Evening star., 1936-06-21
Old Library
Continued from Second Page.)

think, must have been harder than
those of the rest of the world, as they
did not approach to tipsiness, nearer
than slight indistinctness in the
articulation of their words, and some
what more earnestness in argument,
with a considerably larger allowance
of tobacco"
Particularly rich in Americana of
the period from 1890 to 1880, the COL
lection of books of the Alexandria
Library at Lee Camp Hall, 806 Prince
street. contains many fascinating
sidelights on history, as we'll as notable
editions Of classic works. Established
in 1874, by group of prominent
Alexandrians as subscription library,
it supplied the citizens with the type
Of reading matter they wanted, in
return for a yearly fee. The collec-
ton Is, therefore, representative of
reading taste of the period. and it
shows a decided preference for news,
history, biography and science and
a less active interest in works of f1c-
ton. OF approximately 5000 books
purchased prior to the Civil War for
its Alexandria subscribers, the library
has only about 300 volumes of early
American fiction, while there are
nearly 1000 books which reveal news,
descriptions and comments on actual
life and events of the time-the books
of travel, and the annual reviews, the
news magazines of their day.
It is just these intimate details Of
life which are important to the
scholar, according to Lester j. Cap
pom, archivist of the University of
Virginia, who is in charge of the
university lbrary's search for old
documents, parish records, personal
papers and other historical material.
The university is cataloging this
material, sometimes copying pages
with the aid of camera, and making
a record so that research workers will
know where to go for the material
they want in cases where the uni
versity Is not able actually to acquire
the documents. That the university
library would welcome with deepest
Joy the rare books in Alexandria,
Harry L. Clemons, university libra
r1an, asserts; yet he sympathizes with
the Library Board in its desire to re-
tain this collection for the use of
Alexandria and Washington people.
CITY COUNCILMEN A. SLATER
LkMOND, Louis c. Barley and
John D. Matter are comforting now
with members of the Library Board,
considering the possibility of estab-
fishing public city library for Alex
andria. Probably because of the
active existence of the subscription
library, which was the first estab-
lished in the State of Virginia, and
which has continued to serve the city
until the present date, no public
library has ever been established
here. With its present housing and
finances. the library company finds
it impossible to admit public use of
the rare-book collection, though its
1000 modern books are in active cir
culation.
1t Is particularly for the sake OF
the preservation and use of the old
books that the Library Board has
offered to turn over the entire collec-
ton to the city Of Alexandria If a
public library Is established.
The Gbrary's endowment fund, suf-
f1cient to purchase a small building,
probably quaint old house, is in
cluded in the offer, and it is hoped
that the books may be placed in an
architectural setting, with early Amer
ican furnishings characteristic of
their period. The library board pro-
poses to direct and operate this as a
public library for the city, provided
that the City Council will include in
the city budget an amount adequate
for maintenance and the salary of a
librarian. 1t is planned to include
a reference room, "a circulation collec-
tion, a children's collection and q
rare-book room. A location near the
King street post Office is preferred.
If space permits, the board looks for
ward to having a meeting room for
library and historical societies, and
Tor exhibits of books and paintings.
Expense to the city of Alexandria is
estimated at $1,000 to $4,000 a year.
According to a law recently passed
BY the State, cities of Virginia are
to add library assessments
to their tax lists.
A notable example of the useful
ness OF old books to present-day au-
thors is Capt. Bligh's diary of the |
voyage OF the Bounty, which provided |
Messrs. Nordhoff and Hall with ma
terial for three novels, and then was |
produced as very successful motion !
picture. "Mutiny on the Bounty" |
might have been written by a modern |
Alexandrian, If he had happened to |
discover the old copy of the diary in |
the hbrary's files. It is one of IL |
known copies Of this book, the others
Of which are listed by the Library of |
Congress, one possessed by itself, an
other at Catholic University, one at |
he United States Naval Academy at |
one at Chicago library.
,he others in New York and New
England States.
THOUGH Authors Nordhoff and
Hall had to go to England for
ietails Of the trial Of the mutineers,
md for plan Of the ship Bounty
md other matters in the admiralty
ecords, the narrative of the voyage
" the ship to the South Seas, and
he perilous trip Of the captain and
lis loyal crew the almost unbeliev-
BILE distance Of 3,61s miles In an
pen longboat, is all contained In the