Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-15
RARE OLD NEWSPAPERS.
Some of the Curious Files to be Found in the
National Library at Washington.

NdIIOHdI LiDFdry dI NdSHiuSIOH'
Washington Star.
It would take world of time to look
over and discover the curious and inter-
esting things in the national library
Among the 610 900 volumes stored in the
cramped quarters in the capitol building
are many things that are rare. In the
narrow room there is for reading the ia
bles are always surrounded by busy
searchers-from the wild-eyed poet to
the figure-wise political econo-
mist; from the school girl to the
whlte-haired philosopher. When they
get into their new quarters, the library
building that is now assured to them,
many rusty old volumes will get out of
cramped position and shake the dust off
their bindings, and the people who read
and those who study will have a chance
to seek out their choice company. twill
be relief for Librarian Spofford when
he has his beloved books in perfect order
on roomy and comfortable shelves. If
the want of room has given the
library a piled-together appearance,
it cannot be said that the selections for
the library have been made on the hap
hazard principle. "There is much less
of the hap-haZard element entering into
the foundation of the collection, - Mr..
Spofford says, ethan is generally sup
posed from its having been for nearly
twenty years past receptacle for copy
right books. The various departments
have been kept up and recruited by con-
slant and timely purchases, mainly at
auction sales, thus constantly filing gaps
in the collection. In fact, it may be
said that the library has been formed
from the first with the view of the highest
utility and general unity of plan. -
RARE AND CURIOUS THINGS.
Mr.. Spofford talked with the Star re-
porter yesterday about some of the rare
and curious things in the library. Be-
sides the many valuable features of the
collection is rare class of newspapers
and periodicals. The only set in America
of the files of the London Gazette, from
the first publication III 1865, to the pres
ent date, is in this library There are
only three of these sets in the world. The
set consists of 80 volumes 1t is the
official journal, published by the British
government semi-weekly. 1t first ap-
peared in London in 1865, was pub
lished there for short time, when, on
account of the plague, il was removed to
Oxford for awhile. Its issue has been
uninterrupted The early numbers were
but single dingy sheet of foolseap size,
which now seems very odd. The latest
numbers consist of forty or fifty pages.
This set is full of interest. In the papers
are published the queen 5 orders of coun-
ell, the announcements of all appoint
ments in the army and navy and the civil
service the advertisements of corporations
and all bankruptcy notices From this
last has been derived from the term ga
zetted - to denote failure 1t is curious
TO read in these papers for the years about
1916 TO 1913, during the period of the
great railroad craze in Great Britain
Then it was that Hudson, the railroad
king, organized company after COM
pany and the whole nation went insane
over speculations Transportation COM
panies were formed all over the land,