The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-11-13 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY MUSEUM LITERARY
INSTITUTE.

In the promotes of a large an lien's hie Worship the
Mayor Durhee, Faq.). as one of hit la.t public
act. ..hums; this year of hi. Mayorelty, on 'Tuesday
eveoing declared the new Museum Lohßute opened.
Although one of the last, it may mrtainly be oon-
'adored use of the most imp.); tent of tar/ mauy duties
which the Mayor has been celled on to fulfil during
the Feet year. Toe large and hoodoo* room is well
fit d up, • 4 oa this puticul a night wee briq ht and
cheery *tough to wittily the moat fastidious of " work-
log men.
rho KhYon (MI% IL Dundee), 00etipitd tU chair,
support si by the Rev. H. liveratt, Rm. T. W. Knips,
Bay. 11. F. LON, ROY. O. LI. Sanctuary, Rev. T.
?leave, Rev. J. J. Dalton, Mr. R hest Williems,
jun., lb. Matthew Douala% and bin. Altiermui
Canoe.
The Ofisdalfax said when Mr. Williams kindly
leaked him some time ago to take the cheir that evert-
ing, he felt he (Mr. Williams) would bay. been the
proper man in tbs chair • however, he said it was
purely • Dorchester meeting, and solely for the bene-
fit of the Dorchester working own, and would much
prefer his taking it. He was very pleased indeed to
do so, and to me such • goodly aesecublege, whioh was
ample evidence of the interest taken in It. (Applause).
But be wee afraid • great many had mite under the
Impression that the Museum was going to be opened
that ermine. That was not the cash The Museum
had gready been opened, and the needing-room
attached to it, since the bazaar which was held the
other day, and which was snob a gnomes that it
enabled the committee to pay off the debt on Cis
Museum. The Committee deeded W open it without
any public demonstration whatever, but he for °us
nem regretted that, became it had deprived them of
an opportunity of expressing their toaaks to Mr.
Williams for the very magulfioent present he had
made to the town in the slams of the piece of head 06
which the building now stood. (Applause.) Mr.
Williams had also contributed very liberally indeed in
• meanie', way to the banding ;sod this pummel a
which they were met Old evening, via, to open that
Institute, was due entirely to his own work. (Hem,
Mat.) Ile could not enter into details, but be was
mat they all wished it every sumac (Applause.)
It now only remained for him to declare the Institute
open. (Applause.)
'else Rev. T. W. Eines then offered prayer to
Alois ty G .d that the Institute would be • Mesabi' t
the town, sod t those who went from it to loge
an bon orMls plain in the world.
Mr. Moto's, who described himself as • kind of
" walking promectus " of the scheme, then explained
It. working. Tao scheme might he dworibed, he mid,
an threefold; it had three branches, very oineely con-
nected they might be, but still they might be spoken
of an three di-tinct bunches. Ile then read the rules
of the inetitute, as a means of affordiug c osiderable
Information on the subject, and afterwards he pro-
oeedsdti amplify that informatioa by remarks of his
own. First, he touched on the nacessity of nom.
mendation, the rule* requiring • sch member to obtain
a recommendation from • clergyman or a inegistrate ;
any period of good character who warn unable
to afford the subscription to the museum reading-room
would have no difficulty in becoming a member. It
had been sail that it would do harm to the room
downstairs; nothing of the s id, for that Institute was
Intended to accommodate those who could not effort
the subscription for the other. The Mayor had alluded
to Mr. Williams' generosity in establishing it. It was
indeed great munificence on his part, sot although it
was not his plies to pronounce a eulogy on Mr.
Williams—he half wished it were—still he would thy
that very few could, and very few would if they could,
do whet he bad dons. (Applause.) Hi, earnest
desire wee tiers should be • place, not in one sense in
connection, only • local counection, with the museum.
where those of his neighbours who could not subscribe
to the 0101419111 and readiog-rooni might have, at all
even* similar advantagee and convenience there.
He offered all Its advantages of the readinr-roorn,
with the papers and magazine', which he might say
were °hewn very impartially—there wee the Tines
and the Deily Neva on the one side, and the !
Standard sod Globe on the other—and members
would have the advantage of reefing them,
for no charge whatever. (Applause.) lie had
also provided books for their use, the members of the
library being only charged 25. • year, prepaid. Its
was obliged, however, to speak of limitation of
numbers. Of course, it was obvious those four walls
c sold not be stratchei, so he was compelled to limit
the number he was authorise' to take in. Another
role stipulated that gambling wiss strictly prohibited.
