The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-15

fully than we have yet done. and to bring
scientific and all other useful knowledge
within the reach of manual and mechanical
laborers without the aid of professional
men as teachers. we have agreed TO form
ourselves into a society for mutual instruc-
ton by means OF readings, lectures, expert
ments. etc.
Mr. Mcclure further encouraged the new
institute by presenting it a 92D debt that
was due him from London book seller,
and this brought them about $50 volumes
Tor their library. In addition he gave to
the society one wing of the old Rappite
Hall, which building was part of his ex-
tensive purchase from Robert Owen a dozen
years before, and further aid was prom
ised, but the donor died before carrying out
his full intentions
OTHER REQUESTS.
Since that beginning many individuals
from time TO time have made gifts of books
to the library, thus revealing an abiding
interest in it; and there have been a few
larger donations and requests. chief of
which was $1,000 left by William Michaux,
the interest on which was to be applied
as a continuous purchasing fund Their
catalogue of 1870 shows that at that date
they had accumulated 3,4O0 volumes, this
being about four volumes to each resident
OF the town, and we are further told that
there are few households in the village
where books taken from this library for
peruSal are not to be found" A cursOry
glance over the catalogue mentioned shows
these DOCKS TO be good oneS-Science, his
tory biography and travel in large proper
ton, with a good assortment of poetry.
these supplemented by a dozen of the lead
ang periodicals; and this gives us an idea
OF the library nearly thirty years ago.
since then 1t has fourished like the
pf0VerDial green bay tree both in growth
and influence. To-day it stands sixth among
the circulating Libraries of Indiana with its
14,g00 books and its thirty-two -well-chosen
peFlodicals 1t OVertopS Fort Wayne, the
third city in the State, by 1900 volumes; it
IS almost abreast of Lafayette and Terre
Hante and New Harmony, bear in mind
consists of some J. 500 people living down
an the thlckets. 1t has an annual income of
ABOUT 5000, mostly derived from invested
FUNDS or, TO be more exact $15 from town
ship tax, $50 fees from members of tie in
stitute and $545 from investments Besides
the purchases there have been liberal dona-
tlons, and altogether there has been in
crease Tor the last four years of about 500
volumes per year.
The library is still owned and controlled
by the Workingmen's Institute" which at
present consists of thirty-two members
These pay 81 per year as dues, but since
general public.
In series of questions submitted to Mr..
Dransheld l inquired particularly as to the
. niIuSpces so Tar as 1t can be traced, of the
uSfafy upon the community and on that
subject l cannot do better than quote his
answer.
In an educational way" he says. "the in
Iuence OF the library has been very crafty
ing. We allow the readers to take the pc
AtVuiCdlS 10 Lnelr homes ana Keep them
tnree days While new, and we offer every
lndHcefnent to all to use the library when
ever desired, and / think the result has
been very beneficial, not only upon those
who read, but by association with those
VINO do not. We are now Offering to the
teachers in the schools small lots of hooks
similar to the Useful Stories" series by
ID. Appleton & Co.. to use in their school
work II successful we will elaborate the
a library association with an income of
500 should invest $50 in periodicals and $40
in books and allow the periodicals to be
taken TO the homes of the people By
reading such periodicals as North Amer
lean Review, Forum, Century and other
leading magazines, a broadening and devel-
opment OF the mind must be the result"
1t may be interesting to know that periodl-
Gals such as those mentioned are more in
demand than the books, and to this may
safely be attributed the general intelli-
gence on current questions referred to In
the beginning of this article.
AN IMPORTANT FEATURE.
There is one feature of this library which
particularly wish to mention, and that Is
the rare collection of local records. The
town of New Harmony has curious early
history with varying phases of peculiar in
terest extending over period of perhaps
twenty-five years. In a surface way it has
been repeatedly told and may be easily got
at, but the more intimate history as re-
corded in fugitive forms would now be
4O1b
taken to preserve in their library every
scrap of local history that could be secured.
The future historian who assumes to tell
the story of the New Harmony movement
In It's full significance must go to this IL
brary for his material. Here he will find
books and pamphlets now rare, showing
Robert Owen and his cOworkers in their
relation to the thought and the social forces
OF their day; he will find evidences of the
cultured tastes, the talent and the skill
once active there in various forms, such
as rare old plates for illustrations brought
cravings, executed and printed there, of
Charles A. Leseur, and the handiwork and
brain work of many others who resided
there; he viii find files of all the New Har-
mony papers revealing glimpses of the COM
munity life and the little maestrom of
opinions that swirled there. This matter
Is, perhaps, caV1are to the general-the av
erage reader cares nothing for it; but it is
most desirable acquisition, nevertheless,
and by virtue of ii the library reaches out
far beyond the narrow homebounds and has
a special value for the seeker who comes
from afar.
In which connection it is pertinent to say
that this cultivation of local interest and
the gathering up of local material is surely
a function of every library, and it is one
which seems to be generally neglected The
average community has not. perhaps, books
thai. ape of local interest, but such COM
Dfnunity has Its history, phases of which are
interesting and this is pretty faithfully re-
corded by the local papers. Through every
town paper there passes more or less mat
ter that is worth rescuing from oblivion,
and scrap-book work, done with Judgment,
would add to the library a feature many
times worth the cost and trouble.
GEORGE s. COTTMAN.