Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-29

| reference, well as of instruction and
recreation. Mr. Crerar directs in his will
that the residue of his estate, after paying
requests to charities under the direction of
the Presbyterian Church. and to some
friends and relatives, the sum of s., SOC, OOC
be set aside for the erection and mainten-
ancs Of a public library in the city Of Chi
| cago. He directs IN his win that in the
| selection OF the books for the same the
creation of a healthy moral and Christian
sentiment be kept in view. and that "all
nastiness and immortality be excluded. ~
This would exclude lola and that tribe OF
recent erratic writer's Of our day, male and
| female.
| I would plead for some of "Ouida s.
story Of the late Mrs. John Bigelows in
terview with "Ouida" Mrs. Bigelow. while
in Florence. called on "Ouida." who resides
''Ouida" declined to see her, saying loud
enough for Mrs. Bigelow to hear her, Il
am not at homeL hate Americans" Mrs.
your nasty BOOKS on came Woo
Immediately and apologized for her rude
able i met .'Ouida'' in New York in 1864
1885 and was introduced to her by the late
Cen Kilby Smith AS might be supposed.
| she is a charming conversationalist. Some
| Of her books are little ''off color" but
| she has written some beautiful things. "A
Leaf in a Storm" and other short stories
| or sketches are unexceptionable and full of
| beauty. Mr.. Crerars exclusion of other
| works that find ready sale is commendable.
There would be time enough for expurga-
| ton when the library was well under way.
Nothing Like Agitation.
Let The Star only aid in the effort made
| by Mr.. Wolcott and the Senate library COM
| mittee and at the coming regular session
| the library win become an accomplished
fact. Nothing like agitating subject to
secure desired result; 1 met Mr.. James
| by the Chevalier Wykoff. There had been
an old difference between the National In
tellixencer and the Herald for years, but
when. with the late Chauncey Snow, I be-
came one of its proprtetors, I did not in
tend to allow the old feud to disturb my
relations with the Herald. and 1 was in
debted to the veteran of the press for some
very sound advice, and among other things
he said: when you undertake to do a thing
don't stop Keep at itIagitate It daily,you
took fifty-seven articles to kill Pierce. but
1 killed him." There was for some cause
MI Bennett. ana he published columns of
abuse of President Pierce. than whom a
more perfect gentleman never filled the
presidential chair. All this only to show
that the agitation Of a subject generally
brings success in the end.
That this city. the center Of culture. with
its Smithsonian Institution, universities
colleges and other Institutions Of learning
should be without public library is re-
proach from which we hope to be delivered
by such friends of education and culture as
Senators Wolcott. Voorhees, and Mills Of the
library committee Of the Senate. We don't
expect. in our demand for a city library. to
contend with the British Museum nor the
Lenox library for rare books. costing a
mint of money" No "Psalmorum Codex."
whatever that is-printed I'm 1887 at
Sir John Thorald's sale in 1884 for 1850, nor
Mazarine Bible costing 5000 A modern
'Decamerone of Boccaccio" will. II expur-
"a ad n NJ not nrtv, tod IN,
Venice in 147l. and sold for e, 2sO We don't
want to rob the Vatican Of its Hebrew
Bible, which ~. we an, are , told, Pope Julius II
which would amount to E03, 900, nor with
Senator Brice for Groliers or hand-painted
flluStra lions.
We will be content with almost as small a
beginning as the library founded at Ames.
Ohio. in 1872, and known as the "Coonskin
book, was obtained by the sale of coon
skins to the amount of s73, which was ex-
pended In Boston for books, and brought in
a sack on horseback to Ohio, and it is said:
ment. exercised a very wide influence"
Small beginnings will. in time. produce
since the days Of John Harvard. and his
modest becuest Of his own library Of 162
volumes into one of the best In the coun-
There are scattered all through Paris free
municipal lending libraries. There are, or
were some years ago. over fifty of them.
are located. They all have reading rooms,
and not only are books supplied but music
and drawings are loaned. and 1t Is Of record
that they are promptly returned unmuti-
lated The benefits Of great pub
lie library cannot be overestin1ated;
The benefit extends to all classes of
Union where 1t is 80 sadly needed nor
where 1t could accomplish SO much good as
in Washington.
A Historic Residence.
A few days ago l had occasion to visit the
residence of Mrs. Briggs Olivia) and 1t
recalled the long ago when L first rerem-
Der 1t as the residence Of Maj. Gamble OF
the marine corps. Can any one give us it's
history anterior to that time? 1t must have
been built before ;no me city Of &
Nicholson resided there for some years. and
there the boyhood Of Admiral Nicholson
and Maj; AUGUSTUS Nicholson s was u spent.
was from Florida, and the Miss Gamble,
made famous by Chevalier Wy,1otf's pursuit
perfect frankness in her book. MY co M!1H
ship and Its Consequences" was a niece
of his and inherited his fortune. What a
was one of the most interesting men ever
met. His knowledge of men, and the al
most universal acquaintance here and
abroad with the most distinguished peoDIe
whom ne met on terms Of almost intinacv
and his influence at the head af affairs,was
something remarkable. He was on the most
been his companion in ais carly attempts
to sieze power and his influence. IL was
said. restrained Napoleon from interfering
in the late unpleasantness. remember him
when he made the tour Of the country
with Fanny Ellsler, and from thar time
saw good deal of him when in this conn
try. l could never understand his pursuit
of Miss Gamble even from his own acroiSnt
OF 1t, II was all 80 unlike him, He didn't
need her wealth, and l can hardly think
he was In love with her, for at his age
the hey-day in the blood Is tame it's hum
BILE and waits upon the Judgment" II VS.
SO wanting In diplomacy. ana he was. IL
anything. a diplomat '' ~
I am indebted to Mr. Robert Real, for
copy of collection Of play bills If the
London theaters running back to ina .nS
brought down to 1863 The narnes that
have made the history of the Lonl0n ef- ee
immortal are in this little work comments
ed on most agreeably, and among tba,n
names familiar to are recalled ord IN
cidents in their early career chronic,ed
Mademoisele Celeste who was "a vii
known here: is billed for the French Spy''
In 1928 at the New Theater, Tottenham
street. and find in play bill sent me Nv
an old theater goer Of Browns Amphithaa
ter. Thursday March T. 1890, the an
Jefferson cold Jeff' of course) ana "the
first night Of the second re-engayeme,t nf
Miles Celeste and Constance" (her sister,
Celeste appears In the Mountain Rohbers,:
as Julietta, a dumb girl, and in "a grand
display of French dancing" with her sfs
ter Constance There are "splendid feats
OF horsemanship flying cord by Mr.. Men
mich, grand entire and still vauiting by the
company" and whole to conclude with
N1w-