The social features of the conference began, for those who came from the East, on Monday morning, May 6, when a happy party, numbering twentytwo, left Boston, meeting at Worcester others who had come from that city and from Providence, and finding at New York the "accessions" from that city and from Albany. The two special Pullmans were waiting at the Baltimore & Ohio depot in Jersey City at half-past four, and were soon nearly filled by the A. L. A. Party. There were one or two more accessions at Philadelphia, and the next day, after the picturesque scenery of the mountain region of Maryland had been enjoyed and Cincinnati reached, Mr. and Mrs. Whelpley and others from the near West joined the party, which numbered forty-five when they reached St. Louis, Friday morning at 7.30. Thanks to Mr. Davidson's admirable arrangements, for which all the party gave praise daily from the beginning to the end of the trip, everything went smoothly, with absolutely no thought or care on the part of the members. The only mishap was some slight accident to the car 66 Eurasia," in the yards at Cincinnati, while the party were outside at supper, which com. pelled a sudden shifting of baggage into the new traveling home provided for its inhabitants.

The arrangements for rooms at the Southern Hotel, St. Louis, proved entirely satisfactory, save that some of the party having the better rooms were obliged to pay full rates without reduction. The hotel served admirably as a headquarters, except that the large parlor which was given up for the meetings of the Association proved difficult to speak in, because of what was otherwise a virtue much appreciated during the warm weather of the week its wealth of windows and doors. Everything about the house was pleasant and enjoyable, and it was a happy family indeed which spent there the better part of a week always to be re

membered for its continuous red-letter days. Very nearly a hundred people were quartered at the hotel, a few of the visiting members being the guests of friends in the city.

The social features began at once after the opening session on Wednesday, May 8, when at noon a committee of the Merchants' Exchange waited upon the Association and conducted a number of the members, ladies and gentlemen, to the floor of that great commercial institution where the bulls and bears of St. Louis toss each other about in the pit. The afternoon was given up chiefly to a visit to the libraries; first, to the St. Louis Public Library, where our host-in-chief, Mr. Crunden, and his assistants made every one most welcome, Mr. Crunden explaining in general, in a little introductory speech, and his assistants answering all the questions about details which the most inquisitive visitor could put. From there the party drifted along in groups to the new Mercantile Library Building, and were taken to the library rooms at the top of the building in the convenient and beautiful elevator, the attractiveness of which was a foretaste of the beautiful rooms above. Regret was universally expressed that Mr. Dyer, to whose admirable management of the affairs of the Society the success of this building was largely due, was still so ill at his home that the visitors were deprived altogether of the pleasure of seeing him and of thanking him for his share in their entertainment. It was conceded on all sides that for a library of its type there could be no fitter housing than is given the Mercantile on the top floor of its new building. The elevation gives fine light and air, and the fact that the rooms are at the top of the building gives the stack-room the benefit of over-light also. The whole of the top floor is occupied by the library, the elevator landing visitors in a delightful delivery-room, which opens on

one side into an exquisitely beautiful and perfectly fitted reading-room-in which it is a delight to exist, let alone to read,—and in another direction, back of the delivery desk, into the fine stack-room and administrative offices. Perhaps the feature which proved the most interesting was a special study-room, which was caged off, so to speak, from one end of the stack-room, opening into it and into the main reading-room by lock doors. Here was every convenience the special student might desire and he could read such books as he might need in uninterrupted peace and quiet. The library rooms were fitted throughout with the most improved devices, many of them devised for this library-as, for instance, the porcelain-covered bricks which were used as book supports on the shelves and the individual newspaper desk-racks which could be rolled noiselessly from place to place in the reading-room- while the use of brass ornamentation, etc., produced an unusually rich ornamental effect.

Wednesday evening a reception was given to the members of the Association by Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Catlin, the happy possessors of one of the most beautiful residences on that most beautiful of St. Louis streets, Vandeverter Place. The company was delightfully entertained, and was especially interested in the private art gallery, with its wealth of modern paintings, which is one of the most notable features of the house. Carriages were provided at the hotel for the visit to the house and the return, and this particular evening proved a happy prophecy of the social attentions which were lavished on the visitors throughout their stay.

On Thursday afternoon, the feature was a drive to the Parks and the suburbs, for which carriages were again provided by the liberality of the St. Louis hosts for nearly a hundred people. Tower Hill Park and Forest Park were both visited, and a happy incident was a walk through the Botanical Gardens, said to be the finest in this country, given by Mr. Henry Shaw to St. Louis; the venerable donor, now over eighty, receiving a number of the party in the house which he still occupies on the grounds. This episode gave additional delight in a delightful day.

