Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-01

veIlum, issued in the thirteenth century. a
copv OF Eliot's Indian Bible, and the var.
ious works written by Cotton and Increase
Mather. The departments of miscellaneous
literature are very full also, Many an old
novel forgotten long, ago; many q poem,
song or play, dead AID buried for two or
three score Of years. can he exhumed from
this vast literary %catacomb. The aim
always has been to collect everything pub.
lisbed in the United States that could be
obtained, and rs much OF foreign literature
AS possible. Only members Of Congress
and about forty high officials have the
right to take books away from the library,
but many residents of WASHINGTON have
no difficulty in obtaining any book they
want, to take to their homes, through
orders from some accommodating Con-
gressman or Senator with whom they hap
pen to be acquainted. All persons over Is
years OF age have the privilege OF freely
using the books inside the halls, and every
day the rooms are filled with readers, many
Of whom come from various sections Of
the country to avail themselves OF the use
Of these literary stores in their researches
upon different subjects. This library,
gathered primarily for the use of the legis-
lative and judicial branches OF the Govern
ment, has o grown 40 entirely beyond
the wants OF Congress that it's use and
benefi 8 should not be confined within the
original limits. Whenfth new building is
erected an effort will be made to have it
open every day and every evening OF the
week az a free public library.
There is little doubt that the President
will sign the House bill, and that work
upon the new structure will be speedily be-
gun. The building is to be located on
Capitol Hill, just east of the Capitol. The
-~ko-so1 I'LL --~Iol I L. - -
be in modified Gothic style Of architecture,
45Ox3OO feet, two stories high, with two
central spires and corner pavillions and
numerous arched windows in the facade.
It will have an alcove capacity of 1854, 76O
volumes, exclusive OF newspaper files, music
in sheets, unbound pamphlets, etc.. for all
of which ample provisions are made, to- /
gether with circular reading rooms 100 feet
in diameter, and exhibit halls for Wash
the graphic fine arts, ETC., in
the second story The illustration given
above is from a photograph Of the archi-
tect's drawings as originally submitted. |
and only conveys an idea Of the general
of the structure. The other Illus
t~rations give come idea Of the cramped
quarters in which the library is now
For comparison with the other large
Libraries of the world, the following Stats
tics are compiled from the latest attain
a~blesources. The largest library in the world
that Of the French, at Paris, which
claims to-day upward Of 2 ,OOO, 600 printed
books and 100, 900 manuscripts. Between
The Imperial Library at st. Petersburg and
he British Museum it is difficult to say
which is the larger. Neither will vary much
rom LOO, 600 volumes. The Royal
of Munich has now some
hing over 100000, but this in
.ludes 100000 pamphlets. the Royal
at Berlin contains 7OO,O the
library at Copenhagen, $40, 900; the library
vt Dresden, 100000; library at Vienna,
EOO, 600; Universary Library at Gottingen,
Germany, 4OO. 1000. The Vatican Library
It Rome has about 10000 printed books,
nd commenced in 1873. There are about
ixty other libraries in Europe larger than