The record-union., 1894-08-24
THE LITERATURE OF THE PACIFIC.
Something That is Lacking in Our
Great Libraries.
Narsden Manson's suggestions to the
Managers of the Mechanics
Institute.

gin San Francisco, on Monday night
last, Marsderf Manson read the following
paper before the meeting OF the Directors
of the Mechanics Institute of that city !:
Mr.. President: We frequently hear OF
San Francisco being the center, the heart,
the metropolis OF the Pacific Coast. Her
commanding geographical position, her
splendid harbor. and being the only out
let for a territory of surprising fertility
and climate, justly entities her 10 this
proud position. Referring TO our city In
this connection. we usually mean that we
are the mart OF the Pacific Coast, forget
ful of the fact that this term Pacific Coast
embraces the shore lines OF eighty mill
ion square miles OF ocean and OF the five
great bordering seas; that these shores are
girted about with every grade, every
type OF civilization known TO the globe;
that these shores supply every article OF
commerce known 10 the trade or the
world, and that some of these articles are
exclusively produced by the peoples con-
fronting US and on its borders.
The position which the Mechanics
Institute has, or should have in this COM
munity, warrants us in taking the ini-
tiatlve III a step which l believe Will put
US mere in touch with our neighborS,
and which ii taken will tend TO place US
great nlarts OF the world which our SUI
perb position warrants. We cannot Le
IN commercial and industrial touch With
our neighbOrS unless we be first III touch
with their thoughts, unless we know
thor needs, and they know ours.
70 acquire that knowledge, it is neces-
sary that there should be found upon Il Q
shelves ot our libraries the BOOKS ana
publications OF every nation confronting
us, so that san Francisco could be looked
upon as having 1T least all available and
accurate knowledge of the civilizations,
products, resources and needs OF the Pa
citic Coast III its broadest sense.
find IL looking over the catalogues of
our libraries that many have lncom mplete
sets of very valuable works; that in in
stance rare and valuable sets are in dupli-
caLe for portions of the publications, and
that neither set is complete.
Now, with little cooperation of these
| libraries the unnecessary duplication of
valuable and rare journals and publiea-
tions could be avoided, and the sums
thus saved could be used 10 greatly ex-
tend the range of literature covered by
the libraries.
! Many Of our efforts have been directed
toward acquiring for each library the
fullest and most extensive sets of Euro
| pean and American works. and have lett
out OF consideration such publications as
are issued in Asia and South America.
While this is necessary in the case of GER
tain popular journals, II is by no means
! true oil all. 1t is posi- ble to find at CEN
| ters remote from tire Pacific more inform
| lion concerning its shores than is found
upon the shelves of all the libraries of
| this city, which city aSpires to be consid-
cred the great center OF Pacific Coast civil
lization.
| Now, the Capitalization of knowledge
ana literature regarding the people of til @
Pacific shores will necessarily force us
into more intimate commercial relations
and bring about connection which will
be desirable, not only through the inter-
change of thought and knowledge, but
the equally desirable inierexchange of
industrial products.
Since the day that great transconti-
mental line entered at southern ports, in
addition to the one already there, and
five great transcontinental lines entered
about Puget Sound, san Francisco COM
menced to decline; not from any real
cause, but from the apathy of her people
to commercial and industrial develop
ment. We nave been SO used to growing
rich because we couldn't help it, or by
success in some gambling or speculative
scheme, that we have lost sight of the
great and sure highways to wealth and
commercial supremacy.
IL is within the power OF the NJ echanicS'
Institute to gradually turn the interest of
the community toward these highways,
and TO furnish some of the means where
by We may not only regain but advance
far beyond our former place, since an in
innate knowledge of our remote neigh
bors creates an interchange OF thought;
so. too. it creates an interchange OF pro-
ductions; and in leading up to the one
we are necessarily lead up to the other.
At the conclusion of MIR. Manson's adj
dress, and on his motion, committee
was appointed 10 invite the cooperation
of the governing bodies of the libraries
/ in San Francisco, including that of the
University of California, to consider aud
if possible formulate a plan whereby to
carry out the suggestions embodied
above.