The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-03-03
The Montpelier Public Library.


library in itself teaches lesson of perse-
verance, and shows how truly success may |
be counted upon as reward for faithful |
labor in good cause. The enterprise, |
which had small beginning, has often met
with adversely and, but for the courage and
earnestness of few interested persons,
would long ago have been abandoned
Success has crowned their efforts and now
nothing seems more improbable than that
the Montpelier Public Library will ever
again become defunct or that interest in its
prosperity and increasing usefulness will
ever be allowed to diminish. Its future
looks bright.
Tuesday evening, February 23d, at seven
o'clock, the library rooms were open for in,
spection, and at eight o'clock the formal
opening exercises were held. These were
largely attended and very interesting.
Colonel Fred e. Smith, president Of the
board of trustees, presided, and was the
first to address the meeting. His remarks
were in the nature of statement of the
condition of the institution, financial and
otherwise, and general resume of the
transactions of the trustees. He congratu-
lated the members and friends OF the Mont
pelier Public Library Association upon the
arrival of the time when the library was to
be open to the public, and expressed in fit
ting terms the gratitude of tho trustees for
the gratuitous and efficient services of Miss
Mary Willard and for valuable aid rendered
by Miss Ada Richardson. He stated the
/
shares, amounting to $4,575. Stock subscrip-
tions already paid amount to $3,495 cash
| from donations, lectures, etc, S742.57; inter-
est, etc, S20.40. The expenditures have
been, for books, S2,S23S0; furniture and
fixtures, SILL current expenses (printing,
etc. $52.33, leaving balance of S1,270.72,
cash on hand. Ten hundred eighty dollars
| yet remain due on subscriptions Somethin
over 800 volumes have been purchased and
the donations number about 700 volumes
| al G,,,tt1 Iaoi ira
of all interested that the library may con-
tinue to meet with substantial aid in the
form of books and cash donations and stated
briefly the future plan of operation Hon.
4. p. Walton was to have been the next
speaker, but was unable to be present, and
Rev. j. III. Hincks was called upon to adj
dress the meeting in his stead. Mr.. Hincks
gave several facts of interest concerning the
history of former public libraries and read
ing rooms in Montpelier, contining his re-
marks to the line of thought which it had
been Mr.. Waltons intention to follow. He
alluded to the first library, established in
1894, and to the fact that it contained NO
works of religious nature. Religious books
in those days were almost certain to be
polemical and this fact was deemed sufficient
ground for their exclusion. He said that in
the selection of religious works for this
library care had been taken to leave out
every thing polemical and that the books
which have been purchas ed are largely his
torical and biographical. AS former libra
ries, though small, had comprised the best
books of the time, so the present institution
on larger scale, is made up of the very
best writings of the best authors. In thi:
connection the speaker alluded to the prog
ress of civilization and its effects upon cur
rent literature, and to the wonderful i'm
provement in the arts of printing and bind
ing. He was followed by Rev. j. Edward
! Wright, whose address was historical an(
gives the story of the growth of the enter
! prise from the first in such an interesting
,, manner that we print it in full:
MR. wRIGHT's ADDRESS.
: Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen Il
this evening we render "honor to whom
honor is DUE" we shall allude early ant
most gratefully to the Woman's Christian
!, Temperance Union of our village, for t.
that organization may be traced the initia
impulse from which this enterprise sprang
AS long ago as 1881 the subject of publi
readng-room was discussed with interest il
that organization, and committee was ap
! pointed to consult with different minister
as to the desrablity of an attempt to re-es
, tablish here such an aid to good morals ant
1 intelligence as reading-room open TO all
and we'll supplied with newspapers and pc
riodicals, would prove. Miss Lucy j. Brad
shaw and Mrs ID. l.. Fuller were member
of that committee, and at their suggestion
a four clergymen-Messrs. Miller, Hill, Hnck
and Wright-met in the parlor of Mr.. Mile
III tne latter part OF 1901 ana talked Une mat
ter over. In view of the fact that reading
: room, which had been sustained here TO
four or five years, had finally been close
from lack of resources, and that the failur
Il was fresh in the minds of many of our pee
S pie, these gentlemen came to the conclusion
, that it would be best to undertake differ
Il ent enterprise for the public benefit, an
still an enterprise which, if successful
n would eventually ensure the desired publ
!. reading-room, and that on permanent bs
! sis. They therefore determined to invit
: together those who might be interested i
n establishing in Montpelier public library
and, after further consultation with other.
a general notice was issued calling all VIII
d desired the success of such a project, bot
I ladies and gentlemen, to assemble in tn
parlors of Trinity church on Monday ever
y ing, January 49, 1889. This call was signe
e by Hon. Hiram Carleton and twelve othe
prominent citizens. About thirty person
gathered together, according to the motto
/ given. Hon. Joseph Poland was chose
!. chairman and Mr.. w. w. Prescott secretary
r and free interchange of views was hat
, The general judgment appeared to be tha
: the i'll success of previous efforts to sustai
d libraries in Montpelier was probably du
s largely to the fact that in those cases tn
i, outlay had been so meager, and the numbt
of books procured so small, that, after tn
first gush of enthusiasm few felt enough il
terest to contribute time or money; and tht
it was not advisable to move at all unless
could be with a sufficient investment at til
a outset to ensure permanent interest. Thf
- minimum sum was finally fixed at $500
and a committee was appointed to report
@ plan of operations at an adjourned meeting
o This committee comprised Rev. Charles
> Smith, Rev j. Edward Wright, Mrs. G. "
Willard, Mrs. Joel Foster, Rev. Howard
10 Hill, Hon. b. f. Fifeld, Mr.. NJ f. Smile
r Rev. ID. K. Miller, Rev. j. Ii. Hincks, NJ
n j. r. Bracket and Mr.. III. A. Huse. TIL
l. committee made its report at meeting hel
2. in the vestry of the Church of the Messia
N on Friday evening" February Sd, and a Il
? gally incorporated association was resolve
=. stock at So per share--and a committee we
N chosen to arrange for general canvass f1
subscriptions. OF this committee Colon,
Fred Il. Smith was the chairman; and b
=, them the work of soliciting subscription
', was assigned to ten or twelve ladies an
" gentlemen, among whom were Mr.. j.
.s Babcock, Hon. Charles III. Heath, Mrs.
y W. Willard, Mr.. Charles +. Collins, M
y Morton Marvin, Mrs. Fred Blanchard, Mr.
A. l.. Carleton, Mr.. NJ. Il. Smile and Mr.
I, ID. l.. Fuller A series of articles of associ
ID tion were carefully drawn up by Hon. b.
rs Fiheld, and twelve hundred copies of an al
.s peal to the citizens of Montpelier and vicil
IL ity, embodying these articles, and date
Of April II, 1882, were distributed to prepal
1t the minds Of the people for the persons
es appeals of the canvassers. Under the stiu
r illus of an offer by Mr.. James w. Brock
IN one-tenth of the total amount, on conditio
Is that ~, 600 was secured before July |, 1888
le all the guhspriptiona ware made paVahla a