Thursday evening was simply crowded with events. At 8.30 a public meeting was held at Memorial Hall, in the Art Museum, at which Pres ident Cutter presided, and addresses on library needs were made to an audience made up of St. Louis people and members of the Association, by Prof. Winsor, W. F. Poole, Mr. Green, and Mr.

Dewey, and also Mr. Crunden, Mr. Judson, President of the St. Louis School Board, and others of St. Louis. It was hoped that the result of the addresses would be to emphasize to the St. Louis people the importance of their libraries, and the need of doing everything possible to support and extend their work. An informal reception in the Art Galleries in the same building followed, giving the visitors only enough time to take a fair look at the art treasures collected in St. Louis, before the hour came for the collation at the Mercantile Club. The several clubs of St. Louis-the University Club, the St. Louis Club, etc.—had offered hospitality to the masculine visitors, by extending to them temporary membership during their stay in St. Louis; but the Mercantile Club did even more in extending to both ladies and gentlemen a most charming hospitality. This is the "down town" club of St. Louis, and its building is only a few blocks from the hotel region. The visitors found the dining-rooms of the club beautifully decorated, and soon after 11 o'clock seated themselves at the many small and cosy tables, at which a delightful course supper was served. Judge Breckenridge, the President of the club, presided, and welcomed the visitors, after the supper, in a charming little speech, which was followed by very brief speeches by Mr. Soule,— who acted as toast-master at Mr. Breckenridge's request, Mr. Bowker, Dr. Steiner of Baltimore, Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Crunden. The party returned to the hotel considerably after midnight, feeling that the record of the day's work and pleasure was remarkable, even for such busy people as librarians always are.

Friday was devoted more steadily to business, notwithstanding the dissipation of the night before, than any previous day, with continuous sessions both forenoon and afternoon; but in the evening the company were again the guests of their St. Louis hosts, who had provided 100 seats at the German Opera on the fashionable evening of the week. With wise forethought, instead of massing the librarians together in a body as a curiosity for the St. Louis people to gaze at, they had provided seats in groups of two or more in different parts of the building, and the visitors were therefore able to enjoy "Die Meistersänger" without the unpleasantness of notoriety.

On Saturday, after the closing session of the conference, which occupied the morning, carriages were again provided by the St. Louis committee for a visit to the great Anheuser-Busch Brewery, which vies with the Milwaukee Brewery in provid

ing the world at large with more beer than any other one establishment. In the absence of Mr. Busch, his representative received the visitors with great cordiality, and gave every facility for investigating this mammoth establishment, with frequent bibulatory intervals. His speech of welcome was responded to by President Cutter, after which the braver spirits who ventured to inspect the cold storage cellars departed into their mysterious perspective, and the others took carriages back to the hotel. The inspectors, however, returned in safety in time to be ready to start South, or in their home directions, that evening.

The Arrangement and Reception Committee included, in addition to Mr. Crunden, Mr. Dyer, Mr. J. W. Zevely, State Librarian of Missouri, and Mr. Chas. Claflin Allen, who acted as representative of the St. Louis Law Library, the following well-known citizens of St. Louis: Messrs. John R

Lionberger, B. B. Graham, Henry Stanley, Wm. L. Scott, Geo. D. Markham, D. D. Dozier, O. L. Whitelaw, C. W. Barstow, I. H. Lionberger, F. N. Judson, and Chas. A. Kendrick. To them and to other citizens of the Mound City the American Library Association are indebted for an unbounded hospitality, which made their stay a delight from beginning to end.

The St. Louis papers gave fairly full reports of the proceedings, and the Republic accompanied them with outline portraits of leading librarians; in large measure, however, those of members of the A. L. A. not present. These were not always recognizable, either to the victims or their friends; and a climax in the art of how not to do it was reached when a portrait of Mr. Nelson did double duty in the same issue, as representing two distinct members.

