The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03

but she lags far behind her sister city
of the South in the matter of certain
Lines of internal Improvement. Per-
haps it is not easily digested diet for
absorption by the people of st. Paul
to swallow the fact that, in the COM
mon means of Intellectual develop
ment. they are far behind Kansas City
St. Paul possesses a public library COM
sisting of $4,000 volumes. These books
are. housed. or plugged away in the
attic Of its city hall,as near to heaven as
the architectural outlines of the build
ing will permit; while the fact is known
that the material thus stored is in
tended for the inhabitants of the earth.
Kansas City possesses a library build
Ing, the construction of which cost
$500, 900. and the land on which it
stands 100000, for the housing of Ii
brary consisting of 10000 volumes, and
these volumes, by reason of their care
full selection. are the pride of the peo-
pie of that municipality and the source
Of qualification and usefulness to a
largely outlying constituency y the
face of the earth.
Only the evening before the arrival
of your correspondent here, the Kan
sas City Star speaking editoriallv of
the public library, said:
The Kansas City free public library. in
the fine home Kansas City has built for
II, Is daily growing advertisement and
attraction for this metropolis. Its work
ana influence are visibly extending The
library, primarily intended for the use of
Kansas City people, is now sought by
large number Of reading people beyond
the city limits. No institution of learning
within 100 miles has such general library
and students from all the academies semi
narles' colleges and universities about find
In the Kansas City library books of ref
erence they cannot procure elsewhere
Hence they come here in little parties
visit the library and return home enlight-
ened and informed. The provision of the
advocated by those citizens who urge that
Kansas City should be made good place
TO live in. 1t aids in making life more de-
sirable to every resident here. 1t Is shown
with pride to thousands of the best peo-
pie who visit here from abroad and I'M
doubtedly determines the resolution of many
who have been thinking Of removing here
1t is sought by many readers and stu
dents who live beyond our borders To the
hundreds of other reasons for visiting the
city the library is added. Every thing in
telligently done to make Kansas City a
good place to live in produces the same
general effect as does the free public IL
brary. In making Kansas City more at
tractiYe, it makes its inhabitants safer
more comfortable happier and constantly
draws to the city the attention, patronage
and presence Of an outside population.
The above is truth quite simply
stated. The public library of Kansas
City is everything that is claimed for
1t. 1t is housed in beautiful building
on lillian appropriate spot for such
an institution. Perhaps the responsible
citizen of st. Paul will ask and how
was 1t Accomplishment The answer is
by the strong, self will of a people.
bent upon the contamination of large,
beneficent, patriotic purposes" Men and
women, even within the realms of
heathendom, do not carry pint pitchers
TO well, five miles distant, when they
can command the use of vessels of a
gallon measure. The people of Kansas
City comprehended their needs and i'm
mediately set about the task of salts
flying them. To begin with. they
realized the fact that they needed a
public library; they put the question
to vote of the people; they secured
the approval of the people, who con-
sented to be taxed therefor; they issued
bonds and from the proceeds of their
sale they erected their building and
there they have it. a monument to their
common sense, their public spirit their
unSeltish unity of action, their enter
prise and their appreciation of one of
the most valuable aids to good govern
merit known to a republic, a center of
educational diet for the grooming care
taker of the nations destiny and hes;
interests. While st. Paul has been
snivelling and faltering over the matter
OF the cost of a public library building
Kansas City, as a congruous commun-
ity. has gone ahead and done 1t! Does
there not appear in this comparison
the reflection of a cause for regret, If
not of modification, on the part of the
people of st. Paul?
The kansas City public library is not
an institution of unnatural or forced
growth. 1t began at the beginning. SC
TO speak. Il was BORN said the Eng.
lish vagrant, without an air on nv
accommodating airs as I CO." The il.
brary started in 1874, with a book case
higher than 1t was wide, and perhaps
weak where 1t was supposed to be-
strong; and eight volumes of the Amer
lean encyclopedia occupying a section
or middle shelf-a poor, lonely line
OF tenants, resembling In their russet