Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-29

stairway leading to the rooms Of the Pitts
burg Library Association, on Penn avenue,
and entered the portals sacred to imperish-
able Pallas. BE found himself in long,
lofty room, galleried round and lighted
well, but bearing that sober, studious look
which always surrounds the abiding place
Of books.
Out Of the patch of sunlight, about one OF
the southern windows. stepped the comely
librarian, Miss NJ. f. Macrum, and, as is
her won't. greeted the chance conner with
graceful courtesy. No old-time chstelaine
could have done the honors of her feudal
halls with more politeness than Miss Ma
crum displayed in showing her visitor
through the library.
Quite 8 number Of people were present;
some reading at the different tables, some
bending over sad-eOlored tones in favorite
alcoves, some searching the catalogue for
wished-for works All was silent in the
hall. except for the occasional entrance or
exit of q reader, or the passings to and fro
of the librarian. and her assistants. Miss
Macrum, learning that the object of the
Restless Interrogator was information about
the library, expressed herself willing to add
to his stock of knowledge all she knew on
the subject.
FACTS ABOUT THE LIBRARY.
With regard to the present list of sub
ecribers, Miss MacIum mentioned that it
numbered in all 900. Most of these
used the library for reading or took
books out; q few were satisfied
with sending in their subscriptions for the
pubic good. "One prominent merchant,
Mr.. Joseph Horne" went on the librarian,
sis q real benefactor. He hands over every
year TO the Library Association the sum of
$50 in order that the clerks in his big store
may have the privilege of using the library
during their spare hours. A great number
Of Mr.. Horne's clerks avail themselves of
the privilege. Ifonly the other great store
owners would follow Mr.. Horne's noble ex-
ample and contribute according to the num-
Der Of their clerks it would be positive
blessing 70 all concerned. But up to this
time none of them have made any sign of
moving in that direction"
Asked concerning the various kinds of
readers, Miss Macrum stated that they were
Of ssall sorts and conditions of men"-and
Of women 800. As rule the women are in
the majority among those who sit down to
read in the library room. The men prefer
their fresides.. erich and poor patronize
the library" quoth the giver of informa-
ton, "but unfortunately the former vastly
predominant. wish we could get the
poorer classes to recognize the tact that
there is library here, and that the sub
scription is only s. a year. Surely s. a
year ought to be cheap enough for any
laborer.
''You ask me what sort Of books are read
most. Well'-here there was a little
pause-$I suppose I must answer you that
novels are the most read. But understand
that we do not go In for novels of the Laura
Jean Libbey style here. We only keep the
standard works; and 1t is very rarely that
any but standard novels are asked for. Do
you see that group of pretty maids over
yonder2 They are just in what you, in your
cynic philosophy, would no doubt call the
skittish periood. Now what do you think
they are reading at present.
The interrogator glanced in the direction
pointed out Two winsome girls were read
ing slim tones, not unlike three volume
novels. They were pIquantly dressed, and
one Of them had dainty little foot, good
deal in evidence, so the interrogator st,once
guessed "Ben Hur," and one of Rhoda
Broughton's or Mrs. Alexander's books.
AN EDUCATING FACTOR.
"WrongP' cried the librarian triumph
sntly. "One is reading 'Sartor Resartus,'
and the other is deep in the Ethics of Spin
ossP"
The restless one was dumbfounded. He
had humbiy unraTeled the incoherencies of
Tom CARLYLE; but as for Spinosa-well no
matteri Suffice it that he didn't know very
much about Spinosa.
'You see from this what an educating
factor we have become" went on Miss
Macrum. Over in the Carnegie alcove the
laborer and the artisan will find technical
education. We have works on architecture
which might be of infinite use to the Pitts
burg architects, if they would condescend
TO consult them. Our collection of refer
ence books is a complete one. II you want
10 see what we are doing examine the books
which came In from readers this morning."
The books were: Carlyle's French Revo-
luton" Bellamy's Looking Backward" /"
portion of Gibbons Rome" a work on
Chemical Pharmacy, portion of Kant's
philosophy, Shelley's and Wordsworth's
Poems, Thackersy's ',V Virginians" and "Pen-
dennis" Miss Edgeworth's ''Castle Back
rent" q Shakespeare, Cruden's Concord
ance, " q pscket of books on Theosophy.
translstions Of selected passages from Goethe.
Plato and Schiller, Coleridge's ESSAYS"
Selden's liable Talk, " together with quite
3 host Of books on metal working and other
technical subjects. Certainly, the range
covered was large one, and spoke really
we'll for Pittsburg's poorer classes (the word
poorer is used advisably, as the rich folk
usually bring back their books much later
in the afternoon, and these were the morn
ing books.
After some more chat with Miss Macrum,
the interTogator left the library, satisfied
of the real good it is doing. and hoping that
il may be crippled by lack of resources for
as short time as possible.
Subsequently the restless one paid visits
% one or two leading Pittsburgers, and col
lected their views on the library question.
What pity all the prominent citizens do
no. live within easy reach of the inter
viewerl It is positively criminal of them
70 fix their dOmiciles in the distant climes
Of East Liberty, Oakland and Allegheny
They ought 70 reside within sight Of the
postofice.
FEELING THE POPULAR PULSE.
However, enough representative men were
seen to enable the interviewer to skim the
current OF public thought with sufficient ac-
curacy. The opinions Of divine, lawyer
and politician, prominent official, labor
leader. and 3 regular homespun laboring
man were gathered. This is what they said:
First in order of visits, Postmaster
Larkin spoke. 81 look on the library as an
excellent institution % be said. "It is doing
heaps Of good. It's position is, of course,
anything but central, but that is the out
come Of circumstances and not the fault of
the directors. II the public come together
and subscribe for finer rooms and a more
central situation, well aud good. But it
would be sinful to sell or abandon Pitts
burg's only public library. think it is
1ibrsrv for all classes. The fee OF s. per
annum is small enough for the laboring man.