Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-01

his, continued in the family from genera
ton to generation, and now believed to be
the Oldest copy of the Bible in the United
States. 1t was used at the Inauguration OF
Governor Booth as Governor of this State
in December, 1871 two commissions, one
appointing John G.. Symmes Ensign of In
fantry, and signed by Thomas Jefferson
the other, appointing benjamin Lockwood
Lieutenant of sub-Legion of Infantry, and
signed by George Washington; % Virgilius
Maronis OPERA" 1914; Sir William Stan
ford's Les Plees del Coron," 1888; and an
Illuminated praverbook, done by hand on
parchment at date unknown, but evident
ly by monks in the latter part of the
twelfth century Apart from these, and a
few others of more recent date, the library
is composed of
WORKS OF PRACTICAL VALUE.
1t has been the aim of the managers to first
secure such books as would best assist our
lawmakers and State officers in an intelli-
gent discharge of their duties To the
accom- plishment of this end the law library
was established and has been brought to
its present high degree of perfection. A
department of political science and political
economy, with its kindred subjects OF
finance, banking commerce, insurance and
statistics, has received marked attention,
and i'll it are represented nearly all the
standard authors, from Adam Smith to the
present. embracing almost every shade OF
economic thought, from the radical on the
one side to his antipodes on the other.
Ricardo, Ray, Bastiat, McCulloch, Mill,
Mcleod, Carey, Walker, Wells, Woolsey,
and a host of Others are all here, together
with large collection of books and news
papers illustrative of similar subjects. But
other fields have not been lost sight Of
THE MEDICAL LIBRARY
Is remarkably complete, and contains the
standard authors on both general and spe-
cific subjects, complete collection of the
Sydenham Society publications, numbering
several hundrM volumes; complete sets OF
Woods Medical Library and Guy
Hospital Reports" and the principal med
zeal and surgical journals of England and
America. Among the recent additions to
this department are a large number OF
standard works on homeopathy. With his
tory and biography the library is especially
well supplied, the volumes in these depart
ments numbering many thousands In
view of the present and future importance
of the question of irrigation in this State,
special attention has been paid to works on
engineering, drainage and sanitary mat
ters and in them the library is specially
complete. The scientific departments
mineralogy, geology, astronomy chemistry
botany, mathematics, natural history. APP
piled mechanics-all contain the standard
and latest authors upon the subjects, and
often lighter works for popular reading.
The practical and the useful being ALWAYS
kept i'll view in the building up of the
library,
ROMANCE AND FICTION
Have not received the attention that many
other departments have had bestowed on
them. Nevertheless the works of the best
authors in that line-Dickens, Thackeray
Bulwer, Fielding, SmOllet, Scott, Haw-
thorne, Eliot, De Foe, Lever, and numerous
others-are on the shelves, and, for general
reading the departments of poetry and
drama voyages and travels, and essays and
miscellaneous, are filled with vast variety
of works for both instruction and amuse-
ment, from Shakespeare Milton and Chau-
Ger, and Bacon, Burke and Lander and
North, down to the light and humorous
works of Mark Twain and Artemus Ward
The interest recently manifested in Indian
literature has resulted in the purchase ofthe
SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST"
Twenty-seven volumes, Just translated and
now edited by the famous philologist, Max
Muller. These books have long been closed
to the people of the Western world, and
now for the first time have the seals been
broken and the literature and worship and
religion of the Orient made known TO the
Occident. Many ofthe books are not new
nor were they purchased new from the
booksellers shelves. Works long since out
f,irlyo1 ut unnoVl I,o, 4
bookstores. or purchased at auction sales
and frequently English books tell strange
stories not found on the printed leaves
COats-Of-arms and names and titles of men
of noble rank are on the fy-leaves, and
tell the stories of fallen houses and ruined
families that once were great and wealthy
and covered with honor, but whose prop
erty at last was lost to them under the
hammer Of the auctioneer.
The library draws its support from two
sources: first from q system of exchanges
adopted pursuant to Law with sister States
and foreign countries, whence is derived
most of the laws law reports. and legis-
lative documents and reports: and second
from the fees paid to the Secretary of State
for the issuance of commissions, articles o.
INCORPORATION. certified copies OF laws anC
documents. etc. These amount to seyera
hundred dollars per month.
OFFICIAL CONTROL
The library is under he control of {
Board of Trustees, consisting of five mem
bers. elected by the Legislature in. join
Convention, and holding their offices fol
the term of four years. They serve with
out pay, but are authorized to appoint {
State Librarian, who serves at Il salary O
s., 600 per annum, and is eX otficio Secre
tarv of the Board. He in turn NAV appOin
two deputies.
The library is open and free to the use o
all who choose to avail themselves of it
but it is not circulating, in the ordinary
sense. Books may be taken therefrom b,
the members of the Legislature during leg
islative sessions, and by the State officers a
any time, and this privilege has usually
been extended to the medical profession
and the clergy by the Board of Trustees
But it is not the privilege of everybody il
the State, indiscriminateiy, To take books
from the place, and it IS well that this i.
SO. The larger part of the works are
mainly for reference, and should remain
where they can readily be found, and The
patrons of the library be assured OF the ust
of the work they want when they seek i
there.
follows: Board of Trustees-A c. Free
man. Of Sacramento, President; l. s
Belcher, of Marysville; ]. J. Owen, of Sar
Jose; f. W. Maslin, of Loomis, and Matt
r. Johnson. of Sacramento. State Libra
rian. Talbot II. Wallis; Deputies, c. +
Gum and F. F. Freeman
He'll Gate Illuminated
The experiment of Illuminating Hell
Gate with the electric light is pronounced
by the New York Herald a striking success
I