The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-04
RUSH REQUEST.
~ tAs Eiaor er TRe Mentng Telegraph

excellent editorial of to-day ON the Rush be-
quest az that is not bulll, before rushing into
print. He has, l fear, too great fondness for
the ancient ruts, and Is u little reckless when he
asserts that the proposed new location 'would
be inconyenient TO nineteen-twentieths of the
stockholders" 1t must certainly be conceded
that large proportion of the shareholders live
south of Chestnut street and west of Broad.
IL such Is the case IL is hardly fair to measure
from Fifth and Library streets as starting
point. If the centre of population be urged, it
would be found to be about Spring Garden street,
and any one who knows the residences of the
stockholders can readily imagine the horror of
''nineteen-twentieths" of them at such sug-
gestion.
But the Directors of the Academy of Music,
and officers of the Horticultural Society, GER
tainly were not ''clogged with conditions" by
the 'imbecihties" of any DR.. Rush, and they To-
Gated their respective buildings with general
approval on Broad street. above Spruce. Broad
and Spruce, therefore, may be assumed to be q
central point. Let us measure the distance from
there, and we will scarcely find the ''mile and
half by the shortest route through the streets
which so distresses w. d. Six squares are all
that can be ciphered up, while the present To-
cation" is nine squares away to the eastward.
will venture to say that the lot at Broad and
Christian is vastly more central now than Fifth
and Library was when the building was erected
there. In those days critical correspondents
like W. d. lived in Water street, and thought
an out-of-the-way place like Fifth street very
''inconvenient."
w. D. S playful badinage about "bone-houses'
needs no reply. 1t was sprightly species of
wit that apparently could not be repressed and
having passed off with safety to himself, may
hor Tbo ip,h
so repeatedly alluded to, is of so peculiar a
character that we might well hope to find it
more frequent in the future, while the liberalty
which bestows million of dollars for public
purposes ought at least to be free from carping
criticism AS to the exclusion of pictures and
statues there is no reason to infer that DR.. Rush
did not approve of them in their place. He
wished his money, however, devoted exclusively
to o library, and had no desire to intrude upon
the domain of the Academy of Fine Arts. He
desired to found a library for scholars of every
grade, similar, perhaps in ultimate plan to the
noble collection of the British Museum. He did
not desire or intend to found circulating
library" for giddy misses or even literary gossips,
and while perhaps the brilliant essays of the
s'best scholars of England and America" may
sometimes be missed by those who sigh after the
excluded Reviews, the discontented ones will
have no difficulty, in the present era of pamphlet
literature in finding what they need elsewhere.
That the library should be on Broad street is
generally admitted. If the public, or the stock
holders, could determine the location, they
would probably select the neighborhood of
Broad and Spruce. But they cannot, and the
simple question is presented whether they will
accept % location already bought, six squares
off and nearly million of dollars, and this
with the full right to locate and support circu-
latng library and reading-room wherever they
choose Is it possible that sensible men can
hesitate, or allow paltry prejudces about details
to drive from them the most munifcent founda-
ton for q library ever bequeathed on this conti-
nent? PRO Bono PUBLIoo.
October /, 1869.
The Philadelphia Library. No. =.
To the Editor of the EUening Telegraph
Having considered the objection to receiving
DIR. James Rushs legacy, arising from the in
trinity of mind displayed in his will, it remains
to consider the great inconvenience to the vast
majority of the shareholders which must follow
from the removal of the library to point so far
from being central as the corner of Broad and
Christian streets.
Several years ago it was ascertained that
Green street was the centre of the built-up por-
tion of Philadelphia there being as many houses
north of il as south OF it, The dividing line
must now be still farther north than Green
street; but let us suppose that the centre is still
at Green street. The distance from Christian
street to Green street is about mile and two
thirds, so that for journey to the library, ceme-
terry, and publcation-house, three miles and
more going and returning, must be travelled by
one-half of the residents of those parts of our
city which are compacty built. Such journey
will REQUIRE much time, and time is money. TIC
the northern residents of our city the library
will be about as useless as if it were in Darby
or Chester.
1t will be very many years before a dense
population is collected in the neighborhood O.
the new building. The Neck is not healthy
DIR. Benjamin Rush. the father of the testator
remarked about century ago that the stree
lamps in the southern part of the city burn
more dimly than those in the northern part; ant
the annual returns of the Board of Health show
an unusual mortality in the lower wards. Or
the other hand, the northern part of Philadelphia
is much higher and healthier. The result of al
this is that the population up town increases
much faster than that down town. For every
house now erected south of Market street, be
tween the two rivers, there are twenty put vi
north of it, 1t follows that the Inconvenience
which would now be felt from having the library
removed to Christian and Broad streets would
every year grow greater.
What inconvenience would follow to any
shareholder of the library from the rejection o.
the legacy? The Ridgway Library will be bull
at Christian street, and all those persons who
can conveniently so thither for books can still