1 CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH The Club Library-Mr. James Dunne, Librarian of the Manhattan HE history of the Manhattan Club would indeed be incomplete without mention of its library. The number of volumes may not be as large as in some other libraries, but the editions are very choice. Mr. James Dunne has prepared the following account of the library's growth, a reading of which will lead to a wider appreciation of its worth. The Committee on Library believes that a brief reference to the Club library, and the books that fill its shelves, may bring to the members a realization of the intellectual treat that is afforded them in their moments of leisure. Unlike the old English clubs,-of which John Aubrey, writing in 1689, said, "We now use the word Clubbe for a sodality in a tavern," the modern club, organized for the promotion of good-fellowship, as well as for social and literary intercourse among its members, has come to regard its library as one of its indispensable accessories. Founded in 1865, the Manhattan Club numbered among its organizers many of the leading authors, statesmen, pub licists, journalists, artists, and literary men of that period; and through their culture, their literary tastes, and their broad-mindedness in the discussion of public questions, the Club gradually became a social and literary centre that drew to its membership the leaders in the public and intellectual thought of the day. As a consequence the Club library was started, and thereafter, as well by frequent purchases as by voluntary donations on the part of the members, there were brought together a goodly number of the books that hold the highest place among works of classical and standard literature. Many of the books so purchased and donated will be found on the library shelves to-day. After the Club's removal from the Stewart mansion to Twenty-sixth Street, the library was greatly neglected: the books, in respect of binding, were allowed to become unsightly; and, in respect of authorship and subject-matter, were indiscriminately scattered upon the library shelves. In the fall of 1902, however, the Board of Governors appointed a new Library Committee of seven members, and instructed them not only to examine into the condition of the library and its needs, but to submit a report on these subjects, coupled with such recommendation respecting the library's future as to the committee might seem expedient. So empowered, the new committee immediately entered upon their work, and in due course submitted their report and recommendations to the governors, who, in November, 1902, approved of them, and generously appropriated for the uses of the committee the sum of five hundred dollars, "to be expended, in their discretion," in connection with the improvement of the library. Possessed of this appropriation, the committee at once addressed themselves to the work of bringing order out of chaos, and to that end weeded out quite a number of the books that were deemed worthless for library purposes, and, selecting some three hundred books that were deemed worthy of rebinding, had them rebound in buckram. On their return they were rearranged under cognate heads and replaced on the library shelves. Thus brightened up and greatly improved, the library became a matter of interest to the members, who, responding to the committee's zeal in continuing the work of improvement, made many promises -some of which were kept-to donate standard works of literature and fill the open spaces that the shelves disclosed. In 1904, what with purchases and donations, the books had so increased in number that the committee found itself unable to arrange them in the book-cases then at their disposal. These book-cases, beautifully carved and of great value, had been brought from the Stewart mansion, but for the practical uses of a club library they were wholly inadequate. Recognizing this fact, the Committee on Library made a further report to the governors, urging the sale of the cases and the installation in their stead of the Globe-Wernicke Company system of "units," as being the most serviceable for the purposes of a club library. Yielding to the committee's recommendations, the governors authorized the sale of the Stewart cases, and to the proceeds derived from such sale generously added an appropriation large enough to warrant the laying of a hardwood floor and the installation of the beautiful book-cases that now adorn the library of the Club. With the new floor duly completed, the new cases duly installed, and the putting of the room in complete order, the committee at once proceeded to replace the books upon the shelves according to the following arrangement: Case A: Poetry and Drama. Case B: General Literature. Case C: Essays, Speeches, etc. Case D: Fiction and Romance. Case E: History, Memoirs, Biographies, etc. Case F: Bound Volumes of Magazines. Case G: Encyclopedias, Books of Reference, etc. This arrangement was determined upon in order to bring together in the same cases books bearing upon cognate topics, and thus enable members to locate easily the particular book or books of which they might be in search. Having determined upon this arrangement, the committee proceeded to weed out such books as, in the judgment of its members, seemed useless and out of date, and thus to make room for recent editions of books that were deemed vital in literature, science, and art. Among the books so weeded out and put aside were city directories, reports of the comptroller, reports on water supply, reports of chief engineers, college and university catalogues, and others, all of which, though seldom used, were very bulky and occupied a large amount of shelf space, which, the committee thought, could be used for the housing of such books as would appeal more strongly to the members of the Club. With the displacing of these bulky books, the committee found itself confronted with the problem of empty shelves, the unfilled spaces of which were sufficient to accommodate some five hundred volumes. To meet this emergency the committee appealed to the generosity of the members. The appeal was not in vain, as many of the members responded promptly with generous contributions of money and of books. Prominent among the members responding to the committee's call by way of cash contributions and donations of books were Sylvester J. O'Sullivan (since deceased), Frederick B. Tilghman, John Lynn, Thomas F. Gilroy, Jr., J. C. McCoy, Lee Kohns, Hon. Francis M. Scott, Edwin H. Denby, James Dunne, David B. Gilbert (since deceased), and Joseph M. Byrne. Due to their generous giving, few unfilled spaces will be found in the library shelves to-day. Assembled as they have been for the Club members, the books in the library deserve a passing notice. While, as already shown by the arrangement of the books in respect of subject-matter, no branch of classical or general literature has been neglected, the committee desires to have it known that in respect of anthologies, encyclopedias, and works of general reference the Club is peculiarly fortunate in its collection. Among the Anthologies will be found: "The World's Best Classics," fifty volumes; "An English Garner,” twelve volumes; "The World's Best Literature," thirty-two volumes; "The Universal Anthology," thirty-two volumes; "The Bibliophile Library," thirty volumes; and "American Literature," twelve volumes. Into the pages of these anthologies men of business with but few moments' leisure may casually dip, find, and, finding, commit to memory not only the wise and witty apothegms of all the ages, but "quoted odes, and jewels five-words-long, That on the stretch'd forefinger of all Time Sparkle forever"; and, so finding and treasuring, return to their daily avocations, wiser and better men. In Encyclopedias the Club possesses The Encyclopædia Britannica; The International Encyclopedia, The Catholic Encyclopedia, The Jewish Encyclopedia, The English Encyclopedia, and others. To these treasure-houses of universal knowledge the student, the scholar, and the man of business may repair, and in condensed form, on any given subject, obtain the required information that has been gathered for him by acknowledged masters in their respective fields of thought. The browsing student can spend his leisure hours in the perusal of "Notes and Queries," one hundred and fifty volumes; "Punch," one hundred and fifty volumes; or "Pepys's Diary," twenty volumes; or he can reread the fascinating stories of Burton's "Arabian Nights," sixteen volumes, or other works of like interest. If Poetry interests him, he can commune with "The British Poets," one hundred and fifty volumes; if “Byronic power and gloom" impress him, he can read his favorite poet in two editions of eighteen and fifteen volumes respectively; or he can turn to Goldsmith in twelve volumes; to Browning, |