Holly Springs gazette., 1845-07-05
For the Holly Springs Gazette.
EDUCATION.
NO. II.

% De OF gFeat importance, any suggestions
| ~klch may te1d 10 is Improvement. are
| entitled 10 Tespectiui eanslderation. The
difficulties which impede tno attainment OF
an END so desirable, are many. ana great
but we have ABUNDANT evidence that they
may al be overcome by perseverance and
diligence, | was recently reading an ac>
| count of the establishment by DIR. franklin
of the Philadelphia Library. This, (the
| library1 was first set on foot by Franklin
about the year 1871. Fifty persons sub
scribed forty shillings each, and agreed to
pay ten shillings annually. The members
| increased !; and in l742, the company was
incorporated by the name of the Library
Company of Philadelphia Several other
companies were formed in this city In imi.
tation oft. These were all at length uni
| ted with the library company Of Phlladel> l.
phIa, which thus received a considerable
accession of books and property. Ii now
contains many thousand volumes on all
subjects. philosophical apparatus, and a
good beginning towards collection of nat
ural and artificial curiosities, besides Iand>
ed property of considerable value. The
company have lately built an elegant house
in Fifth street,in front of which will be E.
rected marble statue of their founder,
Benjamin Franklin This institution has
then been In successful operation for more
than one hundred years and the question
occurred 10 me, why may not such plan
be successfully pursued hsre7 No one will
deny that we have the ability, all that is
wanting. is, for somS influential and ener-
getic men to take up and prosecute it. Our
towns already has some reputation for the
high value placed upon Education by its
citizens, shall any suggestion for the pro-
motion of SO laudable an end, meet with dis
couragement from them? OF the benefits
of a we'll Gllla ] aud weli-selecIed library. it
is! net necessary to say much. Its chief and
prominent merits are, that 1t would have
the effect of exciting and extending a pub
tic interest in behalf of literature. 1t would
bring our citizens into habits of closer inti-
macy with each other, and establish a bond
of common sympathy between men who
happened to Giffer on all other subjects, and
who might meet here upon neutral and
friendly ground. It would afford place
for recreation and amusement to which
those who had leisure might resort, and
thus be saved from the temptation of spend
ing their time and money in places far less
reputable. Every mans knowledge of
books would be improved and extended, and
he would thus be saved from that narrow
ness of opinion which never fails to attend
those whose course of reading is confined
and limited. In one word it would make
US acquainted with men and things in the
world abroad. | had made in nv own
mind q hasty sketch OF such a plan as |
thought might be adopted In the first
place let us be content with beginning on a |
small scale. feel satisfied that more fail |
ures have arisen in similar attempts from
errors on this score than any other. Ar
thefe net hfty men In this place who
would give two dollars each towards spoil I
panE believe there are believe that
more tnan that can be ,aIsed-; bat let u
come wlLhia the bounds of probab:lifv III
With this money, propose to secure and
furnish a suitable room, which. for vysnf IF
a better name may be called Readinq
Room-with the funds remaining subscribe
Tor few of the leading literary, professions.
al, and Scientific reviews of our own conn
Try, and the reprints Of the Eufopaan Re.
views one or two eadisg politicaI news
papers OF each party, aux. one tyvc sA.ar;.
cultural papers. Should any OF the fu3ds
stu se ieft: would propose 10 purchase with
hem standard works on Literature. Pb;s
would form the nucleus O. the future libra I
ry, which II course of time, by porcbase
ana donation would assume a ressectal,le
ma permanent character. Let it be I'm.
erstooo that each subscriber has a lien IN
ne collection to the amount of his subscrin.
ION, so that IN case of future dissoIution
he may receive his own again, either bv $
ale or distribution. Such is an outline &c a
ny plan. Ii has at least this to recomn.nd ,
t. 1t can do no one an injury, and il NAV t
'e productive of much good. 6
A. z.