Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-11-15
CAPITAL GOSSIP.

II
WASHINGTON, November !, lsoa.
Mr.. A. u. spotIori, the librarian oi
Consrr.s, IL inclined To In quite happy
over the market progress being made In
the construction of the Immense and
splendid new Congressional Library
building, hut he will he q much happier
man officially " the closing session oi
the rifty-.econd Congress does What the
opening session did not do-a',e him al
Increased clerical force to handle ths
corr~.poudingiy Increased business
which obtains In his branch of the gov
ernment machine. Mr.. sponord has
h1-u the librarian since 1851, aud saw
the nationSl collection of books grow
from comparatively mesgrc proportion.
until now every nook aud Granny of
th. west CENTRE of the capto'
IL piled full With the contribution.
of aspiring authors. That state of
aff.ir- eau not De rrnedied, of cour.e,
until the new library building IL ready
for occupancy, but there must be- dead
halt some~hefe u Congress does not Az
low an Increased forrc to the librarian
within the next few months. The Inter
natlonal copyright Law IL responsible Tor
thIs condition of the librarian's work.
4 great deal has been aid pro aud con
.baut the Law, but whatever may be
urged for or against the good results of
international copyright, there 10 no
doubt that the nes regulation has ma
t.ri.Ily Increased United states revenues
without the expenditure of cent ou the
part of the government. In a period of
. trif,. more than fifteen months almost
l., ,00 copyrights have bern i.saed here
to foreign authors, foreign composers,
aud foreign designers. For the year
,ndin, D,yember 3i.t last, +s,v> copy
right. of all classes we're .ent out from
the librarians hands, aud 600 of these
were of for,igu origin. Mr.. sPofori
place. a conserystis. estimate at ls.oo
case. for the work entsilcd upon his
office since the Law first took effect.
The routin. of Issuing domestic copy
right. alone now calls for son,- '5,nS
letter. from the librarisn's ofiice aD-
pu.lIy, aud Nth An additional CORE
.pondsnce Of nearly halt ss many more,
to .ay nothing Of the labor of issuing the
necessary document. aud certificates, u
4. not Ia bc wondered AZ, perhaps, that
Mr.. spofford Ind. himself compelled to
speak very plainly to tongres. about his
pressing need of more help.
While the lovable traits aud many
good deeds of Mrs. Harrl.on are being
recalled, Que shoali not be- forgotten
which come. almost under the category
Of public services. u is well known
that wbeu ia. came to the White House
that venerable mansion ~as Tar from
being la a perfevt state of preservation.
IN. repair. had not kept pace With The
natural wear aud decay of years, aud
the ha.eInent In particular WAS found to
d. la a very bad state. IL VAS damp,
pol.ome, aud dangerous to health, caus-
In, frequent sickness to the employees
v ho msr- compelled to live there. Mrs.
Harrison al oncc resolved ou q radical
reform, aud under her energetic guild.
anc. TIA. work MAS prosecuted. The oii
timber., their damp aud crumbling bnck
Foundations, aud the worn stone pave
ment. ~,rr all torn up la turn aud rr-
pl.crI by proper materials, aud other
important WORK of improvement and re-
pair Was pushed vigorously. Many are
familiar With th. detail. of the upper
rooms, particularly the parlors, which
~,rr refurnishcd With exquisite tAsie
under Mrs. Harrison. directions, but
comparatiysly few know of the ,are she
took to make the quarters OF her do
m..tic. down stair. equally comfortable,
II not a. elegant. IL MAS her Idea Ia
leave th. White House Ia Pcrfe,t eonii.
tlon " ~heu .h. should retire, pat she did
not live to see her plan carried out en-
tircly.
It 4. seldom that there are so many
absentee. from the departments aud
irom the city generally a. are no'ed Jes'
al this time. They have gone home oy
the Thousands To vote, aud their Alb
.env. 4. plainly noti,eable Ia the dimln-
i.hed cros d. on the streets. Immediate
liz after election every train will bring
them back la large numbers.