Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-10-13

also are represented among the orna-
mental scrolls The balustrade figureS
are Painting, Architecture and Sculp-
ture. History, Mythology, Art, Science
and Literature have all contributed
their share toward making the interior
ornamental decorations of the Library
of Congress most impressive and
beautiful.
The traveller who plans on visiting
the gigantic book headquarters OF
Uncle Sam should train by going to
the circus and trying to watch all that
goes on simultaneously in the six
rings. One must be gifted with the
eyes of pathfinder to appreciate the
fractional part of what there is to see.
If a visitor attempted to inspect all
the old prints and treasures in the
many arcades and galleries, he would
have to double up on his annual va
cation and spend all the timc-night
and day-looking at the pictures. Just
/ to see the long rows OF cabinets which
accommodate the index cards-each
OF the 100000 volumes has a special
card--is the best mental measure
which one can find to estimate the
vast amounts of printed matter which
are stored in the Library of Congress
archives.
Babel and confusion are as foreign
to the rooms and corridors of this
huge book depository as are ice cream
cones to the jungles OF Guiana. Large
signs throughout the building COM
mand Silence" and everybody-over-
awed, perhaps, by the magnitude and
splendor of our champion library
walks about on tiptoe and speaks in
! faint whispers. 1t is one of the last
places in the world where lovers or
honeymooning couples should go. In
vestigation has developed the fact that
| they are about the only ones who do
not temporarily lose the use of their
tongues when looking at the wonders
OF Congressional Library. This build
ing is one of the few government
structures which does not observe the
blue laws" of the District of Columbia
and close on the Sabbath. The Ma
tional Library is open from n. m,
until 10 p. m, every day in the year
except Christmas and the Fourth Of
July. On Sundays the building opens
its doors at 2 p. m. and admits visit
ors until 10. This divergence from the
customary hours results because pa
irons of the library like to read Sun
days and evenings while many are able
to visit the building only on those oc-
casiors.
Practically all the Presidents are
repre- esented at the Federal Library by
important pamphlets, treatises, bulle-
tins or books which they wrote. With
the exception of the two Adans-John
ana John Quincy-the chief executives
have left manuscript collections at the
big bookery. Such leaders as Cleye-
land, Wilson, Roosevelt and Taft, were
productive in handling pen and manu-
script, and have written many maya
zine articles, books and political treat.
;scs. copiea OF which are kept on file
in the Library Of Congress. 1t is diff
ficult to estimate the value Of this big
book depository and its contents. The
building itself cost more than SGOO0,-
900, while the books are worth at least
double or even treble that figure.
The division for the blind is an eX
tremely interesting feature of the Ii
trary of Congress. Books and maga-
zines for those who cannot see are
circulated to all parts of the United
States from the Washington headquar-
ters. There are 1,400 blind persons
who are regular patrons of this novel
service and between 1000 and $500
books are circulated every month. The
books are sent out and returned under
government frank. The person TO
whom the books are loaned can keep
them two months with the privilege of
! renewing the loan for a third month.
Altogether there are 9,547 books for the
blind in the Congressional Library.
They are set up in English and Amer
lean Braille and moon type. Braillc Is
system of dots and dashes emboss-
ed on paper which the blind read with
the finger tips.
Fiction books are most popular
among the blind wno borrow books
from Uncle Sam with biographies, his
tory, geography and mythology ranking
next in order of Importance. Many Of
the fiction stories and popular novels
ore reproduced by embossing the sub
ject natter on brass plates from which
paper impressions are made subse-
quently with printing press. 1t costs
So q thousand words TO stereotype the
metal plates with additional costs for
embossing the paper sheets and bind
. ing them together in book form. Pen
rod" by Booth Harrington was BIailled
at an expense of $500. The cost Of en-
bossing Love Stories" by Mary Rob
, crts Rhinehart was about $lO0. IN both