The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-08
SALT LAKE IS TO HAVE a
GREAT PUBLIC LIBRARY
Andrew Carnegie Will Give 100000 lobe Used in
Building Magnificent Structure.
Work Of Construction Will Probably Begin Within Year
Conditions of the PhlanthrOpStS Gift

Salt Lake City is to have a 100000
public library building as the gift OF
the greet steel rail magnate and phil
anthropist, Andrew Carnegie. This is
the news that comes at this time to
cheer every friend of the Salt Lake
public library, which means every
friend Of progress and enlightenment
IN the community.
For some time past a number Of the
people of this city who realize the alb
solute need of a better home for our
rapidly growing library have been la
boring with Mr. Carnegie, trying to
induce him to lend a helping hand in
TINS worthy cause. 1t is well known
mat Mr.. Carnegie's philanthropy has
Tor some time past taken the direction
or rounding public Libraries in worthy
cites throughout the country, and as
result many communities have al
ready had cause TO bless his liberality
1t was the above knowledg5 that led
! the friends of the library here TO APP
peal TO the great manufacturer, and
their success has been so complete that
within year the people of Salt Lake
may expect to see in course of erection
mere one of the finest public library
buildings on the western half of the
continent.
How Gift Was Secured.
This lift for education and en-
Eghtenment for this community
canae about in this way: Some months
ago some Of those most deeply inter
ested in the success and work of the
local library conceived ire idea of in
teresunS Mr.. Carnegie in the matter
with that in view, all the facts in re-
gard 10 the library were clearly set
out aud the pressing need of the in
stlnltlcn clearly stated. These were
sent to the millionaire, together with a
strong letter from a gentleman who
knows Mr. Carnegie well and is close
!. IS attached to him by the ties OF
friendship. A reply was received
promptly, and while the tone of the
letter was most friendly, it contained
little encouragement for Salt Lake and
The enterprise in question.
Thus the matter rested until the
other day, when DR.. Gordon of Wash
ingron, D. c.. the financial agent il
the east of the Sheldon jackson col.
(ege. received the assurance from Mr.
Carnegie that he had made up his
mind 30 confer gift of 100000 upon
Sa4C Lake City just as soon as il is
possible for him TO do so. This is
proof that loyal friends of this city
ha"e been continuously at work in the
matter, and prominent among these
friends is John Wamamaker of Phila-
delphia, who has become interested in
Salt Lake through the Sheldon Jack
son people.
Mr.. Carnegie's Philanthropy.
In this connection it is interesting
to know Just how Mr. Carnegie confers
his gifts on different cities. He seems
TO have a certain fund upon which he
draws for this purpose. and the c0ndi-
ton of this fund determines the size
and the number Of his gifts. When
DR.. Gordon recently laid the subject
Of the Salt Lake library before the
philanthrOpist in all its phases, he be
came deeply interested and agreed tc
give this city a lift. Then he wrote
20 his financial man and got the reply
that his fund for this work was tenn
porarily exhausted. Mr.. Carnegie
then assured DR.. Gordon that Sail
Lake would be the first city cared fol
when this fund was replenished, and