The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-01-24
A $40 900! Bull DING
PhilantbropiSt Carnegie Offers Mitchell
That Sum to Build a Public Ii,
brary Building.
Coy. Herried and AdN. Gen. CODklin
Coming to Inspect Co. D and Mus
ter in the Band,
Two New Teachers We're Elected, One to
Fill Vacancy, the Other to Take
Charge Of Room.
WILL MITCHELL ACCEPT?
Mr. Carnegie Proposes to Give
Mitchell $4,000 for Public
Library Building.
WILL MITCHELL ACCEPT?
Mr.. Carnegie Proposes to Give
Mitchell $4,000 for Public

There is proposition for a public
library building lying before the citi-
zens of Mitchell, and it is up to them
to make some disposition of the mag
unanimous offer. Some time ago E.
S. Johnston, editor of the Gazette,
took up a correspondence with James
Bertram,s the private secretary of An
drew Carnegie, with the idea of Sc
curing sum OF money for the erection
of library building in Mitchell.
Mr.. johnson states that he has re-
ceiyed a letter from Mr.. Bertram
wherein the offer Of $4,000 is ten
dered Mitchell to erect a library bull
ding, provided the city will contri-
butte ST, 900 per year for it's mainte-
nance.
This same offer Mr.. Carnegie has
made to other cities in the state, and
SO far as we know none of them have
turned the offer down, but have ac-
cepted it in the proper spirit and
gone ahead with the enterprise, look
ing for the future to come to the res
cue in a measure, for the mainte
nance of the project. Aberdeen and
Sioux Falls have accepted propositions
Of a similar nature, and both for
larger sums of money, thus entailing
greater expense in maintaining the
library. Those towns seem rather
glad Of the opportunity to secure a
building for that purpose, and in
both instances work is already in
progress toward the erection of the
buildings.
Mitchell lacks a library in the first
place as the nucleus for one of great
er pretentions. Some years ago there
was a Y. M. G. A. library but we be-
lieye the books have been changed
around from one place to another so
often that there are not so many now.
| What is left of the former library is
now at the postoffice news stand
While it would take 81 900 a year to
maintain the library it would require
a large sum of money to equip it
with books At the same time
Mitchell is OF sufficient size and inn
portance that it ought to have a pub
lie library, and this offer Of MI. Car
negies at the present time opens up
a favorable avenue to secure what
has long been needed. 1t would be
expensive no doubt, and the people
would have to pay for t-eyery per-
son would pay their share according
to their taxable property SO that the
burden would not fall on the few,
and distributed among the many it
would not work very much Of a hard
lship.
The city has a site on which the
| library building could be erected, in
case the offer is accepted. 1t is sug-
gested, if the fund could be so used,
that the library building be erected
on the. city lots on Third street, and
| in conjunction with its erection that
the city take up the matter of build
ing the city hall, which has been ln-
lunder discussion for year or more.
| 1t is very likely that under the cir.
cumstances the city could readily
| secure the money with which to put
|up the building. The library build
| ing and city hall could be construct
ed intorone building and yet mad,
practically distinct from each other
.IIf Mr.. Carnegie in his offer would
permit the city to follow Il plal
something after that fashion or any
thing better that may be suggested
| an imposing structure would be TIL
result.
We presume the matter will be pre-
sented tote city council in due form
at its next regular meeting to TAX
the initiatory steps in submitting th
project to the people OF the city
which can readily be done at the com
ing city elction.
This public library building is
progressive movement, and that j
characteristic Of the people of Mitch
ell. 1t might be little expensive a
the start but in the years to com
with the natural growth of the scit