The Nome nugget., 1925-02-07
UNCLE sAM's GREAT LIBRARY
 LOCATED AT WASHINGTON
Uncle Ted's Bed.Time Stories

,fter an afternoon of nara play.
 whats the matter with you?" asked Jack Afraid of little cold wish it would get freez- ing hard I could go skating. There wasn't en- ough ice last year talk about. Winter is the most fun of all, l think
 Winter may be lots of fun for you. kiddies but when you get older you will wish for warm wea- ther. I'd be perfectly satisfied never to know any more winter. It nothing but shivers, coal bills and autotrouble to me- In such way did Uncle Ted unburden himself of his thoughts about the approach of cold weather
 '.Mother said We had to go to bed eary." said Jack, won't you tell a story right now?"
 sure kiddes, I'll tell you a story about place in Washington that is one of the greatest, if not the greatest. building in America That is the L- brary of Congress. This great temple of knowledge was built principally put the disposal of our National legislators the complete library in the world. There hundred and two miles containing than three million books"
 "The big dome outside and the ceiling inside covered with 22-carats fine gold and the marble interior is the finest in America. I shall for
 first view of the grand stairway almost the first thing you see after entering the big bronze doors. It was like stepping into faryland the beautiful marble. the mosaic the walls and the floors and the gorgeous coloring and lighting effects The building cost more than six million It is three stories high and covers nearly four acres of ground. Daylight comes through nearly thousand windows flooding every nook and corner of the great building.
 "The main reading room where everyone can obtain books to read in the library. not take out is 100 feet in diameter and 125 feet from the floor to the top of the big dome. Two hundred people be seated he tables in this big room. The bookstacks of which there seems to be no end, run from to 10 stories high Some of them are 65 feet high. When the library opened there were three stacks with A miles of shelves able to carry more than 2.ooO,ooO volumes When all the porvded for stacks is used there will be more than 4,0OO.O0O books
 While the Library is right near the Capitol Building and the Senate and House office Buildings there is 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 trouble from bookworms ants The biggest
 
 volumes in good condition force of workers from the Government printing office is kept busy all the time. They bind almost 30 900 books every year "The thing that would interest you most, Jack would be the periodical room. In fact I think it is the most interesting to everyone Nearly 700 U. S. newspapers received every day and near ly 200 from foreign countries About 6O,OOO bound volumes of newspapers found also there. You go into that and look for the section devoted to your home State and pick out of the rack your favorite home newspaper.
 "It has been said that it would take IS years and cost nearly s15,O0O, 900 to make book inley of the material the shelves This gives you t,ltains.'
 "How di tbi- uuch of books ssarto" asked Jack
 well, Jack, you know in 1914 when the Cap itol burned, every book of the Governments collection was destroyed At the time Thomas about $500 in all, of them dating back to the fifteenth century In 1915 the government bought this collection and they brought from Mont ecelIo to Washington in wagons and formed the beginning of the Congressional library. In 1851 fire destroyed most of the books in this Jefferson collection and what left are housed in the office of the Superintendent of the reading room.
 "Now guess that is enough for tonight. We will have some later. Good night"