Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-23
FE-EE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
rDUSD-Rs oF PRE-: IIHR.RIEs N EUROPE AND
ANERICA.

since IT," commencement of the Christian era
was established by Pliny the younger who was
teru about the M lille OF the first century and
Of whom il is sad tHat he was 50 far philan-
threpfc in srr,t ~ t" interest himself in estab-
f>hiny library and in making provision for
the maintenance aud education of free-born
children of Impoverished parents. u
Foremost among the popular libraries of a
later cr.od j. o1e founded IN Paris by Cardinal
NaZ.rrr aEl iir-t oleaed 10 the public in los
nf.I-r the superintendent Of Gabriel Naudf
who H,,i b.-sH employed lay the cardinal as a
Col.cr' Y, ana Whc travelled over the length and
h:ea'ta If hUfoIe N search of valuable and
splendid books. Utt. re had Gathered toget her
the Ef-,.-t al. E..Sr superb library of that ace
Bat ur chiefly p.uEttl himself. not UPON the
beaU.l nE the rarity or cost ness of the cOllpc-
ten, tUt on 4 fr.- accessibility 10 all men In
lis pr 81 = urtj- - i Shall Toe omen to all the
world. without excluding a living soul. from
eight o'clock III the morning until FIVE O'Clock
III Tie rFrE'nE- iIam its door, >;tdiI rcSound
thai C-v = H.c. ina, never yet been heard in the
EtFu ~ ct Letters. Come i'll all you who desire
20 T.s..'. come in fT.clv,''
Ia .~..;. sir William Brown. of ENGLAND. who
in IT, yfi!~Tart of tie present century was en-
gagged .H TirI-@Ejs." pursuits ii this COUNTRY
tlrIca a|t ~ toHarsi- tie .cu.&i-rmpnt of tie
nee library az IttrFPl- and tit.rt' years later
doubled t- Oh 81 condition o.. some al! XiI.Ty
effort hg he corporation. "l.irh cunGit on pet
being Iy&i:!y accepted in I,5,. being then -
years 81: are. lie undertook most the whole bur
den a.. erecting TIE library ANA museum which
ROW bears lis Ua.5c- The hour had come when
Increased recommendations for tie library were
in!.>i eE-lL .c. AMI with it ar cared the man.
CA the Itth day of September 1881. at Iepk
StdifeIt>itlre. kr1!aGd. WAS laid the Corner
stone az Il free library building. which has cost
421utH and vhicH contains lii addition to the
library an art gallery. museum. and Scll0U! Of
art. ih.> tud.d- is the free ana unconditional
gift ot Nr Joshua Nicholson, Il noted silk manu-
facturrr Lrek.
Ny LIMIT viii! net permit NE to linger among
the fTci. public libraries of Europe which hayr
been FOUNDED. and. in many instances hberaHy
endowed, by the braefaCtuns OF public-SpirItcd
and Phauthropic citizens of the towns in which
they are located. In d majority OF instances the
library thus founded has been the free gift of a
single Individual. whose name it now bears
With the history OF the Cooper Institute in
Nett York, AND vi tue lite of its founder. every
reader Is familiar. Its library reading room, art
school and gallery are. day and night open tree
10 all Who choose to avail themselves of the
facilities they offer for education in literature.
scieDc. and art. The total amount expended by
Mr.. Cooper. in erecting the building ard in sus-
tanning the institution. from its opening until
the year 1876. was Il ,312, $40 The rooms are
open until 10 D. M, and are visited yearly by
over 10000 persons, mostly in the humber
walks oil HE. The reading room is the largest
In the United States, If not in the world.
The Free Public Library of the city of Boston
owes its existence to Joshua Bates OF London.
but q native of Boston who. in 1852 offered
$50, 900. to be spent in books on condition of the
city providing a suitable building and paving
the current expenses of maintaining the library
The city council accepted the offer and erected
the building now used for the library. which
together with the site. cost over $3.50 900. Mr.
'BateS afterwards doubled his gift to the library
which - now only second to that of Congress in
size and value. The donations of books and
money TO this library from its opening to the
Present. are too numerous to mention.
In lH5t George Peabody placed in the hands
Of board Of trustees appointed by himself the
sum Oi $4,000 tU found the institute in BaIti-
more which now bears his name and his fur
Their gifts Increased the endowment to
S1.toH Zoo Tie bI!ii.iin- was ready for use in
1851. Hi1 the library WAS not formally opened
10 tiie rii6iie until 1866. at which time it con-
tanned nearly $500 volumes.