On Saturday the time of the members was largely occupied with leave-taking, on the part of old friends meeting again or new friends pleasantly made during the week, before they started, some North, some West, a few returning to the East directly without the intervening Southern trip. Shortly after seven the Post-Conference Excursion party, twenty-eight in number, left the hotel under the guidance of Mr. Davidson, and their New Orleans host, Mr. Nelson. They found at the Union depot the special Pullman car, which, after crossing the great bridge, took them, via the Illinois Central Railroad, to Memphis, which was reached at 9 o'clock Sunday morning. Here they were met by Mr. Flanagan, the Librarian of the Law Library at Memphis, and after breakfast at the Peabody House the morning was used to see what was to be seen in that representative Southern city. Meanwhile the Anchor Line boat "Baton Rouge," which had arrived at Memphis in the early morning, had been instructed by telegraph to wait the party. They were scheduled to leave at 5.00 P. M., but it was found that much time could be saved by dining on the boat and making a start at 1 o'clock, the only obstacle in the way being the persistent absence of one member of the party who had failed to obtain a realizing sense of the change of plan. The boat was cast loose from the dock, and had fairly started on its journey

down the river, when the soft-hearted Captain offered a last chance to find the errant member, and Mr. Davidson, leaping ashore in the most gallant manner, as the Captain "ran her nozzle agin the bank," rushed up to the hotel, found the missing member quietly eating his dinner at the Peabody House, and hauled "the last galoot aboard" amid the plaudits of the interested passengers.

The sail down the Mississippi was one never to be forgotten. The boat, one of the finest on the Mississippi, was spacious and comfortable; and the A. L. A. party were nearly in full possession, the other passengers being few. For four days, until Thursday afternoon, the boat glided quietly down the Father of Waters with almost imperceptible motion, except at meal times, when, in accordance with the custom of all boats, large or small, river or ocean, the cups of coffee and glasses of Apollonaris would get a lively shaking up. The "book-keepers," as the St. Louis newspapers persistently called their visitors, were much interested to hear the familiar cry of "Mark twain!" as the deck hands took soundings, but this was the only literary reminiscence of the delightfully lazy four days. One member of the party carried a copy of Cable's “Old Creole Days," and another a guide to New Orleans, and this was about all the literature the party possessed. The

librarians did not read, and therefore, with the exception above noted, were not lost.

There were no stops until the party reached Natchez, but from that down some sixty landings here and there along the levee gave opportunity to become practically acquainted with the shore. The journey was at the time of full moon, which made the evenings all the more delightful; and the picturesqueness of the night journey, espe cially as the steamer threw out the long beam of light from her electric search-light, found the mysterious landing on the shore, and rounded up to it with the accuracy of a mountain stage driver meeting a passing train, was something long to be remembered.

On Wednesday the steamer reached Baton Rouge, where a stop was made long enough to enable the party to visit the State Capitol and take a drive through the solid dust of Baton Rouge streets, returning to the boat with more of the sacred soil than they had ever swallowed or carried before in their lives. At last, about 5 o'clock on Thursday, the plantation houses became thicker and merged at last in the increasing evidences of city life. The "Baton Rouge" hauled up at the levee, and the party, almost sorry to say good-bye to Captain Bixby and his associates, left the boat and found their way to the St. Charles Hotel. Previously at an informal meeting, after the party had been "kodacked" by Photographer Hayes, resolutions of thanks to the Captain and his associates, for their constant care for our comfort and enjoyment, were passed, as prepared by Prof. Winsor, Dr. Nolan, and Mr. Thwaites, the committee.

The first evening in New Orleans was pleasantly spent in an informal visit to the new and beautiful building of the Howard Memorial Library, where the party were received by Mr. Nelson and his assistants. The building is admirably situated, and is a most characteristic piece of Richardsonian architecture, although it was the general comment that the design was perhaps better suited to a small Northern town than to a growing city in the South like New Orleans. The edifice is extremely massive in design and solidly built, and no expense has been spared in its construction to make the details of the work worthy the general plan. Contrary to the general impression, the light was found to be admirable, a row of upper windows which was not shown in the original drawing in the Library journal and the fine end window filling the place with light, as became apparent on later inspection by day. The reading-room, occupying one end of the building, was especially

admired, although its great round tables, which formed so striking a feature, were thought by some to be rather large for practical purposes.

On Thursday morning the first order of the day was a visit to Tulane University, where the State Library of Louisiana is at present housed, and where is also the interesting Fisk Free Library and Reading-Room, as well as the library proper of the university. In the Museum building the party was cordially received by President William Preston Johnston, the head of the university, who also accompanied the party to the Manual Training School, connected with the university,a most significant factor in the new educational policy at the South, in which the university authorities take a justifiable pride. After that followed visits to the City Library in the City Hall, including the old collection of French books, and to other public buildings of interest. At noon the party, by invitation, visited the Cotton Exchange at the time of the "call," and also surveyed New Orleans from its lofty roof. In the late afternoon an expedition was made to City Park and "The Oaks," the site of the Cotton Exposition of a few years since, where the interesting Horticultural Hall remains as a memorial of that exhibition. The evening was occupied with the promenade concert and reception tendered visiting members of the American Library Association by the New Jockey Club, of New Orleans, whose fine grounds, two miles out from the town, were brilliantly illuminated and crowded with the citizenry, masculine and feminine, of the Crescent City. To Mr. Connel, Mr. Miltenburger, and Mr. Pollock the Association is especially indebted for this hospitality.

