The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-02-17
Travelling Libraries.
tWATEnyILLE NALL

Last year several barrels of valuable
magazines and books, also files of the
Youths Companion and Our Young
Folks and similar publications were sent
to places In the eastern part of the State.
They went into logging camps, district
schools, Sunday schools and in many
cases were left by the missionary In
humble cabins beyond the reach of
churches or schools. When read in one
region they we're passed on to another.
and reports have come back To us of the
eagerness with which they were re-
ceived and read
The pleasure at that far end Of the
transaction was no greater than that ex-
perienced by the men women and chill
dren who searched out of their album
dance of good reading that which they
could spare for those less favored. Then
there was real satisfaction at both ends.
This is a pleasure we can enjoy while
we live. somewhere there is lack Of
the papers, magazines and books of
which many of us have a surplus.
40 WIZ c"hboAJ III AhS NhN-
look is an interesting article by Rev j.
w. White on Travelling Libraries in Wis
consin. The whole scheme of travelling
libraries is by no means new one. In
one form or another they bave been in
use for many years. In some places rich
men or women have made up sets of
books to lend or hire for a nominal price
to any club or company of persons who
xnnld snnH than fnt T., OH
companies
In Massach usetts many years ago the
State made up quite large number %
these, appropriated money for the pur-
pose of making plain, substantial cases
which served for freight boxes as well
as library cases, filling these with good,
sensible books for g neral reading Any
town on making suitable application re-
ceived these and set them up either in a
private house or school room or in the
village store. In my own town we had
one for each district. They were read
aud exchanged from district to district
for year or 30 and then sent on to a
neighboring town and we had new act.
Massachusetts was generousIin education
al matters in those days and today she
is reaping rich rewards. These little
| liOi llCS WCIC GU lIuCu pl lLtd anu WCIt bO
faithfully used that the State made liber.
al offers of aid for the establishment of
town and city libraries that one after an
other accepted the aid, put more money
to it till now nearly every town in the
State has its own free library-less than
twenty are without a library and very
many have elegant library buildings
sometimes built by the. cities and quite
as often the gift of someone who was
glad to express his gratitude to the past
and present generations by giving a
building for generations to come. The
travelling library, humble as it was, be-
came the means TO most honorable
end. Several states have them now and
many more are seriously considering the
subject
Last winter the matter was brought
before our Maine legislature. The com
mittee which gave the hearing were
evidently interested and though to most
of them it was new idea, they seemed
in favor of giving honest consideration
to it They could see at once that the
friends of the enterprise had no motive
beyond what was on the face-to carry
to rural districts we'll chosen reading
which would do more for the welfare oil
the State at large than many other enter
prises more costly.
The Libraries may be made up of mix
ed varieties for general use in town OF
districts or they may be for club wher
a special subject is to be discussed. A
group of young people in some far of
town may be led to study birds, or flowers
or stones, or star and have a library
chosen especially for winters work
A woman's club may choose to give {
winter to history or some country, i'll
artists, poets, architecture and politics
and they would be glad of the loan of :
whole set of booka on that country
This is an appetite that the State would
do well to crafty. 1t will be money il
it's pockets in the long run. l can thinl
of no safe guard 80 valuable for lot o
young country people as just such {
chance as these libraries would give them
If we can only preempt the minds o
these people for what is good and en-
nobling the State is enriched.
ANNIE G. PEPPER.