Milford chronicle., 1924-12-05
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
UNCLE SANS GREAT LIBRARY
AT WASHINGTON

Al HASHlNUION
Il hope it doesn't get any colder
for a WHILE" said Ruth as she came
into the hallway with Jack after an
afternoon of hard play.
whats the matter with yOu?"
asked Jack. @Afraid of little cold.
wish it would get freezing hard so
1 could go skating. There wasn't
enough ice last year to talk about.
Winter is the most fun of all I
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 but shivers, coal bills and
auto trouble to me-" In such a way
did Uncle Ted unburden his thoughts
about the approach of cold weather.
Mother said we had to go to bed
early" said Jack, $50, won't you tell
us a story right now.S
Sure, kiddies, III tell you
story about a place in Washington
that is one of the greatest, if not the
greatest, building in America. That
is the Library of Congress. This
great temple of knowledge was
built principally to put at the dis
posal 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, isn't
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 light
ing effects. The building cost more
than six million dollars and is pat
termed after the Italian Renaissance.
1t is three stories high and covers
nearly four acres of ground. Day
light comes through nearly two
thousand windows flooding every
nook and corner Of the great build
ing.
"The main reading room where |
anyone can obtain books to read in
the library, not to take out, is 100 |
feet in diameter and 125 feet from |
the floor to the top of the big dome.
Two hundred 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 library was first opened
there were three stacks with A
miles of shelves able to carry about
100000 volumes. When all room
provided for stacks has been used
there will be more than 100000
books.
while the library is right near
the Capitol building and the Senate
and House office buildings, there is
a tunnel 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 trou- /
DlG DOOhWOIulS VI duLSs nC I
biggest wear comes from usage and
to keep these valuable volumes in
good conditions a force of workers +
from the Government Printing Office s
is kept busy all the time. They bind 2
almost 10000 books every year. fl
"The thing that would interest
you the most, Jack, would be the d
periodical room. In fact think it is "
most interesting to everyone. Nearly v
700 U. S. Newspapers are received Il
every day and nearly 200 from fore
ign countries. About 10000 bound
volumes of newspapers are also To- Il
Gated there. You can go into that
'oom and look for the section deVOt- r,
ID to your home State and then pick a.
,ut of the rack your favOrite home ~
att has been said that it would
AXE Is years and cost nearly half a II
million dollars to make book index =
# the material on the shelves. That .
ives you some idea of the size OF al
his great place and what it con-
aims" ar
"How did this bunch of books :,
tart?" asked Jack.
well, Jack, you know IN 1914 De
7hen the Capitol was burned, every or
ook Of the Governments collection
7as destroyed. At that time Thomas IN
had a wonderful collection IL
f books, about $500 volumes in all, OF
ONE of them dating back to the tif- ell
eenth century. In 1915 the Govern tn
lent bought this collection and they & .
'ere brought from Monticello to ''A
in wagons and formed
le beginning of the Congressional tw
library. In 1851 fire destroyed most bel
the books in this Jefferson col A.,
ction and what are left are housed III
the Office of the Superintendent Of l,S
e Reading room.
"Now I guess that is enough for the
night. We will have some more
ter. Goodnight" I''
Sta
A COnnIpfa Failure mi,