The National tribune., 1899-08-24

side We were dressed in uniforms rather
the worse for wear and hard usage, but the
best we had-we made as good an appear
ance as possible. Eddy was rather hand
some fellow, and possessed as many win
ming ways as any man ever knew. Natur-
ally We attracted attention; everybody we
met turned to look at us, and many men
stopped to speak to us.
We first went to the Marshal's Office, and
showed him our pass, to make it all right
ellis men were the only soldiers on duty in
the town, and they all knew us, SO there was
no fear Of our being molested by any au-
thority. We might meet meddlesome
soldier home on sick leave, or passing
through the place; possibly some citizen
the Marshal's Endorsement OF approval
across the face Of the Ca ptain's parole pass
we had little fear Of trouble. ~
During the day we introduced ourselves
or were introduced by others to pretty nearly
every respectable man in town.
We were invited to dinner at least 20
times, and at least a dozen insisted on our
going with them to their houses, and in
each house refreshments were brought out
and we were SO earnestly pressed to partake
that to have refused would have been I'M
mannerly. We had many invitations to
make future visits. and were urged to at
tend an Invitation party at a private
house to come off the following week. OF
course We could make no engagements for
the future, but made provisional promises
to accept all the hospitalities offered us. 1t
was a very busy but a very pleasant day.
Along about A o'clock we found ourselves
in front Of the printing Office. The door
was open, and as both Of us were printers
we felt that there We would be privileged.
Certainly We must enter.
cAHABA PRINTING OFFICE.
The Office was on the ground floor, raised
three or four steps above tho level of the
roof Of which was sustained by four large
pillars, as large as those Of the New York
Custom House, shaped like but differing
from them in this particular: the Custom
House pillars are solid blocks Of granite;
the others were hollow and composed OF
divided into two rooms. The entrance to
the front one was from the center of the
porch, the door fianked on either side by
large windows. 1t was spacious apart
ment, not far from 20 feet square.
Against the wall on the right siGe as we
that moved back and forth on rollers.
The cases extended the whole length of the
room; the shelves reached from an inch
above the floor to a hight Of at least 10 feet,
and every shelf was filled with well-bound
| volumes. 1t seemed as though not another
L L. L
certainly was very choice; it comprised full
sets of all the great English and American
historians, essayists, poets and novelists,
| and the leading scientific works of both
countries.
There were also translations of French,
German and Italian poetry and fiction, and
q few historical and scientific works in
German and French. In poetry and fiction
think it was the strongest private library
ever saw. The doors were all closed and
| fastened, and at about the center of each
door was painted,
| in large letters, and under, In smaller char,
| acters,
Look on Other Side"
On the other side was duplicate library,
| that is, the same works were, or had been,
! there but In less expensive bindings; also
complete sets of the works Of the most pro
| life writer's Of fiction, male and female-the
50-volume (more or less) sons and daughters
of England and America whose stories are
popular with the masses, but who are moi
ranked by highly educated people as great
noyelists. When paper cover editions had
been obtained the covers had been removed
and substantial straw-board covers with
common muslin backs, the original paper
covers being pasted on the boards, had been
supplied, making more substantial bind.
ing than the original, while the projecting
edges OF the boards prevented the leaves
l
drawing from or returning to place
| The back of each volume contained q
label, printed in as large letters as possible
on yellow paper, reading lengthwise from
top to bottom, except the library number
which ran across the top, and containing
first, the title, then the name of the author
and at the bottom the numberof the volume
if the work was in more than one volume
and if bound in one volume. the word Com
plete," running across. Curtains had been
hung in front of these books to protect them
from the dust, but they had been removed
Practically the shelves had always been
entirely open. Over them was painted In
large letters:
These Books Are to Lend. Help Your.
self"
/ We found no one in the Office when We
entered, but supposed the sound Of our foot
steps would summon someone from the back
room, the door between the two being open.
But no one came, so we pushed On and
entered a small but seemingly well-ap