The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-03-15
AN EXCELLENT IDEA,
Is the Project to Erect New
City Library.
So Says a Prominent Member of the Lii
brary Trustees---some Interesting
Facts Concerning our City's
Reading Room.

brary Association this morning. The
scribe began to feel the gentlemdn's
pulse in regard to the proposition to
erect second story to the market
house, to be used as city library.
Have you any objection to being in
terviewed in regard to the public
library y
mo sir, not in the least; if l know
anything of public interest the people
are welcome to it,"
What is the character of the Library
Association; is it public or priyate?"
ut is both pubAc and private. l will
explain. Sometime during the yeaI
1884 the subject of public library was
discussed by several of our citizens ana
a meeting was called for the purpose OF
organization. At this meeting it was
decided to incorporate The Canton
Public Library Association On May
lst, 1884, the articles Of incorporation
we're signed by the following persons:
c. Aultman, j. w. Underhill, w. W.
Clark, w. l.. Alexander, George II,
iIarter, W. r.. Day, A. Gillian, Herbert
spencer, NJ. b. Cox, NJ. Adler, johnson
>herrick, r. L. Phillips, p. II. Barr, L,
%lusser, H. A. Wise, p. P, Bush, j. j,
Parker, p. 5. Sewers, w, A. Creech and
William Rank. On the 9th of May the
secretary of State filed the charter and
returned copy to the Association.
The incorporators elected Mr.. Aultman,
president; Mr.. Underhill, vice president;
and NJ. b. Cox, secretary. Owing to
the heated political campaign of that
year, the matter was allowed to go by
default. Late in the year Mr.. Aultman
who was the leading spirit of the move
ment, died and nothing was done until
the next year. In 1886 w. r, Day and
johnson Sherrick made a canvass for
subscriptions to the stock of the Asso-
clation. Six hundred and thirty seven
shares were subscribed, or $3.50.
There were ninety-eight subscribers as
follows: G. Aultman estate, W. l..
Alexander, George E, Baldwin, Bucher,
Gibbs & Co, T. r.. Ballard, j. w. Barn
ably, p. H. Barr, Odgen Bolton, Jr,, H.
S. Bclden, NJ. E. Booth, Orlando Rank,
II. c. Blum, George A. Barnes, F. G.,
Baehrens, L. V. Bockius, NJ. b. Cox, j..
j. Clark, w. w. Clark, W A. Creech, F.
f. Case, E. T. Crowl, j. R. Couch, w.
II. Clark, the Cook estate, w. r. Day, j.
r. Dangler, A. G. Dart, +. E. Dougherty,
l.. Dumont, B. Dannemiller & Sons, A..
j. Douds, George Double, John Danner,
A. D. Eshelman, Erwin Il Co., J. p.
Fawcett, H. c. Fogle, G. r. Frazer, j. d.
Frank, j. J. Grant, P. Goudie, A. Gil
liam, Ed. Goldberg, J. T. Hames, W,
G. Heingartner, J. L. Higley, Josiah
Hartzell, G. q. Harger, Jr., the Peter
Housed estate, Isaac Harter, H. W.
Harter, George d. Harter, F. X. Hurx
thall, L. NJ. Jones, Austin Lynch, John
Lahm, George F. Laird, j. A. Linville,
Aaron Lind, d. Lenker, w. Mckinley
Jr,, John McGregor, c. r. Miller, j. p.
Michner, L. F. Mouschey, T. G. Nc
Dowell, L. L. Miller, R. A. Miller, w.
A. McCrea, G. N. Nye, j. o. Palmer, T.
H. Phillips, John F. Reynolds, William
Rank, S. II. Rockhill, johnson Sherrick,
L. Slusser, r. S. Shields, Louis Schaefer,
]. II. Sponseller, A. 0. Slentz, j.. II,
Smith, w. A. Strayer, NJ. A. TrOutman,
II. H. Trump, a. Thomas, Us. Tonner,
2. p. Trump, r. T. Tonner, d. Tyler, j.
| w. Underhill, ]. A. Vining, j. H. Whit
mer, H. A. Wise, j. G. Welty, Wells
Bros, M. Wikadal, G. w. YOhe, L. P.
D. Yost, collars Il Co. The charter OF
the association provides that any person
may become a member on the payment
of ten dollars and signing of the arti-
cles of incorporation. At the elections
| for trustees each share of ten dollars is
entitled to one vote. 1t is customary
for libraries of this character to charge
from two to five dollars per year for the
use of the same. The board of trustees
decided to throw the library open to the
citizens free if the city would furnish
room and library expenses. This the
city agreed to, so you see the library is
both private and public. 1t costs the
city about $500 a year to furnish good
reading to about $1,000 persons who
can use the library if they wish, or in
other words about five cents per head
There are 1900 cards issued now. II
these were each charged two dollars
per year it would bring the association
$4,000 year instead of $500, or in other
words it would take less than 500 mem
bers to support the library"
What classes patronize the library
and do you consider it success?"
"All classes, young and old, rich ant
poor, mechanics and professional men
/ consider the library a great success
1t was opened November 5, 1885, ant
since that time over 5000 volumes
have been drawn out by the readers
1t would be a very difficult thing tt
estimate the amount of good done il
the community by the reading of tina
number of books"
"What do you think of the PROPOSE
ton to erect a second story to the Mar
ket House? Is. the location gooC
onep"
"I can see no objection to the location
and don't know where better ont
could be had. None has been suggested
and cannot think of one. The mat
ter was thoroughly discussed by tn
present trustees and was approved b,
them. They are all large subscribers t
the fund and are all deeply intereste'
in the success of the library as well a
the general welfare of the city"
"How about the foundation? Woul