The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-28

ANTIQUARIAN. This precocious youth
cannot possibly be more than ID or ID
years of age. He wears knickerbockers
and a rolling collar; mis- eyes are mildly
blue: his hair is neatly divided and Of a
golden hue. Altogether, he looks like
the conventional small boy of careful
upbringing. But when he comes TO the
Astor library-as he does several days
in the week.-Mrs. steps gravitate toward
the shelves devoted to geneaology, her-
aidry and archaeological lore. Climbing
the ladder in a business-like way, he
draws forth some heavy tome (heaVy
in every sense of the word) and, ire
uuently with the assistance of an at
tendant, drags it to a table. Then out
comes his pencil and paper. For hours
he examine and copies, traces coats OF
arms and goes through it all with the
gravity and interest of a practical an
tiQuarian. He is something of an au-
thority on pedigrees, too this small
boy. and when ladies come in asking
about the Smith, Jones or Robinson
family trees he can tell them to a
nicely where they may be found.
But dear met remarks the mild
hammered superintendent of the anti
i quarian department, if he knows 50
rhuch about genealogies at 13 he ought
! to be Bernard Burke or a Foster be-
! fore he is 20'
ALCOVE READERS.
Mention has been made of the alcove
| readers This is a privileged class, to
which the freedom of the library is
practically presented. For the most
part they are grave and reverend
! seigniors' of literature, science and
/ art whose researches cannot be ham
7
the waiting for books, and who are al
| lowed to help themselves at the shelves,
and to do their work within the library
! enclosures. But in many instances the
/ alcove readers have been granted their
exceptional privileges because of some
benefit conferred upon the library in
the past. An interesting case is that
/ of a gentleman who made a lucky dis
covery of books several years ago.
This individual happened to be in Ven
ice and alphabetically 'drifted," for
he used a gondola-to the door of a sec
! ond-hand bookshop. In the old shop
he found by chance q number of cob
webbed books, part of the library of a
former British CONSUL The dealer sold
him the entire lot for G2 sterling.
They were loaded into his gondola and
conveyed to the hotel at which he was
staying. On examination they We're
found to be all autograph volumes,
containing the signatures of Samuel
johnson and number of other famous
writers. The traveller brought them to
America and presented the entire col
lection to the Astor library. A card
admitting him to the alcoves was
thereupon granted honoris causa.
HONESTY OF THE PUBLIC.
Library readers, as a general rule
are honest" said DR.. Billings, chief di-
rector of the great New York library
Astor, Lennox and Tilden foundations
During the past Il months there were
just six books stolen from the Aston
branch. About the same number OF
volumes had been mutilated in thai
period.
Now an immense army of readers
visited the library from November
1896, until November. 1897. The ma.
jority of them were casual corners, whC
were practically placed on their honor
!; and whom we did not know and might
never see again. These people wert