The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-26
A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Mr.. Walter l.. MiIler's Ideas aS 10
How it MAY be Had.

The writer has spent most of his life in col
| lege towns. Consequently he always had ac-
cess TO books. Until few years past he hard
| ly knew what il was not TO be able TO obtAn n
standard books. am sorry 10 say Ahheville
with Ill of ilS advantages, botn social and lit
erary. is deficient in this respect. Not long
since tried 10 find 4 copy OF Vanity Fair and
failed. have had the same experience with
reference 10 DeQuincey's famous book, 1.-The
Confessions OF an Opium Eater" II they are
in any of our private libraries could not get
on track Of them. We are surely In need OF q
public library. a lew years age had con-
versation with prominent lawyer In neigh
boring town. He spoke of young man who
had been off al school and had come home
wi ith his diploma. His father had at consld-
cradle sacrifice managed TO give him an edu-
cation. And yet, said the lawyer, IL doubt II
there are half dozen standard books IN his
home" When this IL the cas- what IS the use
OF an education? Amid such environments
the intellectual activities OF young men and
young women will become stsignant and go 10
rust. We have men in our community who
are sending their children OF TO the very best
schools abroad. Shall they come home and
find that they cannot get books TO read
Shall they come home ard find thnt their
ompanions, those with whom they are 10
live and To associate, are unnformed
for the same reason? We are all
bound up tngether-high and low, rich and
poor. Consciously and uncOnscously we ex-
ert all Influence upon one another. we can
not free ourselves from this inexorabie law,
even II we would. If we would attain 10
ulR1 ueSree oI culture anu Ieiiueheht' 'ioeo
with whom We come In daily contact must
eX perience the SnIne benefit. Here In very
Important senSe little leaven leaveneth The
whole lump. We ought by all means 10 have
public library open 10 all. BY n little EFFORT
we might easily have library with thou
sand volumes. twill not require much mon
ep from any one.
The AbbevIlle Graded School has already
started Il small library. Let this be made the
nucleus. Let the board OF trustees START Il sub
scription list aud let every one who can prom
iSe To give ~ least one book, old or new, or In
lieu thereof one dollar some time during the
Year 1895, do NO. II ally one wants to be gen
erOuS and tu give more-Say hLy or nun
dred dUlals-why, of course, receive IL But
simply ask Tor one book or one dollar during
the year lS5. If any one wants TO donate
number OF books assign them specified
place In the library and name the collection
after them. Ask our Congressman and Sena-
tors 10 send the obituaries OF deceased mem
bern and other public documents. ASK the
SuperlntendenLS OF Education, State and Ma
tional, TO send what books they eau distrlo-
ute free solicit contributions from leading
publishing houses. Let the library he open
every Saturday and free To all who wi lake
care OF the book which they borrow. In this
way we can readily obtain public librsry OF
be an ornament 10 our town. 1t will be OF In
calculabIe advantage TO every class of our
people, Our young men In the professions
and In business and our young women In
school and out of school will thus be enabled
To get books To read. The town and people
Intelligence VIII be raised, our taste Will be
cultivated. our lives made happier. and our
ideas broadened. Let the year 1898 be red
letter one In the history OF Abbeville. Twelve
months from This time may we boast or
splendid public library. Walter l.. Miller.