Saturday morning was given for the most part to a visit to the old French quarter, the scene of Cable's stories and of the romance generally of old New Orleans. This visit was made in small groups instead of in a body. Most of the houses so closely described by Mr. Cable are still standing, although a few have been swept away in the last few years by the floods of time, as relentless as those of the Mississippi. At noon a number of the party called at the house of Dr. Jones, who showed a most interesting collection of the relics of the Mound Builders and other things of special value, and later a brief visit was made to the rooms of the Board of Trade. In the afternoon an excursion to the battle-field of Chalmette was made by wagonette, and there Professor Winsor gave an interesting account of the battle of New Orleans, illustrated impromptu by a sketch map

on the gravel walk of the National Cemetery. The evening was occupied by the dinner given at the famous Moreau restaurant to the visiting librarians by Mr. Howard, the President of the Howard Memorial Library. The recent death of a relative caused him to make Mr. Nelson his proxy as host, none of the other trustees apparently being brave enough to face so many strangers. The proxy host acquitted himself admirably, except that he insisted on speeches from all the masculine members present, and did his wicked best to compel the ladies also to make themselves heard. The dinner was a characteristically Southern one; and the menu, as well as the good company of each other, was much enjoyed by all.

Sunday was scarcely a day of rest; for, notwithstanding the dissipation of the evening before, most of the visitors roused themselves or were roused to visit the French market at the unrestful hour of 6 o'clock in the morning. This, it must be confessed, was not so enjoyable as most of the excursions; but the visitors solaced themselves by attendance at the picturesque French Cathedral and a further stroll through the French quarter, and finally by a good breakfast at the St. Charles. In the forenoon two members of the party, Mr. Jenks and Dr. Vinton, occupied New Orleans pulpits, and the other members scattered themselves in the pews of the various churches. In the late afternoon a visit was made by train to the Metairie Ridge Cemetery, and the evening was spent at the West End, Lake Ponchartrain, at the "opening of the season "there. On Monday morning the resolution of the

party was again put to the test, for breakfast at 6.30 and an early start for Mobile was the order of the day. At 7.30 the party took possession of the special car which had been sent to New Orleans to meet them, and which was to be their home for the remainder of the trip. After a pleasant sea-coast ride, Mobile was reached shortly before noon; and here the librarians were unexpectedly met on the platform by the Hon. F: G: Bromberg, ex-member of Congress, a classmate of Mr. Green at Harvard, Mr. Hannis Taylor, and Miss Moses, Librarian of the Circulating Library at Mobile. The Battle House was made headquarters for the day. A charming outing had been planned by the Mobile hosts, consisting of an excursion to Spring Hill, six or seven miles out from the city, a visit to the Jesuit College near by, with its interesting library, etc. The ride out by the dummy road, under the personal charge of Mr. Warren, the proprietor of the road, who declined all legal tender except thanks for the trip, was unexpectedly delightful, and at the college and elsewhere every hospitality was shown, the band of the college boys giving the visitors some pleasant music before they departed. On the way back a brief visit was made to the beautiful home of Mrs. Augusta Evans Wilson, the author of "St Elmo" and "Beulah," who welcomed her guests in the most charming manner. After a delightful supper, given at the leading Mobile restaurant by Mr. Bromberg and Mr. Taylor, the special car was attached to the train leaving at 7.37, and Nashville was reached Tuesday forenoon, after breakfast at Decatur, Ala.

Arrived in Nashville the librarians at once repaired to the Maxwell House, where they were to be head-quartered for the day, and where, after a little preliminary sprucing up, they partook of a midday dinner preparatory to the afternoon's sight-seeing.

Mr. S. S. Green had brought a letter of introduction to Prof. Goodman, Secretary of the local committee of the National Educational Association, and the latter kindly interested himself in planning an agreeable program for the visitors.

Dinner over, the party took carriages for a

charming drive which occupied the entire afternoon, and took in Nashville and the beautiful country surrounding it. They were first driven through the grounds of the Vanderbilt University, and then the carriages headed for Belle Meade, several miles distant from the city, and the crowning point of interest in the afternoon's excursion. The drive to this farm takes one through a country which looks fairly exuberant in its air of prosperity and evident consciousness of having something laid up for a rainy day; and indeed Nashville itself has the same well-kept, thriving appearance.