The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-23

ing TO subjects believed by him to be
of value. He also had offers at the
leading book marts OF Amsterdam.
Frankfort. Madrid and London, es-
pecially for books relating in some
way to America. His collection orig
inally amounted to between 5000 and
10000 volumes. relating to general
science and literature, but particu-
larly to matters concerning Ameri-
can statesmen -
Jefferson was asked to put price
upon his books and declined to do SO
at first, but finally suggested the
values Of SO for folios, S. for quar-
tos. So for octayios and 81 for due
decimos After reserving certain
volumes for his own use, 6,4S7 we're
set aside for the national library and
the sum of $2S.s5O paid for them. This
sum was greatly below their value
in the opinion of those best competent
to judge, because books at that time
were far more costly than now. II
was a patriotic impulse which led
Jefferson to offer them to the national
government In recognition Of the fact
that they were actually needed. It
would have been absolutely impossible
for the nation to secure a collection
of equal breadth within any reason
able time. In turning them over TO
the government he sacrificed a long
cherished personal ambition to use
them in founding the library of the
University Of Virginia, but he felt
constrained to place them wherel
their immediate need was most ur-I
gent.
The books were divided into eleven
wagon-loads and hauled from Month
cello to Washington, the last loan
leaving Jefferson's home on April Is,
1915. The lack of business methods
existing in those days is typified by
the fact that it was over three months
before Jefferson received any notice
Of the safe arrival of his beloved
books in the capital city. He wrote
several times and 1t was not until
July 81 that John Mulligan, who had
taken charge of their arrangement,
took time to write that they had been
received In good condition.
+ The library was first placed in a
room in Blodget's hotel on the north |
about half way between the capitol
and the White House, and was not
moved into the capitol building until
December Of 1878. 1t has passed
through two fires, the last one de-
stroying large part Of the books,
including most OF the Americana,
which has been deemed an irrepar-
able loss. OF the two thousand odd
boeks now remaining the large ma
jority of them are upon law, and their
safety from destruction is due to the
fact that at the time of the last fire
they happened TO be stored in the
4 law room of the capitol. The reduc-
ttion of the collection from nearly
/ 900 to little more than 1900 is
great loss to the nation.
Over 1900 volumes were actually
destroyed in the fire Of 1851. Almost
| 900 have been worn out by the usage
of century, but the 1000 remaining
will be carefully cherished and have
recently been catalogued according to
the modern system in use throughout
! the Library of Congress
Jefferson had his own system OF
tcataloging books and 1t was most
methodically carried out While mod
ern librarians may smile. at its made
quacy, 1t was far in advance of the
period in which he lived. A printed
edition OF this catalog was made in
1915, and a copy is still preserved
with the remaining books OF the
Jeffersonian collection Mr.. Jefferson
states at the beginning that Books
may be classed according to the fac
ulties OF mind employed upon them, as
memory, reason and imagination"
This gives the classification Of his
tory, philosophy and fine arts.
History is subdivided as civil,
ecclesiastical and natural. Civil his
tory embraced ancient and modern
history; and natural history included
physich and natural history proper,
including the animal, vegetable and
mineral Kingdoms and the occupations
of man.. Philosophy was divided into
moral and mathematical. Moral phil
osophy ebraced ethics, and jurisprud-
ence, the latter consisting of religious,
national and economical subjects;
while mathematical philosophy en-
'braced pure mathematics and psyche
mathematics. The fine arts, according
to Mr.. Jefferson, included art, poetry,
loratory and criticism. Art is divided
into architecture, painting, sculpture
and music.
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