The morning call., 1894-07-01
BOOKS IN PLENTY.
How Uncle Sam Supplies
His Clerks.
THE DEPARTMENT LIBRARIES
Documents in the State Department.
The Patent Office Col.
lection.

WASHINGTON, June 25.-N6r lew per-
sons who are not in the department service
at Washington or who have not some active
interest in the departments know tha'
there is a book collection In this city
which, taken as a whole, is greater than
the library collections in Boston and Cam
bridge. The Harvard Library at Cam bridge
dates from 1868. The Boston public library
is much younger, but 1t is ahead of the
Cam bridge library in size. The Phlladel-
phia library, which was founded by Frank
lin in 1929, is not half so large as either of
these and is far behind the Washington
collection.
Washington has no public library except
the National Library, but IL, 600 Of her peo-
pie, with their families-perhaps $4,000
people in all-can be supplied with reading
material from the department Libraries.
And it is the collection in the departments
which, taken in the aggregate. exceeds the
collection In the Astor Library, New York,
or the collection in that ancient library
founded by Franklin. Possibly the de-
Dartment libraries are not so we'll selected.
Perhaps there is an unhealthy prepOnder.
ance of pub. docs" on the library shelves.
But If the lighter literature of the day is
not given just share of attention techni-
than in any other city in the United
States. so the average is we'll sustained.
The State Department library is the
oldest, the largest and the most important
of the department collections. The col
lection of books for this library was begun
with the foundation Of the State Depart
ment in 1889. The most important part of
this collection, however. has been brought
together in the past twenty years. There
are now $4,000 volumes in the library
proper and in the corridors are nearly
80, 900 more. All of these books are in
dexed in card catalogue. which is main
tanned for the use of the librarian, and
four times year list OF DOCKS, pamphlets
and maps received at the library by pur-
chase, exchange or gift during the preced-
ing quarter is published. The books are
in all languages and usually are on SUBJ
jects intimately or remotely relating TO
diplomacy. The annual report of the
Health Officer of the port OF New York
might not be considered by the casual OBJ
server a diplomatic document, but 1t has
its Importance for the State Department.
since it has some relation to immigration.
"Pericles and the Golden Age of Athens"
1.-The Orthoepist, a PrOnounciug Manual
"The Brooks and Baxter War;" history
of the reconstruction period In Arkansas.
aud MIR. Cleveland's-Failure" ere books
and articles which perhaps could not be
can Mr.. Muybridge's interesting book on
animal locomolion, but as a rufe the books
are in some way concerned with diplo-
matte matters A great many books are
received as gifts from their authors or
from other nations. Some come IN eX-
Change from the Smithsonian Institution.
The appropriation for the library for the
purchase Of books and maps is $4,000
year.
Not long ago a report was presented to
the House of representatives. from the
Committee on Library providing that one
copy of each book sent to the Nation al
Library for copyright should be- turned
over to the scientific library of the Palent
Office Objection was raised that the eX-
tta volume was needed for the circulating
library which Librarian Spoff0rd runs
and the resolution was Withdrawn. The
Patent Office library was founded 10 1889
by act OF Congress and 1t contains now
65 634 volumes. Ii it could share the priv
ileges of the national library it would
double its stock in a year or two. This
library, like the library of the State De-
partment, is much needed for department
use The examiners in the Patent Office,
for example, make constant reference to
the books in the scientific library. This
library is even larger than the general
library of the Interior Department. This
is partly due to the fact that great many
books and periodicals come TO the Patent
Office in exchange for the official gazette,
and partly to the fact that the library has
an appropriation of $500 year. while the
department library has only $500 a year
for the purchase of books. The depart
ment library was founded by the first Sec
retary Of the interior, General Thomas
Ewing, 1S49 His son. Thomas Ewing Jr..
was the first librarian. The present libra
rian is Mrs. Mary j. Fuller. Mrs. Fuller
has about 1900 volumes of reference
books and general literature in her charge.
They are in such narrow quarters that
there is no opportunity for cataloguing
them. The library catalogue is len yeaIs
old. This library issues about 100 books a
day, chiefly books of fiction and general
literature.
The library of the Navy Department has
an appropriation OF $500 year and gets
a number OF periodicals in exchange for
department publications. There are about
10000 volumes in the library. ana these
have been collected since 1882. All OF
these books are books of naval reference,
and they are catalogned by card. In fact
the Navy Departm ent has most elaborate
system of card-lndexug for all publica-
tions, whether in periodicals or books or
in newspaper clippings, The War De-
partment has 10000 volumes, with a
printed catalogue. Included in these
books are the volumes which formed the
sented to the department in 1883 This
library includes a great deal of general
literature.
The Postoffice Department has 10000
books, but they are chiefly public docu-
ments. The collection was begun about
thirty years ago, but as no appropriation
has been made for the purchase of books
the clerk of the Postoffice Department
has 10 read Government publications or
buy his own books or go book-hungry
The Treasury Department library was
started in 1875, and most of the time it has
received money from general appropria-
tioO, of which its share is usually $500 to
S4O0 year. 1t contains $4,000 volumes.
The Department Of Justice has 10000 law
books, purchased with an annual appro-
priation of S2500. The Department of
Agriculture has an annual appropriation
of $4,000 and obtains great many books
from foreign governments by exchange.
Besides these department libraries there
are several bureau libraries. and one OF
these rivals in Importance any two of the
libraries of the departments. This is the
library of the Surgeon-General'S offices. Il
was begun in 1862 under the direction of
Surgeon-General Hammond, the celebrated
specialist, now in private practice The
object of the collection was to assist in the
compilation of 1.-THE Medical and Surgical
History of the War" 1t to-day the most
com plete library of medical literature In
the United States and one of be most re-
markable IN the world. 1t contains more
than 100000 volumes and 10000 pampn-
lets. l receives more than 1000 perioui-
Gals. The most important work undei-
taken in the Surgeon-G Generals ONCE mas