Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-04-20
THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY.
A Citizen Calls Attention to Difficult
les in the way Of the Park Site
for the Library.
To the Editor of The Optic:

To the Editor of The Optic:
In its issue of April 10th The Optic
made reference to the fact that the
city council was asking for bids for
| the plans and specifications OF the
public library. It is to be hoped that
| it is not the intention Of the city to
place the Carnegie library in the park,
as the resolution recently passed by
the council would indicate. We feel
quite sure that such a location would
be grave mistake and would reflect
no credit upon the city. II the build
ing be erected there it must of neces-
sity have four faces, which, according
to the estimates of architects, would
require an outlay of about $4,000 more
than if such building were placed
elsewhere upon some street, where
only one face would be needed.
There would then be left only
about $4,000 to do the rest of the
work, including plumbing, heating,
lighting and all other accessories.
From this it will be seen that very
little can be done with the money
appropriated for this purpose and that
il this money be expended in erecting
building there, the building must
be very small, plain and unattractive
and not in any sense III Keeping with
the large dimensions of the ground in
the center of which it is placed. 1t
would hence prove to be ugly and un-
slightly, when it might, ii properly To-
Gated, be an ornament to the CITY, 1t
would be a poor attempt at economy
to locate this building in the park il
order to save the public the cost of
suitable site.
Besides this, the building, we think,
should be located more centrally, SO
as to be convenient to the people OF
the entire community.
It is well known that when the do
nation was asked for it was repre-
sented to Mr.. Carnegie that the town
of Las Vegas comprised some 10000
inhabitants and this number was made
up hy including in the estimate all
the people on the west side of the Gal
linas in the unincorporated part OF the
town. These citizens having been
counted in order to secure this dona-
ton, and it having been further rep
resented that they were most IN need
of the advantages of a library, it
would be unfair to them to locate the
building in a portion OF the city SO
remote as the park. This is the more
imperative for the reason that these
same citizens have offered, III case
central location be chosen, to pay one
half Of the cost OF the ground and
besides their proper share OF the cost
of maintaining the library
In the present state of the city's
finances, when the limit of taxation
for all purposes has been reached and
the council can not levy ana
collect dollar Of tax for
the support of this institution, ii
would seem the part of wisdom to 50
locate the building as to enlist in its
welfare the widest public interest and
IN this way draw to it the largest
measure of support The city cannot
guarantee anything. and so far as it
has done so it is based upon the sub
scription OF it's citizens, which at best
is only good for three years and may
be withdrawn or fall either wholly
or in part, for many reasons, before
that time has expired. The amount
needed for the maintenance of this L.
brary is too great a tax upon the gen
erosity of one-half of the community,
while with the hearty cooperation Of
all the chances of success are more
than doubled. Since recourse must
be had TO subscriptions, 1t cannot mat
ter whether they are procured within
the limits of the incorporation or not.