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A hint to directors of libraries.

Many of the libraries of this country, even of those which are regarded as of the first order, are remarkably deficient of various ancient valuable works, which are sometimes eagerly sought for in the elucidation of important points. The Philadelphia Library is without doubt highly reputable, and reflects credit upon the city by its extent, and the liberality of expenditure, whereby it is enriched with all the stores of modern literature. Nevertheless, some years since, one of our citizens, having a question of some consequence to investigate, was surprised to find that more than half the valuable books connected with it, were not in the library.

I propose a simple remedy.

There are numbers of booksellers in London, perhaps twenty, whose business consists principally in the purchase and sale of old libraries. They publish sale catalogues every year, and some of them twice a year, containing complete lists of all their books, with the prices annexed, which are in general tolerably reasonable. I have seen some of these catalogues, containing 3 or 400,000 volumes; among these are frequently to be found works of the utmost rarity. Instances have occurred of books purchased in this manner, of which there probably were not twenty copies for sale in all Christendom.

How are we on this side of the Atlantic to avail ourselves of these treasures? The mode is very simple. Let an annual appropriation of two or three hundred dollars be made, and remitted to London to a suitable correspondent. Let a committee of the directors of the library, composed of men of taste and erudition, make a list of such valuable ancient books as are not in the library, and as it would be desirable to procure. Let the list be sent over with the remittance, and let the correspondent be directed, on the appearance of the sale catalogues, to purchase such of the enumerated articles as they contain, within such limitations as may be proper. In a few years the advantage would be signal and striking. Opportunities of procuring inestimable books in London occur daily, in this mode, which, once lost, may

never return.

A word on hours of attendance in libraries. In Europe they are generally open from an early hour in the morning, till a late hour in the evening. Our library is opened at two o'clock, and shut at sunset. This, during a considerable portion of the year, is only three or four hours. When this regulation was adopted, I presume the convenience merely of those who take books out of the library was consulted. The board did not advert to a valuable description of studious men, who frequent public libraries, with a view of consulting authorities, and who find the morning more suitable to their pursuits, than the afternoon; and some of whom would occasionally require the whole day. For those who send for books, three hours would probably answer almost as well as the whole of the longest day in summer. But the other class are unquestionably entitled to attention: and as a small addition to the librarian's salary would compensate him for the residue of his time, it is respectfully submitted to the directors of libraries in general, whether the advantages of the alteration would not amply compensate for the increased expenditure.

fire.

Proximus ardet Ucalegon. Your neighbour's house is on

Every idea, calculated to diminish the ravages of the devouring element, fire, which so frequently inflicts upon the inhabitants of our cities, towns and villages, such tremendous calamities, is deserving of the most serious attention. I therefore trust that these few lines may induce some of our fire companies, to adopt a simple and unexpensive plan, of the efficacy whereof no doubt can be entertained. It has been frequently tried, and always with the most salutary consequences.

Let every fire company provide itself with a dozen or two of the thickest and largest blankets that can be purchased. Let them be stitched together double, and provided at the sides with hooks and eyes alternately, at proper distances. As soon as a fire begins to rage, let these blankets be thrown over the roofs of the houses adjacent to that where the devouring fire prevails; and if it be in a narrow street, and the wind high, the roofs of the opposite

houses ought to be covered in the same manner.

Frame houses
I feel pretty

ought to be covered on the top and front and rear. confident that a single engine, properly worked on houses covered in this way, would have a more powerful effect, than ten engines, unaided by the blankets.

If an hundred tons of water were poured upon the roof of a house next door to one on fire, in ten minutes after the torrent ceased, the shingles would be as inflammable as at first. But a single engine well directed, would keep the blankets constantly saturated.

I am so sanguine in my expectations of the success of this plan that I believe by way of experiment a frame house, in the midst of an entire solid square of houses of that description, might be burned down, and all the rest be preserved, provided there was a brick wall on each side, with a parapet. But be that as it may, if in a range of brick houses one took fire, I would insure the others for one half per cent. if this plan was adopted.

