The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-14

and ether Es4FstrttEakt. AHsFS 49, fh aEofttFE
an array q Fsassrs sAss Gs.ed amost sv~*y
ehasr. stndKinE books OF aal kinds. there
were In another many eoos borrowers who
we're coming and going al the time. whise
the ehildren's quarters we're 80 fully packed
with boys and girls hat swarm OF them
had 90 he kept outside the gate awaiting
their time 20 get in. one by one. ss Others
made room for them by leaving. II was
with surprise that noticed the solid char
acter of the books that many of the young
sters here were porting over and that others
of them were taking home from the lend
ing department.
Both old and young seemed to be serious
readers, not a few of whom turn up when
the doors are opened in the early forenoon,
and stay riveted to their chairs until the
closing hour at night. There are profess
sional men among them, but the great ma
)ority are shop-keepers' clerks, tradesmen
or artisans and other toiers. Between
1000 and 5000 volumes are given out daily
from the lending library.
The trend of thought in Scotland at this
time may be seen from the fact that, a "a
from fiction. nearly 5000 of the books taken
ont during the past month were from the
alcoves of science and art" 5.332 from
the alcoves OF history, biography and
travel" 1000 from the alcoves of ''soci-
ology," nearly 1000 from the alcoves OF
philosophy, poetry and general litera-
ture," and only ,462 from the alcoves of
religion" These striking facts give an
idea OF the favorite themes OF study among
the popuace of Edinburgh in these times.
Is there any other city of the world which
can show like record?
There are other great libraries in Edin-
burgh, some of them centuries old yet it
would seem that the edifice built by our re-
nowned cotch-American millionaire, who
has within the past few years given so
many OF his millions for the spread of
knowledge, both in the United States and
in Scotland, and who holds that 1.-THE man
who dies rich dies disgraced," has been a
boon to this Anticipated city.
CHEAP LIVING.
The domestic economies are very close
here. as in other parts of Scotland, except
ing among the aris;ocratic and the rich
There is great deal OF scrimping among
ordinary folks. The necessaries OF life are
cheap; the price of living is low and rents
are not more than bali as high as they are
in New York. IL seems to me that we
Americans would do well to use oatmeal
and peasemeal as freely as they are used
here.
But FEW EvIL-DoFRs.
Edinburgh is city that is remarkably
free from crimes of a serious nature
have here the official report of the chief
constable for last year, in which all the
criminal statistics are given. There were
but two murders in the city during the
year! The figures look formidable when
say that the arrests for The year were close
upon 700, or about 1900 macs and 5000
females. but the vast majority of the Of
lenses were of the petty order, as may be
seen by the fact that of the whole number
of persons arrested, only $40 were liable to
the penalty of imprisonment, even for a
short term. / have been greatly struck bv
the leniency OF the courts here in imposing
penalties for the lesses grades of otfenses
A weeks or fortnight's imprisonment
is often thought sufficient for misdeeds
that in New York would be accorded far
seyerer punishment When / spoke 70 the
urocnraror fiscal about the mercifl! dis
position of the bench there. and told him
of Colonel Bob Ingersoli's discourse upon
Grimes Against Criminals" he said he
had never heard of any such crimes here
in these times. Uniess one knows how
the songs of Robert Burns have touched
the heart soul and life of the Scotch peo-
pie, high and low, it will seem absurd 10
saw that the piowman bard may have had
a humanizing influence even upon the ad-
ministration Of law here. and that even .