The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-07-22
| About People |
Some Chats With Folks
On Things of Interest

Propped up In bed or seated In a Nor
ris chair with rocker as a foot rest,
the literary portion of Hammond takes
nightly voyages into the realms TO
which the printed page has transporta-
ton facilities. 1t maybe a cracking
good story by Stevenson, Guy De
Maupassuant or Kipling or a thrilling
chapter telling of what they are doing
in Japan or what was done at Water
loo.
Figurativeiy speaking. the literary
portion is one Individual He is the
young man who foregoes the JOY of the
late show at the vaudeville house or
another game of billiards to enjoy an
hour with some master mind: the me-
chanic who leaves the street corner
friends to read before dropping into the
sound slumber of the worker or the
business or professional man who runs
his car In at 10 o'clock sharp so that
he can relieve his mind of the affairs
of day in the nystics images of Poe.
They read not for information or men,
tai excitement. but for the simple Joy
of literature.
Look over your evening TIMES.
Stories of the days happenings in the
highways. by-ways, police stations.
eades and barrooms of the civilized and
vice versa world are presented via
| word Of mouth, note paper. typewrit-
| err city editor, rewrite man. copy
reader and the linotype (And yet you
| wonder at an occasionally error) Then
1 turning you have the news of the So
ciety world. clubs, lodges and churches.
At your right lies the world OF sports.
1 70 he cd nj &c
on the existing order of things. the
brevities of news from the streets. the
| country correspondents. the capitol
| news and the bits of national wire
messages hear and there. But what
does 1t say of the happenings in the
| literary portion OF Hammond? If the
scenes of the Norman invasion. and
Arthur Nickles saw the battle OF Muk-
4 den. why not say SO? Far fetched? All
right. getap.
Where to go for information is the
problem of the ages. But in this case
the proposition is simplified- There is
but one haven for lovers of literature
to foregather. 1t was partially erected
| by a very rich and wise man who
| knew whereof he donated The pub
lie library, quiet recluse of shelves and
| tables laden with the gems of centuries
! is the one port where the stormy seas
| of the every day ocean cannot enter
The clubs are but counting houses and
the homes filled with thoughts of yes
terday and tomorrow. They read the
daily newspapers In the schools now
and discuss political issues in the pull
pits. All right, we'll go to the library
A delightful young person with large
serious eyes and very determined
manner will meet you. She isn't quite
sure whether it would be proper to dis
cuss the literary portion of Hammond
behind his back. She is seated on &
clerical appearing stoool behind thu
circulation desk of the library She |!
first assistant to Mrs. Sawyer, librarian
and is director of the literary portion
| of Hammonds taste. She decides at hi,
| request where he shall sail on his voy
age tonight, whether is will be fact o.
fancy or both. She is but one of
number of pleasant and polite attend
| ants.
Said Miss Fern Sprague (you nov
have her name): THE literary portion
of Hammond comes here regularly, o
course. for where else could it go? /
comes slipping in and out, to peep int,
this volume and that, scorning tn
characteritures of Puck. Judge and Lif
. and the matter-of-fact magazine ar
ticles. 1t will chuckle over a pun II
Shakespeare and smile kindly at tn
pitiful pictures of Hans Christian An
derson 1t will laugh outright at tn
whimsical humor of o. Henry. and or
with Tennyson. 1t Is always polit
; and considerable. never hurries me whe