Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-02-28

of awe and reverence as representing
men of higher natures, greater hearts
and stronger intellects than we now
produce. And when in place Of the
dust authors daub their venerable faces
SO as to make caricatures Of them We
get a feeling Of contempt and disgust.
Hence the failure of this literary series
is a thing to rejoice over.
The Trustees of Columbia College
have capital scheme under considera-
ton. Since the new wing of the col
lege has been completed, it has been
determined to considerably enlarge the
library, by the addition of such valua-
bic ancient and modern works as will
prove genuine and valuable aid to
the professional literary worker. The
Lenox Library which has wonderful
collection of literature gems is of little
practical utility, on account of the
amount of red tape one has to wade
through before being able to secure
admission. The Astor Library is good
as far as it goes; but, as it does not
open until ten A NJ and closes at four
P M, the literary worker, who is not a
person of leisure, and is, as rule busy
during those hours in earning his daily
bread and butter, is practically debarr-
ed from using its advantages. The
Columbia College Library, however,
will be open from eight A M till ten P
M. Eighty small tables will be placed
in the reading room, and the electric
light will be fixed so that students
will have every material aid for their
work. Moreover the trustees are OPP
posed to introducing the red tapeism
in vogue at the Lenox Library. OF
course care will be exercised in admit
ting persons to the library, but the Ii
brarian will be provided with consid-
cradle discretionary power, so as to in
aict no unnecessary Inconvenience on
applicants.
The Astor Library, by the way is
growing more and more mockery, so
far as carrying out the objects for
which the late John Jacob Aston
founded it, are concerned. It forms a
nice berth for number Of nice young
men Of literary aspirations, where they
may do their own work and draw a
comfortable salary. Very few of the
assistant librarians care or can assist
the applicant for information at their
desks. 1t would be well if the trustees
would give them somewhat Of an over
hauling, and thus stir them from their
lotos eating sommolescence.
The London fashion of stunning
it," that is to say of fashionable people
visiting the portions Of the city where
the poor, degraded and vicious make
their haunts, eat, drink, sleep, live and
die, has of course seized our dudes and
dudines, and it is now quite the correct
thing among the upper tendon of our
Anglo maniac society, to visit Baxter
Street, Mulberry and Mott Street, Wa
ter Street and portions Of Thompson
and Bleecker Street. Parties of eight
or twelve are made up. The ladies put
on plain clothes, wells, and arm them
selves with smelling salts. They hire
coaches, the services of a detective or
two are engaged and the party starts
out. They see everything from slug
cling match to an opium den. They
remain out until two or three o'clock in
the morning, and the sights and scenes
thus visited afford beautiful topic Of
conversation, small talk and contiden-
tial whisper for weeks after. Some
good of course is done by these adven-
turous expeditions. 1t opens the eyes
of one half the world to the mode in
which the other half lives, and thus
the efforts of reformers in the slums
receive a more substantial backing than
they would otherwise receive.