The Portland daily press., 1871-11-20
To the Graduates of the rtiand High
school.

The thing we feared has come upon us. The
Library, which has for SO many years had its
home in the High School Building, been SO
loug subject to the u.e Of the pupils attending
the Portland High School, and which had thus
become so necessary to their school life, has
been wrenched from their embrace under such
circumstances as to lead to ths suspicion, at
least, that an uncomfortable aversion or an
tagonism exists in the minds Of few of the
older graduates toward thevHigh School under
its present organization.
This library has been slowly gathered during
the years since the Girls High School was
founded-now about twenty years since, by the
graduates of that and the present High School,
and such interest as they mainly have been
able to enlist in its favor. And while for the
past six or seven years it has been under the
care and management of an incorporated as
ISOLATION of graduates, it has not the less been
regarded as the School Library-apd the in
terest of scholars enlisted in its favor often by
special appeal of graduates and teachers, has
always been with the view that it was their
lbrary-or rather the schools library, and tb at
whatever they did for its Improvement was to
be of lasting benefit to the school, to be remem.
bsred and referred to in the future with feel
ipgs of commendable pride and self gratula-
ton.
Its growth has been in connection with the
school, the means thereof drawn mainly from
scholars during their come ction Herewith, as
also after their graduation, and but for the
High School this library never could have had
an existence. So impressed was Mr.. Woolson.
its first principal we believe, of the Importance
of early laying the foundation of library of
carefully selected books for the use of scholars
during their school life as we'll as AFTER that in
a"Notice OF the Library published in con-
necton with the catalogue, we find it stated
that she not only set before them the immedi.
ate advantage to be gained, but especially urg-
ed the fact that any collection of books then
gathered, would be but a nucleus for library
to be thereafter, at once our honor and our
prlde;' also, that Mr.. WoolsoD, then and at
forwards, added no small share of his own
library, and rendered vital aid by exciting and
ueepening a pei manent interest in the minds
VI all MS pupils, and stimulating them by his
Wv" poisonai efforts, to the enthusiasm, the
perseverance, and the devotion which, in fif-
teen years, scarcely half the Lifetime of anv of
. its graduates, have led to SO noble resultn-
This was written five years ago. The library
then numbering 1477 volumes, now we belisve
the number is stated to be 1877; certainly on
honor and pride" Of no mean preten.;on.
of which every scholar and every graano.a
might freely and Justly partake up to the 1r,,,
day of the present month, but alas not thai.
after, for by the Uncomfortable action of To-.
graduates, mainly those who have had MOS,
OF care and management Of the library since it,
incorporation, the High School is suddepl,
deprived of all its benefits. The efforts of year
appear to have been wasted the hopes of il
founder wtbered, "our honor" dissipated an,
sour pride" thing only of the past.
A little more than year past at meetip,