The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-12

room where the books are deposited. To
the left are two reading rooms, one fol
ladies, the other for gentlemen, divided
by a folding wall and as occasion de-
mands the two are thrown together
making a large, airy and well-lighted
assembly room. For this occasion the
interior of the building was beautifully
and appropriately decorated with SmilaX,
palms and rare flowers.
At five o'clock the doors to this beau
tiful home were thrown open and fronl
then to six o'clock the children We're en-
tertained. They were shown through the
building and before leaving the as
sembly room. were served to light re-
freshmeutS Never in the history OF
Durham were so many bright
eyed children entertained in the
short slqace of one hour. Hundreds
and hundreds were there and with
CHEEKY voices and joyous laughter made
glad the. hearts of older heads as they
contemplated Durham's bright future
Fram 7:30 TO 10 O'Clock was devoted
10 those of matlIrer years and it would
be hard to estimate the number that
came during this time. They were not
confined to amy class or condition in life,
but came from all quarters and mingled
and conlmingled with an ease and
liberty that was re-aSSuring. Notwith-
standing the great crowd and constant
coming and going there was no con
fusion. Everybody was served with
Refreshments. The committee of ladies
in charge had the work so well in hand
that everything moved like clock-work.
HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT.
The desire for a public library in
Durham has been for some years very
great. The establishment of a library
was probably first suggested in Il letter
written by the President of the Can
terberry Club at a meeting of the club.
May 26, 1895, urging the Importance
Of beginning IA movement for u public
library in Durham"
A committee was appointed to look
into the matter, but during the summer
months nothing definite was done. In
the fall of 1895, Miss Lalla Ruth Carr
became a member of the club,
and she, with ether members re-
newed the efforts to establish the library.
I44e original idea of the Canterbury
Club was that rooms should be rented
and about one thousand volumes secured.
AS the question was agitated in the
papers, and the people talked more and
more Of the library, the idea of putting
up Il library building grew. Fairly in
1896, the Shakespeare Club and the
Social Science Club became interested
in the movement. A meeting of rep
resentatives from these three clubs was
held in Judge Winston's law office in
March, 1896.
Mrs. A. G. Carr, Miss Lalla Ruth
Carr. Judge Winston, Prof. G. w.
Toms and Prof Edwin Minis repre-.
scented the Canterbury Club Mrs b. n
Duke, Prof. A. Fl. Merritt and DR.. W.
1. Sanford, the Shakespeare Club and
Rev. l.. b. Turnbull, Rev. j. n. Cole
and Mr. Chas. Il. Turner, the Social
Science Club.
At this meeting it was decided to have
a public meeting at the court house
the following week. Meetings were
held in different communities, anticipa~
tory to this public meeting, articles were
written in the papers by the leading cftl-
zens and when the night came for the
public meeting, although the weather
was bad, there was "a great outpourlng or
Durham's citizens.
Mr.. james III. Southgate presided over