The Press., 1896-05-21

or our puDl1C uDraFy VIII E0C6lN0 uu6 hP- preciation. Very truly yours,
 ALVARADO HOWARD,
 Treasurer of Stafford Library Association.
 While the matter of removing our pub lie library from it's present cramped quar- ters, to the fine building presented to the Library Association, by Mrs. Cyril John son, is attracting the attention of the peo- pie of Stafford and vicinity, it may not be amiss to publish few excerpts from the last annual report of the trustees of the Maiden Public Library, which we are en- abled to do through the kindness of Chas. l l.. Dean, Esq.,, who is a member of the board of officers of the Maiden library:
 "The Converse memorial building was dedicated on the first day of October, 1885. The library was soon after re- moved from it's room in the city hall, and the delivery of books was begun in the new building on the twenty-siXth day of October. Ten full years have therefore passed, and the completion of a decade affords convenient point for comparison.
 "At the beginning of the year 1885 the library contained ninety eight hundred and thirty-four volumes, and the home circulation of that year was forty thou buO bW0uOy-Ou0 NO4uu1OSs Ab LuO PlOOCuO time there are twenty-six thousand, seven hundred and seventy-five volumes in the library, and the home circulation of the year has been ninety-eight thousand, six hundred and fifty y-eight volumes. Eleven l hundred and ninety-six volumes Wele e loaned for use in the reading room in 1885, and seventy-fi five hundred and ninety two volumes were so used in 1895. At the beginning of the year 1885, the value of the property of the library was esti- mated at about twelve thousand dollars; at the close of 1895 the property and funds held by the corporation have cost value of over two hundred and five thou sand dollars. During this period, while the population of the city has doubled, the circulation has increased about one hundred and fifty per cent, which may be taken as an indication of larger propOr- tionate use of books and popular en- dorsement of the service which the li- l brary has rendered. x It has been found that the use of books in commu- nity increases in a greater degree than it's populations and the result has an obvi- Ous cause in the rapid extension of popu- lar education and the habit of using books as tools, which is now being fostered in the public schools. It has been shown that the public library, which at first was the peculiar home of students of leisure, has become common to all and that, especially, it has come to be a resort of the children. This may clearly be seen by visit to the library after school hours in the afternoon or on a busy evening. A view of the tables in the reference room, filled with crowd of busy children, is one of the pleasantest sights which may be seen by the visitor to our rooms. A large circulation and increasing age make more evident the wear and tear which must come upon 8 library, however carefully it's books may be used. The expenses of re-binding increase, and the demands for the re- |; placement of wOrn-Out books becomes more continuous from year to year. A larger circulation makes a larger num- Der of duplicates desirable, as half a doz- en copies of a good book, which are in , constant use, are as valuable as an equal number of separate works. The total loss in seventeen years has been fOrty-three volumes, or one volume in twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-seven volumes delivered for home use. Books have been freely pur- chased during the year, with the desire of keeping the contents of the shelvee fresh and adequate to the many and varied needs of our people. A due regard to the best interests of every class of readers demands that all classes of books, above the merely worthless or improper, shall be considered in the process of acquisi- tion, that the growth of the library may be symmetrical, and so better fitted to fulfil it's mission.''
 Stafford.
 Will all persons intereste in clearing the grounds of Hillside Cemetery, meet there Thursday, May 18th, at 1 o'clock p. m.
 [Correspondence.1
 Miss Abby Judson will lecture for the Spiritualists in their hall next Sabbath, Services at 1 and p. m. Miss Judson is . daughter of Adoniram Judson, the cele- brated Baptist missionary to Burmah, a woman of fine culture, and will not fail to interest an audience. All are welcome. "How beautiful was the rain, after the dust and heat!"
 The band is practicing quite faithfully giving part of it's time to marching, thus giving us an open air concert.
 Mrs. R. Burley is taking care of the house and babies of MT. and Mrs. E. H Pinney, while they are in Maine, at Cup. suptie. MT. Pinney is there to fish, and Mrs. Pinney to escape an attack of rose , cold, which she has every spring. The Riverside Company is going over its tenements this spring and making such repairs as are needed.
 Glovers 'bus will run to the Springs next Sunday afternoon to take such as may wish to the services of Memorial Sunday.
 The parson has "American Wonder peas in blossom.
 When those in charge of the roads finish filling the hollow in the road in front ot MT. Cummings' tenements, a good work will be done.
 Charles Snow has sold a piece of lanc in the north part of the town to Charles M. Ballou.
 B. 0. Pinney, administrator, has solo the Joseph Locke place to Robert Barse lou.
 Only that last night was cloudy w would have been seriously damaged by frost.
 Look out for carpet bugs. A house keeper has had to take up her carpets or their account.
 Mrs. Braithwaite continues to improve her premises. This time it is a coa house, wood shed, etc.
 Miss Jenny Smith, who has rooms il the hotel, had an accident yesterday whicf | might have been serious. She had lighted and arranged her oil stove and stepped out of the room moment or two. Whel @ she returned she found the stove and tn, - wood work a-blaze. Calling for help, sh , seized heavy rug from the floor ant 5 threw 1t over the stove, trying to put tha out, so that the blazing wood work coulC