The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-10-07
For the Democratic Advocate.
THE DREXEL INSTITUT E.

Of the many buildings oil Fh"adeiphla
in which are to be found large and valuable
collections illustrating art, science and other
branches of learning, from ancient time to
the present day, none surpasses, in point
of interior architecture and arrangement, the
Drexel Institute 1t stands monument
to Anthony J. Drexel, to whose benevolence
the City of Brotherly Love is indebted for
one of its most beautiful structures. The
style of architecture is of the Reriassance,
and its appearance is made more attractive
by the yellow brick with stone trimmings
of which it is built. West Philadelphia
contains no other edifce of equol merit,
except the Library Building of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, and one other, the
finest church of Gothic architecture iu
America.
The entrance is gained through Il large
arch supported by Corinth:an columns of
blue marble, and, extending along the arch
stones from the imposts to the Keystone,
are carved profles of the great masters Of
science and art. The vestibule opers into
a corridor, at right angles 10 the entrance,
leading to the library, situated in the
southwestern section Of the building, while
the museum occupies the position opposite.
A small but varied collection of books is
found here, and upon the liable and reading
desFs are seen ell the current periodicals
on file at any large library. But not 20
these win the visitor devote his attention,
for in the centre of the room are two cases
which from where he stands seem to be
filed with old books and pamphlets.
Upon examining the silver plate attached
to one of them he finds they confirm the
manuscript, autographic letters and rare
books presented by George W. Childs to
the Institute in 1892 from his own valua-
BILE collectiou-one of the most extensive
private collections Of its kind in the world,
Here the stadent Of literature will find the
originals of many works over which he
has pondered, and also his acquaintance
with the most celebrated writers of Eng
L. nd and America Of this century will be
s-eatlv broadeued by reading their letters,
many of them personal ones to Mr.. .Childs
Here lies manuscript written in small,
close hand with bFowa ink, every word as
clear and distinct as the printing in many
of our newspapers, and remarkably free
from erasuPea or corrections. 1t is Poe's
tale of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue,"
and the page lying open contains the part
of that celebrated story in which the seien-
tifc reasoniugs and arguments of the plot
are preseatad in such mastefful style,
A curious history belongs to this manu-
script and accompanied it when it came
into the possession of Mr.. Childs. The
former owner obtained it from the pub
lisheF of Graham's Magazine, in whose
pages it first appeared. While in his pos.
session it twice escaped destruction by fire
and was several times rescued from niles Of
rubbish, but now it is bound aud lies safely
in the case surrounded BY other manu-
scripts Of greater or less literary value.
A little book Of eight pages bearing the
date May II, 1903, and written in very
clear hand, with wide margins, is marked as
an original sermon of Rev. Cotton Mather
Not far away is a large book of handsome
binding, which is probably Of the deepest
interest to all readers Of American history
as well as Americans in general, 1t is a
collection of presidential letters, some Of
them personal ones to Mr.. Childs, and on
the page opposite each is portrait Of the
writer Letters of Andrew johnson ere
probably the most difficult for collectors to
obtain, but those written by an smanuensis
With the Presidents signature are compar-
atively common. But the letter in this
collection covers eight pages, and was writ.
ten throughout by him. Lincoln letter
is one Of his celebrated war epistles, this
one having been sent to Gen. Mcclellan,
aud in which he forcihly says, "Rut you
must act :" From London came the letter
which lies opposite Gen. Grants picture,
and is the one which was published exteu-
sively throughout the world. In it he
speaks of the hearty welcome he received
in England. But by far the epistle of
greatest literary value from the point of
its contents, is Franklin Pierces letter,
which describes the death Of Hawthorne,
Mr.. Pierce having been in company with
the noted novelist the evening before he
died, and who found him cold in death the
next morning, lying as if ip peaceful
slumber. The others are of value both
from the literary and historical view, aud
taken as whole, extending as they do
from the last letter written by General
Washington, the date being that Of six
days before his death. to those Of the
present time, are the most interesting in
the collection.
Another very interesting relic and BY
far the mos. unique work here Is the com.