes the siz3. date and
place Of publication, Illustrations, style Of
binding, cost, and source from which II was
obtained. This catalogue Is substantially
that Is TO say it is written up to
tae more recent additions. Ii will never be
actually completed. We hope, as we trust
books will always be coming in. Next is
the ''Shelf Record. catalogue classified
according to the arrangement on the shelves,
Or the use OF the librarian Next is the
printed catalogue for the public This viii
,e complete lpha betic4l list, both Of au-
hors and books. with ''cross references 10
ubjects and all needed information to
lirect the search Of those who desire TO con-
ult the library. This will be as complete
nd perfect catalogue a. any public libra
Y possesses. The mere mechanical labor
# - many entries involves large outlay Of
line. Aad when To this is added the time
eeded Tor examination. Classification, and
tatements Of contents, and for the vertical
ion OF all the entries in order to the ut
most accuracy, it can be seen that the work
must necessarily be slow The Trustees,
owever. have not bean willing to be con-
emit with any second class work in this
natter, and the friends OF the library
honld be glad TO know that this most
Important task. for the future usefulness of
be Library, has been committed to such
ompetent hands. Miss Ames has cata-
1gued. in whole or in part, several Of the ,
hottest public and private Libraries in the I
ountry. and she has no superior for such
3rvice. :
For the information of those who are in ,
atient to have the Library thrown open to {
le public, we are glad to be able to add, i
lat We are authorized TO say that it Will be a
pen an the course of tbs sunlnser-and as q
,on as it can BE-, with due regard to the \
ire of the Library, and the convenience of 7
lie public. The Trustees, We believe, are i
anxious as anybody ) see it open and !,
due tiase they wal announce d date, :,
hen the literary treasure in their charge
i'll be available for the service Of our citi-
ms. a
WaitsGeld, Vt. Changers have voted to q
'end the sth day Of May in setting out b
trees. shade trees and willows o
, the brook shrubs and flowers in the oar Y