The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1890-06-26

4 Paper Read Before the A. O N. :

part of, all, or more than one subject.
The English term book is taken from the
Anglo Saxon Doc, signifying the inner
bark Of the birch tree. The Greek term
is biblos or biblion, signifying papyrus.
In the earlier ages book-msking was a
very slow, laborious and expensive art.
The earliest writings were simply rough
sketches made upon smooth rocks, fat
bones, bark of trees or any other object
convenient. These writings were simply
allegorical pictures and could be inter
preted in many different ways. Finally
alphabets came into use add the books
were written on the inner bark of trees and
then on the soft inner tissues of the
papyrus plant. These writings we're
made upon long strips of the bark and
were kept wound upon small rollers and
library of those days would look like a
lot OF maps rolled up and set on end, and
when you wanted to read book you un-
rolled it as you would q map to-day.
In the seventh century, when Egypt
was captured by the Arabs, the supply
OF pspyrus was cut off, for Egypt was the
principal producer of that article, so
parchment was used instead. This was
made from the skins of goats, deer or
other animals and was written upon by
reeds or other rudely constructed pens.
After the Augustsn age ook-msking
advanced as also did literature. At this
time the material most commonly used
was wax plates engrossed with a stylus
During the Middle ages means were
devised for binding and preserving books.
Among the many ways that of sewing
the leaves together and binding them be-
tween boards was the most successful.
This method has been improved upon
from time to time and is in use at the
present day. Although paper making
was known in the ninth century psrch-
meDt and other material were used in
making books for several hundred years
afterward. All books were written by
hand, and if you wanted copy of the
book you took your parchment or other
material and set down to copying the
words from the book as printing was not
known at that time. Most of this copy
ing was done at that time by monks and
nuns. A library in the Middle ages of a
dozen volumes entitled the owner to the
utmostrespect and he was considered dis
tinguished gentleman, as books cost quite
fortune then, sometimes a single VOL
ume costing as high as $4,000. A copy
of the bible made for King Charlemagne
in the eighth century required the labor
of monk for % years. Now books can
be made in that many hours. A bible
might cost cost from 500 to $40, 600;
now you can bny them from % cents to
$50. The sheets of paper formerly used
for book making were of three sizes,
Royal, Denny and Crown. As paper is
now made in large sheets and folded to
any size, we have other sizes. The
first public library was instituted in Paris,
where some of the benevolent gentlemen
placed at the command of the the public
a number of books to he used at trlhing
expense. With increased knowledge of
book-makirg the size of books and their
price has decreased, while their number
and the demand for them has increased.
A man may usually be known by the
books he reads as we'll as by the com
pany he keeps, for there is companion
ship of books as we'll as of men. A good
book may be the best of friends. 1t does
not turn its back upon you because you
have met with misfortunes, or because
you do not dress equally as we'll as your
neighbors. 1t always receives us with
the same kindness, amusing and INSTRUCT
Ing Us in youth and consoling and com
forting US in our old age. There is an old
proverb, Love me, love my dog" but
there is more wisdom in this, "Love me,
love my book. Books wind into the
heart. We read them when young, we
remember them when old, A good book
is oftenest the best urn of life, for the
world of mans life is for the most part
but the world of his thoughts. Thus the