Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-25
BUILDING is DEDICATED WITH
APPROPRIATE CEREMONIES TO-
DAY.
-
COMPLETE HISTORY OF EACH
STEP SINCE THE INCEPTION OF.
THE IDEA.
EFFORT WAS GREAT BUT THE
PEOPLE THINK 1T HAS PAID BIG
ON INVESTMENT. !

Today, almost three years after the
nrst move was made toward securing
from Andrew Carnegie funds for the
establishmentinth this city of free pub
lie library, the people are privileged
to see the magnificent result of their
labors and dedicate the building to
the uses of the public of today and
the future. Two elections were neces-
sary in order for the citizens to eX-
press their willingness to do their
part toward securing this elegant free
institution of learning; change in
the Iowa laws was required; thous-
ands of words of correspondence have
been written regarding the matter;
hours of consideration and months of
labor have been expended and today
the people of the city, grateful to that
phlanthropic steel king, Andrew Car
negle, meet to honor his name and to
4 take possession of the institution
which, through his munificence, has
been given them. for their use, for
their children's use, and for their chill
dren,s children.
On January IL, 1900, the city of or
tumWa, through R. H. Moore, received
the first notification of the fact that
Andrew Carnegie was willing to donate
money for the erection of library
building providing the city would do
Its part in maintaining the institution
The letter was from James Beltram,
Mr. Carnegie's private secretary. and
was an answer to Mr.. Moore's inquiry
of January G. A copy of Mr.. Bet
rams letter follows:
New York. January -, 1900.
"R. H. Moore, Esq.
'Ottumwa, Iowa.
Dear SIR
Mr.. Carnegie has just read your
letter of the 9Th. He finds SO many
towns willing to spend $4,000 year
upon free public library and give
site that his hands are pretty full just
now, but he would like to know wbeth-
er Ottumwa' is prepared to do that.
Very truly yours,
james Betram,
"Private Secretary"
Mr.. Moore, Immediately upon receipt
of this communication. conferred with
some of the citizens who were interest
ed in the prospect of large public
library for Ottumwa, and the result
was an early reply to Mr.. Bertrams
letter, stating that Otumwa would be
only too glad to do her share in secur-
Ing such magnificent institution.
Promptly came the reply from Mr..
Carnegie's secretary as follows:
New York, Jan. 16, 1900.
'R. H. Moore, Ottumwa
Dear Sir:-In reply to your letter
I will say that if the city OF Otumwa
will provide suitable site for de-
tached building with light all around
and pass an ordinance obligating it.
self to maintain public library at a
cost of not less than $4,000 year,
Mr.. Carnegie will give $4,000 for said
library building.
Very respectfully yours,
James Bertram,
Private Secretary.
The public spirited people of Ottum-
wa We're at once enthused by this offer
and Immediately the question as to the
most, desirable site for library
building was taken under considera-
ton. The Courier interviewed a num-
her of citizens with regard to their
views in respect to this matter, and
the consensus of opinion at that time
seemed to be that the strip of land
willed to the city for library purposes
by the late Hon. P. G. Ballingall, lying
along West Main street just north of
the Union depot, was the best place
for the location of the uch-desired
institution.
At that time there seemed to be
very little doubt that the library would
be located on the Ballingall land,
which included the entire block on the
south side of Main street between
Washington and Marion streets with
the exception of lightweight feet on
Washington street, which was the
property of Adolph Busch, of st. Louis.
1t was thought that this land could be
secured at a reasonable cost, but later
developments brought out the fact
that there were some complications in
regard to the Busch land and the Bal
lingall estate which could not easily be
overcome, and consequently the peo-
pie who were interested in the enter
prise began to cast about for other de-
sirable sites
On January 1S, 1900, meeting of
the Ottumwa Library association was