Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-22
Spent His Years in Recording
Achievements of Other Men.
ALWAYS BUSY WITH HIS TASK
Disdained Frivolous Things as 8
Waste of Time-The Past. Not
the Present. Was His World.

the Present, Was His World.
Herbert Putnam. Librarian Of Congress. in the
To those who visited the old Library
of Congress al the Capitol land during
the latter halt OF the nineteenth century
they numbered thousands) he will al
ways be associated with ia long. leap
figure, in scTupulous frock, erect at q
standing desk. and intent upon its lit
tered burden, while the masses of mate
rial surged incoherently about him. From
time TO tine-an inquiry interrupting-a
swift. decisive turn. an agile stride, a
nervous burrow in some apparently futile
heap. and a return triumphant, yet staid-
ly triumphant, with the required vol
ume. Then again absorpt:on; i'll other
volumes already subjugated, in auction
catalogues. in copyright certificates, in
correspondence Invariably autograph. in
notes for editorial use. In the countless
minutiae of ins!stent, direct, undelegated
labor 4 figure of absorption and Of la
bor consonant with the collections as they
then existed; quaint indeed in mode and
expression, yet efficient; immersed in the
trivial, yet himself by no means trivial
imparting to it the dignity that comes OF
intense seriousness and complete SINGER
ity. Grave in the task of infinite detail
upon a mass of infinite dimension; grave,
but never dour. Cheerful rather, even
buoyant. Disdaining the frivolous as a
waste of time; yet approaching humor.
and even responsive to accredited jest;
although the response might concede no
more than an 1T pleaSes you to be face
tious," A lover of nature. too. as book
lovers often are; and pursuing her on
occasions with deep breath and long
stride. Granting himself. nevertheless,
few vacations. and generally Ignoring
even the annual leave" SO scrupulously
observed by most government employees.
Glorying, rather, in the assiduity which
his hardy, if attenuated. frame permitted
for the weakness OF the lungs survived
only in a mechanical cough. and the
weakness of the eyes was remeded so
completely that in his eishtysecond year
he resisted a prescription for glasses as
premature and derogatory. A circulation
free and abundant: the palate of d child,
and a digestion unatrald.
MI. Spofford and the Horse.
Few knew him in all these phases or
fully understood him in any: yet many
saw him in the one hour Of recreation
that he allowed himself out of the TWEEN
ty-four on horseback. ambling through
the streets of Washington or over neigh
boring roads-the tails of the still tena-
cious frock Tapping behind him, unteth-
cred trousers rising toward the knee. an
umbrella, if the sun beat hot. in his rein
hand. and possibly an auction catalogue
in the other-unless. indeed, history Tin
his friend BancrofU supplied him liveiier
companionship and converse.
! have said "ambled.'' but this is not the
word if it imply slow jog. for his tenn
permanent. patience itself in matters of la
Dor. became impatience itself in modes OF
motion. Especially did this show when
during the heated spells he substituted a
carryall for the saddie-urging the horse
with whip and slapping rein in the one
hand, the invariable catalogue still in the
other No mere jog for him, buea smar:
trot. always verging on canter. and
without abatement for curve or corner.
Then indeed would the passerby marvel.
and the passenger q write from expert
ence> grip the seat and thank his stars
that there is special Providence for the
confiding and the reckless. Once a too
narrow yet customary shave of lamp
post ripped off the top of the carry
all. bat as whole the temerlty went I'M
scathcd.
The rides continued long after Dr.
Bancroft had ceased to companion them.
and, indeed. till after Dr. Spofford's
eightieth year. If they were discontinued
from impaired ability For one day.
while standing as usual at the center desk
in the great rotunda. which now took
the place of his narrow upright at the
Capitol. intent as usual upon an accu-
mlllated mass before him, the sustaining
muscles of his left side suddenly gave
way, and he crumbled to the floor. He
was lifred-laughing and eXpostulating-
protesting also that it was nothing :
yes. that he would go home. but would
certainly ''be back again in d day Or
two" He was-in six weeks. but with his
left arm fastened inert across his chest,
and his left leg faltering.
But not his courage, nor his zeal. his
enthusiasm or his industry. The nervous
vigor before expressed in all his men,
beers. became now concentrated in his
right hand. With this alone to take the
instructions of his eager mind. he con-
tinued. though no longer erect or in public
view. to pursue elusive titles through
trade catalogues and photographers and
trays OF craftsmanship even folios with
dexterity and accomplishing patience. An
old man now for the first time, but re-
sisting doughtily the liabilities as he re-
sisted the insignia Of old age. and ever.
a nd until the last inability of all. the sim
ple arduous servant of his Office and his
duty.
His LIES Single Interest.
His life was for the most part concen-
trated upon a single interest. Yet it touch
cd many men and women having varied
some others. life extensive in its own
movement or experience. Its geographic
cal compass was indeed very limited
a boyhood passed, as other boyhoods pass,
in a small New England town, a brief
period of youth in the chief city of
New England, few years of early man.
hood in a city of the middle west. and the
entire remainder at the National capital.
1t was deprived, through i'll health, of
the maturing influences and the invigor-
ating associa tons afforded by a college
career 1t was not on the other hand.
in the ordinary sense life of affairs. It's
vocation. except for brief trials in bust
ness and in journalism. was a single
one: the material of this not men. but
books: it's concern not achievement but
the record of achievement: it's main pur-
pose not to produce or to express, but to
aid others in producing or expressing,
for such is the vocation of the librarian.
But such life Is not thus merely in
tensive, still less is it narrow or merely
local. A life among books is life OF
manifold and matchlesS experiences