Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-06-04
ROOSEVELT GIFTS
LOST SIGHT OF
FORTY YEARS AGO HE PRESENT.
ED THE SEAMEN's FRIEND
S0CET WITH A CHEST OF
BOOKS.

NEW YORK. June 4.-No trace u
the ships library which President
Roosevelt presented for the Amerf-
can Seamen's Friend society ii his
maiden speech 40 years ago has
been discovered by the o6icers OF
that organization today. That this
chest of books, which was launched
on the clipper ship Rival by the
president in his 10th year. may stil1
be tossing on the high seas was
proved possible by the return this
week OF similar library which was
sent on its travels October II, 1866.
two years before the Roosevelt
Athletic class" sent out theirs. Rec
ords Of the 25.742 book chests circu.
lated by the society since 1859 show,
however. that life Of ~ years for
these volumes In the forecastle 10
exceptional.
Whether Capt. Uriel Doane, who
set sail for San Francisco ON Decem-
ber -. 1868. with the books pre-
sented by young Roosevelt, IL still
alive or whether ship or crew sur
vive to tell the tale OF their fate
can not be determined hsve today
because Of fire years ago. which de-
stroyed all shipping records. Only
one report. however, was received BY
the society on the corresponding II
brary shipped two years before for
Galveston and just now finally re-
turned. On December 16. 1873 this
book chest was reported transferred
tn the Piscatauqa. Gloucester Ash
ing craft. It's return by express
from Its ~ years OF service by Capt.
Israel Bartlett of this vessel brings
the hrst tidings Of It for 35 years,
From 5000 captains. mates and
seamen the American ssaman,e
Friend society has today exact rec.
kords Of IT. loan libraries now known
to be Afloat. These records show
that S1S.4oo volumes have, besn
read by 442.130 season. while 12s.-
315 tackles Of Uncle SANS service
have read 3S.416 books especially
sent out in navy bottoms. More than
150 Of these chests Of books have
been reported a. in use In United
States life-saving stations. Whero
1927 keepers and surfmen have read
their 6.336 volumes. Each library II
numbered and registered, and re.
ports Of its voyagings made to any
one who may launch and keep Il
afloat by paying $50.
J A weather-beaten case of these
books Is today awaiting reshipment
at the society's headquarters. after
having served for two years on
board the Peary Arctic clubs steam
er Roosevelt in quest OF the north
pole. During the long Arctic night
! from October IL to March s, Lieut..
Peary declared every book was read
and re-read by every member of his
crew. These ibraris, of which al.
most 800 hav been sent to sea this
year, contain 43 volumes of travel
and adventure. biography, reference
and religion. A bible. dictionary
atlas and "Pilgrim's Progress" are
included, with many Of the latest and
most suitable works of poetry and
fiction. Half dozen of these books
are in the Swedish. German and Nor.
wegian tongues. Records of the 1O(
libraries sent through the society al
memorial to the heir of Aberdeen
by the Dowager Duches of Aberdeen
in 1870 show that many of th'
hooks dedicated to this wanderinl
George Gordon" who left duke
, dom to follow the sea and be swep
overheard. still travel the seas
thumbed hard in the fo'castle.