Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-11
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
The Choice of a Librarian for the Carnegie
Library In Aiiegbeny-The Fitness of
One of the dicted by

| The CHOICE OF Librarian for the Carnegie
Library In Aiiegbeny-The Fitness of
One of tho Candidates--Coptrad dicted by
| n Cyclone.
| THE choice Of q librarian for the Carnegie
Library in Allegheny is likely to be made
| in a few DAYS. and the city across the river
| stands good chance of really enjoying the use
| of the great storehouse of knowledge before
the year 1890 has been put on the shelf. The
sight of the Allegheny Library actually erected
in an admirably central position is enough to
excite the envy of Pittsburgers, who seem
likely to have to wait year or two before the
foundations of her library are even laid.
| In fact the Alleghenians have only one seri-
| GUS problem in regard to their library still un-
| solved. This is the choice of the librarian.
The comm ittee of Allegheny Councils to which
| the choice of librarian has been left probably
realizes that it is not an easy thing to find a
| man for the place. There are quite a number
of men who would like to be librarian and
| draw 81, 500 year for life. AS to the qualii-
| cations of the declared candidates there ap-
pears to be considerable doubt, except in the
| case of Mr.. Erasmus Wilson. Nobody who
knows Mr.. Wilson can doubt for a moment
| that he has special adaptation for the manage
ment of a library. He is, in the first place. a
sincere lover of books. His education has
been broad and catholic. He loves books by
nature. A good librarian must have his heart
in his work. Then more than any other man
that have talked with on library matters, he
has an understanding and appreciation of the
diverse influence which the Carnegie Library
can exert upon the community, il handled
properly. He has original and thoroughly
practical ideas of interesting in reading the
very people MIR. Carnegie most desires his
library to reach, namely those who do not and
cannot. by reason of their pecuniary and other
circumstances. read now.
MIR. WILSON'S conception of librarians
duties does not halt after placing the
books in the shelves, cataloguing and handing
them out to readers. The librarian of a great
public library must be something more than
mere caretaker and clerk, in Mr.. Wilson's idea.
He must plan for the encouragement and di-
rection of reading; he must prompt and co-ope-
rate with the educational forces of the COM
munity. The best backing that Mr.. Wilson
has in his candidacy comes from men whose
names stand for the advancement of science.
literature and the arts generally among the
rank and file of the people. He would have the
heartiest kind of help from the best men in the
two cities if he were maze librarian.
If the personal qualities which make a man
what all the world calls a gentleman are desir-
able-and who thinks they are not?-in libra
rian, all the more reason then for the choice of
Mr.. Wilson.
IT'S SELDOM that man gets contradicted by
cyclone. Something very like it occurred
in lofty building in Pittsburg on Wednesday.
Two gentlemen were standing near the window
looking out at the clouds, ominously fluffy and
gray, which the wind was driving across the
sky.
II wish," said one, that was out of this
building-looks like cyclone coming"
Nonsense" said the other. you're much
safer up here than in the street," and as he
spoke furious gust of wind tore the iron shut
ter from its fastening and hurled it against the
window, sending the glass in big splinters all
over the room.