Page:LA2-NSRW-3-0055.jpg



LIBERIA

1063

LIBRARIES

dum, lead, lignite and some diamonds occur in the interior, but never in paying quantities. The rubber industry is in the hands of a liberal corporation. The soil is fertile and well-adapted to the growth of tropical fruits, especially rice and cotton. The chief exports are coffee, palm-oil, palm-kernels, rubber, cocoa, sugar, arrowroot, ivorv, hides and caoutchouc.

History. Liberia owes its orgin to the American Colonization Society, which in 1821 bought and settled emancipated slaves on it. In 1847 Liberia was acknowledged as a free and independent government by England and the United States, and since that time it has greatly enlarged its territory. The constitution is modeled largely on that of the United States, the president and members of the house of representatives (14 in number) being elected every four years and senators (9 in number) every six years. There is no standing army, but all citizens capable of bearing arms are enrolled in the militia and compelled to do military duty whenever called on. Slavery is illegal, and religious toleration exists. The state debt (originally $500,000), on which no interest had been paid since August, 1874, was scaled in 1899. In 1899 the principal was about $400,000, and the arrears of interest about $100,000. Since 1899, however, the current interest has been paid yearly. During 1906-7 a British company invested nearly $500,000 in the development of Liberia, a statistical bureau has been established, and trade-conditions are improving. In 1906 the income was $330,000, and the expenditure $290,000. The general progress has not been equal to expectations, as the republic does not find much favor with the native negroes, and the American emigrants have deteriorated rather than advanced in many respects; but the state shows considerable appreciation of education and religion and a keen desire to stand well in the opinion of the various governments with which it sustains diplomatic relations. The population is variously estimated from 1,500,000 to 2,120,000, all of the African race, and about 60,000 are American liberated slaves and their descendants. The capital is Monrovia (population about 8,000). See Wauwermans' Liberia.

Libraries. "Of making many books there is no end," and the beginning of this process dates as far back as the records of civilization. As a result of men's reducing their thoughts to writing, there were collections of books in the most remote nations of antiquity. As early as 3800 B. C. Sargon I, the Semitic ruler of Accad, founded a library in that city. The name of the keeper of Sargon's library, Ibnisarru, the most ancient librarian on record, is preserved on his seal which has come down to us. Libraries of a similar kind existed in

the chief cities of Babylonia, and their contents (or copies) and translations from them were gathered to form the great Assyrian library established at Nineveh by Assur-bani-pal. In ancient Egypt there was an immense literature, and over the door of the library of Rameses I was the inscription ''Dispensary of the Soul." There also was a great library at Memphis at a very early date; but the greatest of all ancient libraries was that established by the Ptolemies at Alexandria in the 3d century B. C. The ancient Hebrews carefully preserved their sacred writings in the temple; and the kings of Persia also made collections of books and archives. Of the ancient Greeks, Pisistratus is said to have been the first to collect a library, although some authorities make Aristotle's collection the first.

It is characteristic of ancient Rome that the first great libraries of the city should have been derived from the spoils of war. It was a favorite project of Julius Caesar to establish a great public library, which should contain all the works in Greek and Latin literature; but as he was killed before this design was carried into execution, it was left to his successor, Octavius Caesar, who founded two libraries, the Octavian and the Palatine, the latter of which continued in existence till the time of Pope Gregory I (A.D. 540-604). Other libraries were established by subsequent emperors, the chief of which was the Ulpian, established by Trajan. When Constantine became emperor, he began to collect the Christian books which had escaped the persecution of Diocletian. This library was enlarged by his successors to 120,000 volumes, but was partially burned in the 8th century.

During the irruption of the barbarians most of the ancient collections were destroyed by fire; and, although the ancient literature was neglected by the Christians, the germs of our modern libraries were accumulating in the cloister. The monks of St. Benedict were the especial collectors, translators and book-makeis of the middle ages.

In England the establishing of public libraries hardly began till the i7th century; and it is not until the middle of the i8tn century that we hear of the earliest circulating library established at London. But in the 19th century interest awakened, and in 1850 an act of parliament was passed giving certain districts power to tax their inhabitants for the purpose of establishing free libraries. Under the operation of this aet more than 200 such libraries have been founded in different parts of the kingdom. In 1906 it was estimated that there were 203 cities and boroughs which had been equipped with close upon 6,000,000 books, having, it was calculated, nearly 50,000,000 readers. Of the older libraries of the United