The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-23
Circulating Libraries In Japan.

IHE circulating library IS OF prehlstOf-
ic origin among the japanese people who
long ago Devised this means to obtain a
knowledge of the copious literature of
their language in convenient and eco
nomical manner. At present there are
many of these libraries in Tokio-some
put the number as high as thousand-Of
which those of D. Iseya and Nagatoya
are the principal. A few facts concern
ing the business of the former gentle
man may be interesting as indicating its
scope and extent. The library contains
about thirty thousand volumes, mostly
treating of light popular themes, nara
tives of the heroes of history and ro-
nance, tales of love and murder, sprin-
killed. with a few books on science and 9TH
er more solid subjects. The works most
sought after are, among others, the San
gOkushi, or narratives of battles of the
three countries in seventy five volumes !;
Taikoki, or Life of Hideyoshi, in three hun
dred and sixty volumes; Sanad Sandaiki,
or Life of Iyeyssu, in one hundred and
fifty volumes; Siukoden, or the story of
One Hundred and Eight Balls, in seven
ty. five volumes; Hakken-den, or the story
of Eight Dogs, in one hundred and six
volumes, and Nanba Sanki. or the Battle
of Osaka, in sixty four volumes. Of the
novels, which are mere as predOminantly
love stories as in all nations on the face
of the globe as far as heard from, Ume-
60 yomi, Musume setsuyo and Yanagino
yokogushi are the most esteemed. The
first of THESE three is the longest, the woes
and joys being drawn out in that work to
the almost insupp0rtable extent of sixty
volumes!
These books are distributed throughout
the city by the proprietor, if the library
be small affair, or by apprentices if Of
large proportions. The literary itinerants
may be easily distinguished by the high
pile of books borne on the back and
wrapped in cloth coverlet, forming a
grotesque bundle which the artists and
carvers never tire of depicting in all kinds
OF ludicrOus exaggeration. The customers
of MIR. 1seya are about two hundred in
number, though it is to be presumed that
each of the units that make up this aggre-
gate is, 50 to speak, collective noun,
representing large reading circle. The
prices paid by the borrowers vary from
three mills to three cents and two mills a
volume, the rates being very nearly equal,
through the operation OF long COMPETE
ton between the libraries. The most
NOolly OOOhS n1C AO1 uCCCSS0AAJy tuC ldI kCSt
nor those packed with the most useful in
formation, for in this department of human
activity, rs in others, the demand for, not
the merit of, work regulates the market
price. The cheapest, strange az it may
seem at first sight, are the bulkiest, which
are general manuscripts. These are writ
ten, as desired by the patrons, at the cost
of one mill and half a page. A good
penman can cover 100 pages day, at 4
compensation therefor of fifteen cents.
This labor is performed by the proprietor
in the intervals of business, or by his
clerks.
The Government, recognizing the use
fulness of the Libraries and the inability
of their customers, who are mostly found
among the lower classes Of society, to bear
any unnecessary burdens, subject these
institutions to no tax. In return they are
forbidden to sell any volumes, unless at
auctions which are held twice or thrice q
year, at which times the used up books
are sold or exchanged for what they will
fetch. These discarded volumes make
their way, step after step, to the pavement
dealers, whose stock OF second hand lit
erature is often Is curious, of its kind, as
any to be found in the by-ways of New
York or London. What becomes of them
finally, a. what becomes of the pins, is q
mystery. But we may be sure that before
they find themselves in the paper.mill de-
posits, or are entirely annihilated by sim
pie attrition, they have carried from home
to home an aggregate sum of information
or delight which it would be hard to esti-
mate.-Iokio Times.