LIBRARIES. Washington contains a greater number of collections of books than any other city of its size in the world. There are no less than thirty-four libraries owned by the Go• erunent, besides the Public Library and those in educational institutions and in private hands. The aggregate number of books and pamphlets in these libraries is estimated to be more than 2,000.000. The Library of Congress, with 1,100, 000 books and pamphlets, is one of the great gen eral collections of the world. The various sci entific bureaus of the Government have valuable special collections. Among these may be men tioned the great medical of the Surgeon General's Office, and the collections belonging to the Geological Survey, the Patent Office, the Smithsonian Institution, the Agricultural De partment, the Bureau of Labor, the Weather Bureau, the Bureau of Education. the Naval Observatory, and the War, State, and Navy De partments. The Public Library is a free cir culating library. It occupies a spacious marble structure on Mount Vernon Square, given by Andrew Carnegie. The library is controlled by a board of trustees, appointed by the District Com missioners. The Il:n• Association has a valuable library in the Court House, and there are also collections of books in the various educational institut ions.
ClIARITABLE INsTyrrrtoNs. The city is well supplied with hospitals, some of the leading ones being: Garfield, Providence, Freedmen's, Ifonueo patliie, Emergency, Columbia Hospital for Women, Go•ernmeut Hospital for the Insane, Children's Hospital, and Columbian University Hospital. There :u•e many dispensaries, asylums,
homes, reformation and relief societies. Social settlement methods are not lacking. Organized charitable work on an extensive scale is carried on by the Associated Charities. which is supplied in large part with funds raised by the Citizens' Relief Committee. An ineurpuratl'd company is engaged in erecting sanitary homes for the poor.
TilEsTaEs, AND Horr?I.s. Same of the leading theatres are the Columbia, the National, and the hofaye•tto. The principal (dubs are the Aletropolitan. Cosmos, and Army and Navy, which are all in commodious himles. is per haps no city in the world where the flood of vis itors is so coutiuous as at the national capital. 1l is probably trtle that more and an nual gatherings are held in Washington than in any other place. The facilities for the cion fort and care of the stranger are extensive and thoroughly modern. Among the prominent ho tels are the New Willard, Arlington, Shoreham, Raleigh, Metropolitan, Ebbitt, Riggs, Gordon, Cochran, Hamilton, and Grafton.