The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-26
HISTORY OF LIBRARIES
SOME LITERARY TREASURE HOUSES
OF H UNITED STATES.
Fathers of the Country Founded LIZ
braries Almost Before They Had
Cleared Away the Forests.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
The marvellous increase of libraries in this
country has kept pace with every other adj
vance of culture and educational advantage
which has marked each succeeding year OF
our civilization. At the commencement OF
the present century a careful estimate
placed the number of volumes in all the
public and private collections in the United
States at barely $4,000.
In 1856, in a report made by the Board Of
Education, the number Of libraries In this
country was put down as 4,503, aggregating
1S, 100000 volumes. These libraries embraced
those supported by subscription and by in
dividual endowment, and by municipal and
state support. The first record of books
dedicated TO public use was that of Henrico
College, in 1920. This college was destroyed
by the Indians in 1922. In 1871 Benjamin
Franklin aided greatly in the establishment
Of the Philadelphia Library, which was in
corporated in 1912, as the mother of all sub
scription Libraries in North America. Frank
lin says: 80 few were the readers he with
difficulty procured fifty subscribers, mostly
among young tradesmen.' AS a result,
Franklin says: Reading became fashion
able, and in after years our people were OBJ
served by strangers to be better instructed
and more intelligent than people of the
same rank In other countries" These libra
ries improved the general conversation and
made tradesmen and farmers as intelligent
as gentlemen in other countries, and con-
tributed in some degree to the stand so gen.
orally a In defense of their privileges.
Tn earliest lending library in this coun-
try was established in 17C0, and in 1854
the New York Society Library was or
ganized, and books in the possession of
the New York City Library were turned
over to 1t. h library has in it's posses
sion complete files of newspapers and
magazines from the year of its establish
ment.
HISTORICAL LIBRARY.
The New York Historical Society was
formed in 1904, and contains the most
complete records of the State and coun-
try prior to the Revolution. The papers
of General Steuben, General Schuyler, Lord
Sterling, General Gates, Duer and others of
colonial and Revolutionary days are of
the greatest historical value. These and
the Mount Vernon letters of General Wash
ington were being prepared for publication
by Moncure d. Conway, under the auspices
of this society. There are 400 volumes of
newspapers, dating back 70 the days Of
royalty The gallery Of the old mesteIs,
collected by Mr.. Bryant, was at his death
given to this society. Audubon's original
water colors are there, and Il host Of ether
interesting and valuable works of art in
portraiture, and, in fact, the collec tioa con-
tains an endless variety of historical treas
ures.
The first private made in this
country prior to the Revolutionary war
was made by James Logan, who, in 1745,
erected the first building for a library for
the use Of the public, hoping to prevail upon
them TO acquaint themselves with literature.
The only hereditary office provided for in
this country is in the charter Of this library,
that one of his descendants should QiUUaUG
be in the board of directors.
1t is q. curious thing TO trace the forma-
ton of libraries which keep pace with adj
vance OF culture: In 1876 a library was
established at Marietta, O., almost be-
fore the forests had been cleared, and in
1919 a library, widely known as the Coon
skin Library was founded at Ames, o.,
for SIS, the fund being provided by
the sale of coonskins to that amount.
a sack on the back of a horse, and this
commencement of a library, it is related,
exercised a very wide influence.
The Boston Public Library, with it's ten
branch libraries throughout the city, has
over 5O0,O0 volumes, and the Boston Athe-
neum Library contains over 10000 vol
from the days of John Harvard, and
from the modest bequest he made of his
own library of 162 volumes, into one of
the best in the country, and contains
nearly 10000 volumes. Private donations
for the formation of libraries have been
made since the founding of the first be-
ginning in the past century. In 1745 Abra-
ham Redwood gave $500 to the library at
Newport, founded by Bishop Berkeley in
the sum of $500, 900 to found a library. The
list might be extended, for the amount Of
money contributed to library purposes some
The latest requests and contributions are
those Of John Crerar. who bequeathed to
Chicago the sum Of $4,000 0
SOME NOTABLE REQUESTS.
The sum set apart by this benefactor to
- nl =
the John Crerar library directed by his
will that in the selection of books 1.-The crea-
ton OF a healthy moral and Christian senti-
nent be kept in view, and that nastiness
and immortality be excluded" Mr.. Crerar
had led such an uneventful life, one devoted
to business, that to most people outside of
his intimate friends and business associates
he was almost unknown. In addition to other
requests was one giving 800, 900 for the erec-
ton Of a statue in Chicago to Abraham Lin
coin. Mr.. Crerar was the partner of Morris
York, and to them he bequeathed $4,000
each, to be expended for mementoes of him.
Chicago has been fortunate in the liberality
of her citizens. Mr.. Walter G.. NeWberry
gave the munificent sum of $1,000, 900 to the
library already established in Chicago. Mr..
Marshall Fields gift of $1,000, 900 to endow
the Columbian Museum, to which was
added by Mr.. George NJ. Pullman, Mr.. l..
z. Letter and Mr.. H. N. Higginbotham $780,
NVO GdNAl.
Great expectations were INDUCED in when
the will Of Governor Samuel j. Tlden was
made public. The contest made by the rela-
tives of the deceased was decided unfaVor-
ably to the will, and the amount was conse-
quently reduced very materially. One of the
heirs, Mrs. Hazard, the daughter of Col.
Pelton, relinquished about 81, co., 600 to the
executors of the will for the purpose of car
rying out Governor Tilden's design. The re-
cent decision to erect a joint library to be
called the Lenox, Aston ard Tilden library.
in the AquedCct square on Fifth avenue
between Forty-frst and Forty-second
streets, New York, is in contemplation,
Governor Tilden was q lover of books and
had in his library some very rare and cost
~ works, which would be the foundation
of the library which he designed to estab-
lish as his monument in the city of his resi-
dence.
GOVERNOR TILDEN'S TREASURES.
The works of John Milton: the edition of
1894, enlarged and enriched into eight
volumes. imperial folio, containing por-
traits, plates and Illustrated manuscripts. is
unequaled. Other valuable books are the
first, second and third editions of Shak-
speare, the first Of which he obtained at a
cost of thousands; a superb copy Of Scott
(Abbotford edition.. enlarged into thirty-fve
volumes, bound in blue Morocco, embellished
by the artist bookbinder. containing 4.OCo
Illustrations besides the original plates and
manuscripts; an e~lephantine edition of Aud