The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-03-07
PRIVATE LIBRARIES.
How Extensive They Are in Canton
Some Interesting Interviews
on the Subject.

! 4 comparatively speaking, Canton has few pri.
~ vate Libraries of an extensive character.
But why2 The subject implies several rea-
sons. We have large number of residents in
the city that can readily afford the best that
can be furnished them. As a class our people
like good literature, but so few undertake to
stock their homes with good manuscript that
the subject is worth mentioning. For that
purpose we have interviewed some who have
good libraries and some who have not, whose
opinions are Of weight.
Mr.. Fred Hartzell was seen and said "The
private Libraries of Canton are very poor rep
resentatives of good libraries. People who
would and could afford to have fine libraries,
either belong to the Public Library Associa-
ton or take books from the same Books at
the present day are so cheap that people should
invest more money in them. l have about
1900 volumes, mostly of English authors The
'Henriads,' by Yoltaire, and Martin Luther
Bible of l743, greatly prize"
Judge W. X, Day would not express an
opinion on that subject, he has a library of
1000 volumes, which formerly belonged to
Louis Schaefer, deceased, 1t contains many
valuable works in French and German.
Mr.. Shields has library of about 900 vol
umes. He hesitated in expressing an opinion,
hut said: 81 do believe a private library is a
benefit to any household, but understand that
/ do not wish to discourage the reading of
books received from the public library for /
really believe it very beneficial to the laboring
class of people"
Mr.. John c. Welty, said 81 have always
heard from book agents that Canton was poor
city to sell books in. If the pride was awak-
ened on this subject, all would be bettered and
should we have better private libraries, consid-
cradle more interest would be taken in the pub
lie library We certainly have cause to regret
the attitude of the people on this subject. /
have far reaching library, that is, books deal.
ing on ever subject"
James A. Grant when asked why he thought
that private libraries had not been more fully
and generally established in the city he re-
piled; "Your question is perhaps broader
and more difficult to answer than it seems
at first sight; though there is some reason for
this condition and it is fairly obvious. Liter
ature, the study of it-and this is what librar-
les public or private imply-follow
pioneer life by distance of several genera
tons; while do not think there is lacking
here some appreciation OF books yet neither
here or elsewhere can 1t be expected that what
can be termed fairly laboring people will in.
dulge In the luxury Of fine private Libraries;
the intelligent collection of library is not the
work of day, nor is 1t simply question of
means; the taste needed for this, the wealth,
are not accumulated ordinarily within less
limit than grandsire and grandson.
Mr.. Grant has several fine editions In bis
library, notably copy Of Scott and Victor
Duruy's history of Greece and Rome. He says
that his books have for the most part been
bought upon Impulse and not with any re-
ference to the needs Of such thing as a balanced
library, though he has good library.