New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-09
EARLY INSTITUTE RECOhDO'
TT GREW OUT OF THE BROOKLYN APPREN-
TICES LIBRARY.

HOW THE LIBRARY WAS ESTABLISHED Al
MEETING HELD IN TAVERN NEARLY
st,yEyrY-THREE YEARS AGo-LAFAiErIE
SAW TIE CORNERSTONE OF THE
FIRST BUILDING LAID-vALUABLE
RECORDS RESCUED FROM A
SECONDHAND BOOK
STORE.
II .bese rand rushing times seventy-three years
ago Is a long look backward. 1t takes one W '"e
time cf the second Administration OF James MN
roe. when the Monroe Doctrine was sone'"'''s Nv"
it had barely been announced. in fdci-"hd the
,,.n,,, comnrornise had not ceased to command
public attention. 49, 49,
II was in that period OF the Ions ago that the
real BEGINNING OF the present brooklyn inS'"ue
of Arts and Sciences was had. Il dd ho' pc0o''e
the Brooklyn Institute until IN the lo''eS' 40 10
or,,sr vears /, was the Brooklyn Apprentices
Library which founded in the year "''''e'
for the spec.al benefit of young men who were en-
gaeed IN learning what were then known as trades
pr,,klvn was a village at tina; time. and did not
evolve into city until nearly ten years later II
seems oed enough to-day that the first meeting he'
to consider the question Of establishing i'eo
library should take place In tavern pu' '"a' 10
the sober fact
" been brought 70 the attention OF lis DIRECTOR
po,osso- Franklin w HOOPER through the ex-
animation Of the early records. which nave JUST
been examined by him. They have been IN the pos
session of the Institute ever since ne 'ooA "o'" "
II nearly ten years ago with his magic 'oue" anu
Il sprang into life When the IRE occurred III INC
Washington-st. building. and httie "'er '"a'
huildnc was sold to the Bridge trustees. the books
belonging to the Institute library and Its other
al he
park which has been used as a temporary museum
where they have since reposed
few davs ago Professor Hooper had the BOOKS
containing the records Of the Apprentices ''"'"'s
Association brought downtown to his once anu
they are now kept there In a safe' As '"'''''
Of fact the first volume was once throw" ava!
and sold for old paper but fortunately 1t was fouhh
49,, rascrea hv DIR. Henry 4. stiles the historian
- uroo,lvn and Kings County Otherwise treas
IRE II much value would have been lost \ soo'
deal of history is bound up In taese pages WIN
their fading ink and quaint expressions. WI '''
is IN, beginning Of the brooklyn lnsttu'" "'te'
I'm, the Apprentices Library Association was also
the fruitful mother Of the Brooklyn SAVINGS Dan"
and of other good things as the excerpts s''"
herewith show.
RESCUED FROM A SECONDHAND sloi'h'
,.o ers, vo,,,rre o. these ancient records covers
q period Of about twelve years. from ~ 10 do~.
| ah,u, which time the library moved from Us MS
| huuding at Cranberry and Henry SITS - ""S"'"'
ton-st II contains the inside Of the oo''' '"'
! following memorandum 800 T.,
Tn,, vo,urne was purchased 10y me. IN is'i IN a
second hand bookstore In Myrue-aNr.' ""''o 81 "
been sold for OLD paper .,.,~.,,o, ~ sketch Of
sl use Of -,rJ N n 81 g'{ge o of my 2 list Of
Brooklyn. and now return u 10 an, l'o hop~ ina, 1t
sune WIN @ es yaiabe AMI interesting poF-
tion Of the archives oil ,;.,,i,p5v y STILES VI H.
Brooklyn y Y. May p. -.
The first entry In the book reads
At a meeting OF The citizens OF iireokyn no.t a.
| William SieJh,ns.n's tavern on Ihuis"g ~ Tho
A Tug Is,r ~ PATRIOT AMI siar TIE purross q
es,qbshins az ApP~ oms. XIX ''s 5s oai to the
cha r and coin Hobt Nichols apir'ato' sfsI and
| several observations made thereon H.. J.. an,
~, US received that a committee Of three lie APP
pointed 10 draft consuM'l D.. "il "...,aii.6 IN 40
pre,ticos' Library in the Nllasc ,..,.,s tt,y,.s
The Chalrmau. secretary ana MT. Ih'"'s ""'"''
"f fi wss s resoved that committee q D be chosen
to forward ne Jg11senss h. published in The
Al5o rt s9i'd Patrol ana sar ard mar he meet
ing adjourn 10 meet az thc came place on ''' '' ~
| to hear the report II The committee.
QUAINT PREAMBLE
4, the adjourned meeting tho Chairman made
ro,,r, - the information collected relative to The
formation II similar institutions IN The city OF sew"
york together with general review % 'he ''"Po'-
,.nt change resulting therefrom.' ana the oo's'''
ton and regulations prepared for the government Oh
the library were read. The preamble Is "or'p quot
| ,,g.
W. Tho subscrbers. Inhabitants Of the Village %
Rrcokiyn. DESTROYS Of extending the benefits o'
knowledge TO that portion o. or yTus" and thereby
qualify them for becoming useful an
able members Of society have for ne bcnc-
! NJ Of apprentices. and have -. our government
| rstatlished tie following Consniu'iph .., ho
known az The Apprentices Ilbrary Association 81,
The Village u Brooklyn and the library 'oli",trr
and formed under It's direction be foT me cxcns,',
benefit Of The apprentice %, NV inhabant O,
| rho Village may become a membor ani ma,
every person upon becoming member; sh 81 pay
smn Of seventy 1--WE cents s.mi-annuaiy 50 long
he shall continue as srn a ",h,r,v persons I'M
cdaicy sabscrbel ana raiid anrr had Boone
By Angns' ana ~ meeting hcli on that date
these Officers were elected Robert snow presarn,
| 1rbonas Kirk vce-prcsident: Andre" ,hcrrclh'
treasurer: Robert Nichols. secretary; directors.
George Vic E%"nnGf osepn IH lSer hS&rc%
| Dcrnaresi I,see Van Nostrand. Augustus "ihha'h
and n1i" JONAH Noycc
THE LIBRARY OPENED
After the consideration Of various plans IL was
| resolved on September % that the small Duiinns
! No 1as Fulton he hired for temporary Library
room. the owner Mr. suydam. having offered the
same NJ a rent Of so from this date to May next,
and AT the rent OF so per arnum thereafter as long
as It may be used for the Apprentices i'nrnfy,
| II vas accepted and Mcssrs XIX ana iayhcs
| ,.ern In finish the arrangements relating TO H.
| Various gifts Of books having been mao, tn v {
ia his interesting entry under the date NoVeInpeT
~ isl2 .'f-ommcnccd Issuing books 10 IN" apprei!-
| tees which is followed by another 10 mis- e'c!
| "Nfr Fraetus Wor.hiny,On was engaged ms IL
| harlan TO open he Library room ana attend 70
r. q issuinv OF books from to o'clock D. IN every
Saturiay. al a compensation Of 70 cts p day. com
| menclng on the - Novr 49,, o., 1880.
Ton ,inr,nfices took books nj the first oppor-
,unty and on January lG. 1874. seventy were avail
ing themselves OF the privileges OF The library; us
rcsorces then consisted OF ~ volumes ana nitc'h
| PAMPHLETS At this time 1t was decided 10 print
| catalogue OF the library
A SAVINGS BANK PROPOSED.
Early in this year the question OF establishing
| savings bank in connection with the library was
mootcd. It considered at several meetings. ana
LII. lnl1 q