The Glenwood post., 1924-12-04
Uncle Ted's Bed Time Stories
Current Events for tho Ohndra
and Grown-ups, Too
UNCLE SANS GREAT
LIBRARY AT WASHINGTON


into the hallway with Jack after an
afternoon of hard play.
"What's the matter with your"
asked Jack. "Afraid of little cold.
I wish it would get freezing hard SO
I could go skating. There WASH t
enough ice last year to talk about.
Winter is the most fun of all. !
think"
"Winter may be lots of fun to you,
kiddies, but when you get older YOU
will wish for warm weather. I'd be
perfectly satisfied never to know any
more winter. 1t means nothing out
shivers, coal bills and auto trouble to
me.' In such way did Uncle Ted
unburden his thoughts about the a2-
proach of cold weather.
"Mother said we would have to 90
to bed early" said Jack, $50 won It
you tell US story right now9"
"Sure, kiddies, I'll tell you a story
about place in Washington that is
one of the greatest, if not the great
est building in America. That is the
library of congress. This great temple
of knowledge was built principally to
put at the disposal of our national
Legislators the most complete library
in the world. There are one hundred
and two miles of shelves containing
more than three million books"
"That is sure some books, ism It
it?' said Jack.
"The big dome outside and the
ceiling inside are covered with %
carats fine gold and the marble in
terror is the finest in America. ]
shall never forget my first view of
the grand stairway almost the first
thing you see after entering the big
bronze doors. 1t was like stepping
into fairyland, the beautiful marble,
the mosaic on the walls and floors and
the gorgeous coloring and lighting eff
fSN'o' nv pu'iiiiiS tpol ilOit IMAM SlA
million dollars and IS patterned after
the Italian Renaissance. 1t is three
stories high and covers nearly four
acres of ground Daylight comes
through nearly two thousand win
dows flooding every nook and corner
of the great building.
the great building.
"The main reading room where any.
one can obtain books to read in the
diameter and 1875 feet from the flool
to the top of the big dome. Two hun
dred people can be seated at tables
in this room. The book stacks, of
which there seems to be no end, run
from 9 to 10 stories high Some Of
them are 65 feet high. When the IL
brary was first opened there were
three stacks with A miles of shelve.
able to carry about 100000 volumes
When all room provided for stack:
has been used there will be more thar
100000 books.
"While the library is right near the
Capitol building and the senate and
house office buildings, there is a tun
mel made of brick through which books
may be carried back and forth on an
endless chain of baskets.
"Because of the fact that the
stacks in the library are dry and dust
proof there is very little trouble from
bookworms or ants. The biggest wea,
comes from usage and to keep these
valuable volumes in good condition q
force of workers from the government
printing office is kept busy all the
time. They bind almost 10000 hook,
every year.
"The thing that would interest you
most, Jack, would be the periodical
room. In fact I think it. is most in.
teresting to everyone. Nearly 700 U
$. newspapers are received every day
and nearly 200 from foreign countries
Aoout 10000 bound volumes of news.
papers are also located there. You
can go into that room and look for the
section devoted to your home state
and then pick out of the rack your
favorite home newspaper.
alt has been said that it would take
Is years and cost nearly half n mil.
lion dollars to make n book index of
the material on the selves That gives
You some idea of the size of this
great place and what it contains"
"How did this bunch of books
startf' asked Jack.
"Well, Jack, you know in 1914 when
the Capitol was burned. every book of
the governments IS collection was de-
stroyed. At that time Thomas JEFF
r,,1 aan