The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-01-09
BOOKSTORE THROWN AVIAN
The BritisLi Museum Likely to Settn
Dnu E:NanIl,lr.

Unu E:Nan,:I,lr.
"hc Britishi ,n;;-"iini, which possesses
the liIgcSI nl!criivlis of books in the
world. .otftily rStiin;t,'d III 2uWnMn vol
uiicS, aiid own, bc>.,or .r,.D0O volumes
OF manuscripts. lind, iis'if ''ralnpcd for
room. or Ghr"u.ci,"I with such Il condi-
ton, and' bill hn, passed 81 second read
Ing in The ho,isr Of lords authorizing the
trustees of The mii>' ~, 10 distribute the
bound volumes Oi new ,i'np,ys and to de-
stroy such book, and paInIihlcts as they
shall deem useless.
l; is needless Ia say that tho PROPOSE
ton To Se,I!I"Sira'c or destroy any DOr-
tion OF the British museum meets with
strong and Immediate opposition. 1t is
urged that the example aud precedent set
would lc very bad ones, since every
great and growing ni,istalIn, Including
Il library, may reach The present condi-
ton uf the british Iu,u,eum. The library
Uf congress, for instance, which receives
copyrighted books, as does tie library OF
the British museum, may some time
reach what somebody may believe the
necessity Of an enlargement OF its
premises or the reduction OF It's stores.
For this reason tllr Ija'itish museum cunnot
afford To SCI the president OF destruction
While it is not proposed TO dcStro the
bound files Of newspapers in the British
niiisVu;;:, !,"t TO distribute then. 10 yari-
OuS localities, II is ci;loIncd that to take
anything ont nf London Is, in the British
islands, runiva!.nt 10 hiding it. and n
thing hidden is !, thug lost. If 1t is de-
sirabl" 10 preserve these newspapers for
the public use forever. London, which is
the center and capital OF the British em.
pirc i'll II greater and wider sense than
Washington is the capital Of the United
States, should he the place Of their pres
crynt0n and keeping.
1t is urged that there exists no suffi.
cicnt reason for the destruction or dis.
trbntion OF any portion OF its collections:
that the museum las not yet occuDied oil
Of the l3 acres on which it stands; that
separate building or buildings might be
erected for the reception Of the art col
lcctions, for instance, but in uny event
the library should he kept intact forever
However The question may be decided
in The case OF the British museum. the
present is the time 10 say that no collec-
ton of newspapers. once made for the
public use, ought to be destroyed or made
unavailable.
The State Historical society Of Kan.
sns has made u great collection Of the
newspapers OF the state. The news.
pnpcrs mailed to the society by the pub.
fishers are carefully preserved and bound
in volumes and kept in what nre hoped
TO he fircproof rcccptacles. where they
are open to the inspection and reference
Of all The point is sought to be made
that the newspaper volumes constitute to
the state well nigh priceless possession
which should on no account be lost, frit-
tered away, scattered or destroyed.
Singular as 1t may seem, the preserya.
ton Of q file OF new papers is work re.
n off
that it IS seldom attempted except by
those whose special business it is. OF
many leading newspapers no files exist
except those kept in the Office Of publica-
tion. or the hundreds OF thousands Of
people who subscribe, pay for and regu.
lnrly read newspapers not one in many
thousands attempts their preservation.
When. therefore, any public library un.
dcrtakeS the daily aud weekly preserva.
tion and arrangement Of my newspaper
aud the binding OF the same ut suitable
intervals into volumes. it has undertaken
n most useful work, the result of which
should be kept forever.
Such hound volume is book; in fact.
1t is boo. OF books. 1t is such history
aud picture OF its own time and locality.
or manners and men, in its own place and
corner OF this world, rs is not and cannot
he found elsewhere. 1t emhodies not the
lnDors OF one historian, but Of hundreds
of chroniclers, story tellers and artists
who work every dny to note down what
they sec and hear and discover and an.
prchrntl. 1t is IL perpctuolly proceeding
narrative which enlnrGes, explains, ampli-
Tics and corrccts itself rs it goes along.
"'he difference between n newspaper and
the historical or other narrative in the
shape OF n book is the difference between
MI oil painting made perchnncc from the
scene by the Imagination or the broken
memory of the artist, and kodak snap
shot or other picture drawn in IN instant
by the sun and OIL the spot.
What would be given now for daily
newspaper pictures OF the building of tho
pyramids, drawn rs the progress of Con.
vention hall is recorded now? A con.
siderntion Of the value Of the bound neY US.
paper volume shows that all the rest of
the museum could be more easily spared.
Kansas City Star.