Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-08-04
AN ENGLISH SOCIETY.
WOMEN WHO KEEP INFORMED IN CUR
RENT LITERATURE.

~pSses "sttsfs
An English woman. recently married
to a New York lawyer. with a home in
the suburbs. is trying an interesting ex-
pertinent in the way of literary and
book lending society. The system she
has adopted has been used in suburban
towns Of England and in many Of the
larger provincial cities for more than
half century. In fact, there is soci-
ETY. in Rochester. England, which claims
to have had 1t in continual use for more
than 100 years. There is probably no
system exactly like it. however. in this
part OF the world.
The main object Of this system is to
supply books to women who have ample
time for reading and are eager to keep
pace with all that is interesting in the
tremendous rush Of contemporaneous
literature. A man with even moderate
income cannot afford to keep his wife
supplied with new books and magazines
as they come out. The cheapest new
novel. II 1t is worth anything, will be
sure to cost him so cents In nine cases
out OF ten the first price is more likely to
be $l.5O. To be sure. almost everything
nowadays ultimately drifts into the
cheap edition. bnt it is after the book
has ceased to be fresh in the minds Of
the public and people have ceased to
talk about it.
Women who live in the country and
in the suburbs have more time for read
ing than women in cities. and withal
fewer means Of getting anything good
to read. The time worn volumes in the
local circulating library have been their
familiar friends from childhood. If the
husband subscribes to a circulating
library in town and promises TO bring a
new book home with him every night.
he is likely to grow weary soon and for
get all about it. An then when an in
telligent woman reads good novel she
likes to talk to somebody about it. Her
husband hasn't time to read, and the ac-
quaintances she visits have never even
heard of it.
The literary English woman found her
self in this plight. SO she interested her
self in forming club similar to the one
she belonged to at her English home.
The idea is a simple one. Forty or so
persons in town organize book soci-
ETY.. That is the name usually given to
them in England. 1t has been found
advisable to have at least 40 members,
and not to have more than So The
Rochester society has adhered to this
rule despite powerful pressure to in
crease its membership. Applicants for
membership are kept waiting six years,
and sometimes more. for admission a
society No. 2 has naturally been formed,
but the prestige remains with the pioneer
society. which meets every week, winter
and summer. in the Old Bull hotel. made
famous in the ''Pickwick Papers, The
society hires room. cheerful and COM
Portable, which is placed at its disposal
one night each week. The landlord al
lows the members to keep large cup
board in the room in which to store
books.
These books are in charge of score
tary. The position is simply an honorary
one. but the members usually make the
secretary who attends to business very
substantial Christmas present-a piece
of silver or some article of household
furniture perhaps. The members deter
mine by ballot what hooks shall be pur-
chased. but it devolves upon the secre-
tary to buy them. He is supposed to get
discount prices from publishers. This is
managed without difficulty. and the
publishers generally find it for their own
interest to remember the secretary about
Christmas time. The result is that ia
prosperous societies the position IS
sought after 1t is worth while to de-
vote some little time to it.
Balloting to determine what new books
shall be bought takes place once each
month. If twenty or more members find
it expedient to purchase some new book
or series of books issued between ballot
ing meetings-such, for instance, as
Stanley's latest record of his travels or
new volume of a popular encyclope-
dia-the secretary must get it for them
when they present a request in writing
But the members keep themselves SO
well posted that books of this kind are
usually voted for in advance
All the money subscribed is not devot-
ed to buying new books and magazines.
In every society there are a few mem
bers who prefer to read and even reread
Dickens. Thackeray, Scott and uumer-
Gus other standard writers. The wants
of these people must be and are provided
for to reasonable extent. Each mem
Der may draw three books at one time.
but it is not allowed TO keep any book for
more than II days. If it is q book which
is III demand the time is limited to one
week.
Every two years the books belonging
to the society are assorted by the score
tary into lots of equal value and are
drawn by the different members in
lottery Every member present has the
right to dra.r one number. In this way
the cupboard" of the society is kept free !
from dead wood" and the individual
members are able to build up a solid !
little library at home. Every member |
eventually gets his money back in books. |
As to the cost of running society If |
this kind, perhaps the best criterion /
would be the Rochester society. Each I
member pays shilling at initiation and
sixpence week dues. If he gets behind
in his dues, he is fined threepence for each
week. If he neglects it for more than
his name is dropped. This has
rarely happened in the Rochester soci-
ETY.. although the rules are rigidly in
forced. The money collected in this way
has been found ample to run the society
and keep the members abreast of new
literature.
The weekly meetings are largely de-