The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-07-04

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could not collectively FINISH tie read
ing II they lived TO be q century old.
The wonder is If the people Of the
United States realize the treasures
they have in the Library Of Congress.
II is a hard thing TO say but seemingly
members Of congress who have at
their command any or all books of the
library for reading and reference pur-
poses do not have anything ike a full
appreciation Of their opportunities.
There are about TWO millions Of vol
umes In the congressional library. II
goes into a private Office Of a rep
resentatiye or a senator he Is more apt
TO lind on the table copies of fiction
than copies of the books generally ac-
counted worthwhile and upbuildlng.
There are, Of course. exceptions.
Some Of the representatives and some
Of the senators try to drink deep of
the waters of the spring of learning,
but others Of them. as their offices
show, are more familiar with ready
reference quotation books and things
Of that kind than they are with the
volumes from which the smattering Of
stuff is taken by the condenser who
picks out quotations for the use Of
men whose desire it IL to look
learned and speak learned" knowing
within themselves they are not
learned.
Decorated by Master Hands.
Some of the artists Of thorough APP
preciution say that the Library of Con-
gress is the most beautiful building.
so far as its interior is concerned, in
the wide world. When one enters by
the main doorway and looks about
him his first impression perhaps is that
Of a pin prick. The col scheme seems
a little toe bright. Quickly this impress
sion wears away and the blending of
colors and the general beauty seem to
make themselves manifest, and what
was sharp and perhaps garish be
comes blended into softness and into
strength of appeal
Confessedly the writer does not
know how many artists We're engaged
in the work of Illuminating and deco
rating the interior of the Library of
Congress. but hat all of them were
masters of their work is evident. How
the whole thing could have been done
in the span of years occupied in its
doing remains a puzzle to this day.
Individual m~osaics. and freseoing, If
that be the word, are there which 1t
would seem must have taken the ar
fists a lifetime TO produce. II is said,
however. that inspiration and the spur
of doing things well quickly had their
effect upon the engaged masters. and
that they were able to give to this
great monument TO learning the best
that was in them.
Statistics don't mean much. How
ever. the understanding is that there
are about two millions of volumes in
the keeping of the Library of Con-
gress today, and that there is room
within the walls of the building for
100000 more books. The builders of
the library looked into the future. 1t
will be many years before the con-
gress of the United States is asked to
make an appropriation for the en-
fragment of the library building in or
der that it may house the additional
written works of man and of woman
Miles and His Indian Friends.
Lieut.. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. the only
4 l.-s.. .e 81. - &c 4ha Taa ri.pr arysa - n
bear that rank, is eighty-six years of
age, and yet every day early in the
morning. if one chooses to rise before
revielle. he may see the general riding
q spirited horse along the bride paths
skirting the Potomac river.
General Miles is one of the very few
living officers who held a major gen.
erals rank during the days of the
war between the states. Today he is
mourning the death of his eomrade
through fifty years of active service,
Mai. Frank Dwight Baldwin. who
died in Denver recently. Miles and
Baldwin together fought in nearly
every form Of Indian warfare which
the broad plains could produce.
In Washington recently there ap-
peared a considerable contingent Of
Sioux Indians. Some of them were
for show purposes and others were
here in connection with a suit which
the Indians have instituted in the
court of claims for compensation Of
lands taken from them by the whites
Those of the aged plains Indians
who occasionally come to Washington
almost invariably inquire for General
Miles. Some Of them call upon him at
his residence. He frequently meets
them on the streets and always he
stops to talk with them and TO ask
them how they are getting on. Miles
more than any other man. perhaps, is
said to be responsible for the change
of system in appointing Indian agents,
n change which made it certain that
all the supplies which TIE government
issued should reach those for whom
they were intended.
The writer of this witnessed a meet
ing at one time between General
Miles and a delegation composed of
; half a dozen Sioux from the Rosebud
country. one of the visiting Indians
was a nephew of old Red Cloud, and
General Miles inquired of him what
had become of this chieftain or that