Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-21

! O'Clock is most astonishing. From that
time up to 6 O'Clock the librarian and his
assistants are busy attending to juye-
nile requests, handing out and receiving
books. Librarian Russell's ripe expert
ence with school children enables him to
make selections of juvenile books of the
best character. That department of lit
erature has been increased to meet the
Juvenile demand, and the children all
vote the librarian a good fellow.
More thar half of the first floor is Civ
en- up to the reference and reading
rooms. Seventy seats are occupied near
~ all day by readers coming and going.
Saturdays and Mondays Witnessing the
greatest number. On one day recently
212 people were counted as the atten-
dance in the reference room alone, not
counting the number of visitors to the
reading room. The best magazines are
found on the reading room tables. Over
100 newspapers are strung along in file
racks. Nearly every publisher in Mon
tana sends the library a free copy OF his
paper. Any person in quest of state
news can find it any day at the public
library.
THE KIRKPATRICK ENDOWMENT.
The public library contains a valuable
collectlon OF books on mining, engineer
ing, chemistry and geology, selected
chleHy by &. w. GoOdale, now of Great
FAILS, who takes an enthusiastic interest
IN u subjects. Judge Moses Kirkpat-
TICK, VINO was one Of the first trustees
under the administration of Mayor
Mantle, was a Jealous supporter of the
library. When he died, his widow do
mated the Kirkpatrick law collection to
the city OF Butte, and it remains in the
building to commemorate his name.
Speaking of the law collection, Lii
brarian Russell is anxious that this de-
partment of the library be brought up
TO GATE. When the Kirkpatrick law
l1pfafy became the property Of the city.
II was considered one of the largest law
corrections in the state owned by an
individual. Very few additions have
peen made to the collection, and while
1t contains the standard works on law.
ethlcs' pleadlngS and practice, it lacks the
completion which state reports and court
decisions could give it. None of these.
OIL recent years are on the shelves. The
librarian suggested that the ATTORNEYS
OF the city should organize a law assoc
cation and supply the public library
with such volumes of reports that came
from the press after the Kirkpatrick do
nation was placed on the library shelves.
Many a young attorney runs from one
law Cff1ce to another to borrow or con-
suit books. too poor to build up a library
OF his own. The addition of recent pub
locations to the Kirkpatrick " library
would make it one of the best collections
in the west. and save many a poor but
ambitious sprig of the law a Journey to
Helena and a visit to the state library.
Mr.. Russell lives in the hope that when
the next rich lawyer dies in Butte he will
embalm his memory in the hearts of
young lawyers by an endowment similar
to the Kirkpatrick donation, either in
books or straight cash to buy books.
Besides the original contributors to the
book fund, the library has found no lack
OF donors of books. In all, nearly 5000
volumes have been donated fromeall
parts of the country, M many ci tizens
nave shown more than an ordinary in
terest in supplying reading matter to
the institution. Senators Carter, Man
tie. Power, Sanders and Clark, Congress-
men Dixon, Hartman and Campbell have
been untiring in their attention tostr-
llbrarys interest respecting government.
documents. The federal librarians a.
Washington did not forget us. B
BOOKS ON ALL SUBJECTS.
The public library contains thought
and study on eVerVthinv undar tho ~