Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-28
A BOYS LIBRARY.
How 1t Was Got Up by Juvenile Lit
erary Club.

1t is not an imposing city library,
not a learned college library, nor
busy public library, but a genuine
| boys library, says Jean Halifax in the
| Ladies' Home Journal, and how much
| comfort the owners take in those
| shelves that are slowly but surely fill
ing as the months go by.
1t is a sunny corner room on the first
floor of one of the boys homes. When
| it first began it was in the room just
over the family sitting-room; but if
you had vainly attempted to read,
write, talk, Or even sew, with the Lii
brary club in enthusiastic session di-
rectly over your head, you would not
need to ask the reason for the removal
to other quarters.
The room had a polished floor and
rugs; the present apartment is gay
with bright rag-carpet, and under
meath a generous stratum of straw. If
| you ask why the straw, ETC., it is a
| self-evident truth that you are not the
mother of several active boys. each of
whom has special boy companion in
| his play and romps.
Not that the Library club do not try
to be very quiet; they think they are
| Opinions differ) and they try their
| best to be a model society. we know
very well. But | am obliged to con-
| fess that their efforts are not always
| crowned with success.
The club members are boys from 10
to 16 years of age, all dear neighbors
and fast friends.
| Several years ago one of the mothers,
seeing what an interest clubs have
seemed to hold for boys, and knowing
that Young America has a special en-
joyment in what is peculiarly his own,
suggested to her growing boys that
they should start a library of their
own, adding to it as their spending
money increased. Of course this in
volved club from boys standpoint.
When the neighboring mothers
found out how every penny that could
possibly be saved or earned went to-
ward the growing library, and that the
club were no longer willing to spend
l cent foolishly, they were fully as
anxious for their boys to join the new
society as the would-be clubites were
themselves.
AS the club have not yet a patent on
it for the benefit of those who would
like to try a similar plan will explain
the Library" both in regard to the
making and the filling of the shelves.
Jack and Kenneth, two of the men,
bers, by rooming together were there
by able to provide place for the Ii
brary, and in their leisure hours made
the shelves, the cost of which was less
than 81.
| hn ciy
| shelf boards. from to 9 feet long, ac-
cording to the space between the Win
dows and doors. The shelves am de-
scribing have a walnut staining. l
strongly suspect that the reason for the
clubs unanimous vote for walnut STAIN
ing was because it is Sc easily put on.
1t comes ready mixed in cans. No
varnish, however. should be allowed
where the books touch the shelves.
The top piece is 10 inches wide, the
side pieces and the five shelves 8
inches. The shelves are screwed to
the side pieces, in which shallow
grooves, wide enough to receive them,
were cut about ten inches apart. The
top piece projects two inches at the
ends and front, but not at the back.
Coarse cloth was tackled to the back of
the framework, as the mopbOard did
not allow the shelves to rest against
! the wall of the room, and hel ped to
keep the dust from finding a per!nd-
nent lodging-place. And so, with the
addition of the gray-hannel curtains,
with their garnet bands. a bit of femi-
nine daintiness of course, due to inter-
ested elder sisters-the library stood
forth in all Of its glory, the center Of
the universe just then. for the admir-
ing clubites
The boys already possessed between
them all quite number of usual favor
lite juvenile books, and these were put
first on the shelves. Then all the sis
tiers and the cousins and the aunts, the
paternal and fraternal relatives for
two generations are aiders and abet-
tors of the plan, and every Christmas
and birthday records an addition to the
growing library in the shape of an
other book. One of the mothers has
made out list of the books calculated
to interest and help the boys, and from
that number, as the anniversaries pass,
the gifts are chosen. Otherwise the
growth of the library would be much
slower, for school-boys have less time
for earning money than they sometimes
wish they had.
Many Of the books were obtained at
from 80 to 60 cents each, as the cata-
logues Of different firms were closely
| watched from voar to yeor