The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-10-14
THE N Alto II Ms LIBRARY J,

THE NATIONS LIBRARY.
A Big Concsrn and the Man who
Manages IT 0mn1sctent spofford.
A Washington correspondent Of; Tho
Cincinnati IMaes-Star writes: One Of
the busiest periods in Washington these
hot summer days Is Ainsworth r.
Spoford, the librarian Of congress.
While other people are disporting
themselves by mountain Or seaside he
is busy with his plans for the new;
library building. And while other
people are happy in their relief from
work he is more happy in the oppor-
tunity to devote himself to this work.
Il has been the pet project Of his ex-
istence for many years. There had:
been bill after bill in congress for the
erection Of . library building, and Mr..
spoford has been waiting for these
many years to see the accomplishment
Of his hopes, Now that the PROPOSE:
ton has actually become a fact and the
land for the site has been purchased,
he cheerfully relinquishes his summer
vacation for the work he has 50; long;
hoped to see accomplished.
Mr.. Spoford is i wonderful man.
Talk of2walking encyclopedias, he IS,
an encyclopedias of encyclopedias, and
q walking one. too. No matter what
you want to know, if it is to be found
out Of books you have only to 20 to;
Mr.. Spofford and he viii put You in a. q
way to find it He is one Of the busiest
men in Washington, but never too busy
TO answer aquestion relating to infor-l
nation 10 be had from books. Ap-5
proach him on any other subject than,
the one connected with his life study
and his replies are brief, often in mono.
syllables, showing that he takes no
interest in the subject. Turn the con-,
versation to books ora kindred topic,
and he is all attention. He has studied
the library buildings Of the world, and
the new building which isSto be con-
structed under his supervision will be a
model, SO far as it may with the rather.
limited sum which congress otardilyS
andgrudgingly gave for the preserva-.
ton Of the splendid library which Mr.
spofford has had in keeping and which.
has SO largely accumulated in the past
twenty-five; years. 5 KS
The library of congress, to which Mr..
tSpoford was appointed librarian by
President Lincoln in 1868, then consist
Of perhaps $4,000 volumes. Now it
contains ESQ, 900 volumes Of books and
pamphlets. Then its quarters were
considered commodious and capacious;
now they are crowded with piles and
boxes of books that can not be used
because there is not room for their dis
tributfon, and many dark rooms in the
basement Of the capitol are filed with
volumes which can not be given ac-
commodation in the library itself.
Then the salary Of the librarian and his
assistants was Sc, 900 or $1,000 year;
now their total salaries amount to
nearly $40, 900 a year. Then the library
was surpassed by many in different
parts Of the world; now there are but
four in the entire world which outrank
it at the rate Of increase which has
beon the rule for many years past, Mr..
Spoford will have round million of
books and pamphlets to store away in
his new library building wheni it is COM
pleted. The rate Of increase in the
number of works in8the library in the
past year has been very rapid. By law
every person who copyrights q book
must send two copies to the library.
Besides this congress gives from $780,
900 to $75, 900 8 year for the purchase
Of books for it and under the careful
management Of Mr.. Spofford this gives
a rapid increase III the number of its
works. The library now is increasing
at the rate Of nearly fifty thousand vol
umes a year. The collection is won
derful one. It comprises books in ten
different Languages, and on many i'm
portant subjects it has volume of
every work published. Many Of the
works upon the shelves are especially
valuable for their antiquity, while in
all new publications, both in this coun-
try and elsewhere, it keeps fully up to
the times.
The library, while it is called the
library Of congress, is really the library
Of the people. Anybody who visits it
may examine at his leisure any Of the
works upon its shelves, and, by de-
posting the value of any book, may
take it to his home and keep it for a
considerable. time. It is the Mecca of
the historian and careful writer from
all parts Of the country, They travel
here to study the works Of reference
upon it shelves, and any day you may
see within its walls men and women Of
letters studying the: valuable records
which it contains. / 3 II
IS The library was founded in 1902 with
some three thousand volumes carefully
selected in London. John Randolph
was one of its earliest friends and sup
porters. Jefferson was also its friend,
and when he found Unnecessary to part
with his fine collection Of books they
were promptly purchased by congress
and added to- the library. Il is said
that Jefferson shed tears on parting