The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-09-15
UNDER A GILDED DOME.
BY FLORA BULLOCK.


at Des Moines that Iowa had the lowest
percent Of ilIiteracy of any state IN the
Union. queried, ''Snce when?
What has become OF Nebraska? Are we
out Of the Union? Or has the matter
Of literacy or illiteracy been left to the
acute discernment of the Reverend Roll
lin Lypde Hartt?" Or course it is
natural that an editor Of daily para
graphs. anxious to please the crowds at
fair time, should tell them all sorts of
nice things about themselves; and per-
sons visiting in the state for the pur.
pose Of doing it into print will com.
monty be impelled to mingle the usual
pinch OF hattery with the otherwise
fiawless truths they utter. But when \
they rob Peter to pay Paul. Peter and
his friends are privileged to object
mildly, Of course, mildly. The truth is
that the fair state which lies to the
westward OF Iowa, separated from it by
river which, according to a recent
writer. saves Iowa from direful popu.
-listic contamination, holds the banner
in the matter of percent Of illiteracy.
Iowa may borrow some of the glory
i've live next to Nebraska steal
she may not.
And yet unless we look to it, Iowa
may some day snatch our crown from
us. Though it is true that their higher
educational interests are crippled by the
policy Of scatteration, common school
work is on high plane. And further.
the Iowa legislature OF two years ago
established system which does more
for the diffusion of knowledge and cul-
ture than great universities-the sys-
tenn Of travelling libraries. Iowa has
thus fallen into line with other progress
sive states like New York, Wisconsin,
Michigan and others ard in this respect
as in several others FORCES ahead of her
sister states, and sends call to US to
come along and get into the band
wagon.
Travelling libraries, under the control
Of library commission, managed by
trained librarian who is appointed by
this commission, are now 10 many towns
and out Of the way corners of Iowa
lending their aid to the common schools
About eighty libraries of fifty volumes
each are the property Of the state and
are sent out from tie state library.
People write in from small towns and
wish to know how to get start towards
library. Even such a town as Red
Oak has no public library, and in many
other we'll known burgs difficulty is ex-
perienced in starting the Libraries on
account OF the law. This requires a
vote of the people on the proposition for
the levy. instead Of winning over of a
few conscript fathers. As Iowa is full Of
foreigners in the more or less raw state
the obtaining Of majority in favor of
library is sometimes task. But those
who are interested in the library move
meEt secure travelling library for three
months, then another, getting possibly
the Juvenile libraries. The little Bo.
hemians, Russians, Swedes and all read
these books, they show the pictures to
"mutters' in all languages. the leaven
works down to the voters, and all in due
time the library is obtained because it
is really wanted. Then the beautiful
books 60 into country districts where no
public library is in reach and continue
their mission. Iowa has put only $1,000
q year into the business of disseminating
culture this way, and Of course cannot
compare with eastern states that have