The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-20
ARE FILED FOR CONGRESS
Historic and Unique Old Nowspa-
pers That Are Stored in
the Capitol
All Of Our War Maps Are Stored
Away in the File
Room.
The Collection Makes one OF the Most
Interesting Exhibits Among Uaois
fnm's TreHsurea

One Of the most interesting departments
N the Washington capitol is the newspaper
file ROOM The habit OF keeping files was
contracted by the senate IN its early days,
when journals first began t6print reports
of legislative proceedings Thc government
became a subscriber foe The National In
telHgencer, daily printed in the city
Of Washington. This historic sheet was
started in the year 1870 and continued for
many years TO be theonly paper in the ooun-
try that gave quick reports Of congressional
doings This was In the days before the
telegraph, and the newspapers published
away from here were dependent for their
legislative news upon this paper In iSl5
The Union was established aud continued
for n years. q.
Files OF these two old papers, with some
others OF the north and south, were carefully
kept ia the senate. and were the source Of
constant information for both senators and
representatives. who depended upon them
in many cases far more confidently than
upon The Globe. About eight years ago
these files, which had been moved from
place to place and were in danger OF being
destroyed, were transferred by resolution
Of congress to the care of the librarian Of
congress, who had them placed with the
files that be had been keeping and stored
away under the crypt. over 1, 100 volumes
were transferred.
Mr. Van Ness, the guardian, has den
under the rotunda floor. lie was found at
work by the reporter. A great clothes
basket stands on top, filled to OVERLOOKING
with the latest issues OF the press.
THAT is my morning mail, remarks Mr..
Van Ness as he lays his hand affectionately
upon the mass Of reading matter. 1T Is q
rather poor morning too. Sometimes there
are TWO baskets. l take these papers as
soon as / can each day and sort them out
You may see these shelves and big pigeon
holes behind YOU. Well, each one is for
certain paper Some Of the boxes, you no
tice. are filed. The files in those are nearly
ready TO be sent TO the government bindery
TO be put between covers. some Of the pa
pers bind up at two months and others at
four.
Then every two months" he went on,
fumbling through a drawer In the table,
they send me their current files from the
senate, which have TO collate very care
fully. l take them from their temporary
binders and go through them particularly
to see what numbers are missing Then 1
write to the publication Offices Of the papers
and try to supply the deficiencies. When
the volumes are as complete as l can make
them. they go TO the binder.
"You can see from this list the number Of
papers we get here" as he handed out
carefully kept book that contained the
names Of upward Of a hundred Of the best
journals published in the country. 1t
showed the date Of subscription and the
date Of sending the volumes TO the binder,
as well as that Of its return. 1.-The senate
takes 81 papers now in addition to these. II
keeps me pretty busy attending TO them all.
Let us walk through the vaults, and you can
see what "a quantity Of material we have
here"
The books were arranged in alphabetical
order Of states, beginning with the earliest
newspapers Of Alabama, published in 1919.
A few steps took the two around in a cir
Gle which completed the list Of states and
brought forth the names of the European
capitals
For we have some very complete files Of
foreign papers, said the custodian. I'VE
have the London Times from its beginning,
from before il was The Times, in fact.
Then here are files of the Manchester
Guardian, and here is a set Of Galignani's
Messenger. We receive a great many files
from the state department that furnish us
with many valuable additions Here is a
complete file up TO q short time ago Of lie
Constitutional, "a French paper And
here are the magazines both Of this country
and Europe. Here is about the best col
lection of The Gentleman's Magazine in
the country.
Now you have seen the files that are re-
ferred TO the most. on down there indi-
eating the mysterious passage that led TO
the other side Of the capitol, care the old
fellows that are in duplicate up stairs ina
The library. The Intelligence is there ia
a special case Here" showing the way
into "a perfectly dark vault about feet
wide and turning of 10 the left az the
lower end, "arc copies Of every map that
has ever been copyrighted in this country.
The gem OF this collection is not very well
known. 10 consists of all the maps that
were used during the various wars iu
which this country has been engaged. The
maps were issued by the war department
and turned back after they were needed no
longer. and then turned over 10 ms for
preservation. There are some curious rel
ics down there. added the custodian tan
taliziugly, as be turned back out of the
dark.
you think you have seen AN my books.
dor and sec our little annex. aud the way
was led 90 "A little biz OF "a room that has
been built among the pillars 81 the crypt,
where che papers of the new west are
stored.
"Our policy has been 90 take two papers
from each large place, one of each party;
but out ia the west We have 90 take three.
now that the Populist- are given to pub
fishing their views uu things.
'llere is O. curio,' said Mr. Van Ness,
laying bis hand iondly upon pile Of three
portfolios labeled "Ihe National Anti-la
very standard
THAT is one IF The most unique files q
the lot, Tor b. contains vast amount Of iu
formation about thc first auti,lavcry move
ments. IT, was published iu New Yora
from 1881 TO 1870. Tins BIS the only file d.
the world that is az all complete. There arr
n few copies missing from the first six vol
umc- and the last two. 80 $50 have not La,
them bound regularly Then here is
record oil other days than those Of WAT am,
strIfe--a record % New York 5 political con
vention. and Of fashionable doinrs o.
Washington star.
4 Minister son.