Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

mater. He has also been a lecturer on
photography.
another very large government library
has a woman in charge. that of the De-
partment of Agriculture, which numbers
abut 100000 volumes. Miss Clarihel Bar
nett is a native of Ohio, and a gradua
of the New York Library School She
succeeded Miss Josephine Clark when the
latter left to become librarian at Smith
College. Both Miss Clark and Mss Bar
nett have expanded the work of the for
MGR librarian, W. a. Cutter, and have
kept the library up to the high standard
that is required of "A department which
has such varied activities. Many of tie
bureaus of the Department of Agricul-
ture have their own libraries. but the
large collection in charge Of Miss Barnett
is one of the most useful libraries Ii the
city. At the weather bureau the library
is in charge of Herbert III. kimball.
gentleman who has elected commenda-
tons from Chief Willis l.. Moore for his
experiments in astrophyscs.
There are two well known Esperantists
in the ranks of government librarians.
James William Cheney Of the War De-
partment. and Charles W. Stewart of the
Navy Department Both gentlemen have
nd large experience with the incon-
venenceS that mankind began to eX-
perience at the time of the building of
the Tower of Babel. Government libra
ries need services of men familiar with
many languages, but there is also need
of men with thorough knowledge in Eng
lish literature OF all kinds. and it is only
in rare instances that the two accom-
pl1ShmentS are combined. Heads of libra
rieS have very little opportunity to be-
come familiar with more than one lam
guage. and heads of libraries can one and
all appreciate what fine thing ii would
be if there were only one language. Mr..
Cheney and Mr. Stewart go further They
advocate bringing about what others re-
gard as an unattainable goal.
Mr.. Cheney is a native of MassachU-
sets, and was a school-teacher for many
years. He has been church organst
since his youth. Mr.. Stewart is a gradu-
ate of the Naval Academy. and has
sea record. He has increased largely the
collection of pictures of ships and sea-
men in the Navy Department library.
He has also been prominent in compiling
the naval records of the war of the rebel
lion.
AS librarian of the State Department
William McNair is guardian of two or
the most precious treasures of his coun-
try. the original draft of the Declaration
Of Independence and that of the Constitu-
ton of the United States. He has been
chief of the bureau of rolls and library
since 1905, and is a member OF the united
States board on geographic names, or the
Columbia Historical Society, OF the Ma
tional Geographic Society and Of the
American Society of International Law.
He has many claims to distinction, and
not the least of them is that ne Is
prominent government official who was
born in Washington. He was educated
at the public schools and at Emerson In
stitute and began his career as ev2n
more famous men have done. as page
in the House of Representatives. This
was in 1873 Three years later he became
a clerk in the State Department, and he
has been one of that department most
trusted employees ever since. He is forty
four years of age.
The neStor of government Librarians ~
Dr. Robert Fletcher. at the Medical Mu-
scum. The library there is nominally in
charge of an army officer. Maj. w alter u.
McCaw. but DR.. Fletcher has been prin-
cipal assistant for many years. Born IN
Bristol, England, in 1898, DIR. Fletcher is
today one of the veterans in the govern
ment service not only in point of years,
but of service, for he had splendid rec
ord as an army surgeon in the civil war.
and was brevetted colonel Of United
States Volunteers in 1865 for his faithful
and meritorious services. He was not
mustered out until 1861 His military
service was as surgeon of the LIST ONO
Regiment. His medical education was OBJ
tanned at the Royal College of Surgeons.
in England, from which he was graduated
in 1874. His Index Medicus in the compil-
ing of which his associate, DIR. Garrison,
has assisted, is the most important rec
ord of current medical literature pub
liShed. DR.. Fletcher is member of many
scientific and learned societies, and of the
Cosmos Club.
The bureau of ethnology has in its Ii
brarian. Charles Darwin, man who was
cO-Worker with DR., Lyman Abbott in his