The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-30
What Presidents Did at
End. of Their Terms.-
Majority Remained in Private
Life, But Not All.
The Big Columbian Bell Now In a
Sheriff's Hands and for Sale.

Just after Presidential election IL is
q habit with some persons TO wonder
what the present President will do when
be retires from office on the inaugura-
tion OF his successor. AS an answer to
this question it is interesting to note that
James Monroe became a justice OF the
peace after leaving the White House, and
it Is believed that the fees OF the Office
did not come amiss to him, for ne died
in poverty. John Quincy Adams became
. mem ber of Congress two years after the
expiration of his Presidency, and SO con-
tinued until his death, eighteen years
later. Martin Van Buren, also continued
in public life as q Presidential candidate.
Andrew johnson, after being defeated
In Tennessee, both for the United states
Senate and for the House. finally sue
ceeded in gaining an election to thsSenate
but he died after serving q few months.
Cleveland resumed his law business and
so ola Harrison. With these exceptions
all the other ex-Presidents remained In
private life.
A pupil In the high school asks the
0ossiper to furnish him with a list Of the
great Libraries in the world and the num-
ber OF books they contain. To do this
would require a good-sized volume, as
this is the printing age and nc large city.
either In Europe or Americs, is without
its library, some OF them containing
hundreds of thousands of volumes. The
most important libraries in Europe and
America, however, are the following:
be Imperial Library at Vienna, coz
tanning 450. 600 volumes and about 10000
manuscripts; the Rationale IN France,
the most extensive In the world, with
$3.50. 900 volumes of French history, more
than 2. 400, 900 engravings and $4,000 man.
uscripts; Munich library, with 1000, 600
volumes and $4,000 manuscripts: the
British Museum, In London. with over
1900, 900 volumes. the vaticsn Library at
Rome, 225, 900 volumes and $4,000 manu.
scripts;t ;the Imperial Library, at st. Peters,
burg, 100000 volumes, $4,000 manu-
scripts; rbe Congressional Library, at
Warrington, d. g., with $50, 900 volumes
ana 21o, 900 pamphlets; the Astor Library
at New York city, containing 239, COO
volumes, and the Mercantile Library Of
Philadelphia, with 166. 600 volumes.
Probably every one OF the thousands Of
Rhode Islanders who attended theworld's
Fair heard the tones of the Colu m bian
bell and they will be surprised TO learn
that 1t has fallen into disgrace and 10 now
in the hands of a sheriff. The bell hung
I'm the modest belfry at 534 Sheridan road
Evanston, and the other night Its tongue
was tied by legal process. The bell has
been in the custody OF MIR. George s.
Knapp of Sheridan road since it was
Grst rung at the dedication of the
fair, in October, 1892. The McShane
Manufacturing Company of Baltimore,
Nd, issued Q replevin writ for the bell
for q eum claimed to be due for casting
It. Deputy Sheriff Goodman, who exc
cuted the writ left the bell in charge OF a
representative of the company, but, ow-
ing to its size, 1t was not removed, and
the custodian was taken away. MIR.
Knapp was, therefore, in charge sgain, !
aud matters were in ststu quo. Custo- |
dian Knapp formerly lived in Chicago, |
snd Z. A. Sittig was his landlord. Be-
cause of sn alleged rent arrsar OF S615,
Dir. Sittig had an execution issued and
erdered levy made upon Mr.. Knspp's
right, title aud interest in the bell. Ac-
cording TO Mr.. Knapp, said fright, title |
and interest" amount to $1,000, the sum
due him for four years. service as custo-
dian. But the Sittig interest has the |
upper hand vt present, and q rude sign,
nailed over the door OF the Tiny house /
built especially for the bell. informs
the passing public that the historic piece
OF machinery will he sold at auction on
fhe morninO of Dec IN