Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-22

| piled with chairs. and three long oaken
| tables. Here, too are two sets OF rcvolv-
| Ing shelves. containing dictionaries ana
! some other books OF reference. Through
large glass doors you can see q portion
| OF the library, to which there Is gene
rally mo adrnittance.' But as a matter
| OF courtesy, Mr.. Scott will take you in.
| 10 let you see the new arrangement The
| books are placed In double iron shelving,
| standing on the floor In rows with spaces
between them, and are classified and d.
| vided according TO subject-matter: and
| these departments are appropriately la
beled.
When you wish 10 use the library you
have TO name the book you want to the
Librarian. who will bring II out and lay
II for you upon one OF the tables.
The energetic pressure OF the city press
brought the people 20 domand that the
iong-pent-up State Library should be
opened TO the public in the evening Then
the Legislature and the city combined
and made provision for such an accommo.
dalton, and the public can now enjoy it.
Mr. Tyler. the assistant appointed for
this new service, attended the library in
its old home for some months. that he
might familiarize himself with the books
and the places where they were to be
found. and now he WIN welcome you in
the new quarters every evening from
to IL o'clock.
At night the elevator Is running, the
library. gallery, and reading room are
lighted up by electricity, and, so far,
everything appears bright and inviting.
But on those long tables is no literature.
whether Of book, magazine, or newspaper,
for the people to examine ana be drawn
on to reading. They must know OF some
special work which they desire TO see
nd aak Ia I
mittee supply this great defect to rea-
sonable extent by allowing the reading
room to offer TO its evening visitors q
number of their best and most popular
recent publications. and some Of their
magazines and pamphlets?
MANY VALUABLE PUBLICATIONS.
In Greek and Latin classics and In
standard English literature. UP 10 the
present date. the library embraces some
valuable editions and tones. The oldest
publication deserves some notice. 1t Is
dated 1i93 only year after the discovery
Of America. IL is large folio. well print
ed. in Latin, and in good preservation,
except the title-page. II contains the Nu-
remberg Chronicles, which were written
by Hartman Schedel. The preface gives
some speculat'ons az to the origin OF the
human race. one of which Is that 1t has
existed through all time.
But the author takes up the Mosaic ac-
count. and presents II In full Then comes
his history Of the world. which he divides
into six ages tatates) with an ultima"
A very striking feature OF the whole
massive work Is its abundant. even re-
dundant. illustrations. They are 22C0
spirited wood-cuts" by Wolgemuth and
Pleydenwurff. Wolgemuth was the master
OF the celebrated Albert DuTer.
Many of these wood-cuts are terribly
realistic. a great kline. crowned and
robed. can be seen In the act OF creating
Adam from the earth, and Of deriving
Eve, bodily from the side OF our Sleeping
first parent. a full examination OF the
Illustrations would require a day or two.
but the time would be requited by their
bold and curious designs, and by the con-
trast they display with modern wood-cut-
ting, engraving, and photogravure.
They were executed four hundred years
ago. The old book ought TO have been
at the Columbian Worlds Fair.
II you ask him. Mr.. Scott will show you
the last dispatch of the immortal Stone
wall: some original letters of John Ran
dolph; n German account OF Virginia, In
1907. when she was Just 100 years DID,
the first London edition OF Mr.. Jefferson's
notes on Virginia, and Audubon's magnif-
cent work on the natural history, OF
America. Then you will be prepared to
wait for another visit. NJ