Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-11-27

| dance Of light into the room. The wiu-
dows and the upper door were securely
closed upon the inside, but on the out
side the iron bars and doors remain, and
the external appearance OF the walls Is
unchanged.
With regard TO the design and pur-
poses Of the building, DIR. Hsmlin has
this TO say:
"The building IL now sufficiently
completed TO receive the minerals and
books and other things intended for IL,
although NOT wholly finished. At fret
IL was thought possible 70 make use OF
the granite walls and construct an ediflce
something like the beautiful Tope Of
Sulim Chisti OF India ~ the worthy re-
ceptscle OF the beautiful and rare miner
ais which have made Oxford County
famous all over the civilized world.
And II the climate does not forbid and
the funds hold out. II may assume the
appearance OF the Oriental structure
before many years. AT present IL shows
only the dome and overhsnging roof,
hut the balustrsde, verands and portico
with carved columns are wanting as yet.
at will he difficult 10 find more 1T
ting designe for the purpose Intended,
and Ii seems 20 be proper, too, Nc IL was
from the Orient our irst knowledge and
love for the gem WAS derived.
The steel for the roof and interior
work was furnished by the Penn Metal
Roofing Co. of Philsdelphis, while the
construction WAS under the direction OF
Geo. X. Hammond. A. w. Walker &
Son removed the granite slabs Of the
interior and cemented the floor.
"Al wood work exposed has been sat-
usted with msgnite which renders 1t
iucombustible. Two large glass cases
and two larger cabinets with glass doors
hsve been completed and are now ready
10 receive the rare minerals intended for
them.
The name OF the editce has not vet
been decided upon, and that OF the
Oxford Cabinet, AS originally intended,
may be adopted, Ms the prime object OF
the undertaking was to collect and care
for the minerals of Oxford County,
while the library may be known rs the
Himlin Memorial Library rs q secondary
matter"
DIR. Hsmliu, who IL well known as the
owner OF Mount Mics and much inter-
ested In its development rs well rs 10
mineralogy 10 general, Is TO place a cab
met Of valuable minerals In the building,
and In addition II will contain the valu
able collection of the late Samuel X.
Carter and Jarvis l. Carter OF Paris. A
portion OF the minerals, both cut gems
and cabinet specimens, are now In posi-
ton. IL Ia also designed to gather here
documents and papers relating TO the
historic town OF Paris snd county OF
Oxford, that they may be preserved
Loren b. Merrill, who has operated
the mine at Mount Mica for some years,
and Is known ss so authority on min
erals. will be custodian Of the mineral
collections.
The library At present contains about
40 volumes. or these about $50 were
presented BY DR.. Hamlin; about 40 were
formerly the property Of the now dor
msnt Reading Room Association on
Paris Hill, and were turned over by gen.
ersl consent Of the members OF that ssso-
citation; and the remainder were gifts
from various people, mainly from Mr..
Lewis NJ. Brown and family. A CON-
prehensiye selection Of books Il nov be-
ing made, to be presented by James
Murray Kay, OF Brookline, Mass, OF the
publis hing house OF Houghton, Miifiin
& Co., and his wife, Mary Prentiss Kay:
and other accessions from various sources
are more or less definitely In prospect.
Miss Una z. Taylor Is temporary libra
risu.
The library WAS open ed to the public
for the first time We dnesdsy evening,
Nov 81, aud was well pstronized, The
first book Was taken out by Newton
Cummings, grest-great-grsndson OF
Jesse Cummings, the original owner and
grantor OF the land on which the build