The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-01-12
LIBRARY'S HISTORY.
Who the First Trustees
Were and How They
Fought for Their
Rights.

Nearly thirty years ago few public
spirited men in Jersey City got it into
their heads that the town needed free
library. That was settled, but the next
question puzzled them:-Where is the
money to come from? The movement was
rolled backwards and forwards, like a
SNOWFALL, until, gathering weight and
force, it assumed such proportions that
the politicians were moved to present a
bill which was passed April /, 1884.
That act provided the establishment of
the library in any city of the State and
the city should raise by tax for its sup
port a sum equal to one-third of a mill
on every dollars of assessable property.
The act named the number of Trustees.
defined their powers and declared that it
should become operative when approved
by majority of the votes.
A charter election was accordingly held
on April IA, 1885, and the question sub
mitted to the people was: whether the
act passed April |, 1884, establishing the
Free Public Libraries in cities of the
State should become operative in Jersey
City?"
When the polls were closed it was
found that 1920 votes were cast; S,7SS of
this number expressed an opinion on the
act; 7,446 were in favor of it, and 1,342
against it. Having thus failed to secure
majority of the votes cast Jersey City
couldn't take advantage of the act Moth
ing was done for time, but the friends
of the proposed library were not
asleep. They aroused public senti-
ment and the local press took
up the subject and on April s. 1887, an
other act was passed amending the pro-
visions of the act of 1884, and providing
that the wish of the people might be as
certained at a subsequent charter or
special election held for that purpose.
Two years later on April 8, once more the
question of Public Library was sub
mitted to the people. The vote showed
1854 voted IN favor of it and only 345
against, out of a total of 1925 votes
polied. The Free Library now was fast
approaching the condition stage.
Mayor Orestes Cleveland by virtue of
the powers conferred on him under the
act on the morning of May 13, 1882 ap-
pointed the first library trustees. They
were DR.. Leonard J. Gordon, Michael
Murray, William C. Heppenheimer, Nell
son J. FL. Edge and Charles Haskell. to
serve for the terms of l, 2, 3, and 5
years respectively, who together with the
Mayor and Superintendent Addison B..
Poland, should constitute the first Board
of Trustees. The board on that
organized with Dr. Gordon, president; w.
C. Heppenheimer, treasurer, and N. J. H
Edge, secretary.
Immediately after their organization the
trustees requested the Board of Finance
to put in the tax levy for the year the
amount required by law for the mainten-
ance of the library on the basis of one
third of mill on every dollar of assess
able taxation the sum of $25 533.15. The
Board of Finance looked upon the matter
he said
Darn your books
There's the law said the trustees,
who could only get $40, 0o0 put in the levy.
In no way daunted, the trustees em-
ployed as their counsel George L. Record,
who asked the Supreme Court to man
damus the Finance Board to pay over the
full amount. While the case was before
the court the fnanciers made up the
next years tax levy and put in another
$4,000 instead of $26,315, the amount re-
quired by law. The trustees rejected this
and brought suit for the whole sum and
secured judgment. But the Finance
Commissioners, like Pharaoh of old, hard
ened their hearts. and would not let the
dollars go, and third suit was neces-
sary to bring the financiers to reason,
they having set at naught for three years
the mandates of the courts.
In 1890 and in the month of November,
the Trustees became possessed of the
nucleus of collection. 1t came from the
High School, but was in anything but ap-
pie pie order. 1t was carefully cata-
logued and weeded and marked a dis
tinct epoch in the Library's career. Dur
ing that same month the Finance Board
actually drew a warrant to the Trustees
for $4,000, and they began at once to look
around for quarters in which to store
their small library transferred to them
by the Board of Education The ground
floor of the Provident Institution for
Savings Bank building was leased on No
vemDer "a, from December l, 1890 to May
/, 1892, at a yearly rent of 1000, with a
privilege of renewal thereafter at the sum
of $1,000 a year. Next month the Trustees
appointed George w. Cole Librarian and
Miss Esther e. Burdick now Librarian
but then head cataloguer; Alfred C. Her
zog was Assistant Librarian. The Library
grew until it was necessary in March,
1891 to lease the basement of the Hud-
son County National Bank for $500, and
after a year, $1,000 per year. In that same
year Mr.. Michael Murray's term having
expired, Mr.. Stephen l.. Harvey was APP
pointed a Trustee and Mr.. Robert j. Nc
MILAN to succeed Mr. w. C. Heppenhei-
mer The end of the first year saw 10 10s
volumes and 946 pamphlets in the Library
and a rapidly increasing circulation de-
partment.
In the Librarys s second year 11.742 vol
umes and 31s pamphlets were added while
the circulation number had bounded up
to 345,o ,os6 volumes, Gifts began to pour
in and the Trustees were happy.
The hird year saw things SO prosperous
that the Jersey City library gave larger
returns for the money expended than any