The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-05-09

went to make up the British museum
was thrown open to the public on
January 10, 1859; but the words
thrown open" require some explana-
ton. Today there is no library in the
world where the visitor or student is
able to inspect and make use of it's
wonderful contents with greater ease
or freedom than the British Museum
library, but originally sucn. restrictions
were imposed as to make it's use al
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 be specially APP
pointed for THANKSGIVING or feasts
by public authority"
If prospective student were able
to master the mathematics of these re-
strictiOns, he then presented himself
at the porters lodge, where he was
obliged to give his name, condition and
address, to be entered in the register.
This accomplished, the volume was
laid before the librarian to decide
whether the person so applying was
entitled to admission. If the question
were settled in the affirmative, on a
second visit the applicant might re-
hiC rot IJox-inn cnrrpa1 tho
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 problematical whether he
would be successful. If so fortunate
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, Harleian, and Sloane col
lections include the Royal library of
$4,000 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 Garrick's library of Eng
lish plays; Musgrave's collection of
IL
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, but
at this time grant of approximately
$1,000 was made for the purchase of
the Lansdowne manuscripts. In 1913
another $4,000 was appropriated for
the Hargrave, Legal library, and, in
1921, some f13,500 was granted to
secure the classical library of DR..
Charles Burney. Two years later the
splendid Royal library acquired by
George Ill became part of the British
museum.
No library is geographically stu
ated more favorably to be available to
the world than the British museum. A
famous American collector some years
ago bequeathed to 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-
tan nature of those who visit and make
use of its treasures, one is forced to
admit that this collection will accom-
plish its highest good by being where
it is rather than consigned to the geo
graphical limitation of any one of the
American libraries