Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-03-31


unknown TO him, aud which his idle Gu
riosity wishes to be satisfied aboutr-
10 thwith the Librarian must be asked
for the desired information, aud IL II Is
not instantly al her tongues end las II Is
In a large msjority OF such cases, she
must "look II up" and let him have 1t as
soon as possible. Advice as to the proper
costume To be worn by somebody who
wants To masquerade at Dickens CarDi-
val, the exact shade and quality OF theolo-
gy taught in Robert Ellesmere, or of NOR
ality portrayed In Tess of the D'Uroer-
villes, the trustwort Illness OF the historical
information embodied In King Solo,
mons Mines, and the accuracy OF the
pictures OF medievai life as drawn In The
Cloister and The Hearth these and
thousand other equally weighty, simple,
sbtruse and easy, touching upon protec-
tion and free trade, political information,
recent publications., questions biographi-
cal, geographical. scientific, historical,
even theological and theosophical, inaui-
ries about Catholicism, Unitarianism,
Trinitsrisnism, Agnosticism, are only
part of What is constantly demanded OF,
and seemingly expected to be ready for
distribution at a moments warning by
the Librarian of our Free Public Library.
IL the School Board of Pawtucket had
ever shown the good sense and wisdom of
placing the Librarians name on their pay
roll with a weekly stipend attached
somew hat proportioned to the services
rendered by her during forty weeks in
every year To all the pupils and almost all
the teachers. the public would have APP
proved the act as just and we'll considered,
and perhaps have overlooked some Of the
foolish and ridiculous nonsense upon
which with a Lev ish hand they have
wasted the x-payers' money during the
last three or four years. But this would
have been an exhibition of good judgment
that possibly may come "when the swai-
lows homeward fly" and the millennium,
long anticipated, becomes a joyful and
delightful reality.
II has been the good fortune of our city
that IL has SO long retained the services of
one thoroughly qualified to discharge the
duties of an important and exacting posi-
tion, and it is not at all to It's credit that
these services have never been appropri.
ately rewarded. The same amount Of
paInstaking care, of watchfulness over
the needs aud wants OF all classes OF the
reading community, of readiness to re-
spond to every demand and In many cases
to anticipate that demand before 1t is
made, would in other cities have met with
far more substantial recognition. IL Is
true that at the appropriation meeting in
January last the sum asked for maintain
ing the Library was not reduced at all,
while nearly every other one was cut
down more or less to meet the require
ments OF economy and retrenchment. But
the City COUNSEL was alive to the fact that
hsaH ala har rot h mi
would be very poor economy, and 1t acted
according to It's faith. Only one who
has seen the number of visitors TO the Ii.
brsry and Reading Room during the re-
cent depression and duliness in trade and
business, reaching 400 or 500 every week
day and an average during the year Of 63S
on Sundays, can appreciate even in a
small degree the worth and the benefit to
Pawtucket of its Free Library. Those
who know intimately the inside work.
ings of the institution, who are fully and
accurately informed of what 1t is and all
1t has done, are the people who can best
understand and who do understand that
the Library is not receiving such help and
encouragement as its merits entitle IL to
expect. Housed in small and INSULT
cient quarters, poorly lighted and not
ventilated at all, the treasures II has
taken many years and vast deal of fore
thought and skill to accumulate, and
some of which are priceless in that, once
destroyed, they can never be replaced, are
stored In a fire trap at the mercy of pile
of dry straw, or a careless expressman's
half burned cigar, while there are living
and mo wing and having their being In
this same city a half ozen OF wealthy
men, any one OF whom, IL he chose,
could raise a monument to himself more
enduring than the brass he does exhibit,
IL only he would erect witha small por-
tion OF mis- gold, a fitting home and abid.
ing place for this source Of unlimited
benefit and blessing to Pawtucket and
it's people. "Doubtless God could have
made q better berry than the strawberry,
but doubtless God never did,, and
equally as doubtless some OF these
Croesuses might employ their shekeis to
the end above mentioned, but doubtless
they won't. So that the only remedy Is
to be sought for and found in working up
public sentiment to a lively appreciation
of the importance, the value, and the i'm
perative needs OF our Free Public Library,
and to the propriety and expediency OF
speedily furnishing convenient, roomy,
well planned and ample quarters for the
institution itself, together with more
liberal and satisfactory compensation to
the faithful, conscientious and careful
servants who have labored instant in sea-
son and out to make 1t what so good an
authority as Edward Everett Hale, amid
all the attractions and charms Of the Cot
ton Centenary, found to be the chief
charm and attrsctIon OF our growing and
prosperous community. The Library is
going excellent work, one that can be
done by no other agency, and the results
OF " hich cannot be estimated in dollars.
Let us hope, and may we see good cause
to believe, that our city Will appreciate its
opportunity and its good fortune, and
not prove neglectful OF its own best in
terests or forgetfnl Of its duty. s.