The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-06-04
BOOKS AT SEA.
Roosevelt's Gift Chest Never Reported.
Focastle Favorites Include Fiction, Ad.
uanttre and Travel Tales.

ROoSevelt'S Gift chest never Reported.
| Fo'castle Favorites Include Fiction, Ad.
venture and Travel Tales.
| NEW YORK, June l. No trace of the
ships library which President RoOSe-
Welt presented for the American Sea-
mems Friend Society in his maiden
speech forty years ago has been dis
covered by the officers of that organiza-
ton today. That this chest of books,
which was launched on the clipper-ship
"Rivai" by the President in his tenth
year, NAV still 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 wears before the Roosevelt Ath-
letic Glass; sent out theirs. Records
of the 25 TAP book chests circulated by
the society since 1859 show, however,
that life of forty-two years for these
volumes in the forecastle is exceptional.
Whether Captain Uriel Deane, who
set sail for San Francisco on December
-, 1858. with the books presented by
young Roosevelt, is still alive or
whether ship or crew survive to tell
the tale of their fate cannot be deter
mined here today, because of a fire,
years ago, which destroyed all shipping
records. Only one report, however,
was received by the society on the cor
responding library shipped two years
before for Galveston and just now final
ly returned. On December 16, 1878,
this book chest was reported trans
ferred to the ''Piscatauqa,' Glonces-
ter fishing craft. Its return by express
from its forty-tWo years OF service, by
! Captain Israel Bartlett OF this vessel,
4 Of n
five years
From 5000 captains, mates and sea-
men the American Seamen's Friend
Society has today exact records of its
loan libraries now known to be atioat.
These records show that 61S, 400 vol
umes have been read by 442, $50 seamen,
while 129,3l5 jackies of Uncle Sans
service have read 80, Ais books especial
ly sent out in navy bottoms. More
than hundred and fifty of these chests
of books have been reported as IN use
in the U. S. Life Saving Stations, where
1927 keepers and surfmen have read
their G. $50 volumes. Each library Is
numbered and registered, and reports
of its voyagings made to anyone who
NAV launch and keep it at1oat by pay
ing twenty dollars.
A weather-beaten case of these books
is today awaiting re shipment at the
society's headquarters after having
served for two years on board the
Peary Arctic Clubs steamer "Roose-
velt'' in quest of the North Pole. Dur
ing the long Arctic night from October
18th to March 9th, Lieut.. Peary de-
clared, every book was read and re-
read by every member of his crew.
These libraries, of which almost 300
have been sent to sea this year, con,
tain forty-three volumes of travel ana
! adventure, biography, reference ana
religion. A bible, dictionary, atlas ana
Pilgrims Progress are included with
many of the latest and most suitable
! works of poetry and fiction. Half
dozen of these books are in the SWed-
ish, German and Norwegian tongues.
Records of the 100 libraries sent throug:
the society as memorial to the heir OF
Aberdeen by the Dowager Duchess OF
Aberdeen in 1870 show that many OF
the books dedicated to this wandering
George Gordon" who left dukedom
to follow the sea and be swept over,
board, still travel the seas, thumbed
| hard IN the fo'castle.