The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-24
'PUB. DOCS" ON THE STAGE.
A New Use For the Books Turned Out
by Uncle sam.
From Washington Post.

ny
From the washington Post. .g..
Another source of usefulness for gov
ernment publications has been discovered.
The final end of the tons of books yearly
turned out at the government printing Of
flee has always been an entertaining
branch of resource by the curously in
clined, but no one has ever been able to
determine the disposition of more than
half of them in legitimate ways. The
most Travelled route for Uncle Sans lit
erary efforts Is the quick and short one
back to the paper mill. Some of them are
used as building material in the repair of
political fences; others occupy conspicu-
GUS places along with the almanac and
family Bible in rural libraries, and in
divers ways finally get away from Wash
ington. But it is the enterprising theatrl-
cal man who has at last found that ancient
reports on the "Cure of Ragweed; or,
the Elimination of Wild Carrots from
Growing Crops Group in Cows and
Treatment of Horse Whooping Cough"
have real and beneficial purpose.
A few days since a government official
received the following note from a the
atrical manager in his native city:
Dear W: Please ship me few hum
dred volumes of old government publica-
tons, bound preferred, and as many with
bright covers as possible. Send them c.
o. ID. L want them for props, Painted
shelves with fake books don't go any more
In library scenes, and we've got to have
the real thing. I'll take all you can send.
At first blush one might imagine that
few hundred volumes would last a long
time for legitimate stage. purposes but
bof 4 ba Pa Of
volume is short, shorter even than that
of the new book one lends his friends. Here
are a few Of the ways in which they are
speedily reduced to waste paper: 81
''Scene-Li5rary. Enter wronged hus-
band; discovers open book left by faith
less wife with lines UNDERSIGNED. Picks
up book and discovers secret.
"W. H.-'Good heavens what means
this? Slowly deciphers message). Per-
fidious womanH and tears out a handful
Of leaves, hurting the treacherous volume
across stage"
Now, one book a night in weeks stand
will make a pretty good hole in even a
stage library, and if Uncle Sam can fur
nish them it is cheap realism to rip up
sure enough book. or again:
Curtain discovers heroine reading in a
hammock for this purpose a neat crimson
and green covered consular report is con-
sidered au fai0. Enter lover of above
heroine, ana IN Startled embarrassment
the latter exclaims, oh, Sir Percival, how
you frightened me-, and letting go her grip
the book, having been neatly loosened ia
the cover. smashes at her feet.
"Heroine-'Oh, my lord, see what you
have done. It was the lovely book of
poems you sent me-.
'Sir p. grabbing heroine's hands,
Madeline, if you only cared as much for
its unworthy donor as for the senseless
collection of paper and type, how happy
l should be- and as she sinks into his
arms with a happy sigh they make foot
mat Of the aforesaid consular report"
A careful study of the average society
play will easily prove to the most skepti-
cal that the stage is a mighty bad place
for books. Imagine the wrathy lawyer
hurting imitation Blackstones and dig
emout on Evidence" at his stupid CLERK
On the stage all lawyers clerks are
stupid-that is English lawyers clerks.
Or, again, the starving genius turning
his precious volumes into the fuel white
the bleak winter winds howl around his
garnet.
So after all, the government printing
office survives to a useful end, and with
this new field opened up the impecunl.
Gus congressman whose city constituency
does not appreciate THE Art Of Butter.
making" How to Keep Buttermih
Sweet in Cold Weather. or "The Best
Poisons for Crows has open TO Hmm an
easy and profitable means of disposing
Of his quota Of official docs.