In ISL Enoch Pratt. of Baltimore formally
proposed 20 the mayor ard city council to aS-
tabIl>h and rnaoW "a free circulating library
Tor the benefit OF the whole city. at cost Of
over utie million dollars provided the CITY Will
grant ana create an annuity of so 900 ucr an
huH forever. Tor tte support and maintenance
of the library aud its branches What action
has been taken on this liberal proposition |
have moi learned.
Andrew CaTatsit. has given to the rity Of
Pitt>DurI the sum Of $3.50. 900 for free library
on til" sole condition that the civ shall appr0-
PIRATE ; 5.n9 Per a0isurh t0r It, maintenance.
Ii January. $50. the Hon f. J. NJ Hale, of
Havcr.l4I Mass. o..eTed The mayor and city
couH7.- OF that CT! u valuable lot of land aud
S3u,ott III money for the establishment of a
pubic library. provided a further sum OF
S3u.tpo in money hc raised 10y the friends of the
proposed library within six months This pTOp-
OSitIOu was accepted. AMI the needed anount
raised ny subscription within the specified time
On the nth day cf November 1870 a beautiful
and cvilm0dioUs library building costing over
$1,000. was dedicated with appropriate cere-
monies. which in. G.irt The singing of an orir-
fnal hymn by John Greenleaf Whittier. a native
Of HaVerhiH NJ. Hale died in 1881. hOnored
and ltaeHted b. eli classes Of the community
which had been benefited by his liberal coutrf-
butIn.s TO the public library. Mr. HaIe's yearly
gifts 81 money to the library during the six
years n which he lived to see and enjoy the
benefits he rad been Instrumental in comforting
upon A.s fellow citizens amounted to S32 500
In a4.3tjOn TO his original gilt of land and
money. amounting To So In his will he
left tie library a legacy Of 500 go making q
t9t9l II thereto 81 7I.4.500. HIS name will be
held iu grateful zen Ib.ancc by every citizen
o. !iaFr=hid IN I'll coming time
In l~'t. Il pubic library was established in
MADDEN Ms, 10y vote Of the town. in conse-
qurHct Of beguest made 10y John Gardner
Native OF Maiden. The library was first opened
to The putNc early in 1873 with 3G43 volumes
the nu;:ber OF which was nearly doubled before
the c.pst II the yeaT. 1t has since been en-
lIc1cL y nuratlDii@ OF money. books and works
OF arr, among which is life-szp portrait OF lis
founder PAINTED hy Nr. 4. Il Bichnell. a gifted
artist. residing in Maiden. and presented by
INN 10 The library. Before the close of the
present year tAiS library. which had such small
he-ri"H.ng VIII be- housed in Il magnificent build
me costing upwards of S10pGoO the free gift
q the HDa. l. l.. Converse. a wealthy citizen OF
Maiden The architect of the building is II. H.
ItciIari4Jn who dies gued Trinity church. ROS-
ton. and many other public buildings in Massa-
chUSettS- IL Is 10 contain an art gallery for
winch ia2nE valuable pictures have already been
purchased. and among the recommendations of
tle Uu'ttiing viii De- a stained-giaSS window of
rare beauty, IN memory OF a beloved son OF the
muIIlcent donor.
DID space permit. might extend this list of
IuOIic libraries which have been founded by pri-
waite heheIaCtiOns to an indefinite length: but
The Instances mentioned are sufficient TO show
that "a all ages OF the world they have been e5-
tG"I!>t'd and endowed by all classes of people
ihe c.ty Of Washington is behind large ma
lpTiti e.. the cities ni the United states in this
Inp'F.ait work with a population OF nearly
&y'.Eh Il Is utterly destitute OF those means OF
latc.!'Cs nal culture furnished bv free libraries
which are eujoypG in every city OF the northern
AMI v"Stern states by its humblest citizen with
CUT money and without price. Ii Is, however
encouraging 10 know that some of the most in
tu"ntIal and opulent citizens of this beautiful
ana T1pid!y growing city are deeply impressed
with The Importance OF the work concerning
which ! now Write. and have made offers of
money towards the establishment of the pro-
posed library and reading room on condition
that The small sum OF $1,000 shall be raised by
a -iratI,