South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-07
SOUTH AMERICAN
LIBRARY FOR N. D.
Valuable Books Are Present
ed to University by Or.
J. A. Zahm.

Or. j. A. Zahm. g.. s. c.. at one
time provincial OF the Holy Cross
congregation and for n number Of
years professor at Notre Dame has
announced tine gift of his South
American library 90 the University
OF Notre Dame. The library con-
tains about 900 volumes. many rare
copies Fr. Zahm is a noted scien-
list and has spent several years in
South American and gained wide
reputation ass member of the
Roosevelt party
The first value OF the gift 10 the
university. Is lu It's historic cOnuec-
ton with the four books Of which
40 forms the literary background.
but aside from the special value 10
the photographer. it is a collection
OF the highest Importance 20 the
student Of history. Next fall
special class in South American his
tory viii be iuaugurated at the uni
versity under the direction of Rev.
Fr. John O'Hara, who is at present
preparing for the work i'm Washing
ton. -. O.
should Prove Popular.
The new course snould AT once
prove popular since Notre Dame has
always had large representation
from the Latin-American countries.
This viii be the first time that "A
Catholic institution in this country
has offered a special study i'm South
American history. The new collec-
ton OF books makes possible the
starting OF the course at Notre
F.a-r.rserIFr
lived in indianapolis before enter
ing the priesthood has spent many
years i'm South America, accompany
ing his father who was a counsel
10 several Of the South American
countries. When FIR O'Hara enter
cd Notre Dame he made special
study of the South American coun- I
tries and after completing his col !
Iege course was a professor Of Span !
ish for a number of years before !
entering the priesthood.
The new library which viii be the /
principal source of information for !
the students contains the best |
books that have been produced in
English. Spanish. Portuguese, Ger /
man, French and italian. There are
A number OF priceless missionary
journals in the collection that are of
importance There were no Rivers (
of Doubt" i'm the 10th, 18th and I
18th centuries. There is hardly i
SQUARE league of land i'm the vast 1
unknown interior" of South Amer /
lea that was not crossed in those |
DAYS bv the Conquistadores seeking |
gold on missionaries seeking souls TO /
D Her.rrr cd
of these missionary chronicles the /
historian can now retell with some |
degree of fairness and accuracy, the /
true story Of SPANS activity IN |
south America.
Many Valuable Books.
The library Includes a good col
lection Of the scientific tTeatises o.
the 10Th century. such as Agassiz,
Darwin. Waterton. Herndon and
Gibbon. Wallace. Michelena RoJas'
Schrombug. Spix and Martius. Mid
dendorf. Squier. Eeiss and Stubel'
etc. and practically an the modern /
works 81 any value. Many of these
latter are autographed copies, others |
Am the collection bear the signatures /
az distinguished statesmen and /
ee.lesi3stics of both continents; (
while for many others Fr. Zahm had /
to ransack the book-stals of Eu-
rome and of North and South Amer
lea. An original edition OF Padre
Rodriguez "DecubrimeutO' de Gran 4
Rio Marauon." for instance, was
found by a fortunate chance IN an
old shop On Chachapoyas. i'm the
heart OF the Andes. copy Of Padre
r- rF discover