Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-04

tiles. So large donation from a gentle
| man who had never been within our city
and who knew little of it except from hi.
personal acquaintance with our distin
guished citizen, Mr.. Blaine, himself thu
donor Of $1,000 tn the fund, and from tht
earnest appeal Of Mr.. Randall, bears the
| impress If man whose hand has eveI
been open in we'll directed generosity and
who deemad this object worthy OF his at
tention. We regret that he cannot be with
US, today. But the citizens of Augusta
will hold the name of Andrew Carnegie in
| grateful remembrance ana an appropriate
tablet will be placed within these walls to
| commemorate bis munifcent gift
In the third place, this city should be
proud, today because this library shall be
! henceforth in fact as well as in name, a
public library. In addition to the resdu-
airy bequest to which have already al
luded, Mr.. Llthgow made specific be-
quest Of $50, 900, to be held by the city in
trust forever as permanent fund, the in
| come thereof to be used for the mainten-
ance Of the library ami the purchase of
books. That fund is now and will con-
time to be so held, but the annual income
of $1,000 therefrom was insufficient to
quarters and allow anything for the pur-
chase OF books unless an annual charge
| were made to the takers, as has been done
in the past. The city in its municipal
capacity was then appealed to, and was
asked to grant an annual appropriation
$1,000, provided the trustees would make
the library free to all the people of our
city, subject only to such restrictions as
hn Sc. IL
servation. The city government cheer
fully granted the request and in 80 doing
| voiced an enlightened and progressive pub
| lie sentiment. This action on their part
| brings us also an annual donation of 500,
| on the part Of the State, for the Legisla-
| ture has deemed it wise to encourage in a
substantial manner the increase of free
public libraries as a part of our educa-
| tional system.
Is it strange, then, that we should con
| graduate ourselves because Of our good
fortune, with beautiful building free
| from debt, with library choice if not
large, with fixed annual income of
$4,000, and best Of all. with the words
Welcome to the people inscribed above
| the entrance.
! And this means what: That tomorrow
| at 10 o'clock, for the first time in the his
| tory of this city, free public library will
| open its doors to all its citizens of suitable
age, and that without money and without
price the advantages Of self culture will be
accessible to oil 1t means that that
beautiful reading room, itself q source of
! education, may become the private library
OF the boys and girls, the young men and
the young women of this town. where
amid artistic surroundings they may sit
| and read the best thoughts of the best
| thinkers 1t means that the searchers
after truth can find In the card catalogue
which has just been completed the key to
the treasures upon the shelves, and can
CLEAN all that is there contained upon any
| subject or along any line of thought.
Few can have the advantage Of a COL
legatc education, and most of the world S
workers must be self educated, If educated
at all. Here are 1000 volumes carefully
selected, including the best works of the
best authors, and they are yours for Use.
DO you wish to associate with the best
society: Come here and you shall find 1t.
Do you wish to make friends who will be
as steadfast in adversely as in prosperity,
who know no change but are always con-
| slant helpful and true They are wait
ing for you on the shelves below. And as
you meet these great men here, you can
| talk with them and they with you, without
the 1ormallty OF an introduction. TenDy-
son, the man, lived a recluse in the Isle of
Wight, here personal approach was well
nigh impossible and if by chance you were
ushcred into his presence, the GOODNESS of
his manner rendered escape desirable.
rcnnyson the poet, lives here and ia the
same sweet, honest hearted soul to every
one who will but knock ut his cloth
covered door. Many traveller goes to
Concord to visit the old manse by the
early battle field, where Hawthorne dwelt.
and the plain white house where Emerson
wrote his worldwide truths But the
Moses from an Old Manse'' are richer
still, and the immortal truths themselves
than the house in which they were
written.
Not few journey across the water to
see the matched cottage of Burns in bon
ME Ayrshire, the baronial castle of Scott
on the banks of the Tweed or the church
yard where Shakespeare lies IN Stratford-
upOn-Avon, and there is thrill of salts
faction in even seeing the places where
great men once lived and worked but it is
D0eOor lar ~ AuoW tuc VuOuRHtS, bO uuQer-
stand the teachings and to catch the spirit
OF the men themselves. These, these, are
here. And it is to such oompanionship
that the doors are now thrown OPEN
The trustees therefore accept this build
ing from the committee with deep sense
of gratitude, but with q deeper sense of
the responsibility it imposes. They accept
it as trustees for the people, pledging
themselves to cherish and promote its In
terests and to transmit 1t to their success
sors richer stronger and more potent.
They accept 1t, too, with the confident
hope that as the past has brought forth
friends to found, erect and equip, so the
future shall raise up other bsnefactors to
enlarge. to increase and to advance.
And now az the final word before the
old order IF things passes into the new.
let me add that the trustees would dedi-
cate this building to wider learning, to
better citizenship, to truer manhood and