I claim no merit from this suggestion, as a discovery. It was carried into operation, at a dreadful fire in Carter's alley, a few years since, by a few intelligent individuals, and actually arrested the progress of the conflagration.

Shortly afterwards, I recommended the project in one of the gazettes, and a genuine wise man of Gotham turned it into ridicule.

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A question for gentlemen to solve.

Among the fair, sex in this city has not "the human face divine," greatly improved in beauty, in all its various shades and degrees, within the last twenty or twenty-five years? I am clearly and unequivocally for an affirmative answer.

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I believe that out of every hundred females, from fifteen to five and twenty years of age there are probably twice as many beautiful, and twice as many handsome, as there were at the commencement of the period embraced in my inquiry. Perhaps I am wrong. But I hope and trust the idea is well founded

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This invincible tyrant, who holds in chains so large a portion of mankind, laughs to scorn all attempts to abridge or contract his

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Any effort to break his yoke, is almost as hopeless as the task of Sysiphus who rolls the huge stone upwards on a precipitous hill.

Desperate as is the undertaking, I boldly dare it. If I perish in the attempt, let it be inscribed on my tomb-Magnis excidit ausis. I wish to rescue from his anathema one simple garment, which on its first introduction, appeared highly grotesque, but was soon found to be uncommonly convenient and comfortable. I mean the Spencer, which is now so completely exploded, that I believe there are but two or three in the city, one of which I still venture

to wear.

The advantages of this now antiquated vestment, are by no means inconsiderable. There are in every year at least fifty or sixty days in which the atmosphere is so humid, that some extra covering is necessary, more particularly for valetudinarians-and indeed for those persons in high health, who do not wish to enrol themselves among the valetudinarians; and yet the weather is not so adverse as to induce a man going abroad to use a great coat. On all such occasions, how imperiously does prudence raise her voice in favour of the rejected Spencer, and invite him back to resume his quondam place in our wardrobes?

Taste.

"There is no disputing about tastes," said one of the ancient philosophers. Every day exemplifies the correctness of the adage. In passing through the streets of Philadelphia, an observer is struck with the novel taste in the inscriptions painted upon some modern show-boards and signs. The effeminate and petit maitre Roman and Italic characters are discarded, and the bold, masculine and rough Gothic characters have usurped their place. Public thanks are due to those gentlemen, who have effected this improvement. It is to be hoped that they will not stop here-but introduce some of the manners and customs of the aboriginals of our country, which modern effeminacy has discarded. For instance how much less troublesome would it be for our ladies to wear blankets, held together by skewers, than all the parapharnalia of the toilette, such as offends our eyes every day? What an improvement would it be for our beaux to

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cover themselves with the skins of bears and wolves and panthers, which could be provided with so much ease, instead of submitting to be measured by M'Alpin, Watson, Wildes or Thaw?

Some fastidious people will probably object to these improvements, as they do to the novel shape of the letters on the showboards. I hope such absurd objections will be of no avail, and that my suggestions, which have just the same forcible arguments to support them as the Gothic characters, which is, that they are the antipodes to the customs that have hitherto prevailed, will proceed pari passu with the innovations of the painters.

MR. EDITOR,

FOR THE PORT FOLIO.

The late newspaper accounts of the intrigues of that mysterious Indian known by the title of the Prophet of Alleghany, brought to my mind the following production. It was written some years ago, and the principal circumstances are certainly true. In the report of the Newyork missionary society for 1803, there is particular mention made of the intrigues of this singular person.

THE PROPHET OF THE ALLEGHANY.

Yours, &c.

In the year 1798 one of the missionaries to the Indians of the North-west, was on his way from the Tuscarora settlement to the Senecas. Journeying in pious meditation through the forest, a majestic Indian darted from its recesses and arrested his progress. His hair was somewhat changed with age, and his face marked with the deep furrows of time; but his eye expressed all the fiery vivacity of youthful passion, and his step was that of a warrior in the vigour of manhood

"White man of the ocean, * whither wanderest thou?" said

*The Indians at first imagined that the white men originally sprung from the sea, and that they invaded their country because they had none of

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