science. Either object is commendable, neither should be ignored,
and both should be fostered. When the seeker after knowledge
has a definite purpose that topic beeomes for the notice the struc
ture to be erected out of the intellectual elements quarried from
all sources. The more copious the reading, the oftener the work
is trimmed, the richer will be the scholarship and the more re
fined will be the output. With the fundamental facts and prin
ciples as tools, his workshop is in the library, where he seeks the
reference to experimental details or the deductive processes of
reasoning that led to the results incorporated in the several
branches of his research. To this end monographs will best aid
him, for they contain not merely the text matter but also copious
references and lists of correlative publications to date. Fortunate
indeed would be the student if such a work is found, for the
burden of the investigation has been assumed by the author,
although he loses the enjoyment'of compiling his own bibliog
raphy. This paper is, however, intended for the one who is to
have this delightful experience.
Naturally his first thought is to the library guide, wherein he
will find the numerical classification of the subjects he is studying.
By consulting thence the card case catalogue under the appropriate
titles he will find a card for each publication in that line which
is to be had from , the shelves of the library. A similar card
catalogue is found prepared for authors, with many of whose
names the text-books have made him familiar. If the names of
writers upon the given subject are known, time will often be saved
by going at once to the author catalogue for the titles of all his
publications. He may also find in the index of technical litera
ture published in Minneapolis, 1891, the names of authors and
titles of works in American Engineering, the name of the compiler
of which has escaped me now.
For more recent data recourse must be had to the transaction of
the American Institute of Mechanical, Electrical, Civil or Mining
Engineers. Each society has an index' to the annual volumes
and a grooped index every ten years, the same being comprehen
sively classed under author, title of brochure and sub-topics. By
a systematic search the development of any subject or investiga
tion may thus be traced and, though it is well to examine the
entire index for all cognate subjects, frequently the search is
facilitated by pursuing a certain list of authors who are known to
The Free Lance
[DECEMBER,