Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28

in all free Paris nothing equals the libra
ries The greatest of them, the greatest in
the world, in fact, is the National Who
can tell its measure? There are at the dis
posal of the reader fully 10000 volumns
There are about 100, 600 manuscripts There
are superb collections of coins, old books,
bindings of all ages and from all countries;
everything, in short, which book-lovers
long for and use.
Every Serious Worker Admitted.
The student who would work in the Ma
tional Library has only to provide himself
with ticket from the administration, which
is easily obtained by showing that you have
some line OF work which you are pursuing
seriously. Foreigners must present letters
from their minister or consul (the former,
it is worth remembering, does not charge
anything for this service, the latter does, 50
or more). Once provided with ticket
and the student may spend every working
day of the wear there if he will. Ample
desk room, an arm chair, attendance and
ink are furnished him. He may demand
any or any 20 of the 5000, 900 volumes
and have it or them put upon his desk. He
has encyclopedias in all tongues within
easy reach. On table near bv he finds all
the best reviews of all countries Except
America). He is in fact in Students
clover.
II the National is too far from ones resi-
dence, or if he wants a smaller and quieter
library, there are three other large general
libraries in the city-the Arsenal, Mazarine
and Saint Genevieve's. The first of these
is the finest in the city after the National
1t is placed in the old hotel of Tully, the
famous minister of Henry ". The beauti-
ful rooms, with their magnificent carved
ceilings their fine old inlaid floors, their
frescoes, and their associations make
worthy home for the 600, 900 volumes of the
Arsenal While there are fine collections
on all subjects here the theater and romance
are particularly rich. In many ways the
Arsenal is the most delightful place in
Paris for work, but oddly enough 1T seems
to be the least used of all the large IL
braries.
The Home of the Institute.
At the Mazarine there are about $50, 600
books. What makes this library especially
interesting is that is is situated in the home
of the French Institute, the great learned
society to which all Frenchmen aspire as
the pinnacle of earthly honor Here one
may catch glimpse now and then of
shaggy headed savant, and if he is a good
eavesdropper even hear phrase from the
lips of member. Saint Genevieye's is pre-
eminently the students library from its situa-
tion within a stones throw Of the Sorboune,
the College of France, the School of Law and
several other great institutions of learning.
1t is 4 well chosen collection of 100. 600 vol
umes, besides some 5000 manuscripts of
the Middle Ages and quantity of curiosi-
ties.
ALI of these great Libraries are used freely
by women and without annoyance unless il
be occasionally at Ste. Genevieve's. The
French student has well-deserved renuta-
tion for riotous living A rendezvous with
pretty grisette is quite as much, if not
more, an object of his days work as attend
ance on lectures When Ste. Genevieye's
was open to women he hailed the change as
furnishing capital place for meetings, and
used the opportunity so well that matters
became scandalous and the library was
closed to wonderland is now at night. But
there are now so many girls studying in
Paris and they do their work with so much
dignity and reserve that they have con-
ouered the old scandal and use the library
freely. 1t is only now and then that some
youngster from the country, whose ideas of
Partisan college life are formed from read
ing out-of-date romance, makes 1t unpleasant
for the serious-minded maiden.
Besides these four great public libraries
there is a multitude of special collections
At the City Hall is fine library on munic-
ipal administration. AT the Carnavalet
Museum is another on the history of the
city, and on the Revolution of 100 wears
ago. 1t is an intensely interesting collec-
tion of about $1,000 volumes, with some
10000 engravings and charts The school
of medicine has $4,000 volumes for its