The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-24
Libraries
In This
COuntF'

The great advantage that the Egro-
pean libraries have over the ones in this
country is that they are governmcn III
institutions. and the local authorities Il
81. Petersburg, Paris and London have
the power TO compel all publishers l.,
donate copies OF everything they publish.
This OF itself Is a great aid. and the
Bibliotheque Nationale of Paris gains
at least $4,000 volumes a year by this
method.
IN New York city is the oldest library
In the new world. 1t Is hidden away in
University place and few OF the gener-
ality or New Yorkers know OF it's ex-
istence. The library was started in 100
by Richard, earl OF Belamont. who had
been appointed in 169S governor of New
YORK, Massachusetts, and New Hamp-
shire. In those days New York was a
thriving little place of $500 inhabitants.
$50 OF whom were negro slaves
The British governor took consider
able interest In the small town, and
when he had a new city hall built at the
corner of Wall and Broad streets upon
the site where 10 years later George
Washington took the oath as the first
president of the United States the little
library was given place in that struc-
ture.
In 1929 there died in Newington. Eng
land. certain Rev. DIR. Millington,
rector OF that place. and he left quite
a library for "the benefit OF foreign
lands" The trustees OF his estate
thought New York was just the place for
the collection, and In due time the books
arrived and We're installed in the little
library.
In 1854 the library had grown 10 the
dignity of having a board OF trustees,
who collected 5000 and gave IL a fresh
start. George III granted n charter
in 1772, but during the Revolution it
suffered, but was again doomed by the
old Knickerbockers. whose descendants
today keep up the family interest in the
institution. The 5000 collected In 1854
was used TO buy real estate. and as the
town grew the library people sold out
and moved northward. BY repeated
sales that $4,000 now represents real es-
tate worth s25O,OO0
New York is soon TO have one OF the
greatest Libraries in the world. The
coalition OF the Astor. Lenox and Til
den Libraries under one great roof and
one management will form an institu-
tion with 100000 volumes and manu-
scripts and will give the country at
large library OF which IL may well be
proud. OF course in the number of IL
braries the United States compares fa-
vorably with any country in the uni
verse. but It is in the matter OF COM
pleteness and the antiquity OF works
that Il is lacking.
With the immense sum which will be
at the disposal Of the new library this
defect can be largely remedied, as Its
scope for work will be considerably
widened. OF course IL will be impossi-
BILE 10 secure the priceless manuscripts
which so enrich these institutions OF
countries OF much greater antiquity
than ours. but in the matter of contem-
porary literature IL will be in a position
to keep the first rank.
Royal in its magnificence Is the new
Boston Public library building. which
cost s., 500, 900. But the money has been
judiciously expended. AS a work of art
the building is unsurpassed by any In
Boston. IL forms one side of a square
which rivals in architectural beauty
any spot in this country or in the old
world.
Even before the Public library build
ing was erected Copley square was one
of the objects of interest to visitors
Trinity church, the Museum of Fine
Arts and the new Old South church
were a trio OF buildings worth going far
to see. Now is added the new Public
library building with its stately gran.
deur OF the Italian renaissance.
The structure is massive and covers
20 900 square feet of ground. Exclusive
of the grand court within. the build
ing. together with the platform, spreads
over an acre and a half. 1t has floor
area Of four acres, and the shelves have
a capacity for a million and a half OF
books.
1t looks like a veritable fortress Of