Evening star., 1898-12-12

1,i.1. This year unbound matter is ex-
ciuded from the above total, and is counted
as single numbers. OF these single num-
bers Jo,225 are accessible.
The library embraces Sc. .S62 periodicals.
an increase during the year of 5.S12. and
IL .6i9 new papers, an increase of ,0Sl.
This represents contributions from the
State Department, Smithsonian Institution,
bureau Of statistics and elsewhere. Bound
volumes have also been received from pub
fishing houses and private sources. We
have purchased 532 volumes, while several
hundred volumes. misplaced during the
transfer of the library from the Capitol,
have been recovered and arranged. In this
estimate duplicate bound volumes to the
number of 2,95S periodicals and 1855 news
papers are counted and among them 1.47a
volumes of Senate files, sent to the library
for preservation.
The Department. of Manuscripts.
The manuscripts in this department may
be thus enumerated: Original manuscripts
Number of volumes of manuscripts bound,
COS; number of volumes of manuscripts I'M
bound. 23.032. ranscripts-Number of
ages of manuscripts, 2o5; total number of
individual manuscripts. bound and un-
bound 23,032. Observation-Disclosures of
volumes bound. 300; number of volumes un-
bound, 13; total. 26S: number of packages
tregarded as volumes. though unbount) St2 :;
miscellaneous transcripts, 1536. Miscella-
neous pieces-Detacned autographs, "a;
seals, 20; manuscripts on velium, 81 total,
1865.
The total number of volumes of manu-
scripts. bound and unbound. originals and
transcripts. amounts to ,049. and the total
number of original pieces of all kinds is
23397
Your librarian in his report for 1897
alluded to the fact that the necessities of
the removal and the care required in the
custody OF the manuscripts had made it
impossible to arrange them for the public.
during the current year much has been
done toward creating. as 1t were, this mos t
interesting and valuable department. Suit
able steel furniture and q burgIar-pro,,f
safe have been provided and will soon be
in place. But while we have many price
less manuscripts of historical, social and
personal interest. much is required to give
the library its full degree of usefulness
Practically there has been no appropria-
ton for manuscripts, and the eIimina ton
OF the sum requested last year for their
purchase was construed as a veto upon any
special expense.
The Department of Music.
The attention of Congress has been
called to the musical department as a grow
ing and useful feature of the library.
When we came into the new building, in
1897, the department of music was in it's
experimental stages. It's growth thus far
has resulted in the foundation of what is
ueStlned TO be one of the great musical IL
hrarles OF the world AS a collection of
American music it is unsurpassed and
with little cost it can he made as rich in
the music of other nations as it is in the
music of our own
On November |, 1898 the music denar rt-
ment was thus enumerated:
iotal number Of pieces of music on hand
January l, 1s9s 1S9046; received during
current year, 1o,s4S; total, 1859
The following will show the accessjons
IN 1898:
Received from the Smithsonian. vocal
and instrumental, 446: transferred from
chapter y, 53; copyright accessions 10 ots.
by gifts. y; by purchase, 90 total, 1OS4s
1t has been our effort so far as the
classlfcatiOn of the various departments
mas permitted to strengthen the music de-
partment, obtaining either through DUR
chaSe or exchange books of reference the
scores OF the classical masters, together
with what may illustrate the music of all
nations, ancient and modern, savage as
well as enlightened. Music in its best sense
S science belonging to all ages, as well
as all nationalities and conditions of men,
and the Library of Congress should con-
tam its earliest as well as it's latest and
most complete expression.
Nv hen so much has been done by the ar
rangement of what came from the old
library. it would he a misfortune not TO
continue our additions to the library until
our present already invaluable collection
.S a complete embodiment of the history,
''9 wen as Oh the science or music. Among
our purchases are some modern classical
scores as well as an assortment of con-
feGerate music.
Your librarian has suggested the necAs-
sity of musical instruments in a room ad-
Joining the musical library so the scores
could be read. The experiment so far as the
piano is concerned, has been tried. There
IS piano in a closed room where students
can gain access to the musical scores and
interpret rare and classical music. Liti-
gantS with copyright interests at stake
san by access to the copyright music, es
tablish property claims. The piano does
not annoy students in the reading room nor
distract attention in other departments
nor draw crowds and is never used except
for necessary purposes. While we owe the
use of the piano to private courtesy, Its
value is shown by experiment to be SO ap-
parent, that the librarian recommends the
purchase of this and perhaps one or two
other musical instruments.
The Law Library.
The law department of the Library Of
Congress. or as much of il as remains in
The old Supreme Court room, has received
additions during the year ending October /,
1898, 4,OJJ volumes. The larger part of
these additional volumes (2 4g.D We're dis
covered in the course of arranging the con-
cents of the old library. When we include
volumes in the duplicate room, 1924; the
supreme Court conference room 10000. and
those withdrawn from the shelves by the
justices for judicial purposes, 1850, the ag
sregatc is 1Ol,h volumes.
Attention, has been called to the congest-
ed condition of the law library, more es-
pecialIy So far as the law students are con-
cerned. We have a room with $50 square
feet, or about oU feet square This cock
pit. dimlylghted and announcement, with
its Struggling tables. is expected to accom-
modate the Justices lawyers engaged in
cases, the members of the bar in search of
light as well as law students. Washington
is said to have Il greater number Of law
students than any educational center oUs-
side of Ann ArbOr and hence the difficulty
of their accommodation. The ventilation is
imperfect, artificial light is of little avail.
and the discomforts have grown with the
increase of business. While the transfer of
the law library to the new building would
have remedied this and not only enlarged
the general usefulness of the library.
but in every way served the public, the
prohibitory statute has Withdrawn that
question from further consideration.
"As an experiment, however, the law Ii
hrary was closed to students on the 1st of
October and quarters assigned them in the
new building. An alcove was set apart for
1000 books, including elementary works de
sirable for students. This included every
standard law text book in the English lam
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