Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-22
RARE VOLUMES IN
LAW LIBRARY HERE
Essex County Institution Is One
Of Most Complete in the
Country.

comparatively little known to the
people of Newark or Essex county.
outside of the members of the legal
profession, but TO the lawyers of the
county it is a well-recognized insti-
tuition.
1t is located in the Court House.
where it occupies nearly the whole
east front of the mezzanine floor. The
reading-room is large and hand
some apartment about % by so feet
in dimensions. well lighted by nine
windows The trimmings and furni-
ture throughout are in quartered oak
of the finest quality, and it is often
called the most beautiful room in the
Court House.
There are twenty-four frescoed
scrolls on the walls. each containing
the name of world-famed lawgiver.
Jurist or code-maker. The names, in
order, are: Moses, Lyeurgus, Scion,
Julianus, Gaius, Narada, Theodosius.
Justinian, Hywell Dda, Irnerius,
Coke, Grotius. Domat, Frederick II.
CThe Great. Won Vattel, Blackstone.
jefferson, Paterson, Madison, Mar
shall, Kent Napoleon and Won
Savigny. The rooms contain oak
bookcases at each end, in which are
kept encyclopedias, dictionaries and
other works of general reference.
Library in Vault.
The library proper is contained in
vault which is constructed of
cement and steel, and is considered
absolutely flre-proof. Its dimensions
are about Il by 20 feet. and it has
shelf capacity for some $4,000 volumes.
AT present it contains between 1000
and 5000 volumes, of which the
greater part are the laws and reports
of the various States, a full set of the
National Reporter system from the
beginning to date. federal courts, in
Guiding United States Supreme and
District Court reports; all English
reports in full from 1866. and the
English reprint of the official reports
from the beginning to 1866.
The latter is In course of publica-
ton and when complete the library
will contain the whole body of the
English common law and chancery
from A. D. 1900, embracing over 1880
volumes of reports.
The library is especially full of
everything appertaining to New Jer-
sey laws. II owns all the editions of
collections of statute published, in
Guiding the original and rare copies
OF such old provincial and colonial
compilations as Leaning and Spicer,
published in 1853: Neville, two vol
umes, 1862 and 1851; Allison, 1776 and
nearly every legal work printed relat-
ing TO New Jersey.
1t also contains the complete re-
ports of all the courts of New York
State and it's statutes, which alone
comprise nearly 1000 volumes. 1t has
n full line of text books covering
nearly every important subject of the
law and on leading topics such as
corporations, evidence, real estate,
Wills and many others, all the leading
authors are represented on its shelves.
All works are catalogued under the
card index system, which makes them
easily accessible for anyone wishing
TO consult them.
$4,000 for Books.
The law library owes its inception
to the Court House Commission, which
had charge of the construction of the
new building There had been pop
ular demand for something of the sort
for many years, but legal difficulties
had prevented the Board, OF Free
holders from making beginning.
The commissioners, however, had full
power under the act establishing
new Court House to appropriate q
sufficient amount and they set aside
$4,000 for the purchase of books.
TO Joseph /. Mum, then county
counsel (1906-D, is due the carrying out
of the complete plans of the commas
sion, and 1t is owing to his counsel ana
activity at the outset that the sue
cess of the library is due. The ex-
nenditure of the appropriation was
entrusted to him and his selections
were made with rare judgment and
skill and form the basis of the present
collection.
The librarian in charge is Siias IL.
Fitch. of East Orange, who has held
the position for the last six years. or
since the establishment of the library.
Mr.. Fitch is a graduate of Wesleyan
University and a member of the bar,
with several years of active prac-
tise.
While the library Is piiihuih ny iha
tended for the use Of the courts and
the legal profession of the county; 1t Is
open to all, and the general public are
always welcomed and invited to make
free use of it's facilities and privileges.
Scarcely a day passes that LII
brarian Fitch is not sought out by
some person wishing legal advice who
Is either not able to pay for counsel
or does not know how to go-sabout
doing so.
This is especially true since the en-
ployers' liability act went into effect,
and almost daily Mr.. Fitch is consult
ed by persons who have received in
turies while employed and do not
. know how to proceed to collect the
compensation they are entitled to
under the act.
While in no sense of the word is the
library a free legal bureau, Mr.. Fitch
always takes pains to inform appli-
cants for information just what steps
they must take to protect their
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