Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-07-22

Tribune he refused to familiarize him.
self with the business details of
newspaper publication because he
wanted to keep his attention fixed on
the current events which he had m
terpreted as brilliantly certainty as
any writer in the days when journal
ism was more personal than nov, so
he also later on dechnde to become
acquainted with any of the ways of
the hack writer constantly studying
the market for opportunities Of plae-
ing his literary wares What he wrote
was written from conviction, and
from knowledge that he had some
thing worth saying. Consequently
from the class poem at his graduation
from Brown university in 1855
drought the brilliant "Castilian
Days." the first essays of which Mr.
Howells hailed as an important dis
covery for the Atlantic Monthly, and
on throush the celebrated pike
County Ballads" ihe life Of Lincoln
and the occasional papers of the last
few years, nothing unworthy or per-
functory came from his pen. More
than any other man in public life in
the United States with the possible
exception Of Roosevelt, of whose
power of keeping in touch with
many things Mr.. Hay sometimes ex-
presses envy, he was an enthusiastic
student of the best that has been
thought and said, delighting in read
ing in the quiet Of his easlle-like
home at Washington. able II, CONVEX
sation to quote from a surprising
range of literature.
Honoring such an alumnus, Brown
university will witness the erection,
as a very important addition to its
apparatus of scholarship, of a great
modern repository of books. How
glad Mr.. Hay, himself, would have
been to see his name thus perpetual
ed may at least be conjectured. His
attachment TO his alma mater was UNI
wavering. 1t was shown by the charm.
ing ode in which he commemorated
her centennial in 1864 in the midst Of
i
Lincoln and even more directly years
after In a letter which he wrote to
the librarian TO the university to ac-
company copy Of his life of Lincoln
which he asks TO be accepted "as a
token of the reverence and gratitude
with which l regard that ancient
seat Of learning This letter, framed.
is now one of the treasures in the
Office of the Brown librarian. Mr.. II,
L. Koopman.
How great the value will be to the
university of the gift Of memorial
TO this noble American is easily ap-
preciated If the details Of its con
struction are studied According to
the plans prepared by The architects
OF he John Carter Brown library. al
read, on the university ground at
Providence, and OF the Harper Mem
orial library Of the University of Chi
cago, the John Hay library viii be
erected at a cost Of quarter Of a
million dollars. The building viii
have a frontage OF q little more than
120 feet. facing the university grounds
and will extend 193 feet down College
street The style Of architecture IS
the English Renaissance Of the Period
Of Sir Christopher Wren. The build
ing viii have a basement ground.
first. mezzaine. and second floors, the
main entrance being Prospect sire ct
with only a few steps Of ascent
The interior OF the John Hay II
brary has been planned on the basis
Of suggestions made by the librarian
after months Of study. including a
tour 81 inspection made Ia company
with an architectural expert 10 the
principal libraries Of he east The