The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05

BEN-HUR HAS THE MOST POPULAR
CALL IN THE CITY LIBRARY.
Twenty-Seven Copies Kept Agoinr-
Uncle Toms Cabin Still In Demand
The Club Woman.

last week little chap Of about ten or
eleven years drew out his wheel from the
stand just south of the door, mounted and
rode away. He had only the use of one
arm, for the other was filled by two large
books which he had just received from the
desk inside. From the doors issued young
men and old. women and girls and hundreds
OF school children. All had been on the same
errand, TO get books to read. There are
quiet times in the library. but they are few
and the men and women who supply the
demand for books. week in and week out,
appreciate them when these quiet times
come. There is scarcely a book that is not
read and the finding clerk. whose duty II
is to find certain books for persons who
do not know what they want, has about her
a fund Of general information that would
stagger any other person. 1t is along in
early summer. just after the yearly pro-
grammes OF the literary societies are is
sued that the library has the greatest
rush. This continues through the hot
months. The women who remain at home
for the summer utilize the days when it is
too warm to take much exercise in reading
up on their subject for the paper to be
read before the club the next season. To
select the books necessary to become well
possessed OF a subject, the finding clerk is
consulted. The visitor may want to know
about the French revolution. ''They have
been making a continuous study of that in
my club till it seems as If there is nothing
more to be said, but they have given me
this and L want to know il you can tell
me what I had better get?' This is the
remark and the questioner's face is blank,
while the finding clerk draws on her best
experience. There are always little lines or
worry on the club woman's face. Then
comes an earnest man OF forty or more
years He teaches in a Sunday school and
has become particularly impressed by the
habit which he has heard some of the boys
are forming Of gambling. He decides TO
consult written testimony, in order that he
may be better prepared to talk to his boys.
young lady who lives in small house.
set in a big lot, has made up her mind to
have a garden, and she wants a book on
Gardens and Gardening" With pros
pective lecture in mind. the next one wants
a sketch of Hamlin Garland Mrs. H ex-
poets to take a trip TO Europe and join
party of friends in Germany for the sum-
mer She proposes to be posted, so she
asks for Germany A cousin up in the
country is going to give ghost party. and
she wants to know something about
Ghosts" Gull what she thinks of interest
and write particulars, so that the party
shall be success. And so it goes. There
IS always a sure indication of what the
teachers are giving the children in school
IN what they ask for at the library. just
now 1t is architecture. It is not limited
to country, for ancient and modern alike
are wanted. 1t would be interesting to
know why certain persons ask for the
books they do, for the subjects seem so
remote from the person To give an idea
of the interrogatories a few Of the topics
recently mentioned might be given. Gil
nevra Gladstone, Gold and Gould, Military
Heresy. General Grant. Horace Greeley,
Gutta Percha, Heredfty. Heroes. Legends,
Hull House, Reforms, Christina Rossetti,
Sir Walter Scott. Salt. ST Valentines
Day, Renan. Lucknow, Meistersinger, Ma
donnas and Pearls were some of these
topics.
BOYS AND ELECTRICITY.
There is almost no limit to the call on
art subjects and the prominent men and
women OF the day. The recent objection
to the placing Of the Marquette statue was
a sign that some one wanted information.
for all the books ON Marquette were called
for within few days. The boys are great
ones to call for books on electricity. 1t
plainly shows in what direction their
thoughts are turned. They are fascinated
with the mysterious agent of power, and
pages and pages and volumes are devoured
in their search for information ON it.
Men and women try to peer into the future
life and read books by the dozen which give
them any enlightenment. When Paderewski
was here there were frequent calls for notes
zines
that had anything about him were scanned
dozens of times In the reading room the
magazines and periodicals are called for and
looked over more than anything else. There
IS a world of intelligence in the former, and
persons looking for an increase Of intelli-
gence as well as those who have an hour or
a day to spend read the periodicals over and
over.
Except in cases for special Information,
the great call upon the public library is for
fiction. Nothing is ''faddy' just at present.
'Trilby' was kept on the jump for months,
and the four copies which supplied the pub
lie were worn out with the frequent readings
and had to be replaced. The four copies kept
on hand are out all the time, but they are
not so uncomfortably hustled about as they
were at first Peter Ibbetson,'' by Du Maui
rier. the author of ''Trilby," is considered
iHuCu the DelleT story Oh the Two Dy some,
but Peter rests on the shelf. THE Pris-
oner of Zenda" has its admirers, but other
wise Anthony Hope is read out" at least
for the present. Even the fascinating title,
"The Indiscretions of the Duchess" has not
been enticing enough to keep this book going
The Indianapolis library has four copies of
''The Prisoner of Zenda." but some libraries
have many as fifty. Some libraries buy
fifty or sixty copies of a book to keep its
readers supplied. and after the craze has
run out. the superfiuous copies are sold to
the secondhand dealers.
"BEN-HUR' THE FAVORITE.
The best-read book in the library here is
Gen. Lew Wallace's "Ben-Hur.'' OF this
there are twenty-seven copies. and they are
being read all the time There is a steady
demand for the book. When one copy wears
out by much reading. it is replaced Another
book that is old but in constant circulation
is Uncle Toms Cabin" There are twelve
copies OF this book, nearly all of them out
all of the time.
Dickens said once that fifty years after his
novels were written nobody would read them.
The time has elapsed for most Of the books.
lie misjudged his powers or the public, for