Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-05-09

most inaccessible. In the first place.
it was announced that the library
would be open except Saturday and
Sunday of each week, except Christ
mas day and one week after. except
the week after Easter Sunday and the
week after Whitsuntide. and except
Good Friday, and all days which now
or shall hereafter he specially APP
pointed for Thanksgiving or feasts
by public authority"
II prospective student were able
to master the mathematics of these re-
he then presented himself
at the porters lodge. where he was
obliged to give his name, condition ami
to be entered in the register.
This accomplished. the volume was
laid before the librarian To decide
the person so applying was
entitled to admission If the question
were settled in the affirmative. on
second visit the applicant might re-
ceive his ticket. Having secured the
precious card. he would then present
himself for admission, but. as there
was a restriction that not more than
ten persons should be admitted for
each hour the museum was open. it
was still prohlematieaI whether he
as to be a member of one of these
groups of ten he was then escorted
around the library by guide. with a
limit placed upon the time, and with
every element created TO destroy the
pleasure of literary communion with
the volumes.
Later, important additions to the
Cottonian. Hareian, and Sloane col
lections include the Royal library of
$1,000 volumes. which was eventually
turned over to the British museum by
George II; the Thomson collection OF
"Kings' Pamphlets" the da Costa col
lection of Hebrew books and manu-
scripts; the Birch collection of biog-
raphy; David Garriek's library of Eng
lish plays; Musgrave's collection of
biography and manuscripts: the
Cracherode collections of books and
prints.
Some Great Acquisitions.
All these collections were acquired
previous to the year 1907 with no ex-
pense whatever to the government. bur
at this time grant of approximately
$4,000 was made for the purchase of
the Lansdowne manuscripts. In 1918
another $4,000 was appropriated for
the Hargrave Legal library, and. in
1921. some f13.500 was granted to
secure tn, classical library of Or.
Charles Burney. Two years later the
splendid Royal library acquired BY
George III became part of the British
museum. This necessitated larger
quarters. and was the beginning of the
museum. George HIS
library contained no less than $4,000
volumes. George ~ tried 10 dispose
of the collection to the emperor of
Russia to enrich his own private cof
fers. but this plan was frustrated. and
the volumes were saved to the British
nation.
Francis Egerton was a later beue-
factor of the Museum library He be-
queathed to it the famous Egerton
together with fI2000, the
interest on which to be devoted to in
creasing the collection and maintain
ing a custodian. Three years later. in
1882. the autograph collection of the
museum was enriched by the acquisi-
ton of the Arundel manuscripts; and,
in 1917. the Rt. Hon. Thomas Gren-
vile presented to the museum his mag
nificent library. which is still preserved
as unit under the donors name.
No library is geographically situ-
ated more favorably TO be available to
the world than the British museum. A
famous American collector some years
ago bequeathed 70 it an extraordinary
collection he himself had made. which
il seemed from patriotic motives
should have been turned over to some
American Institution. After having
worked in the British museum. how
ever, and after seeing the cosmopoli-
ran nature of those who visit and make
use of its treasures, one is forced tn
admit that this collection viii accom-.
plish its highest good by being where
il is rather than consigned to the geo.
limitation Of any one of the
Libraries In this eIse the
American donor considered his loyalty
to terriers beyond the iemand of any