Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-10
PITTSBURGH POINTS.
A G0SsIPPY LETTER FROM OUR OWN
CORRESPONDENT.
Andrew Carnegie's Munifcent Gift for a
Public library-Will it be Accepted
If so, How will it be kaintained2-
Other Libraries of the Iron City.
A NEW DEPARTURE IN JOURNALISM


Special Correspondence Of The Register.
PITTSBURGH, December 9.-0ne of the
chief topics of conversation in the Smoky
City at present is the munifcent gift Of
fered the city last week by Mr.. Andrew
Carnegie, of New York. Mr.. Carnegie pro-
poses, as you were informed by telegraph,
to give $3.50, 900 Tor the purpose OF founding
AFree Library,
on condition that the city guarantee $l5,-
900 year for the running expenses OF the
same after it is opened. The proposition
was laid before Council at their meeting
Monday last, and was discussed at Colsid-
erable length. There is some donbtS
whether Councils have the power, without
additional legislation, of providing for the
contribution of Sl5,0O0 to such purpose,
and to settle this question committee was
appointed to investigate the subject and
report what legislation, If any, was needed
to enable the city to take ADVANTAGE OF Mr..
Carnegie'S generous offer. The opinion
seems TO prevail that We should, by all
means. have the library, and, in the event
of the city authorities not seeing their way
clear TO accept it, several alothsrpropositions
have been made looking to that end. The
most tangible OF these is that to raise, by
General subscriptions,
fund of $4,000 which shall
be invested in city, bonds or
other securities, the interest Of which
can be applied to pay the expenses OF the
library. There are number of wealthy
and philmthropical gentlemen here who
would doubtless make large contributions
to such q fund, and together with the nu-
merous small subscriptions that might be
expected. there should be no difficulty in
raising the amount mentioned. II the
offer
Is accepted
it is proposed to devote $l5O,OOO to the pur
chase of q site for the erection of a hand
some library building. With the remain
ing SlOO, eco it is thought that about 6O,0OO
volumes could be purchased. This would
be q very nice little nucleus around which
one OF the finest libraries in the United
States could be gathered. In few years,
with the additions made from time to time.
and the contributions from authors and
publishing houses, there ought to be ia
library of 100, 900 volumes. The only free
library we have at present is that OF the
Young Mems Christian Association, which
is very small and the only library of any
account whatever. in the city, is the Mer-
camille Library which probably has III the
neighborhood OF 10000 volumes. This
library is not free, but any one may become
n member by the payment OF four dollars
per annum, which gives the right 10 take
books away and the use OF the reading
room. II the Carnegie library becomes
fact the Mercantile will very likely close
up and make a gift OF its books to the new
institution, at least the manager has said
as much
Andrew Carnegie.
the man who has made this generous offer
e. II, 1,tti - Inv
birth, SCotChman, and is now IL years OF
age and On old bachelor. He came To this
country with his mother when about five
years OF age. Being poor he obtained en-
ploymcnt as a messenger boy, and shortly
| aftcrWard entered the service OF the Penn
| sylvania Railroad Company, where, by his
| close attention to business and his natural
| Scottish shrcwdnCsS, he was rapidly adj
| yanccd. With his habits OF economy
| formed from necessity, he saved the greater
part of his earnings, and after number OF
| years, left the employ 0f the Pennsylvania
| Company and organized the
| keystone Bridge Company.
| About this time the Pennsylvania road
| decided to replace all their old bridges
| with iron structures, and he obtained the
| contract This gave him a tirst-Class start,
| and his business has been uniformly sue
| rpSsful ever since. lie il remarkably
| shrewd business man. and has made good
| use Of his time and money. From the
| bridge works he has branChcd out into
| different departments of iron manuiacto-
rieS, and to-day is at the head OF one of
| the largest iron and steel companies III the
| United States, with mills located in half a
| dozen different cities, and is said to be
| worth $5,0OO,0oO
Mr.. Carnegie is alleged to have been in
| love in his youth and to have been re-
| iccted on account OF his poverty. The
| Young lady, whoever she was made ter
| riblc mistake; didn't she2 He has made a
| number Of gifts to charitable objects.
All Of the newspapers Of the city favor
the acceptance Of the proposed gift.
Aword About Newspapers.
II the number of newspapers place sup
ports is any indication OF the intelligence
| Of the population, the inhabitants Of Pitts
burgh must be very intellectual class.
Including the Allegheny Nal, We have
| twelve daily papers, eight English and four
German; seven morningsH4 Eve evening,
aud they all seem =" 10 - - ftoarishing. How
| many weekly. monthly aud other publica-
tons we have ] do not know. Another
daily is talked of, and this is not only
! going to be new paper, but new de
| parturc in journalism. IL will be an even
ing paper and will be
Controlled by Women.
! The writing editors, news editor and city
editor. are all to be women and the staff Of
| reporters, with two exceptions, will be
! COMPOSED OF women. One of the two males
viii he assigned TO work the police courts,
| and the other specials, untitled for wO-
man. The policy of the paper will be
"reform" in every direction, yet it will not
be religious paper, as one Of the ladies at
! the head Of the movement said I'VE shall
publish no EsrmOns. No scandals, no
sensations, no ''disordcrly cases" will be
, admitted TO It's columns. II will fight
''rings" from the word go. II is under
stood that the managing editress will be
imported from New York, and that she has
had experience. Had il not been said no
scandals would he published in this model
sheet. it might be said this position was TO
be filled
The scheme is backed by three men whose
combined wealth is estimated at SlO,OOOOO,
andif the project fails il will not be for lack
ofmeans II the paper is ever started those
engaged in the undertaking will probably
find II Utopian scheme The people like
sensation and scandal on the sly, and pa
per barring these delectable items Of news
will have very limited circle Of readers.
In q future letter shall tell you something
OF another and more tangible newspaper
scheme. of which ! am not at liberty 10
speak at present.
There have been
More Than Sixty
new cases OF smallpox in tie ell this week,
and it is feared the disease will become
more fatal. AS yet, few deaths have oe-
CURED. but several cases OF black smallpox
haye-.been reported: :latterly, and il this
form Of the disease spreads it will cause
frightful death rate.
Pinkeye still continues TO trouble our
horses, snd very serious inconvenience Is
EoI, IN tia tran sfer NJ freight and in the