The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-18
SUCCESSOR IS
 VERY INEFFICIENT MT. Clark is Greatly Missed in
 Law Library IS NOW Iy dAoTlc STATE Charles so the Successor, Has Gone Europe Presumably
 4; SC He Could Not Handle the Job.

Washington, July l7.-(Special.)-The Washington Mirror says;
 About six months ago the lawyers of the district and the members of con- gress of a legal turn of mind were sur prlsed to learn that Librarian Putnam had relieved from duty the very efficient librarian of the supreme court MT. Thomas H. Clark of Montgomery, Ala, and had filled his place by the appoint ment of MT. Charles Scott of San Fran cisco, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgetown and elsewhere. MT. Clark is a polished southern gentleman. of fifty years of age, a college graduate, sue cessful lawyer, historian and ltera- teur, and was and is an aspirant for congressional honors from Alabama. He had been in charge of the law depart ment for nearly five years, and his legal accomplishments and large experience were of great value to the local bar.
 A conservative democrat in politics, he received his appointment under repub- lican administration and though still a democrat had the friendship of Presi- dent Mckinley, and is favorably known to President Roosevelt. I am told that he was dismissed because of some con- troversy with the powers that be concern ing the details of his division. However, whatever the cause of dismissal, since MT. Clarks departure the affairs of the law library have been in chaos, the com pact law library Of 100000 volumes has been scattered in half dozen places, and to throw a mantle of charity over this proceeding the public Is gently informed that the law library is being "reclassi- fled and recatalogued, and that the Hon orable MT. Scott. law librarian is !" in Europe on official business"
 Job Too Big for Him.
 The truth of the matter seems to be Scott found the job too big for him an1 had to pull out for Europe on a fools err rand. He is a dapper young fellow of about twenty-six, full Of himself, and, am told never saw law book except as a law student. Last fall he turned up in Washington as stuo3,t Vi the Car .negie Institute which is located on the southwest corner of Pittsburg avenue and Skibo road. As student in search of knowledge he fell in with the Honorable Herbert Putnam. who took him to lunch, and being assured that he was of mild temperament and would never father his own thoughts on library procedure and discipline, forthwith appointed him as chief of the law library, vice Clark, re- signed. Then followed nauseous adua- tions in the columns of some of the dailes setting forth the many accomplishments of the new librarian, chier or which being that he had graduated at half a dozen famous universities, and possessed as many degrees as a thermometer in the good old summer time.
 Then Scott took good look at his job amid a stream of precipitation. and 1t oc- cured to all that a speedy recovery was only possible by a years absence In Eu- rope at government expense and increas- ed salary, where he would recupterate his health and incidentally purchase for eign books of law to increase materially the small library of over 10000 volumes. The Associated Press has failed to keep me informed as to the itinerary of MT. Scott, but I wager that he is enjoying himself thoroughly at the ramous Euro- pean summer resorts. and that when he returns to us next spring his oncoming will partake of the spectacular, second only to that of the inauguration on tfs historic 4th of March.