The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-02-17

Add together all the endowments in
excess of 500, 900 which belong to the
libraries of the United States, and you
have a grand total of about $12, 500, 600,
of which the endowments of the New
berry library, Chicago, and the consok-
dated Astor-Lenox-Tilden library, New
York, have nearly -thirds-that is,
those two libraries together are richer
twice told than all the other great libra
ries in the United States combined.
Endowments and Actual Value.
OF course this question of endow
ments, in most cases, does not take into
consideration the requests of books made
to libraries or the actual value of the
matter ON the library shelves. Many of
the great libraries of the country have
been made rich without an endowment
by the Hberality of some bibliophile.
The largest and richest libraries are not
always those with large endowments.
The Newberry library, with all its
wealth, is still comparatively unim-
portant institution. Walter L. New
berry, whose will gave to this library
one-ha1f his large estate, was Chicago
merchant who was born in Windsor,
Conn.,, and who received a good early
education and was intended for West
Point. Most Of the endowments for
libraries and many of those for the great
universities have come from successful
merchants who were not graduates of
the colleges
Harvard and Yale.
The Harvard. library, which stands
with the Boston library among the great
book collections Of the country, has re-
ceived it's supplies from a hundred diff
ferent sources. It's early benefactors
were Governor Winthrop, Richard Bel
Hngham, John 'Lightfoot, Sir Kenelm
Digby and Richard Baxter. In 1877 the
library collection was doubled by be-
quest from Rev. Theophilus Gale, a
learned philosopher. United States Sem
ator Christopher Gore of Massachusetts
gave 800, 900 to the library, and Gore
hall is named In his honor. E. p. Green
leaf, Boston miser, left $500, 900 to
the college, of which part was to be
devoted to the establishment of the
Greenleaf department. in the library.
James Walker, once president of the col
lege, bequeathed to it $15, 900 and his
valuable library. Francis Q. Gray,
Boston attorney, left 8, 900 engravings
to the library and fund of SIC, 600 to
maintain them, and his nephew added
e25, 900 TO the beQuest for the purchase
OF books.
Rev. Peter Bulkley, the founder of
Concord, Mass, contributed his own il
brary, valuable for that day, in 1863.
Israel Thorndike, Boston merchant
who knew only the advantages OF
common school education, presented to
the library the collection Of 10, 900 maps
and 1000 books ON American subjects
made at Hamburg by c. d. Ebeling, a
German scholar.
Yale received benefits for its library
from varied sources. George Berkeley,
British clergyman who came TO this
country with a view to establishing a
sectarian educational institution in the
Bermudas, and who abandoned that
idea because his English friends failed
to make the necessary contributions,
sent to Yale about $50 years ago what
was at that time the finest library in
the United States. Mr.. Berkeley also
gave to Yale college fine farm, which
is still the property of the institution.
George Brinley Of Boston, collector of
Americana, divided $40, 200 worth of
books among several institutions, and
Yale was fortunate enough toSget good
share Of them. jeremiah Drummer, a
Boston scholar, gave to the library 500
volumes. Jared Linsley Of Connecticut
and his uncle Noah stabliShed funds