Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-07-14
MANY RARE MANUSCRIPTS
Historic Treasures in the Ii
brary of Congress.
The Collection Particularly Rich In
Papers Relating to tho History of
the United Stutes--NOw Avail
able for Use of Students.

No department of the library Of Cong
ross is more interesting than that which
lies little to the left of entrance beyond
the door bearing tho inscription "Di-
vision of Manuscripts
The way is marked we'll. Here beneath
its glass is the writing of Major Andre.
letter begging that he might be shot
and spared the disgrace of tho moose. 'If
have merited aught 80 he pleads
Here across the way Is the last writing
of George Washington. tho fine, regular
and steady strokes putting to shame
many n present day manuscript
The morning is snowy" wrote WASH
ington IN his diary THE snow IL three
inches deep and II continues freezing,
for TO the last he kept his diary and I'M
fa'lingly Led off the days account with
mention OF mercury and barometer. Close
by and In contrasting schoolboy hand
pages of his RULES of clvility" give n
glimpse Of Washington ut II.
ON this side arc the Revolutionary
| Papers" over the signature of John Han
cock. while on that nre the Laws of the
| Confederacy." over the signature of JEFF
| ferson Davis. Here are the Constitution
OF the Continental Congress and the
Agreement OF Secession, drawn UP No
venber .. 1775. and sample copies of that
! largest manuscript of them all the chi
neee Encyclopedia in 5,o44 sections.
Letters and muster rolls. autograph al
buns OF signatures. records and docu-
ments of all times and countSes and re-
lations lie In this national repository,
bound and unbound; from England. for
instance, n muster roll of John Lee Hunts
company, 1859: from Spain papers relat-
ing to the capture of Algiers; from China
photograph of a Chinese edct decree
| ing religious honors to the memory Of
Gen. Ward; Burmese manuscripts printed
in round letter pail on palm leaves and
wound into a metal foil holder; the
| Gregor1ar Chant bound in wood and
strapped and spiked and many a book
still wearing the chain by which in days
gone by 1t was fastened in some mon
astery library for safe keeping.
Here in alcoves and archives may be
| found the handWritten history of each
of the states and the colonies. going
back TO the Columbus codeX, 1502 co, and
the letter OF Americas Vespuccius to Loo
renzo di Medici. 1901. These may be TAX
en- out, curiously gazed at or closely
studied by any visitor.
The division of manuscripts was es
tabshed in 1897 to create one central de-
post where every precaution might be
taken for the safety of the manuscripts
where accessions might he constantly
listed and all the documents kept acces
sble to the general public. Every mod
ern appliance and convenience for re
ceiving. storing and handling material i
at hand. special cases for the display o
material and especially designed stee
safes for keeping the more valuable doc
uments. There are repairers and binder.
of such skill and knowledge in restoring
repairing. mounting and binding old pa
pers injured by moisture. fire or time it
self that 1t Is almost impossible to credi
come OF the RESERVATIONS from original
preserved by photographs.
There are important collection
of papers of many classes in the library
including:
The Peter Force collection. rich in Col
on!al and Revolutionary history.
Manuscript materials OF unique de
scription from the library of Thoma
jefferson. chiefly relating to the Colon
ia history OF Virginia
, The Rochambeau papers purchased b.
: Congress In 1883.
, Volumes relating to the history of tn
, Spanish possessions in America In tn
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. sup
! pleInented by the recent acquisition o
the Spanish records of East Honduras
J OF New Mexico. of Porto Rico and Guar
with attention also given TO the English
Spanish and Dutch colonies In Mort
America
Naval papers. as the papers OF job
1 Paul Jones. OF Edward Preble, Of job
= mittee OF the Continental Congress, an
, In military history many orderly book
l which cover the wars in which the ma
) ton has been engaged.
Q Morris, superintendent of finance IN tn
= Revolution.
9 The papers Of Presidents Washington
= Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson. Va
q Buren,, Polk. Pierce and Johnson.
The papers of the Continental Congress
q Of benjamin Franklin, of Alexands
$ Hamilton and the proceedings of the 10y
&, alisr: Commissioners
I The papers of the following publ
= men:
$ Arthur Macarthur, John j. Crittendel
o John NJ. CLAYTON, Caleb B. Smith, Oar
o lei Webster, James Brown, Salmon
to-, l.,