Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-06
CONGRESS- LIBRARY.
The Building Is Now All
Ready for the Books.
Rare Literary Treasures--Th Guten-
berg Bible Modern Paper.
The Boston Library Stands at Head OF All
In the World.

Washington, May 5.-(SpeciaD-Li
| brrrian 7ruuprti 81 she library of congress
! is impatiently awaiting the adjournment
| Of congress, so that he may remove his
! stores OF books and pamphlets to the
| splendid new building across from the
| capitol j he new library is ready for the
| books, and stands vacant ana perfect
| week after week and month after month,
"a Mecca for the thousands OF visitors to
| the city who Geek 20 see the beauties of
| the palatial structure 1t is not often that
| q public building is ready for its tenants
| long before the latter are ready to move
| in Librarian Spoflord is ready, but he
| fears removal during the session Of con-
gross might impose too much inconven-
fence upon senator's and representatives
VINO use the books, and lie has for this
| reason decided 10 wait till the national
| legislature adj0urns in the summer.
Rare Autographs.
when the library shall have been in
stalled in its palatial new home, the
| people viii begin to appreciate what a
great collection of books works of art,
| pamphlets, manuscripts, etc, they have
| accumulated. There is one room in the
old library which Is filed from floor to
ceiling with the rarest literary treasures.
Here gre old and rare books, and perhaps
the most valuable collection Of autograph
letters OF famous Americans TO be found
| III All the world. There is only one key
TO this apartment, and that Librarian
Srcford never permits to pass out of his
custody Not long ago young man en-
ployed III the library managed to steal q
number Of the letters Of Washington,
jefferson ard ether famous men and sell
them al good prices. At first il was quite
a mystery how lie had managed to gain
access TO the treasure room, but il was
finally learned that he had done so by
means of a duplicate key. One Of the
Oldest employees of the library, one who
has been there for more than 90 years
tells rae thai in all that time he has never
been in the room and has never seen any
one the}c hut Librarian Spoiford. As
soon az the removal to the new building
is effected all these rare letters and books
vii! 10 displayed in cases made especially
for their accommodation. Then, for the
first time, the country will be able TO de-
rive some real benefit from the valuable
aceuiuulutinns Of the last century.
Librarian Hid of the Chicago Public IL
hrary was here The other day in consulta-
ton with Mr.. Spofterd. MIR Hid told me
he had been or tcur of the great cities of
the cast, making d special study of libraries
and library methods. In his opinion the
Boston public library is the best all round
library in the United States. The Har-
ward college library is superior in some
things, and this may be said of most of the
larger libraries, including the library of
compress. But, take ii all in all, the Bos-
ton Public library undoubtedly stands at
the head. The people OF Boston are justly
proud Of H. and their pride is quite as
much in tho magnificent collection of
locks as in the splendid building which
contains them
Moro European Books Needed.
The library OF congress is rich in all
Americana, ana has a larger number Of
volumes than any other library in the
United States. but many of them are du- |
rllCates, owing to the provision Of law
which requires two copies Of every book to
he deposited for copyright purposes The |
national library IS deficient in books pub |
lished in Europe and other parts of the |
world and If 1t Is &c &c brought up to the !
high standard IF comprehensiycness which |
it should maintain congress will have to |
appropriate large sums for the purchase of |
books published In other countries than !
our own 1t is estimated that 500. 900 |
year would be proper sum for some years !
to come for this purpose
Librarians are wondering what they are |
going TO do with the newspaper files which |
are now so rapidly accommodating. 1t is |
not so much that there are many news !
papers. OF large superficial area per copy, |
filling many volumes "a year. but that |
modern journals are printed upon such |
poor paper. How to preserve them in any |
thing like decent condition is a problem |
which all the librarians are now consider
ing. The wood pulp paper Of modern
times grows yellow in a very few years.
In a few years moro the fiber shows q tend
ency to disintcgrate Compare bound vol
umes of papers published before the war
with those printed five years ago and the
former are in much better condition The
paper holds its color, the ink is clear and
black The old papers We're printed on
rag stock while the new are composed al
most entirely of wood pulp. In the Chi
cago Public library and some other libraries
they have had constructed light tight com
partments in which 10 store files of mod
ern newspapers
Fare Bibles.
Probably every large library in the
United States is trying to procure copy
Of the Gutenberg Bible. Gutenberg Bibles
are rare What shame said Mr..
Hid. that the congress Of the United
States should say that every man who
imports Gutenberg must pay fine of
81, 600 for doing it. whereas he should DO
presented with the thanks of congress and
q gold medal -
- Do you mean to say that n Gutenberg
Bible is worth SIS, 600 or $40, 000?"
Yes. | doubt if you could buy one
for less than $50. 900 As far as is known.
here are only 90 or 80 copies in existence.
They are nearly all in libraries, and of
course cannot he had at any price. There
ire only three copies in the United States
or perhaps | should say 81. One of !.
hese is in the Boston public library, one
Il Washington. one in the hands Of a col
eetor in Chicago, and the half copy is in
syracuse. n. Y"
Mr. Hid then told me pretty story
Some years ago he was in Mainz, Ger
many, 1t was there that Gutenberg
printed his famous edition of the Bible.
While walking through the museum Mr.
Hid asked the curator where his copy of
he Gutenberg Bible was. The old mans
yes flied with tears.
We have 10 Gutenberg" he said, as