Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-09

OF their legitimate duties by making an
effort TO legislate for the benefit of some partc-
ular portion of the community, to the great dis
advantage or injury of others IT you can say
TO the employer. you shall not require more
than eight hours services per day from the one
you employ, it seems to me that you have an
equal right to say to the latter that you shall
not demand more than certain sum for your
services Ii you can fix the time you can fix the
price. J.SH.
MONTGOMERY Co, MD.
Free Public Library for Washington.
THE NEEDS OF TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND PEO-
PLE-wAsHINGTON BEHIND THE TIMES IN FA-
CILITIEs FOR MENTAL CULTURE-wHAT HAS
BEEN DONE ELSEWHERE.
To tho Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
1t has been truly said that, sin proportion to
the population there are more books in the CITY
OF washington than in any other city on the
American continent" There are, at the present
time. twenty libraries in this city, fifteen of
which are connected with the public depart
ments, and include the library of Congress. The
other five are the property of Odd Fellows and
Masonic lodges. and educational institutions
Not one OF these libraries is accessible to the
citizen at large of this rapidly growing city,
The departmental libraries are ay ailabie under
CERTAIN restrictions to the clerks in the various
departments to which they are attached but
ford but limited facilities for reading at any
other hour of the day. As an illustration of the
difficulties attending the use of at least one of
These libraries. it may be stated that the library
OF the Department of the Interior. in the Patent
Office. is open from o a. m till 4 D. m, between
which hours every clerk in the department is
expected To be at his desk with the exception
or thirty minutes at recess, from 1890 to D. m
IN the PENSION Office, occupying buildings on
12th and 18th streets. are 800 clerks to whom
this library is comparatively useless from in
ability to reach 1t and return to their desks
within the limited time allowed for recess and
Unch.
There are in round numbers ten thousand
clerks IN the various departments of government
In Washington, which probably contains at the
present time nearly 2OO. 600 Inhabitants. 1t will
thus be seen that very large proportion Of the
Population Is utterly destitute Of facilities tor
obtaining free access to books and the period
1cai literature Of the day.
IN NO OTHER CITY
of the United States of equal size are the great
masses Of its citizens So destitute of facilities
for that mental culture TO be derived alone from
books as in the capital of the nation, which
Should be the great center of intellectual as well
as political and fashionable life.
mat such an institution as a free public Ii
brary and reading room does not exist in this
city Is neither creditable to the nation nor to
Tue Weather portion of its inhabitants. by whose
Into successful operation years ago.
In nearly every town in New England the most
important and most popular institution is a free
pubic library and reading room which in many
INSTANCES owes its origin to the liberaity Of one
or more OF its opulent citizens. In the state of
Massachusetts there are twenty-five patronymic
libraries that owe their existence to the bene-
factions of those whose names they bear These
puDiic Deneiactors are not limited to Massachu-
sets. but are found on the borders of the Pa
81 = n # md mil 10 uta
Among the free libraries Of New England is
one established at CummingtOn, Mass at an
expense OF $1,000 by William Cullen BRYANT
and which bears his honored and iustrious
name IL was opened to the public in 1873 and
three years later received charter from the
state Mr. Bryant afterwards facilitated access
10 this Library, which occupied an elevated site
10y opening a new carriage road, for the benefit
or himself and his neighbors at an additional
expense OF 1880. thus literally smoothing the
highway to knowledge.
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND READING ROOM
Ay present limits Will not permit me to give
q list OF the noble men of this country who have
earned u claim to the lasting gratitude OF their
fellow citizens BY their liberal contributions to-
WARDS the establishment and support OF public
libraries, but this nope to do hereafter The
oolecI OF TINS communication is to inform the
numerous readers OF The EVENING STAR that a
movement Is now foot toward the establish
ment Of a free public library and reading room
I'm this city, to which all its citizens from the age
oil fourteen years and upward shall have free ac-
Cess from o'clock in the mornnR until 10
O'Clock at night. Some of the most in
feliigent and OpuIent citizens of the city, ipclud-
Ing many who occupy high Official positions.
have become deeply interested In this enterprise
10 which they have guaranteed their hearty
support portion OF the money REQUIRED to
establish this much-needed hbrary has been al
ready pledged. and there is reason to believe
that II the citizens at large will unite and sub
scroe the sum OF s1O ,OOO, in addition to an equal
amount to be raised by individual subscrip-
fiOns in sums Of at least 81 600 each, library
may be established and put into successful one
ration before the close of the present year.
Twenty thousand dollars will be sufiicient for
the establishment OF the library and reading
room, which can hardly fail to be enriched BIZ
donations Of money and books when Its adyan-
tages to the citizens Of this city, and especially
70 the young and rising generation, become an
parent TO all who are interested In It's success
Ii Is not intended TO erect q building for the
proposed library. at least, for the present, but
10 hire rooms, In some central location which
shall be not only convenient but easy of access.
To facilitate the work OF obtaining subAcrip-
lions book has been opened by Mr. james J.
Chapman. bookseller, 9i5 Pennsylvania avenue.
where all persons who may wish to aid In estab.
fishing the library may leave their names From
conditional pledges which have been made by
several wealthy gentlemen, well known to the
public, the subscriber feels safe In saying that
free library and reading room will be opened
In this city when the sum of s10 600 shall have
been subscribed for that purpose by its citizens.
Feb z, 1884. q. H. BRAINARD.
At Halifax, N. g., writ has been issued to
collect 500 from the Rev. w. g. Lane Metho-
dist minister, for marrying a soldier without
license. The minister at first objected to PER-
forming the ceremony. but finally consented on a
promise that the license should be procured the
next day Ii WAS not procured and the young
man. after living with his wife few DAYS de
ciared that the marriage Illegal AMI refused
TO nave anything further 20 10 with her Tie