Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-03-10

himself He is a lawyer. He has served col
lege president and professor in several institu-
tions. He is the author of works On American
politics and history. In connection with appro-
priations for the Congressional Library he was
asked to deliver address upon the Library as
literary institution for the information of the
members. In his address, as reported in the Con-
gressonal Record, the following interesting facts
are found
East of the Capitol stands the most beautiful
building in the world, the creation of the genius
of the architect, sculptor, and painter. Within
it's walls is found a collection of publications
which is rapidly overtaking the Bibliotheque Ma
tonae of Paris and the British Museum of Lon
don, the only other libraries which exceed in
number of books the Congressional Library.
Like all other great institutions, this had its
small and insignificant beginning. 1t started some
time before the beginning of the last century with
the appointment of committee to report on need
and selection of suitable books Five thousand
dollars was appropriated in 1900 Beckley of
Virginia was appointed librarian by Jefferson in
1902. The first catalogue was of nine pages pre-
pared in 1902, the Library then containing 964
volumes and nine maps, classified the basis of
size into quartos, oetavos and so forth. The pur-
pose of the Library stated by Senator Mitchill
in 1906 to be ito furnish with such materials as
VIII enable statesmen to be correct in their in
vestgations, and by becoming display of erudi-
tion and research give a higher dignity and
brighter luster to TRUTH
The catalogue Of 1872 contained titles Of 3O76
volumes and 53 maps and charts. When the Cap
toi was burned in 1914 by the British the Library
had cost all told about $4,000 for books and oper-
alton. The librarians salary at first So per
day. The Library was destroyed August "a, and
on September 81 Jefferson wrote from his home
rendering his library to congress- The commit
tee was authorized by act of congress to purchase
the 1000 volumes for $23, ,95O which was done in
JanUarv 1917 ootoI tbo T
which was later declared by Spofford as san ad-
mirable selection of the best ancient and modern
literature up to the beginning of the present CEN
tury" These books were hauled from Monticello
to Washington in farm wagons.
From 1915 to 1851 the Library grew from 1000
to $4,000 volumes.
On the evening of December %, 1926 Edward
Everett discovered fire in the galleries of the
ibrary and he, assisted by Daniel Webster and
er members of congress, put it out. In 1851
second fire destroyed all but 10000 volumes of
the then handsome collection of $4,000 volumes
Only one-third of the Jefferson collection was
saved. Congress at once took steps to rebuild the
loss. Before the year was ended in several spe-
ci1c acts it had appropriated $2637O for the pur-
pose. Ten years. later a general catalogue of
1888 pages was published. In 1869 the last COM
plete catalogue, arranged by subjects was pub
lished in two volumes of LIZA pages.
The card catalogue was adopted about 1865,
was pSIlcClou IrOIn LlI0e 10 time lCS pres
ent wonderfully serviceable system.
In 1864 A. r. Spofford was selected as librarian,
and that year might be taken the beginning Of
the third stage of Congressional Library history
Congress sympathetically responded to legisla-
tive demands Frequent appropriations were
voted and many private collections were secured
after the fashion of the famous beginning in 1916
Three years after the selection Of Spofford con-
gress authorized the purchase of the valuable
collection of Americana from Peter Force. 1t
contained 10000 volumes and cost 100000 1t
was regarded as a rare collection of books and
pamphlets American subjects, manuscripts
newspapers, maps, autographs and so forth
About the same time the collection of the Smith
sonian Institution comprising 10000 Volumes
was transferred to the Congressional Library. 1t
contained invaluable publications of the various
learned societies throughout the world with which
the institution had exchange arrangements
Accessions were constantly made, among which
were, in 1866, the Petigru law library; 1882, the
manuscript papers of Benjamin Franklin; 1888.
the Matthew Carpenter law library; 1882, the
Toner collection of 27O0O Volumes which con-
tanned, among other invaluable publications. an
almost complete collection of copies of letters and
papers of General Washington.
AS far back as 1916 provision Of the copy
right law required deposit in the Library of one
copy of every book, map, chart, musical compost