The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-06-04
CARRYING A LIBRARY IN HIS HEAD.
A Coiored Man IN Washington whom
Lawyers All over the Country
Know.

/
Know.
Opposite the winding staircase which
aseends to the rotunda, and directly be-
meath the Supreme Court room, is the
finest law library in this country, II con,
tains Gs,00O volumes. and the annual
editions amount TO about 1000 volumes.
Though nominally part OF the miscel.
ianeous library, and under the jurisd !ction
of Mr.. Spofford, 1t has had for years Its
librarian and separate accommodations.
Within the portals of this vast collection
the profoundest lawyers of the United
States have laboriously traced legal prin-
ciples and marshalled arrays of authori-
ties. The rule of silence Is without
breach. In this legal reservoir there Is
that quiet which rests upon the waters in
whose depths genuine pearls alone are
found
The legal explorer meets with but one
annoyance. There is not n gas jet or lamp
within the room. No cmploye dare even
carry match. After the tire in 1851, which
proved so disastrous, II statute was
enacted prohibiting the use of combusti-
bles OF any kind within the libraries. And
thus, when dusk prevents the eye from
longer following the studied text, the
doors are closed, and, perhaps In the mid
ole OF sustained argument which the
the volume must be resigned
The assistant law librarian, John Fran
CHS Nicholas Wilkinson, is colored gen
tieman. He Is the Oldest attache In either
library, For twenty-eight years he has
Deen the familiar puryeyor Of the law
books, and in every leading Office OF the
larger cities he could find a lawyer whom
knONS m .iafto H.
reporter stagger him. He refers to no die
uonary to discover the meaning of initials
or condensed names used, but promptly
goes to the proper alcove and unerringly
brings forth the desired report, whether it
be one of n musty British series or some
earlier State collection Of opinions whose
editor sought to emhlazen his own name
la.on it rather than employ the modern
convenience of consecutive numbers. 1t
Is this perfect familiarity with tho library
which impresses Mr.. Wilkinson upon the
visitor. The pages OF the Supreme Court
justices are momentarily coming down
with acquisitions for authorities that may
range from the ancient Brehon laws,
french causes cclebrcs, or reports Of the
Court dc Cessation to the whole domain
OF American decisions With the pre-
cision OF aSwiss bell-ringer Mr.. Wilkinson
draws out the required works from the
shelves. But what is more remarkable as
q 1eat OF memori2ins Is the accuracy of
his recollection of cases. He has no need
OF recourse to digcsts to locate the leading
cases In our jurisprudence The library
has grown during Mr.. Wilkinson's incum-
bency from 1900 to u, OOe volumes. but he
has kept pace with II;
For six generations back Mr.. Wilkinson's
ancestors have been free He has ART
can, Indian and white blood in his veins.
In 1881, when the fear Of slave insurrec-
ton terrorized the South, and the free
negroes were driven from Virginia, Wilk- |
lnson's father became resident of Wash |
lngton, where he was caterer to the lead |
ing statesmen who messed together there.
The son was early placed in a brickyard. |
and followed brickmaking until he was I'd |
years old, filling the winter intervals with |
catering and playing in band. In 1857 |
he was employed as a laborer to assist in |
cleaning the general library. Congress |
made an appropriation for an additional |
!aborer, and Wilkinson got the permanent |
job. Wilkinson was soon detailed to the |
law library, AID there, through the grades |
d laDorer, messenger, and assistant libra |
ran, he has served ever since In 1862 Mr., |
Lincoln removed John S. Meehan, the law
Librarian, after thirty-one years service.
md appointed DIR. Stevenson of Terre
iaute, in his place. The new appointee
discharged every employee except the
younger Meehan. Wilkinson was told |
hat it had been decided to employ no col
,red help. But he was restored in few
months, and the Supreme Court and
{eyerdy johnson, then ON the Library
requested that he be never re-
moved.