New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-13
TO PURCHASE THE TOWNSEND LIBRARY.
a BILL FOR THAT PURPOSE TO COME BEFORE
THE HOUSE NEXT WEEK.

Washington. Fob. l. (Spccan.-Mr O'Neill. the
Chairman Of the House Library Committee. IS conf
dent Of securing recognition next Monday for the pur
pose ~ moving "a suspend the rulcsthat being sus-
pension day-and pessng the senate tll for the pur.
chase ~ the Townsend Library ~ National Records.
This deserving and important measure passed the
senate in September last and has been upon the House
calendar. with a favorable report since. and It's
friends have simply been awaiting chance 10 secure
action upon II. with is known strength both SIDES
II tho House. there IS but l;tc doubt If vote can ONLY
be reached. u Is speedy enactment Into law. Tho
library Itself has been inspected by large number ~
representatives, many Of them prominent actors In
the War Of the Rebellion, Of which 1t furnishes 50
many ,dcd and copous a record and one who has
cxamlncd the work has failed 10 recognize both the
historical value q Mr.. Town>cud's collections and com
patlous and the urgent importance Of their purchase
and preservation by the Government
The library H. in fact, unique and Invaluable
,torchon-e Of material for student u the War Of
The Rebellion. From thu outbreak Of the contest In
-G1 until the present time Mr.. Townsend has gathered
from rev ,papcr, magazines and other periodicals.. and
from official documents all sorts. all obtauabc facts
or statements bearing directly or Indirectly, on tho
various phases " the struggle for the Union These
excerpt, have been carefully arranged and preserved
In bound volumes, Of the ,lzo Of the largest bank
lodgcrS and there are I'm the collection ninety
such foliOs. each containing 600 page Of printed
matter. These ninety VO'llmc, an the foundation 81
the work. They comprise about 10000 columns %
clippings each column containing the average from
! 900 10 800 words. vast 81 material
would II course, be bird and inaccessible without "A
ceve9y contrlvci key to the contents Of the record.
Thi, the author has furnished In n compendium or en-
cyclopaoda 10 accompany the original collections.
Thi. compendium comprises twenty manuscript
volumes of 300 pages each and gives complete
and comprehensive synopsis of the record Each topic
IS taken up In turn, the Information I'm the record
relating tO II IS summarized aud reference i mad, Ia
each separate fact in the pages Of tho cocc-
lion bearing on tho subject under treatment.
| 4 one volume index, giving the folio and page
4 the compendium where each topic is 10 be found
treated, completes and unlnes the work Thus BY refer
ring 70 the index for any subject. connected In any
way with the war on which information is desired
the synopsis OF facts contained In the compendium
| is made readily accessible and through II Is opened
the vast collection Of statements bearing upon the
| topic which published in contemporary news
papers have come to Hight since then in the wal
| literature Of the period. The sum Appropriated III
| the senate bill for the purchase OF The library is
$50 900. which no more than pays the cost " The
labor involved In It, and II is doubtful whether any
collection Of records " equal Importance has cveI
| been offered to the Government at reasonable and
modest figure. Mr.. SpCiiold. the Librarian of Con
| gress has been exceedingly anxious 10 have tho
| to "A vote Monday, will receive hearty support
on both sides Of the House, nearly all the prominent
mon In the House without distinction of party, hav
| ng promised it their aid.