The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-04-01
In the Congressional Library Read
ing Room.
For the Democratic Advocate

For the Democratic Advocate.
To student Of human nature there IS
a mine of pleasure in the reading room Of
the new Library of Congress, in Washing
ton Beginning at nine o clock IN the
morning there Is a stream of persons Of all
ages. sizes and nationalties pouring
through the doors of the magnificent build
ing; while large number Of these are
sightseers, a still larger number make
their way directly to the reading room,
and begin operations at once.
The large coterie of assistants are busy
all day, and much unnecessary labor L
given them because there Is not com
plete catalogue of the books of the library
All books copyrighted in the United States
are to be found here, but there are many
valuable works on the shelves; and there
are thousands of volumes listed only IN the
memory of the officials, or at any rate no
list available by the visitor. But IN spite
of this drawback, one can find what Is
needed, and spend thirteen hours daily IN
the perusal of the best literature the world
pToNlues.
The arrangement of the reading room Is
perfect in every detail; the reader takes
possession of numbered desk. makes
list of the books he wants, turns It IN at
the central desk. takes his seat. aud IN
about ten minutes is supplied with his vol
umes and can begin his study with no dan
ger of interruptions. ''Sileuce i the
law,-signs to that effect are painted GA
the portals and greet the visitor imDedi
atelv upon his entrance. Until the reader
becomes accustomed to his surroundings,
however it is difficult to settle the mind
upon a book The supurb decorations
catch the eye and hold it; the numerous
and strange types of humanity, the
''thud' of books dropping upon cushions
as they are shot from the pneumatic car
riers, all tend to attract attention until
one becomes familiar with them from con
slant usage.
Here you find the white haired savant
side BY side with the tittering school girl, -
who is always here in pairs,-a thick
Tipped negro sitting BY a fashionably
dressed lady; a corn fed philosopher,
with trousers tucked in his eowhide boots
reading beside swell clothed in the
SWEETEST of garments From the deepest
of classical literature 10 the trashiest novel
by Laura Jean Iibbey Is wide step, bat
these two kinds of mental food are often
side by side.
Here comes lawyer to decide a knotty
point; the physician to get help III . criti-
cal case; the architect 70 smooth over some
trying angle; the preacher, the engineer.
the editor, the miliner, find substantial
food, and evolve new ideas from those
hundred years old At present, among
nearly all the female visitors-and good
" number of males-the principal hunt Is
among the genealogical records, and there
is perhaps no place where this interesting
study can be more successfully followed
than in the Library Of Congress. The
Daughters of the Revolution started the
ball rolling in this direction. and il gees
merrily on.
From dark till 10 p. nat which
hour the building is elosed-is perhaps the
most interesting time to visit the reading
room. The beautiful arrangement Of
lights, and their softening effects upon the
rather glazing eoloring of the dome and
alcoves, is especially attractive.
Uniform courtesy on the part Of the at
PENDANTS IS the rule. The writer made the
acquaintance of several gentlemen who
have his admiration foI the Mariner IN
which they conduct themselves under try
ing circumstances 1t is unfortunate that
there should be such a marked contrast
between the courtesy of the attendant and
the visitor as is frequently noted
4 rather unusual degree of quiekness
of mind is needed to be a successful hand
Ter of books, because many books are
called for that the widest guesses on the
part Of ''layman would never be near
the truth One man, for instance, wrote
a card, calling for ''Canon Farrar Scar
let Letter, and another card for Conan
Doyle's Under the Red Robe Cor Light
Who but a very clever man would have
known that the first one was for \ Study
in Scarlet, by Conan Doyle, and the
other, ''Around the Red Lamp, by Conan
Doyle? And yet those were the books
wanted 4 visit to this Reading Room
of the Nation" will repay anybody,
whether for the things that please the
sight or those that please the mind, and
one can meet here all the kinds of people
who compose this great republic.
p. c. K.