The Penn's Grove record., 1884-10-18

their romantic Interest They hardly
size Mr.. Corcoran up to more than
n tenth of the amount ascribed to
his exchequer, although his property
at the capital and elsewhere is very
productive and very valuable. IL may
be said Of Mr.. Corcoran that he is one
Of those philanthropists who keeps his
left hand thoroughly posted upon what
his right hand Is doing, and his beney-
olent contributions (public and priyate)
are so thoroughly panoplied with con-
ditiops, that the name Of COrcoran will
scarcely grope its way to posterity ly
the side of that Of Howard, Peabody
or'any one OF a dozen others whose
charities partook of none Of the osten-
tation that Mr.. Corc0ran exacts as a
condition precedent and subsequent to
his gratuities. After four score and
more, Mr.. Corcoran finds himself en-
Toying the best of health, despite the
fact that the doctors gave him up as a
dead man thirteen years ago. He has
outlived all three of the doctors who
then predicted his early demise, and
under his abstemious and altogether
plain mode of living, there seems TO be
no reason for suspeUting that he will
occupy bis elaborate tomb at Oak Hi
Cemeteryf for many a moon.
There are upwards of 800, 600 books
in the Congressional Library to-day,
with o upon the shelves for about
%oue-fourth of them. What on earth
car be expected in the way of utilizing
a library with 400, 600 of its best vol
umes piled up helter-skelter on the floor
epd the Other 200 900 in double rows
on the shelves, may be demonst rated
by those who are crying out against
the construction of a new library ca
pacious enough for the storage at least
of this vast multitude of books-the
largest in the world. Besides this
slowing away of books, valuable maps
of reference. engTavings etchings, etc ,
are necessarily hidden away from pub
lie view, possibly not to see the light of
day for another generate II, And
there are newspapers and periodicals
that are intended to meet the current
wants of the member, which are like
wise consigned to the dark recessfs of
the base ment Of the capitol. 1t is a
positive shame and disgrace to The
American name, that foreign visitors
who come here should always find the
Congressional Library the fit subject
for their canting criticism, when a
four-hundredth part Of tho money "
ing idle in the Treasury vaults would
furnish a library building that would
be ii lasting credit to a people who can
thus show their ability to sustain the
largest library in all the world.
l see that the campaign speeches
this year have but little to say about
the abuses of the contigent fund of the
two llous,s of Congress. Aud vel
they may, for one party is just as ead
as the other when it comes to the fool
ish squandering of the peoples money,
| have just fea5ted my eyes upon IN
account made for a member, by Mr.
Adams when he was clerk OF The Boust
and which he must have certified 70 a
beingnecessary for that members DIS
charge of his Congr .ssional duties
The articles embrace perfumery, cases
fans, toothpicks, fourteen-carat cLarn
pencils, cologne. pocket-knive', hand.
kerchief-boXes, odor cases, opera grass
Is, brushes, shaving-cases and Wis
ting -lis's. 1t it time that this con
tingent business should be abolished.
Dom PEDRO.