Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-09
Trinity Of Boston Consents to Honor
the Memory Of an Actress.
LIBRARIES TO BE OPEN SUNDAYS.
An Electric Railroad COmpanys Unlucky
Experiences With Jury.
STORIES OF HUMORIsTs AND ACTORS

ing all the Commonwealth as nearly as pos
sible up to the exalted intellectual level of
Boston itself. It is in the form of society |
which is to bring about the establishment in
every town in the State of public library. |
The State treasury is to be called upon to |
aid in this enterprise, but the utmost pains |
are to be taken to induce the towns to work |
out their own salvation in this as in other
matters. We have gone on the theory OF
universal education too long and too far to
draw back now, and there is no other means
of pushing that idea forward which prom
ises so much or in practice works SO well as
the country library. At the meeting held
the other day to discuss the matter one of
the speakers suggested that this might be
the means, to some degree, OF checking the
steady movement of the young men OF the
country towns toward the city. 1t is pos
sible that the furnishing of any sort OF
amusement would have tendency to make
the country youth more contented; but, on
the other band, books would open to him
new view of the possibilities Of lite, 80 that
in the end things would hardly be much
bettered in this respect.
THE CHURCH AND THE STAGE.
Another benevolent scheme which has
just taken definite shape is one with which
it seems 10 me that everybody must feel the
heartiest sympathy. This is the establish
ment in connection with Trinity Church, OF
hospital bearing the name of the late Mrs.
J. R. Vincent, for 30 many years associated
with William Warren upon the stage Of the
Boston Museum, and 20 we'll beloved by the
theater-going public of Boston. A lady
who was the warm personal friend of Mrs.
Vincent wished to devote 81, 900 to a memo
rial of the actress and other friends of the
dear old woman who have interest and in
huence in the councils Of Trinity Church
have brought it about that the money shall
be used as Q nucleus of fund for the estab-
lishment of hospital for women in connee-
ton with the charity work of the society.
Mrs. Vincent was an attendant Of Trinity,
and one of the most kindly and lovable Of
women, so that there is double appropri-
ateness in this sort of testimonial, while
there is q delicious favor in the association
of the names of the Rev. Phillips Brooks
and that of the dead actress which is de-
| lightful. The church has not in every stage
| of its history been liberal enough to recog-
nize virtue in player, and this sane and
catholic spirit is the more to be praised in
that it has so little in the way Of precedent
behind it.
SUNDAY AND THE LIBRARIES.
Another sign of the advancing liberality
Of Boston thought is the opening Of Bates
Hail in the public library on Sunday. The
general reading rooms have long been open,
but the reference books have been unavsil-
able, 60 that those who wished to work were
obliged to dispense with them on Sunday,
no matter what the need or the haste. The
| constant advance in the line of reasonable
breadth in the matter of Sunday is one Of
the most hopeful signs Of the times here.
| There has not been any especial advance In
the freedom which takes the form OF riotous
demonstrations, but steadily do the means
of passing the day in rational manner
make their way. Boston long ago ceased to
be orthodox in the old fashioned sense of
that term, and she steadily becomes more
sensible in her treatment Of the questions
which orthodoxy made 30 perplexing. The
persons present last Sunday were largely
Just the class for whose benefit the change
was made. They were skilled artisans who
could i'll afford the time during the week to
come to the library to- consult the books
which vet they need in their work. This
was shown, too, by the character of the
works called for. Hand-books upon scien-
tifc subjects and especially upon applied
science made up the bulk OF those used; q
fact which is interesting as showing the
exact use of the Sunday opening.
THE ELEC TRIO WIRE SCARE.
The shocking fires of last Sunday have
| made a deep impression UPON the COM
munity, and although it is pretty we'll es-
tablished that they were not caused by cleo
| tricity. the electric wire scare is once more
brought to the fore. In the minds of the
common people it has taken on something of
the form OF superstitiOus fear, and more
Intelligent persons are hardly less terrified;
perhaps, indeed, from greater realization
of the danger they are more afraid of it.
A droll incident, which might have been
tragic enoagh, happened not long since in
connection with the electric street cars of
the West End Land Company. One of the
cars ran into team, and the owner thereof
not unnaturally brought a suit to recover
damages. OF course the West End Land
Company had the best of legal talent to de-
fend il, and truly touching picture was
presented to the jury of the almost paternal
care with which the company watches over
the welfare of the public, and the extraor-
dinary caution with which the cars feel
their way along. The jury were then asked
to come and view the spot at which the acci-
dent occurred, 10 see IOr themselves now lm-
probable it was that there should have been
any fault on the side Of the SO cautious car
driver, and incidentally to mark for them
selves the fact that the moderation and care
of the company's servants had not been sx-
aggerated.
THE EFFECT ON THE JURY.
The Jury allowed themselves to be es-
corted to an especial car prepared for their
accommodation, and away they glided to-
ward Brighton where the accident upon the
responsibility for which they were to de-
eide had happened. All went beautifully
for time, but alasl for the uncertainty of
human afsirs, and the perversity of fate,
the driver apparently forgot that he had q
Jury behind him, and relapsed into his
usual style of running the car. The result
was that the comfort Of the passengers was
presently broken by grand collision. The
car had run into a passing team, and sue
ceeded not only in pretty well demolishing
that, but had got its own windows and al
most its side STAYED in. The jurymen that were
being taken out to see the care with which
the electric cars are run, were shaken well
and scared half out of their wits. The re-
suit of the expedition was not considered q
brilliant success by the company. and it is
said that particular painswsS taken to keep
the affair out of the papers here; which may
or may not be true.
BILL EYE AND EUGENE FIELD.
The parting asunGer of Bill Nye and J.
Whitcomb Riley Of which the newspapers
have had extensive notice within the past