Evening star., 1934-09-09


" in congested and limited quarters
in the Capitol Building! OF
course that was long while ago. and many
things have changed since then, ncludlng even
those of who have grown gray and nave
little less than acquired knowledge lett 10
boast of, for after all, we must be slipping
physcally whether we realize it or not. On
tine contrary however this great storehouse
Of knowledge has improved in every way, and
grown healthier and more robust so TO speak,
until it now rivals the best libraries OF the
world many of which were started at mucn
earlier date.
On April "a, 1900, just 20 days before the
first session of the Sixth Congress adjourned
at PHILADELPHIA the first appropriation for
books for the use of members Of Congress was
made as a result of motion made by Samuel
Iivermore, a graduate OF Princeton college,
then a Senator from New Hampshire. Five
thousand dollars was the amount made avail
able for this purpose and in addition to pro-
Siding for the purchase of books, part OF
the money could be used "for fitting up
suitable apartment in the Capitol
Both houses of Congress soon provided Tor
q Committee on the Library; joint committee
resulted and Samuel Dexter OF Massachusetts;
a graduate of Harvard College, was chosen
chairman Senator Dexter assigned
large part of his duties to Samuel A. Otis, who
for Is years was secretary OF the senate, ana
1t was during the Summer OF 1900 that the
latter ordered the first lot of books from Lon
don, and which promptly reached this country
packed in trunks. On December l8 1901, the
eccentric Representative and later Senator,
John Randolph of Virginia, of the new COM
nittee, is found reporting upon the needs OF
the Library, and on January 26, 1902, Con-
gress passed an act placing it on a permanent
footing and under the direction of this joint
committee, but since 1897 this power has been
vested in the librarian, by law.
from the first the Library did not grow very
] fast a fact which proved quite fortunate,
for when the British burned Washington, Au-
gust "a 1914 they used practically all OF the
5000 volumes then on hand to kindle the
fire to destroy the Capitol. OF this phase OF
the British invasion an old account says:
"The leading officers entered the House OF
Representatives, where Admiral Cockburn Of
the Royal Navy (who was cooperating with
Gen Ross) seating himself in the Speakers
chair called the assemblage to order. Gentle
men, shouted he, the question is, shall this
harbor of Yankee democracy be burned? All
in favor Of burning it will say aye! There was
a general affirmative response. And when he
added, Those opposed will say nay silence
reigned for a moment. Light up!' cried the
bold Briton, and the order was soon repeated
in all parts Of the building, while soldiers and
sailors Wed with each other in collecting COM
bustible materials for their incendary fires.
The books on the shelves of the Library of
Congress were used as kindling for the north
swing, and the much-admired full-length por-
traits of Louis XVI and his Queen Marie Antoi
nette, which had been presented by that I'M
fortunate monarch to Congress, were torn from
their frames and trampled under foot"
But even with the limited number of books
destroyed upon this occasion, Congress had
grown to recognize the necessity Of a library
and So when Thomas Jefferson, September 81,
1914, rendered the sale Of his library Of 6,7O0
yolumes-containing many rare works gathered
in Europe-Congress purchased 1t for $23,950.
it affording, in part, way to provide much
needed funds for the overly generous former
President who was then much in debt, largely
caused by his lberalties and by his theoretical
agricultural operations carried on at Month
cello and through unsuccessful business ex-
periments
To-day many of fires are caused by ina
properly installed electric wires, particularly
those which give us cur illumination. But
there always has been cause for the burning
of property. In our own early days it was
largely the upsetting of the coal oil lamp
sthat usually called out the fire department.
and prior to this, during the days Of the volun-
teer firemen, the tallow candle was responsible
for many of the fires. Indeed, we are told that
this was the cause of the second fire in the
Library of Congress in December, 1925, when
it narrowly escaped destruction. A gentleman,
1t seems, who reading in one of the gall
lartes at a late hour, neglected to extinguish