St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-23
FREE LIBRARIES.


To make sure that he would not be
forgotten when dead, the late Commo-
dore VANDERBILT erected a huge and
costly monument to himself during bis
lifetime; and vet, although he has been
gone but afew years, the number of
pilgrims who visit his grave now to
bless the turf that wraps his clay can
probably be counted on the fingers of
one hand. In few years from now,
there will be little more known of him
than will be known of the poorest and
humbliest who died the same year.
ANDREW CARNEGIE is another Ameri-
can with great wealth and an ambition
to perpetuate his memory: and he, too,
has built monument to himself, that
he may not be forgotten when he is
gone. Ii is different kind of monu-
ment, however, from what Commodore
VANDERBILT erected. 1t is not a shaft,
nor a bronze or marble figure of
himself, with an inscription telling how
he rose from poverty to affiuence. It
may not have cost more than the VAN
DERBILT shaft: but it is thousandfold
more useful, and whatever possesses
the element of utility must possess the
element of durability. Mr.. CARNEGIE's
gift of free library to the city of Pitts
burg will keep his name in remem-
brance as long as Pittsburg has an in
habitant, and long, long after the name
of VANDERBILT has passed from the
recollection of men.
1t is wonder that moro of our rich
men are not impressed, as Mr.. CAR
NEGIE has been. with the wisdom of
permanently associating their names
with the community in which they have
lived and where they have accumulated
their fortunes. 1t cannot be done by
selfish use of their wealth, even though
it be applied to purposes by which the
public are benefited. Every man who
erects handsome building Is in sense
public benetactor. Still, he is not
recognized as such by the mass of the
community so long as he builds it for
his own particular use. He may give
his own name to his own houses and
possessions. but that does not link
his name in perpetual remem-
brance with the municipality or
III NAiSh lLO
The association of the name of JONES,
or BROWN, or SMITH. with business
block or residence is regarded by the
public as nothing more or less than
trademark for the special use of the
particular individul who owns it. But
when man contributes from his own
pocket to establish a useful institution
for the exclusive benefit Of the public,
as Mr.. CARNEGIE did with his free
library, then his act becomes part of
the history of the community, and his
name is indelibly written upon its
pages. That is the way for rich men to
make footprints in the sands of time
that will not wash out. 1t is positive
misfortune that there are not more men
of wealth in this country with Mr..
CARNEGIE'S sensible ambition to per-
petuate their names. 1t makes no diff
ference if the ambition is selfish one,
so long as Its achievements are
beneficial. In many quarters Mr..
CARNEGIE is looked upon as perfect
type Of the grasping, money-making
American, who awaited himself of the
opportunities afforded by the high
tariff laws to accumulate vast fortune
in an incredibly short time. Perhaps he
does belong to the greedy type. but fortu-
nately he is free from the vice of avarice.
If he got his money under peculiarly
favored conditions, and if his accumula-
tIons do represent an unjust tax upon
the consumers of his mill produ cts,
still he is making such wise and be-
neficent use of his wealth as to establish
himself in public favor aud confidence,
and to send his name sounding down
through the ages as benefactor rather
than as an oppressor of mankind.
There can be no institution in any
community. of more generally recog-
nized utility than a free library. It's
benefits are universal and permanent.
ALI classes are the beneficiaries, and
all times the harvest season. The man
who has donated a free library to
community has enrolled himself among
the greatest philanthropistS of the
world, and as only the very rich men
can enjoy this distinction, it is a marvel
that more of them are not ambitious to
obtain it. What happy providence it
would be If some st. Paul millionaire
should be inspired by Mr.. CARNEGIE's
example to go and do likewise for his
own city. The opportunity is here, and
ripe for the pIucking. The man only is
| wanting. When he is forthcoming his
name shall be inscribed in letters of
light, and in the halo of glory which
| will surround it shall appear the legend,
AtESto Perpetua,''