The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-27
THE State LIBRARY.
It's New and Commodious
Quarters and Those
Who Will En-
JOY Them.

placard which will read:--"Moved to
more commodious quarters in the new
building"
The enormous task OF moving $1,000
volumes from the cramped quarters
where many Of them have been for years
past to the new rooms has begun, and in
ten days it will be completed. Colonel
Morris Hamilton. the picturesque little
Librarian, will then claim that New Jer-
sey has the largest library rooms and the
sma Hest librarian in the United States.
The two rooms occupy 6ss square yards.
They are on the top floor OF the rebuilt
po rtion of the State House. Cocoa mat
ting covers the floor. A wide hallway con-
meets the two rooms, and every side Is
Dlentifully supplied with windows The
Librarians Office will look like an office,
and not so much like a literateur's den
as it does now. 1t Is q question whether
the States celebrities VINO gather there
now will feel as much at home in the
Coloneps new sky parlor.
AN HISTORICAL MEETING.
The moving OF the State Library has
some historical significance, and it is the
climax of a series Of interesting changes
reaching over n period of eighty-four
rears u is the final evolution uf Maskell
Ewing's shelf full OF dingy law books,
which LIE placed under lock and key in
1896. There was dictionary and some
pamphlet books from the Burlington
printing office supposed to be handy in
cases when the lawmakers became in
volved In debate. Maskell Ewing was
s'clark" in those days and he spent much
Of the States valuable time chasing u p
the dictionary and the minute book. until
Speaker james II. Inlay, of Monmouth
county, suggested that desk be secured,
If the expense was not too heavy, and
the clark" keep the books of the
State Mint and carry the key himself.
The Legislature of 1876. on the suggestion
OF the Speaker, passed the resolution and
the desk was secured. The members
were instructed to bring back such pamph-
let's and books that they had taken
home with them, and when they did so
the desk was not even full. For eight
years the desk was adequate TO shelter
the accumulating volumes. There was
no catalogue and no record. In fact, the
desk looked like pile of junk struck by
a cyclone. The confusion aud the condi-
tion OF the books disgusted Speaker Cox,
OF Monmouth, who was presiding officer
from 1904 to 1907. He appointed a COM
mittee on February IS, 1904. to start real
library. The books were ordered num-
bered and listed and set up on the shelves
in decent order. The list was made in
two hours. There were les volumes,
three old almanacs and q pamphlet on
witchcraft. Seven rules were made and
pasted on the inside of the case, and the
New Jersey State Library was open for
business.
THE REAL BEGINNING.
The first act passed concerning the
library was in 1873 Up to 1922 the library
made no progress. IL accumulated some
dust, few cobwebs and worm or two.
The ''Clark" of the House was still the
I II, No.
passed creating the Office OF Librarian
and making it n joint session selection.
The library continued to grow slowly. In
1916 the term of office was made for three
years.
In the meantime the lawyers had
formed library association. for the pur-
pose OF securing such books of reference
that were in general use, and which all
lawyers could not afford TO buy. 1t was
the Law Library Association, and its
membership consisted of State officials,
judges and lawyers. They had a valuable
collection Of books They were kept on
shelves in the Supreme Court room until
1897, when the Legislature authorized the
fitting up of a room so that the State and
Law libraries could be brought together
for general convenience. In 1872 the
Legislature appropriated 5000 to the use
OF the library for three years. Now there
is an annual appropriation. Librarian
THE PATRONS.
There are on an average about 5000
visitors year to the library The major
part of this number are women. IL is
only the other day that pretty little
blonde girl, with patent leather sailor
mourning, asked the Characterization
librarian to be shown to the alcove.
where the novels are kept. She wanted
to read Lovers Once; But Friends
Now"
eve have no novels" said tho colonel.
Cleaned them all out; sent them to
the State Prison .and the Soldiers
Home, where the people like the
Lady in Black aud the Three Guards
men,
The colonel added that in library of
reference novels were a nuisance, that
novels attracted the girls, the girls at
tracted the boys, and then there was mis-
chief The lawyer became angry, the
| Judges irritable and the nuisance had TO
| be abated. 1t is not exactly circulating
| library. II is intended for references
only. Many lawyers, however, are al
! lowed by the Library Commissioners to
| take out books for limited time The Y
Governor, the Chancellor, the Chief
Justice, Secretary of State. State Comp
| troiler or Treasurer
The collection of works on English,
Irish and Scottish law Is said TO be the
best in the country. Among the interest
| ing contributions to be found on the
| shelves is the curious Japanese Primer,
| of 500 pages, illustrated by 100 human
| figures, the gift of Mr.. K Iwata, of Tokyo,
! Japan.
HABITUES OF THE LIBRARY
The State Library is the rendezvous for
| the great men of the State. Nearly every
| day George NJ. Robson, ex-Secretary OF
| the Navy, can be found sitting in an al
cove chatting with some friend from a
! distant point. Chief Justice Beasley is
one of the frequent visitors. and. in
| fact. one OF the commissioners who takes
lively interest in the affairs of the Ii
| brary He knows the location of every
| book Recently he has begun TO go astray,
and this led him few days ago to re-
mark to Ex-Governor Gre sn, as both were
| looking for book:-'The eyes IN my flu
| gers are not so good as they were ten
years ago." The expression was 50 apt
| that the Chancellor took 1t up, and told
| some interesting "reminiscences OF great
men whose fingers were trained to fiud
/ books Chancellor Runyon, ex-Chan-
cellor Williamson, Cortlandt Parker and
| Wayne Parker, with other Newarkers.
never visit the State House without look
| ing around in the library.
THE STATE LIBRARIAN.
| The present Librarian Is as much of a
State institution as the library. He is a
| small man. He comes from Oxford Fur
mace in Sussex county. His father. Sam
| mel 4. Hamilton was for quarter of a
nr,or4 q -, uefe f.f \ hs.