Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-15

)HlH!sl'az. Isl NJ g esn,s' s a"a sns
4 - librarian. Err
Nnaszaa - - nest w. Emery.
strayed, one afternoon recently. If one
wished to gaze over the broad expanse
Of country to be seen from the State
House or wishes to look upon the beau
ties Of modern architecture. he does
not want to go where the two went
into the old library loft up in the very
top of the old section of the State
House. One part of this loft is over
the gallery to the House of Represen-
tatives while another section is over
the dome of the House. Still another
part runs along the east side.
1t is an interesting place even though
it is devoid Of beauty and though the
light comes from skylights in the roof
reminding one of the studios. Here il
is that r1any an old and curious VOL
ume is slowed. What a history the
place could tell were il but To speak
forth.
Perhaps chief of all the histories
senal of the Democrats in the time OF
the old count-out Mr.. Emery pointed
to scars along the side of the shelves
and remarked that these are supposed
to have been made by the rifles of the
Democrats as they are known to have
been stood along the side.
IT had been at work in this library
but a short time when we cleaned out
a closet in this side gallery" he said.
spot. Here the waste paper Of years
had accumulated. There must have
been ton of it. Tucked away in
under the caves l found two boxes Of
cartridges that We're of the size of the
rifles the Democrats had. Mr.. Hobbs.
Who was the librarian at that time. in
formed me that other boxes of the car
tridges had been found tucked away in
other places.
Before going further it would per-
haps be well to tell the uninitiated how
the old library loft is reached. 1t is
not open for the public as the other de-
partments of the building are. so there
is no need of trying to go in there, but
it is well enough to tell where it is. Be
fore the new part of the State House
was built the library was in the room
now occupied by the State assessors.
This was nicely fitted and as many
books as possible We're kept there. The
remaining books We're kept in this loft.
This was reached by stairs from the
library which have now been closed.
The stairs to reach the place now are
the ones that lead to the cupola. the
door leading from the stairs at the
first landing. There you have it over
the House gallery. 1t is now fitted with
thorough system for fighting fire
should one get started and the great
ventilator from the gallery of the
House leads up through it. Days when
the snow covers the skylghts and som-
ing to the man who goes in search for
it in this place. for the gas burners at
the west end are very curious things
and will give but feeble light though
all the others are well. This is ac-
counted for by the presence of
'.spooks" which will be mentioned
later.
The main room is higher than 1t is
wide and longer than it is high. SO
| there you have a good combination
| Musty volumes of ages ago line some
| of the shelves. while bright ones fresh
! from the press of the Kennebec Jour
nal print and the Smith & Reid bind
cry are on others. 1t is here that the
duplicate copies of the State reports
and journals of the House and Senate
are kept. Every section and shelf Is
marked and the report of the first de-
| detrimental head can be found as easily
| as the latest one. The great volumes
made by the binding of the large Maine
! dailes are also here. Bound volumes
of Maine newspapers of the weekly
and the daily editions are found here
| Some of them date away back to tbs
time of the first Maine newspapers. The
| New England Farmer for the year 1922
| is one of the earliest.
In a frame between two pieces OF
| glass is a copy of the Boston Gazette
| and Country Journal of the date Of
| July, 1855. 1t is curious paper ant
worth hours of study. Slaves are ad
vertised to be sold. and the news is o.
the same antique character. 1t woult
take an ordinary up-tO-date reporter
about one hour to fill the whole paper
A case of the copies of medals o
bronze struck off for heroes of the wa
of 1872 by order of Congress. is here
There seems to be no absolute certain