The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-16
SAMUEL BARROWS
THE NEW LIBRARIAN

Washington Telegram to the Chicago
Times-Herald.
Rev. Samuel J. Barrows, who has been
selected by the president as successor to
John Russell Young, the late librarian of
congress, is highly esteemed among his fell
low congressman, and they have warmly
congratulated him upon his good fortune.
He is a man of many parts. Office boy,
student, reporter, newspaper correspondent,
private secretary, theologue, pastor, editor,
congressman-these are the successive steps
by which he has come into the present COW
eted position His career has been marked
for industry, and his sterling character and
adherence to principle have won him hosts
of friends. A review of his life presents
great extremes. At the age of nine he was
an office boy in the establishment of Hoe,
the newspaper press inventor; at twenty, a
newspaper correspondent in Washington,
and towards the close of the war, private
secretary to Secretary of State Seward; at
thirty, theological student at Cambridge;
at thrty-two, correspondent of the New
York Tribune with Indian expeditions in
the Yellowstone and Black Hills at thirty
five, in the Congregational church at Dor
chester, Mass; at forty, editor of the Chris
tian Register, and at ffty-fve, congressman
to the Fifty-ifth national assembly, repre-
senting the Tenth Massachusetts district.
Samuel ]. Barrows was born in New York
city in 1S41 His father died when Samuel
was four years old, so that the family was
left in strained circumstances. At nine
Samuel went to work to help his mother.
His cousin was the inventor of the Hoe
press, and in this relatives employ the boy
continued for nine years. His cousin saw
ability in him and sent him to school for a
time without decreasing his wages. Later
he attended the Cooper Institute night
classes, where he shaped his course with
the object of ultimately entering the min
istry.
A this time he supported himself by prac-
teal newspaper work on the New York sun,
World and Tribune. At nineteen he had en-
listed in the navy, but was not mustered in
on account of ill-health. Toward the close
of the war he came to Washington, where
he became Photographic secretary to Will
liam Fl. Seward, and remaining in the de-
partment until 1871, he had considerable
practical experience with public men and
affairs. 1t was here that he had his first
experience in library work, arranging the
library of the state department While here
Mr.. Barrows was correspondent for the
Philadelphia Press and occasionally also
for the New York Tribune Part Of the time
also was spent in the consular bureau and
bureau of rolls. In 1879 he accompanied
Chaplain Newman, of the senate, to Utah
and reported the debate with the Mormons.
In 1871 Mr.. Barrows took up his theologi-
cal studies at the Harvard divinity school,
where he remained until 1875, the while
supporting himself by newspaper work, be-
-ng Boston correspondent of the New York
tribune. In the vacation of 1873 he accom-
'2nied the expedition of General Stanley
o the Yellowstone country as correspond
en- of the New York Tribune, and the fol-
10 -ng summer acted in a similar capacity
in eneral Clusters expedition to the Black
Hills region. Upon the conclusion of his
stud-ee al Harvard he went to Leipsic for
year study. Returning, he entered upon
his frs. pastorate at the little historic
church "a Dorchester. Here his scholarship
and character Immediately won and MAIN
tanned tor him the respect of critical con-
gregation.
After five years work in the pastorate he
resigned to take editorial charge of the
Christian Register, weekly, and this posi-
ton he has since held. In 1892 he went
abroad, remaining year, studying archae-
ology in Greece and also visiting European
prisons. His work in this latter regard and
his general knowledge of social questions
won for him the secretaryship of the United
States delegation to the international prison
congress in Paris in 1895, and on his return
he prepared the report transmitted by the
secretary of state to congress. In 1896 he
appointed by President Cleveland to
represent the United States on the internal
tional prison commission.
Mr.. Barrows, during his term as congress-
mo-, hoe sod lie npin 11rn, INV
public questions He is known in Washing
ton as man who can speak with ease and
grace upon many practical subjects which
are not political, as shown by his address
in the house on the annexation of Hawaii.
He favored the acquisition of Alaska thirty
years ago, and he declared he was happy
to vote for Hawais annexation. He con-
sders the Philippine question political and
ethical rather than commercial. He thinks
the United States needs a naval station
there and the natives need good govern
ment.
although Mr.. Barrows makes modest
claims as to library experience, he is a
scholar, whose associations for many years
have been with libraries and literary work.
ers, and from this experience and compan-
ionship he knows what features are most
desired in a library by persons who have to
use it continually. For the work of prepar-
ing the exhaustive catalogues and ready
reference photographers of the .4-ousand ane
one TOPICS that are likely to come up in
connection with the work of congress and
for marshaling the data in accessible and
disable form Mr. Barrows has probably no
superior. He has naturally alert mind,
trained in the examination of public ques-
tons by contact and experience of many
years, ana unquestionably is well able to
assists the seekers after knowledge among
the nations legislators at the capital.
ZERO IN THE SITBIJRnS
From the st. Louis Post-Dispatch,
When Pleasant Green, that cheerful soul,
that smooth suburbanite,