The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-29
CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Interesting Showing Made by she
Annual Report.

The recently issued annual report of the
Chicago Public Library makes an inter-
esttng showing. The home circulation Of
books during the year has been LIS. $50
volumes, which breaks the world s record
for free circulating libraries. This en-
0rmoIS ngure results from the system Of
delivery stations which have been grad
ually built up during the past twenty
years. and which makes it possible for
books upon short notice without going
very far from their homes. Another
million or 50 of books nave been drawn
from the library to be consulted without
being taken home. These statistics show
that the library has been exceptionally
successful in the performance Of its func-
people. Even more satisfactory thar this
aggregate showing IS the classified state
ment which tells the kinds Of books that
are most in demand Every librarian of
a large collection Of books has TO strug-
gle against the n0vei-readfng tendencies
of the public, and does his best to MINI
rnize the percentage of fichus consumed.
In Chicago this percentage has been stead
fly failing, and IS now nearly down to forty
as against the seventy or eighty Of a
score Of years ago. There IS, of course,
a good deal of fiction among the books
classified as Juvenile" III per cent?
"foreign Languages 40 per cent?, but.
malkabIe. and shows a noticeable i'm
proyenseT1t IN the taste Of the reading
public; The library now contains Ply
much larger had los the purchases of
recent years been restricted by the eranp-
ed quarters provided for the collection.
a considerable expansion may be expect
ed WREN the library takes possession of
its new building next yeaT-an event
awaited with much interest by those who
want to use the collection for more seri-
GUS purposes than those Of desultory en-
t~ertaiHnent. RatheIto the reference ac-
commentators provides ave been wretch
edly inadequztesand a great improvement
in this respect may be looked for.-Har-
peI's Weekly.
The Banana.
Something over twenty years ago a New
England skipper used to make several
trips a year from Boston to the northern
pcrts of Jamaica and would return to
Cape Cod Bay, his fleet schooner laden
with hananas. for which ne Gun ready
and reinunerative sale. Other vessels were
added 10 the business, which grew and
prospered, and soon became TOO important
longe~ to derend upon the uncertain
winds. and steamers replaced the schoen-
ers. BananaS were offered In quantities
greater thar our Yankee mariner, with
his limited means. could handle. and a
company was formed In 1877 with a capital
of S20o. 900 and rwo steamers. and the bssi-
ness of systematically growing the ba-
mana for export to the United States com
menoed From such small beginnings
sprang the American company which now
practically controls the fruit export trade
and II has a surplus Of Sl.ooa,e00 and en-
ploys twelve steamers. 1t ships 70 the
United States every year about 4.eo8,000
punches q bananas pesides upwards Of,
6,ce0. ono ~cocoanuts and quantities of pit
mex1so ~(allSpiceJ, coffee, cocoa and early
vegetables. More than six hundred mules
are daily in harness engaged in drawing
to ports Of shipment its varied products.
1t owns ara controls more than twenty
estates. comprising nearly $1,000 acres.
Free schools are provided for the children
prosperity to a lamguishing country and
practically created an Industry; and its.