The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-28
ENrRANcE no R1pewAY 11nRARY.

favor. The Philadelphia Library asso-
ciatien did not consider the locality a
suitable one and instituted legal pro-
ceedings to determine whether or not it
should abide by the executors decision.
The court ruled in favor of the executor,
and the present stately library building
was erected "far from the madding
crowd" It was accepted by the Phila-
delphia Library association. In 1878
the Lagonian library and the books of
the Philadelphia library were removed
to it, and it has since been about as fire.
quently visited as it would have been
had the executor located it in West Fair
mount park
The building is an imposing copy in
granite of the Parthenon, 220 feet long
by 1o5 feet wide, and is surrounded by
acres of lawn and high wall. It is
not at all unusual for but two or three
people to visit the library in day, and
there have been many days when the
only people who entered the building
were the librarian and his assistants.
When the executor stood firm in his de-
termination to give the library its pres
ent site on South Broad street, he felt
sure that it would soon be in the most
fashionable part of the city, but the
march Of progress was toward the north
instead
The great building, with its massive
columns, broad steps and grand hall, is
not only a monument to DR.. Rush and
his wife, but it is also their tomb, and
to the fanciful mind it seems quite ap-
propriate that a silence like that of
death itself should so often fold the lit
| tie visited structure in it's embrace. DR..
| Rush loved his rare old books and man
uscripts, and they are still around him.
| He intended them to be inspected by
thousands weekly, but the unfortunate
location of the library building has de-
feated his philanthropic intent.
! Among the treasures of the library
are numerous books that were printed
in the earliest days of the cart preserv-
alive of arts. - There is an ''Augustinus
de Vita Christiana" printed in 1859 by
Faust & Schayffer; several works from
the press of Janson, the French engrav.
er, printer and type founder who set
tied in Venice about 147O, produced
there number of celebrated editions be-
tween 1470 and 1880 and was the in
ventor of the Roman type now used.
Legend" and three books from the press
of his famous assistant, Wynkin de
Worde; ''Vulgate Bible" one of the
200 printed in Rome in 1471; Nurem-
berg Bible printed by Kaberger in 1875;
a copy on vellum of Pliny's Natural
History" the only one of the kind that
came from Janson's press, and every
Spanish book of note from 1900 to 1900
is to be found in the collection. Among
these is ''El Condo Lucanor," one of
the rarest books in the world.
The American department of the IL
brary is rich in old time publications.
There are copies of the first newspaper
published in Philadelphia, files of Brad
ford's American Mercury from 1919 to
1745, the Pennsylvania Gazette from
1928 TO 1904, and the library owns the
magnificent collection of early Ameri-
can magazines, books, pamphlets, broad
sides and manuscripts made by Pierre
du SUnthiere before, during and after
the Revolution. One Of the rarest vol
umes is Publications of the Enemy In
Philadelphia in 1777 and ITS and
there are two copies of the Aitken Bible
published in 1852 under the patronage
of congress. Another very odd book is
''The Beschreibung Won Pennsylvania, -
published in 1704 by Pastorius, the
founder of Germantown and the friend
of William Penn.