The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-30
The Congressional Library

y The library was founded April 24th,
+ 1900. Then no library In the country
exceeded fifteen thousand volumes. Yet
when tho proposition was made, the fol-
lowing year, to allow thousand dol
lars for the purchase of books, Senator
Bayard said it was claimed swe were
the most enlightened people on the face
Of the earth." But he wisely added,
III that was not altogether true, let us
be so'as much as possible." A h1assa-
chusetts Congressman advised the ap-
preparation of ten thousand dollars an
nually for library purposes. The thou
sand dollars year was agreed upon
for3tenlS years; then for nine years two
thousand a year !; then five thousand,
andfin 1854 ten thousand dollars were
appropriated to enlarge the Library.
Twice 1t has been burned-ln 1914,
when the Capitol was burned by the
British and in 1861 by q fire arising
from defective due. In 1916 the Tho
mas Jefferson Library, of seven thou
sandtvolumes, was bought at the ,st of
$23, $50, long credit for payment max
inglt.a good purchase. Mr.. Jefferson
had been fifty years collecting these
books, and many Of of them related to
American history. Mr.. Spofford, Sthe
accomplished librarian, divides the lib
rary into flveepochs, beginning with.
this purchase. Next after the fire in 1851,
$50, 900 were appropriated for books
and $72, 500 to repair the room, and that
wasithe first time in America of using
cast Iron for the interior Of any edifice.
BEFORE the fire of 1861, the collection
numbered Fl lfty-flve thousand volumes;
the fire reduced them to twenty thou
sanf 90 that we might call the library
notSmuch more than century old.
Again, the third epoch, when the Smith
5 soniani Scienific brary was added in
1865. The fourth epoch, 1867, when
\ the fre-proof wings were added and
the Peter Force library purchased for
100 600. The fifth epoch was In 1870,
! + l'l, the introduction of the copyright sys.
& tenn, which makes the library the re-
Sotpient of all publications protected by
law; this immense source tor obtaining
/; books and publications costing the gov
Sernment nothing. The Smithsonian
collection Is owned on the Responsible
'ofsmaking it's stores contribute to
the diffusion of knowledge among mon;
thus 1t seems obligatory that the.ii
brary be accessible to the people. 1t
SHOULD be iopon evenings which It is
not ow:for those who cannot come
by day. II the Royal society Of Lon
on had not rejected Mr.. James Smith
aon'e contribution to scientific research,
'itwould have received his fortune in
stead Of the United States. 1t amouh-
/; s;tstd to 1851 900, and of this, $4,000 a
year arc devoted to procuring, publish
ing, and distributing original contribu-
2tions to human knowledge; this con-
stains tho transactions Of learned socie-
ties all over the globe. The library
and its recovery from two fires, from
1900 to 187S-had cost $84O, 900. Now
. he country has 8, 700 librarlo contain
ing IL, ,0O0, 600 Volumes. The library
has doubled the numbdr Of volumes
twice In fifteen years. It has now 352.-
~ 4bvolumes and 100000 pamphlets, and
+ will, no doubt, have 1900, 900 before
the close OF the century. Unless we
eswish'to be at the expense Of two bull
'dings for this purpose, 1t is necessary
s"has'this shall be two-thirds the size of
rs. kl!e cspltoi. only twe' 'pean
/ ibrarles outnumberr Utah
Museum library,Y o,0Oo
cOst~ 'qre
proud Ofsit% "
have me- ,.sto,
,Slle' AIRS
rr