Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-02
HIGHWAY AND BYWAY.


Lots of Readers at the Carnegie Free
Library-The Popular hooks and Taste
Of Rsaders-The City Seen From It's
Street Caxs-An Unnsual Military Order
-Gossip Of the Town.
THE Carnegie Library in Allegheny has been
running long enough now for some idea Of its
usefulness to be obtained. Librarian Steven
son said yesterday: I'VE are moving along
nicely, with some 10 900 volumes on the shelves,
and about 200 readers enrolled. The library
has been open six wesks and upto noon yester.
day-April 8O-exactly 9 47e volumes have been
taken out Of the library. This II q greater
number than expected would take ad-
vantage of the library in 30 short time
after the opening and It compares very
favorably with ths experience OF other public
libraries. The circulation Is steadily incrsas-
ing all the time. In the free public library at
Newark, N. j., the yearly circulation Of books
is found to be ~ volumes per inhabitant; at
Baltimore. l "a volumes; at Buffalo. n volume;
Paterson, N. j., volume; Milwaukee, u vol
ume, and Detroit, u volume. A satisfactory
rate is one volume per iuhabitsn+. or for Allie
gheny 100000 volumes say. in year. You see
the present rate of sl7s volumes for six weeks
would mako y total IN round numbers of 75. 600
volumes for the year-a very fair record for a
starter. The ratio of circulation as compared
with the number Of books on the shelves is
even more satisfactory. for il amounts to u
per cent
The Tastes Of the Readers.
"As yAR as we have gone" continued Mr..
Stevenson, s'the better books have been chiefly
in demand, and the call for inferior works has
been very slight. The fairsex is Of course in
the majority among our readers. Juvenile
books and fiction have the lead in popularity,
and 1t is pleasant to observe that the standard
novelists, Thacksray, Scott. George Eliot
Dickens and SO on, are the favoritea am sur
prised to notice that Bulwer Lytton's novels
are seldom read, and stranger still, hardly any.
one asks for Uncle Toms Cabin and Robin
son Crusoe,' books supposed to be etsrnalIy
popular with our youth. Ben Hur' has not q
remarkable circulation either. Among juvenile
authors Miss Alcotr and Miss Cary have most
friends with the girls-surely evidence of
healthy ia sre-and with the boys Ellis. Castle.
man, Oliver. Optic and Henty are fayorites.
One thing is clearly established by our expert
ence already, and that Is Mark Twain's
stron hold upon the reading public. Polite
literature has good many students in Allie
gheny. ana we find that essays and the great
poets are widely read. Scott. Longfsllow,
Tennyson and Oliver Wendell Holmes are per-
haps most frequently called for. There is .
considerable demand also for books on scien-
tific subjects. especially In the department. OF
electricity and architecture, and for works on
drawing generally. Very few books not upon
our shelves have been called for as yet, but We
are adding new books all the time"
Street Gar Tours the Best.
"WHEN guest tells me he wants to See the
city" said . hote' clerk OF good many years.
experience, II advise him to stick to the street
cars. He can see far more by taking the
cable cars, and travel with a heap more
comfort than If he took hack and bumped
and banged over the remarkable pavements of
our beloved city. The Fifth avenue cable
line. and. indeed, all the cable and electric
lines are revelation to the average stranger.
anyhow. Take Chicago man. for instance,
who has got his idea OF a cable car from the
thuuderous dust carts Of Mr.. Yerkes in the
Windy City, what more charming By contrast
could be contrived for his delectation than .
ride in one Of our clean, swift and compare
lively noiseless cars which bind downtown to
the East End. Guests tell me constantly that
Pittsburg has the best system of rapid transit
in the country. despite her hills and narrow
streets"
May In Paris.
sTHK Paris Salon opened to-day" said she.
"Freash artists never have trouble about
license" said he.
Ordered to Dinner.
COLONEL NoRMAN NJ. SMITH and Lieuten.
ant Colonel Frank Rutledge were somewhat
surprised, but not displeased, when they re.
ceived the following somewhat unusual order:
HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH INFANTRY,
NATIONAL GUARD OF PENNSYLVANIA.
PITTsBURG, April q.
Very Special Orders. No. !:
l. by direction of the officers Of this regiment
Colonel Norman M. Smith will assemble himself
and lieutenant Colonel Frank I. Rutledge, at the
House Monday, May 4. 10 particle
pate in the dinner rendered them at $3.50 P. NJ.
II. The Quartermaster's department will fur
nish the necessary transportation for the troops:
one days cooked rations will be issued at the
hotel
III. The troops will appear in full uniform OF
the National Guard Of Pennsylvania. Regimental
and battalion commanders will report dis
mounted.
IV. Detailed arran gements Of the troops will
be made in the hotel ordinary.
BY command of the officers Of the Eighteenth
Regiment, HARRY +. DAVIS.
WILLIAM H. WAssELL.
Committee.
The banquet is to take place on Monday
evening at the Monongahela House. and the
officers of the Eighteenth Regiment will be
lucky indeed IL every campaign winds up with
as pleasant an affair as this promises to be.
Imagination Won't Strike.
'T SHALL keep ON building right along" said |
a sanguine Young, man yesterday, mo matter
who strikes"
'What?" asked Achates.