Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-20
Annual Meeting Of the Stockholders
IL He Alpx;suIria EihrnrY 20

The severiy-ninth annual meeting Of the
stockholders of the Alexandria Library Com
pany was held at the rooms OF the Library,
corner of Kiug and Washington streets. last
night
The meeting was called to order BY N.
Slaughter, esq, President Of the Company,
and on motion, Samuel II. Jauuey, e:q., was
called to the chair, and John j. Jameson, esq.,,
Secretary of the Company acted as Secretary
Of the meeting.
The President presented his report. which
was read and accepted. 1t is as follows:
TO the stockholders Of the Alerundrio Library
Company:
The duty devolves upon mo, as President TO
submit, on behalf of the Board Of Directors, tho
| 10Th annual report Of the operations Of the Lii
| brary Company.
| On tho 10th dsy of March the Board Of Dlrcc-
tors elected, at tho annual meeting, met for or.
ganizstion, when The following officers we're
chosen for the ensuing year, viz: Il. kemper,
| Vice President; Park Agnew, Treasurer, and
j. J. Jameson, Secretary.
| The recommendation Of the retiring board in
regard to opening tho library only once Wcok
WAS discussed, but net agreed to; NJ 1t Was
thought tho rules then in force, except in regard
to the afternoon hours, could be maintained ny
| u material reduction IN the expenses.
| In the Judgment Of the board the Librarian 5
salary WAS much larger than tho company could
possibly afford to pay, and considerable sum
Of money was thus unnecessarily expended
| which could otherwise be used to much greater
Advantage; hence ii was determined to discon-
tinuo the ot!ico Of Librarian until tho affairs OF
the company assumed moro healthy condition.
and that this action might not provo dotTmcnt tai
10 the Interests of the stockholders tho duties OF
this position were assumed by the Library Conn
mittee.
Tn h..n al, -, a. al,f,T
urer and the books in which the accounts Of tho
library were kept, it was impossible TO deter.
nine what the indebtedness of the company was,
though it Appropriated five hundred dollars.
This debt was q great hindrance to the efficient
working Of tho library by the present manage
all funds not absolutely essential to curront eX-
penscs to its liquidation. One hundred and
fifty dollars have been already thus applied
The management for this year has been rather
experimental than otherwise, and the expert
ment hss proved something OF u success.
At the last annual meeting the condition Of
the company was thought TO be 20 critical that
the stock holders dospalred OF tding it over the
fsra! year, and therefore authorized the incom-
ing board TO close il if in their Judgment it
could not be sustained. 1t hiss not only reached
tho end Of the year in safely, bat has in its pas.
sage obliorutod ono third OF the debt and proven
satisfactorily that with moderate aid from the
public it will even bo onca more prosperous.
Tho present compares very favorab!y with other
years i'll the matter Of expenditures Heretofore
it has required al outlay Of S3ll t)r necessary
expenses, whereas for this year they aggregate
loss than $500
The committee appointed at the annual III Get.
ing TO issue an appeal to tho citizens in behalf
Of the library performed that duty faithfully
and crcdLably but without pecuniary result.
| regret TO say that our citizens have shown but
little interest in the library this year, which, l
suppose, Is, in great measure, duo to the strln.
gency Of the times and the uncertainty as to the
ability Of tho company 10 maintain itself. The
the last report, and the subscription list aggre-
gates one hundred and forty dollars only.
respectfully call attention to the full and
explicit report Of the Treasurer Of tn finances
in detail. Many persons hsvo given rs reason
Tor not becoming subscribers the inaccessibiliLy
Of the old library which Yves not catalogued.
This Piles 10 longer holds. The catalogue so
aboriously and efficiently prepared by Doctor
West was copied by tho membars Of tho Board
without expense, bound in good style, and can
now always be found on the Librarians desk.
During the year 81 volumes have been placed
upon the shelves by purchase or otherwise, and
2702 volumes were taken out.
take this opportunity tC extend TO the gentle
men who so kindly gave the proceeds Of their
hop to this company the sincere thanks Of tho
beard.
In conclusion l most earnestly recommend
the selection for the coming year OF q board Of
Intelligent, capable and energetic men, who
will uflso their whole souls into whatever their
hands lind TO do, and my word for it tho library
will yet provo success.
ALI OF which is respectfully submitted.
NJ. SLAUGHTER, President.
The report Of the Treasurer was read and
referred TO the Standing Committee, consisting
Of MessrS. f.. SDowdcn, Il. j.. Carnc and =. b.
llooC, for examination
ii. Slaughter was unanimously reelected
President for the ensuing year.
A committee consisting of Messrs. S. Z.
Ncalc. j. ii. D. Smoot and L. Il. Downham
was appointed to select eleven Directors for the
ensuing year. The committee, after cousulta'
ton reported the following persons who were
duly elected, viz: ". }. Boothc John W.
Green X. kemper, John r. Zimmerman,
John ). Jameson. }. Ii. D. Smoot, George
i. Simpson, i. Il. Downham, Park Agnew,
r. w. Falls and Isaac Eichbcrg.
Mr.. s. G.. Neale offered the following rcsoIu-
ton, which was unanimously adopted:
RcS0looi, That the thanks of the stcckhold-
ers Of the Alexandria Library Companyarc due
and are cordially rendered NJ Slaughter, esq.
President OF the Company, for the faithful,
efficient and JEALOUS manner in which he has
discharged the responsible duties Of his office.
On motion the meeting adjourned sine die.
IluGH HiUiC liiitiCSs WAS !DIUlItSlttl III lHc
future prosperity OF the Library Ihan vas IN.
ticpatci AL present declared thcit purpose
to labor with renewed discrimination during The
ensuing year to make The Library Il success. To
allow the Library to 90 down w0nlh be a virtual
admission hat AlcSantlria has no literary taste
whatever. The smallest village would do more
Tor its Library than tic city OF Alexandria with
| II 900 Inhabitants has done !og hers.
fGreign News.
y dispatch rom Berlin says all the Powers
have agreed to abstain from any interference
unti the Porte has proved ITSELF incapable Ct
carrying through the promised reforms 1t
is reported that Russia on her part will oform
the Powers Of her intentions aud Of The circum-
stances which make it impossible for her to
torego Immediately all interference, but she
will give no indication Of her eventual isolated
action. 1t is reported there that the conclu-
sion Of peace between Turkey and Servia is