El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-04

'
rangement for a loom. Here. too, are
beautifully illustrated books of birds.
insects flowers and shells, Astounding
with hints to the deviSerS of new pat
terms and unwonted embellishments.
These artists, indeed, are now asking
for pictures of crystals and gems, for
the revelations of the microscope and
the polariscope, that nothing in air,
earth, or ocean may be wanting in
their quest for quaint and novel mo-
tives For the convenience of copiers
a draughting table is provided; near
by is a dark room for the easier and
speedier reproductions of the camera.
Noteworthy among the induStrl IL
books are the trade catalogues; these
are issued as advertisements pure and
simple, but none the less they contain
much trustworthy information, great
deal of it not to be had elsewhere.
and the illustrations are usually capital
The concerns which publish these
books are beginning to charge for
tnem, and many of them are well
worth buying. as, for instance. the
volumes which recite how the pressure
blower is supplanting the tall CHM
ney, and how aluminium is manufac-
tured by electricity for uses as diverse
as those of soup kettles and the cir
cults of telegraphy.
All that Mr. Foster has done to pro-
mote the industries of Providence he
has repeated for every other interest
of the city. Every historical. scientific,
literary, artistic, educational, or phil
anthropical society within the gates Of
Providence can find it's best and most
helpful literature within these walls,
to the end that the library may be the
rallying ground and center of all that
makes for the culture and advancement
of the community. In this important
matter of a careful adaptation of the
contents of his shelves to the wants
and needs of his public, Mr.. Foster
has followed in the steps of that Mes
tor of American librarians, s. s.
Green of Worcester. Let us now eX-
I anime a distinguishing feature of the
Providence library. original with Mr..
Foster. and also deserving unqualified
praise.
One of the handsomest rooms in the
building. richly and quietly furnished
in carved mahogany. much resembles
the private library of a scholar of
wealth and taste. This displays Mr..
Fosters Standard Library" a collec-
ton of less than thousand of the
greatest books of all time. few of them
less than fifty years old, all in the best
editions. and many of them with rare
and authentic portraits The purpose
throughout has Deen to present the lit
erature of power as distinct from
books of all time, all in the best edi-
lions, and many of them with rare
and authentic portraits. The purpose
throughout has been to present the lit
erature of power as distinct from books
of either information or entertainment.
Here are Chaucer. Bacon. Shakespeare.
Spenser, Milton, Burke. Tennyson, and
Thackeray; Homer and SophOcleS;
Virgil and Horace: Goethe and Schil-
Ter; Dante and Tasso; and their peers
all with free invitation to be TAX
en- down and read. In the circulating
department these masterpieces are to
be had in duplicates, but the splendid
impulse of this throne-room of letters
is directed to whoever is forming Ii
brary of his own. A book never does
us SO much good as when we possess
it-when we are free to take it up next
month or next year-when we infringe
no rule as we mark lCs hubby passages
or refer on the fy-leaf to the pages
we mean to reread. OF golden value
then are the intimations of such a
store as this, winnowed by that patient
breath of time which at last unerriny-
1y divides the literature of the ages
from the books of a day.
Leu US HOW pass 10 announcer
of the Providence library not as far
as 1 know, developed so fully else
where. Mr.. Foster has observed the
attraction conferred by timeliness upon
book or an article. He knows that
what makes newspapers popular is
news, and that the vogue enjoyed by
an informing book largely turns upon
its treating a question of the hour. Ac-
cordingly for several years past he
has noted every morning the theme
uppermost in the public mind,-wheth-
er a presidential canvass. a threatened
strike. or aught else; he then has
drawn up list of every important
book, report. pamphlet, or article in
his library bearing on that topic, and
the list has been posted in the main
room and published in the local press.
In this thoughtful fashion much of
his store goes into active circulation
instead of gathering dust on the
shelves; while the public of Provi-
dence has a special opportunity to be
well informed on current questions
where, often enough, much first-hand
evidence is in danger of being over
laid by later but less reliable testi-
mony. In addition, MIR. Foster often
chooses themes of more than fleeting
interest, as Paris and the exhibition
of this year, or American colonial ar
chitecture, and focuses light upon
lhem from sources all but forgotten.
Just as we leave the building we
enter for a moment the handsome hall
in which lectures and addresses on lit
erary themes are given. At a touch a
broad white sheet may be lowered for
stereopticon illustrations. The walls
are covered with strong burlap, to bear
photographs and Ger pictures as one
a " dc ~,
of informing delight.
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