New-York tribune., 1901-07-26
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
,rp1Y TO MR.. BULLEN'S CRITICISMS
prcARDING LIBRARIES FOR SAILORS.
- r5itor Of The Tribune.

. .ba Editor Of The Tribune.
few days ago you copied from The Spec
- some words Of Frank T. BuIIen on "Iitera-
'l a. Sea" which disparaged the library boxes
tN,is5 bv. .searer's missions 10 deep water sbfnz
Sc they contained books such as now vyo1ll9
C.,7sidered below The average inteIIigence Of q
sus of eight" OF course it must be remembered
= rrllen refers 10 British merchant shirs when
= ras AT sea- twenty years ago As this is not
D,r.bered 6y some. may trust to your courtez,
= snace in which to say that his dispara cement
IA not apply 20 the loan libraries mt N,
.-fcsn vessels by the American SeanaD's Friend
se-ss-v? For many years John 5. Pierson. grad
,s Of Princeton In the class Of o. has made it "A
- n love To select the books which the So
- buys for its loan libraries al a cost OF s2)
n the donors. Not al The sailors are Frank
= Pullens. with taste for good books and a wise
~ buyer for the forecastle viii have in mind the
.~ious degrees Of culture. the lack OF it. among
men and must know what they will read as well
= ouzht 70 read. Before giving d list Of books in a
rr-srv now going TO sea, let presume that
r1ar books are used, dropped for a few Years
- Then used again; that standard novels are al
avs IN evidence; that due regard IS had 10 moral
,,,sat religious instruction, mental enlghten-
srt and entertainment. Mr.. BulIen refers TO ar
a,osrican sailor who would sit up the whole night
9TH fav0rite author" The letters written to
t society by masters Of vessels testify TO similar
.Asorption tayorite books One sailor read
.1rough ''Ben-Hur' four times on one voyage, an
rbsr three, another twice. In the words Of the
7sv Dr.. Meredith, Of Brooklyn Chimself a sailor
gnsel e seaman viii read an old newspaper TO
-srs" PTesuning again that the books IN our loan
IBraries are IN the main changed about three times
8 wear. and that counting shipments and reship-
,nsuts an average Of two libraries for each work
,ng day each OF forty-three volumes have been
ssnt 10 sea for The last forty three years Here is
q list Of the books in Loan Library No 1855:
TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE sinking of the
NerrT Z. HODSOu- Of a
Collectors Rambles, by Sherman F Denton:
The Cobra's Den" by Jacob Chamberlain. and
Tales Of Adventure from the Old Book by
Thomas Champuess.
BIOGRAPHY James Harrington" by T. C
Dawson: n A; The Log Log Of Sea Wait" by
Frank T Bullen5 With Christ at Sea" by
Frank 4. BuIlen, and Abraham Lincoln 10y
FICTION. Bell-Hur," by Lew Wallace: Sky
PILOT" b. Ralph CGnnor; Black Rock BY
Ralph Connor: Pillar Of Fire" by j H
Julia AIcNair Wright; Temperance Anecdotes 80
by George W Bungay; White Christopher" by
sssn g D, b. 6,barss n sheldon. 20 o1,ss
Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens: "A cen
tiernan OF France by Stanley J Weyyman. and
--Helens Babies by John Habberton-
SERMONS Mortified Sermons by Moody and
others. and Daily Light on the Daily Path"
bert F. Blaisdeu. Siege in Peking.'' by ". A.
P Martin Brave Men and Brave Deeds by
n =. Syuge- our Conquests II the PACING,
BY Oscar King Davis. and Memoirs Of Ser
geanL BOuTE0gue- DE Paul D0ttlH-
BOOKS OF REFERENCE-KEebs Dictionary,
illustrated Harper's Grammar School Geog-
raphy' and Pelaubet's Dictionary Of the Bible
N EUROPEAN LANGCAGES-'S Stories OF
Alsace," German; 'Christie's Old Organ" Ger
man. Pilgrims Progress Swedish; Silver
Krist," Swedish: In His Steps, Norwegian, by
Charles II Sheldon, and Hope Norwegian
Besides these, are a Bible, four copies OF Sea
mems Manual Of Worship" by American Seamen's
Friend Society. eight copies Of Gospel Hymns
liumoer Of booklets and tracts. copies Of The
Sailors MAGAZINE The Life Boat and other
publications Of the American Seamen's Friend So
ciety.
No donor need be ashamed Of this or OF any Of
the libraries contributed American vessels
through the agency Of the American Seamen's
Friend Society. ". c. STITT, Secretary.