Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-21

CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY-A r.,r w,-.
THE LIBRARIAN.
There Is one branch of the government service
carried ON III luis city OF which comparatively
little Is known among the people. That ia the
copyright department of the Iibrarv NJ Con-
gress. This bureau was organized as recent,v as
1870, when, for the first time the business ot
registry of copyrights and the deposit of con,ee
OF books and other publications was transferred
from the clerks of the United States d;strict
courts to this one central office at WASHINGTON
At the same time the original records of cow.
rights which were previously scattered in about
sixty dinerent omces all over the country, were,
by law, placed In charge Of the librarian of Con.
gress who is now sole custodian of al, convrioht
records, and whose signature is necessary tn na,.
feet a copyright. The advantages of a centro,
place of registry and deposit for Copyright nnb.
lications are manifold. In the first place, any
question OF literary property can be settled by a
reference to the files, as a Completes and excei.
lent system Of indexes has been carried out by
sibie to establish any fact as to the ownerShip or
validity OF copyright property on account OF the
widely scattered records which con tanned the
system of fndexing, first by authors, second by
publishers, and third by titles or subjects. any
publication can be traced in q few moments,
and any question concerning 1t satisfactorily
answered.
THE ACCUMULATION OF BOOKS.
Another great advantage from the deposit of
copies of publications in Washington" said the
librarian. Mr.. Spoford, to a STAR reporter, ais
seen in the rapid accumulation in the library of
Congress (Which is open to all the peopIe) OF the
entire product of the American press so far MS
1t embodies books, periodicals, musical compo-
sitions and works OF art, protected by the COPY
right laws. The rapid growth of the Copyright
deposits accounts for the enormous size of many
but our Congressional library is destined to spr.
pass them in a not very remote future. The
literary activity of the United States is ncreas-
ing every year. and as the library of Congress
receives two copies OF every book copyrighted
within ten days after its publication it eau
readily be seen, that the accessions from this
source alone Will form o gOOd-siZed library in
themselves. One of these copies goes into the
library proper for circulation, the other is re-
be ia ken out. The annual increase of the Con-
grcssional library varies from 10000 to 5000
volumes even now. Besides this there has been
accumulated during the last fifteen years, with
out any COST a great collection OF works of art,
such as engravings, chromos, photographs
aay aRe whs WI n
gress ever builds a library and art gallery to
contain the wealth OF material which now
full to overfiOwng. 1t Is almost Incredible that
Congress takes no step to provide for this mag
ntficent library; yet for fifteen years it has
turned deaf ear to the suggestions of the Ii
brarian, who is compelled to utilize the dark
and damp recesses on the ground floor for stor-
age rooms, where the books and other valuable
THE GROWTH OF THE PUBLISHING BUSINESS.
ut may give some idea OF the great extent
and rapid growth Of copyrights in this country"
continued the librarian, "to state the fact that
the annual entries of copyrights now exceed
70, 900, being several thousand more than the
patents annually issued by that great institu-
ton, the Patent office. The business has grown
from less than 10000 entries the first year to
this enormous extent at the present time. AZ this
rate the copyright department will quadrupe
Itself In five years. The wide diversity of the
publications gathered together under the steady
operation of the copyright law is in itself an in
tere>ting fact. They embrace not only books of
every possible description and subject, from the
twenty volume encyclopaedia Of learning to the
dime novels Of the cheap publishing house, but
there have been accumulated over $685.
musical compositions, about the same number
illustrating all parts of the United States and
foreign countries, and O multitude of dramatic
compositions, many Of which, though deposited
in the library Of Congress as evidence of copy
right, are unpublished.
WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE READ.
"The publishing trade of the country" con-
tinued the librarian, twas never in SO pros
porous 0nd 4enterprising condition as at the
present time. This is abundaatly evidenced by
the entries in the copyright Office, there having
been, up to November l, 1885, about two thou
SAND more copyrights registered than in the
sane same months OF the year pfeceding very
are tranSlatfOns, reprints, and compilations
from original works long sine. published. The
cyclopaedias books OF reference, selections In
prose and verse made up from the works Of
wci-knHwn writer's and subscription serials.
Publishers, in fact, find a rehashng Of the old
and familiar, literary works more profitable
than the issue of fresh originals. Magazine lite
nature is also fruitful source of revenue to
publishers. Every one OF the standard maya
zines is a paying investment and yields hand
some dividends to its owners. In short, q we'll
edited and ab!y-conducted magazine or peri
Odical cannot fail TO succeed among the people
Of the United States, WHO are willing to pay for
good literature in any form. 1t Is the dross that
finds its own proper level; the pure lives and
obtains a ready market in the homes of the
reading public"
BURIED UNDER A FALLING WALL.-Part of
the walls OF the recently burned Empire mills
in Bethune street, New York, were not SO badly
damaged as to be considered unfit for use, and
workmen were Thursday engaged in br;icing
| them preparatory to rebuilding Suddenly, the
front wall gave way and six workmen and
young woman named Mrs. kohn were buried
in the debris. The woman was taken out dead.
One of the men was fatally injured.
| Mo2MONS ATTACK GOVERNMENT OFFICERS.
A telegram from Franklin Idaho says that
Deputy Marshals Bennett, Greene aud Stalker
arrested Thomas Lowe for Illegal cohabitation,
After the arrest u mob endeavored to rescue
| the prisoner and drive the marshals from the