Omaha daily bee., 1885-10-30
FREE READING FOR ALL.
A Glance at the Public Library, It's History,
Growth and Condition.
AN EXPERTS VIEWS ON SEWERS.
Collecting in Saloon Licenses Report
OF a Big Change in Time Tables
"A Merry Marriage other
GIeauings.
N EXPERTS VIEWS ON SEWERS.
Free Books for An.

y
/ among thoinsttutions which have proved
! successful, and beneficial, and merits the
| furthcring fostering and care of the citi-
| zens
The library was organized in the year
1870, by the pupils Of the high school.
! They wanted to start library and it
went into what they called the Public
Library association, MIR. Horace Everett,
| Mr. II. G. BlOOmcr and Mr.. A w Street
! together with number of ladies, being
! interested and contributed largely to-
! ward it, From that ii went into ConnCc-
| ton with the Young Mems Christian as
| soCiatiOn but still it was a thing apart,
and after the men conducted il awhile,
| the ladies took it in hand and worked
until it had 1000 volumes; and in the
| year lSs! through the efforts Uf this as
sociation it was brought before the city
and made q free public library for the
| citizens of Council Bluffs, and 1t now
contains in the library proper over 5,250
volumes. Then there alarge additional
library OF congressional reports and
Iowa legislature reports, etc, which all
told, amounts to about 1000 volumes.
Besides these are the periodicals, about
thirty in number of the leading maga
zines and newspapers of the day; also
five sets Of encyclopedias and number
of dictionaries and maps
The number of subscribers up TO date
is ,4s0, which is being continually aug
mcntrd. The average number OF visit
ors to the library rooms per day will
average from 50 TO 100 persons.
Ii seems from close observation, one
year with another, that during the
months of February and March people
seem to be more addicted to reading
than at any other time of the year; at
least, the number of books taken during
these two months exceeds the usual num-
Der per month by about SO.
The class of literature most universally
sought after and read, is here like in all
other places, the fictitious. Travels, bi-
ographics, history and works of science
all have their dCvotees, but fiction inva-
riably takes the lead.
BY far the greater number of the
patrons of the library and reading room
from l2 to 1S. The majority of subscrb-
ers are from among the laboring class,
and the library is doing more good to the
rising generation than to the risen gen
Grafton.
1t is curious as we'll as amusing TO OBJ
serve the hobbies of different individuals
with regard to their style of reading.
One young man is given almost eXclu-
sively to the perusal of books on phySi-
ology and hygiene and health journals.
He seems to crwve that kind of literature
and to care little for anything else. An
other young man is devoted to history
and will read on no other subject. The
s-.-ara- - lumber az mas been said before,
prefer novels, while few seem to be
capable of taking an interest IN all kinds
of literature, varying the style with each
successive book. People of this dcscrip
ton, however, are few and far between.
1t was with somewhat of surprise that
the writer learned that among the papers
scattered about upon the reading table
none were so eagerly and widely sought
for and read, both by ladies and gentle
men and girls and boys. as Harper's Ba-
zaar. Next to this, the Scientific Amer-
can takes the lead for preference.
The library is an important adjunct to
the educational system of the city, but for
some unaccountable reason is not taken
advantage OF at present as much rs it
might be by teachers and pupils, perhaps
because the public schools are now better
supplied with the necessary reading mat
ter pertaining to what is likely to call for
literary research in the text books.
Sometimes the congressional reports are
referred to by lady teachers looking up
the Missouri compromise or something
of the kind. These reports are not much
read but frequently consulted, especially
the patent office reports. Lawyers and
newspaper men are about the only citi-
zens who ever consult the congressional
records. Books are kept track of by the
Poole system, which is SO exceedingly
complete that not solitary book has
ever been lost from the library since its
organization. They have had to be
hunted rather severely, in some in
stances, but have always been found. In
some cases they have been so badly dam
aged that the subscriber was compelled
t,, fpr baD h1tt hns al
cheerfully done. The poorer class of
people are most liable to return their
books at the proper season. Those who
are best able to pay the penalty are, as
rule, the ones who subject themselves
to it.
Among some of the interesting volumes
for reference may be mentioned Black
woods Magazine, of which a complete
set is to be found in this library, dating
from the year 1877 to the year 1878.
A complete set of Harpcr's may also be
found dating from the first year of its
publication down to the present time.
These bound volumes are not allowed
to 90 out of the library, for the reason
that they are so amusing and entertain
ing that whole family from the oldest
to the youngest must in turn examine
the volume, and by the time it has gone
through the hands of few families be-
comes entirely unfit for use. But every
Douy is welcome 10 80 ana fead them at
the library rooms.
The free public library is an institution
of whose progress, Development and use
funcss the citizens of Council Bluffs may
well be proud,
Ii you wish to make Iegitimately from
ten to fifty dollars per day write TO Judd
4 Smith, No. 81 Fourth street. Council
Bluffs.
A Chat About sewers.
Mr. B. Williams, of Chicago, the engi-
neer who prepared the plans for the sew
erage system here, is still in the city,
looking over matters, and waiting for
the council to get together for confer
once, and for n settlement. He has thus
far not been able TO meet the council as
n body, though he has been talking with
individual members. Several times have
haaY cot hat r4yu,l tl,. ,t.,,,,,,, -