The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-15
Ways sud Means Of Starting Them
Ia Texas.
THEIR VALUE FULLY EXPLAINED,
A Paper Read mt Tyler ny President
Winston Of the University
Of Texas.

al yer, Apiu 1890
Ladies: The honor Of participating in
the first convention OF your federation and
the privilege Of presenting paper on
ways and Means OF Starting Public LII
brarics In Texas are sincerely appreciated
by your speaker There Is no duty ne
could perform with a deeper feeling OF
gratitude for the opportunity or with |
clearer perception Of responsibility
IL is Il good omen that the first work |
undertaken by the Federation oil women |
Literary clubs In Texas is the starting oil |
free public libraries. The work Is une
which every one VIII admit can be per
formed by women with propriety ana II
fciency Its successful prosecution Wili |
not only bear its own reward, Ut YIN |
stimulate and strengthen other en1etYora |
OF earnest and noble women 10 promote I
tho good of society. IL "ll also convince !
even the bttcrest opponents tfhe noa"tn |
movement for higher ana larger lehdle |
education and enlarged female lclNiy |
that there il plenty Of serious work OF q |
public or semi public nature for women TO
do. and that plenty Of women, earnest |
capable and In the highest degree womanly |
are ready and eager TO do this work. citb,r
by themselves or In corporation win ren.
VALUE OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Excepting the public school there Is no
greater lotto IN clNlllHlilou lUHil Aip phu-
lie library. They go hand IN hand mutual
ly dependent and helpful, the two greatest
agencies for the preservation and diiiu-
sion Of knowledge. The public library
completes the work Of the public school,
extending IT beyond the school age and
the school room, Il b. the commun ty
school wherein may cnttr rich and poor,
old and Young, hy day or by night for
instruction or entertainment, for comfort
or inspiration fu" knowledge Of life aud
strength "a do iia dutlea.
God be thanked for hcpks." says Chan
ming. They are tl8 VOICES Of the distant
and the dead and make us hoiNs Of TIE
spiritual life OF past ages Books ore the
true Jewelers.. They give 10 all VINO faith
fully use them the society, the spiritual
presence Of the best and creates, OF our
race No matter how poor am, no matter
though the prosperous Of my own time
viii not enter my obscure dwelling. If the
sacred writer's viii enter and take M their
abode under my roof II Milton VIII CROSS
my threshold 10 sing TO ne OF paradise
and Shakespeare TO open to mo the worlds
Of imagination aud the workings Of 'he
human heart and Frnukln to enrrn ne
with his practical wisdom shall not pine
for want OF intellectual comprehensive, aud
may become cultivated man though
excluded from what is called the best So
ciety in the placH where | live.
thought, gained or been Is lying ~ in
magic preservation In the pages OF books
They are tho chosen possession Of mon.
Books" saws Richard de Bury, ARE
the masters who instruct ,rs without rods
and ferules; without hard words and anger
without clothes or money " YOU approach,
them they are not asleep; IL Investigating
you interrogate thcm, they conceal moth
Ing; II you mistake them, they never grum-
bile; II you are ignnranb they can not
laugh at you The library therefore. Of
wisdom Is more precious than all riches
and nothing that can be wished for i,
worthy to be compared with It, Whose
ever, therefore acknowledge himself ia b.
n jealous lover Of truth 81 happiness. OF
wsdom OF science. or even OF faith, mus,
OF necessity make himself lover Of
books
PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN THE tlNlrEr
STATES
Tho first public library In the United
States was probably in BOSTON as early
as 1874 with library room In the rowr
House, In the Same century public IT.
brary WINS sent to South Carolina by the
Rev. Thomas Bray. DID, founder of tn,
''Soclety for the Propagation of the Gospe
in Foreign Parts fcw years later
similar library was sent nv DR.. Bray Il
the town OF Bath, North Carolina. for th
use OF the Inhabitants OF the parish o
ST. Thomas. Nothing came of these feebl
hut well meaning attempts. In 1899 wa
founded the first library IN America tina
has endured until now 1t began life n
the library OF tho American PHILOSOPHERS
society. now the Philadelphia Library 40
ciety. Its founder was that most prac
tical OF all Americans, BENJAMIN Frank
lin This was not II subscription lihrar,
Libraries Of similar nature were afterward
established elsewhere In various parts
the United States
The idea of free libraries, sstablshe
and maintained by public taxation, is du
to Governor Dewitt Clinton OF New Yorl
He recommended to the legislature Of thI
State in 1926 The establishment of distri,
libraries IN the school districts OF II
State. These libraries We're intended pr
marily for use by the people inhah.tius II
school districts, In 1895 the legislator
authorized the voters Of each district
levy tax of SEQ with which TO start Il
brary and $40 annually for Its support I'll
system was encouraged and steadily d,
veloped by legislation and taxation unit
1858. when the school district libraries
New York contained an aggregate OF |
604.2l0 volumes. From 1853 to 1894 IL
state Of New York expended on district |
braries alone nearly one and three-fourt
million dollars Other States have 70
lowed the example OF New York. But II
plan has not been successful In New Yorl
away, until now they contain about ha
al many volumes as in 1865. The failul
Of the New York school district libraI
system Is undoubtedly due TO the smallne,
OF the district. which limits the amount
money obtainable. and. therefore, the si
of the library. The result has been lac
Of public interest and lack OF intelligel
management larger unit Is necessal
for the creation and support OF an eff
ciont public library. This unit is the eli
or town. and It Is rapidly being accept,
for this purpose.
The first free public town library su
ported or aided ny taxation In the Unit,
States was established In Peterboro Ne
Hampshire. II 1893 The second was
Wayland. Massachusetts,. in 1850. Ne
Hampshire. which was the first State
establish free town library, Is also 4
first State to enact q law requiring tn
4 every one OF Its towns shall maintain
\ taxation free public library. This Ia
was enncted IN 1896 Four years previou
IL . law had been enacted In the same Sta
hppropriatinR 800 from the State treasu
for the benefit Of each town establishing
llbr1Ty Ia Michigan . public library
II: 1oQnirut to he maintained In each tow
sss IN but unfortunately this library or
M r. MY ~ divided ur among the scho
<l<kn M Wisconsin Bchool libraries q