Now he was not going to enter into a tired. arain4
It, or a tnetapysioal enquiry as to Its effects on
the human mind, or the oormluot of mankind in con-
nection with it, still he moat say it wee a most
necessary act desirable rule. There Irell • bagatelle
board, but he was gla Its find from the expert nos of
*clergyman well known to many present, and who
was not 100 miles away from him, there need be no
fear of that ; that gentleman had • bagatelle table
in his reeding-room, and he had remarked to him—
" I don't think you need be afraid, for I don't think
these is any gambling or betting of any sort manacled
with it in my reading.room." Indeed, he believed
the Dorchester men would not allow It—that they
would put it down—he warn sure they would. (Ap-
plause.) Than about smoking; be was • little bit
unhappy about that rule Although be was not •
smoker himself, be balkiest it wait a wrest
ootalort ; still he thought it most be clear to all present
that the rule was quite neoweery. (Hew, hear.) It
was not only frequented by the working men in the
seeming, but during the day it was ladles' room, so he
did not think be need say another word about smok-
ing. (Applause.) They allowed tea indeed, and II
any man took • fancy for • cap of tea, he oould assure
him by experiews, they could get it very good, and be
had every reason to think at • eery reasonable Orb%
Mee. Vow ma prepared to supply tea at • low charge.
(applause.) While on the su jest of the comfort of
the visitors he paid • high oompliment to his
:assistant, Kr. H. Voss. Ile should be very much
rprtesd If he did not gain the good opinion of every
orking man who frequeatel that room. (Amiens.)
He wench:mod the library books were not chosen by
Mr. Williams or himself, but by a gentlemso of very
great experience but hew mattes'; and be had every
mosral reason to think they were • I well . chosen.
They were books of many different claeses—olese upon
1,900 of all aorta, only no bad books. (Hear,
bear.) There could be no quotation as to
the moral tendency of them. An
rita.=
taut feature of the scheme was the s
Menem which be explained at considerable Maga.
It had bees thought desirable by very high authorities -
indeed that it would be very metal and helfitei to '
mirk people end moonrise* them in reading. There
were some who thought the books very dull, and it
wee a great bother poring over them; yet they liked
to be told what was in them. When DAT were told
to a attain extent, and informed what was In (bent,
they began to be rather lees frightened of then had
be more disposed to read them -for themselves. The
object of the gems was that this sort of leffeence
shoold be brought to bear upon th see irlio they hoped
would j do. Thn classes would not be held in that
row. but in anothisr sod e0mf.•601.4.• ream be the
ol I neuesu.n. Mr. Williams had not stayed his Imed,
although he bad dons wonders there, but be bad gone
further and thrown two rooms together, and had made
one very charming room. The clew would be held
t shoe • week, on Tuesday sad Thursday, one for
males and one for females. All subscriber, to the
library of the 2n a year would have the right tn attend
themolasses, or they cold bring or mot their sons arid
daughters if they were above the age of 16 years. He
should have the pleasure of conducting the olaeses for
the most part, and he ghoul I choose out the most
Interesting Passages in history, travels, and topography,
descriptions of towns and other interesting places.
He intended t have • black band, and as he ha I a
sort of rough knactO ~f drawing, he should sometimes
Ilinstrate " graphically." (Laughter.) He hoped
qualified persons would volunteer s onetimes to bre sk
the routine of these readings by short, amusing, and
shoots lectures. He het already had half-proinies
from a gentleman well known in the neighbourhoo I.
He prombiel them he should not take the opportunity
of airing his own opinious in historical or religious
matter.; he wee not going to preach politico or party
rel,gion. (Applause) lie spoke in a Very hopeful
tone of the swoon of the Institute. Everyone
who looked with • dispassionate eye on the history
o the town and county would agree with him
that that shire and that town had held their own.
Everyone present lower of some in the matters of
Winter* and Intellect of whom Dorchester and Dir-
est people could be pr od—(hear, hear)—in the
verbena branches of literature and in the production
of literallyo. Both in Vie writing of books and the
publishing of looks, many of them knew names in
onapoction with this town. (Applause.) He dld not
know how far they hat Men helloes', but of one thing
he was 011rhhill, that the 'set amount of the improve-
ment of their mind, they owed under God to their own
self-help ; and he was sere there were plenty there
with sharp intellect' likely to belong to that Institute,
and there were I,lOOtY of books to sharpen those
beteileete., That made him hopdel, sad be mould
not be his father's •OU 11he did not bops it. That
seleme wee begun by Mr. Walleyes in the few of G
and with the earnest desire Ii beaefit his fellow
creatures. They were none of them mot Into the
world for their own selfish gratification, and Mr.
William., wishing to lomat his fellow-we, looked op
to Got for help to do it. It had bees dedicated to
God by the Rector of Sc. Pstg.'s In a beautifal and
Utr=l,:r. s prayer. It had been with eery halting
that be mold follow their lead, but still as
=7. might he wished to walk in that path, and
he, mdertooh that week in hopefulness, *MAY and