n the fact that libraries
administered on advanced principles help one another.

A man came to me not long since and asked by what means he could
dissolve a certain gum which he mentioned. I had the United States
Dispensatory brought. The man did not find the answer wished for in that
work, but did find a reference to a volume of the _Pharmaceutical
Journal_. We did not have a set of that periodical; so I said that I
would send away to borrow the desired volume. I sent to the librarian of
the medical library in Boylston place, Boston, for it. He sent it to me
immediately by express. That volume contained some of the information
desired by the inquirer, but not all that he wanted. There was another
volume of the same periodical which he thought would contain the facts
which he was in search of. I sent for that, promising to return both
volumes at once. The second volume was immediately received. That
contained just what was wanted.

By doing work like this a librarian may do much to add to the prosperity
of the industries of a town.

Another man came to me to inquire whether we had a catalog of a certain
southern society which purported to do hospital work.

I found that we had no catalog of the society named. It appeared that
the applicant for information had been asked to contract to do $4000
worth of work for a society of the name mentioned and wished to learn
something about its standing. I told him that if I were in his place I
should write to a gentleman in Washington, whose name I gave him, who
knows all about medical institutions and hospitals throughout the
country, to ask him about the society; I offered to write, myself, as
the applicant felt timid about writing.

I did write and soon had the answer that the correspondent would advise
the Worcester man to be very cautious about entering into a contract,
for he knew nothing about the existence of such a society. I hope that I
helped to save a Worcester business man from loss on this occasion.

Again, a boy who came into Worcester to school called at the library to
ask me what I could tell his brother about a school for instruction in
tanning leather in Freiberg, Saxony. Did it receive Americans? what was
the cost of attending its sessions? what was its curriculum? etc., were
questions asked.

I had no pamphlet to give the required information, but suggested that
the Commissioner of Education at Washington be written to, to find out
what information coul