New-York tribune., 1902-11-05
AMUSING BOOK TITLES.
QUEST FOR LOS ANGELES
BY ROASTING
By ROASTING

81 ROASTING.
a dininutive specimen Of the genus small BOY
walked into circulating library the other day. and
pushing his card over the desk asked for "a book
from Adam till now" No history that could be
named seemed 10 be quite what he wanted. and
remarking regretfully that 1is mother was sure
they'd have It at big library ike that he at last
departed.
The average attendant in the free circulating
libraries Of the city gradually acquires power or
divinaton amounting az times positive genius
Circumstances in fact render such equipment nee
essary. For instance. inquiry for rectory
book" the astute official at once translates ana
supplies with some standard rhetoric; Red Pot
ash and FOR Better for Worse are confidently
selected from among the works of Mary Chalmon-
deley and Mary Johnston. The Young Man from
Illinois easily Ineligible when one recalls that
State next door 70 Indiana, and even the IN
ternaI City can be supplied without difficulty
Rut when one is asked FOR the book that is
almost sequel 70 the Crisis or FOR Los An
geles,'' has take moment TO consider. sup
Elementary information regarding the latter was
TO the effect that "a man named something like
Roasting wrote it. and resulted in L Alglon ana
satisfaction funny little old person Of the hand-
bag fraternity ambed up to librarian in one OF
the smaller centres and producing battered yell
low card asked for "a book" adding that she was
"a great reader from child up
What sort Of hook would you ike asked
the attendant
on. il doesn't much matter" came the answer,
Gust anything that'll III In my bag here Ihe
Flowers Of Knighthood" and when Chivalry Was
in Bloom are easy enough. but when one Is I'M
portuned for that book about a flood" the Bible
IS perhaps the last volume suggested, and yet In
this particular instance It proved the very oooA
! desired
rs this fiction or story?' is frequent question
Please tell me where the gentemen's books are
kept" was the request in branch where members
are allowed 10 browse about the shelves
I don't want any book that begins with l. as
serted a midget who prefers stories in the third
person.
A u,te colored girl presented a card and said
she had been sent for book Of aflictiou." and
another proxy inquired for the author OF Oakles
(Oakleigh little girl who wanted TO use the die
tionary returned from the table where IL was
placed for her 10 ask II there wasn't some other
book that would spIaiu the meanings the dictlon-
airy gave"
A boy who asked solemuly for a certain history
OF the United States fairly beameo when tu'd 1t
was in use. Then give me Robinson crusoe' ne
M rnsmma ma wants 'Lizabeth's German Gar
den announced a small person whose eyes were
ing 10 plant some buds this year nut , sne ST oE
know A little boy asked II he might be expelled
from the library. his father was going 10 move
uptown and he would De nearer aIlotlel ron,irsrt
librarian who went 10 the STUDY OF pfo,hlI,J
on social Statistics TO catalogue and shelf the
Heterogeneous mas of books; noted sn@e t U
as he surveyed the finished WORT -, + az
cessibie order suggested the emploiye The DOCKS
clasSed hv authors subjects ana
Yes interrup. I'd the orderly and methoacal met
ststistician but don't you think they would nave
locked better you had put all or size tosetHet
.'T want book began well dressed "otlSl.,
rustlinE up % the desk OF an uptown clrcu4it!.
library. but can't remember IT'S utHlt 'llu .-a -
auth0r-well you'u know the author. OF course,
NV sfster-in-Iaw had u. but she 5 moved ana
don't want 10 write 70 her anyway don llht
her much + about this Dig measuring
with her daintly gioved hands on the booh rdch,
about on ! can hardly tell you-eXtracts from a
number of writer's various subjects m PAT
tiruiarIV 70 get II again ou must Ai'v"
the hook mean Every well read person lS ldiilli-
lar with H." Here the attendant 'rie9 80 So t IL
: smile Why what's the use OF being mere II
/ YOU don't know anything about books. 14hu @ sue
bounced out. anatheUauz!ug the gross lsio- aI'-o
OF Librarians In general
"Cau YOU tell me" began another young woman,
sveetlv distributing some half dozen shopping
parkages over the latest books rack ana resting
her elbows upon them as she scanned heF llst,
obviOus OF the bysJauQers waiting 70 select from
[ the snovced under volumes. can you. tel me nov
/ many wards or 46-inCh-On. no, that's the wrong
SIDE Can YOU tell me who is Kiplings favorite au-
thor The librarian could not Ihe lue't. eA-
-. futerIOcutor. "a simple question IKE
thaf WHY don't have 10 pass exam OTIS ol
eo,7a-r4rr 70 get IN here? And yet you don't know
maj Well YOU certainly can tell me. again con
/ sulting her list 'for which OF Browning poems
he received the most money really must know
that. II Is one Of the questions nave 70 atisNe az
/ our literary circle tomorrow me dttehueh'
oagareS a nook OF reference where the intorina UOn
CIurs v~ohabl BE- found. Why haven't time %
/ ionE through that thing" was the anyWe
I thought Of course. yOud know that i7td4lSSLSs
! declare ir's really too provoling! anu shf iHuis
/ .o--ti,, ca berad Jp her parcels and swept out
/ ..r3tIt II everybody was perfectly. SehSioie anu
-a,eorab HE concluded the obigtng Individual VINO
recounted the above. 1T really "ouloh pe H-AilS
/ So amusing. do you think So