The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-06-26
a PUsLIc LIBRARY.

clarksburg needs a public library. In
nearly every other city in this broad land
Of ours, which boasts Of the population
and commercial and industrial activity
that We do, We can find public libraries.
Some Of them, it Is true contain but
very few volumes, yet those few volumes
form the nucleus Of a collection Of book,
that win do more good towards the IN
teIlectual and moral improvement and
advancement Of the community in which
it circulates than would thousands Of
books in a private library.
not many years ago. in a small town
in another state, the population OF which
today IS less than the population Of thi,
city, the ladies Of the town got together
and formed society for the purpose OF
starting a public library fund. The!
met one evening and formed an organi-
cation. They didn't have cept to start
the fund with, but they had that deter.
mination and indomitable pluck. which,
when possessed by an earnest woman
knows no such word a failure or defeat
They mapped out a plan of procedure
and got down to business. They had the
object in view Of eventually starting a
public library, vet in their plans they
had no definite idea of when they would
be able to accomplish their purpose. The
actual library to them seemed vague
and shadowy thing of the future They
knew not whether they would ever see
a naturalization Of their hopes or not.
The first thing the ladies did was t
suspend two or three Of their card clubs
They devoted the nights usually spent
in playing ouchre and whist to the Ii.
brary club. They got one or two sub
scriptions towards their fund. The sub
scriphons were small, yet those small
subscriptions were the beginning Of
fund that in after years finally accom-
plished the fondest hopes of the women
Instead Of giving card parties, the ladies
gave .oeials. They netted small sums
from these which went towards then
fund Later they gave an ice cream
lawn fete and Melted over $780, Penny
by penny and dollar by dollar. the Il
brary fund increased until it reached
sum that really entitled It to be called
such a thing. Then they got up loca'
talent entertainment, presented the same
TO kind and indulgeut audience in the
local opera house and added several hun
dred more dollars to the library fund.
With this Overwhelming success cap
tioning many smaller like events, GOV.
ering period of two or three years, tn,
ladies began to get brave. Not that they
commenced 10 become enthusiastic. No.
They were filed with enthusiasm, in their
work when they first met to organize
their library club, and that enthusiasm
zeal and energy did not cease one whit
during the several succeeding years Of
their untiring work. But the ladies be
came brave, very brave. They were 60.
ing to run a newspaper! They were not
going to actually purchase a printing
plant and operate 1t, for such a thing
all men newspaper men. anyway viii
agree. would have meant complete *.
haustion Of their fund, fer time at
least. The ladies held a meeting one |
night and appointed committee to wait
on the editor OF the leading daily news.
paper Of their city. The conference vaa |
not unsuccessful. The editor, with til,
usual magnanimity Of newspaper men,
agreed 10 turn over his whole plant
newspaper, printing presses, engines
mailing lists and all to the ladies for a
period Of twenty-four hours. He agreed
To print twelve pages OF their daily paper
for that issue in advance, and to turn
over the management Of his printorial
force to them. Why, he even agreed to
i've up his sacred editorial desk to Are
he city editor and 10 take to the woods.
II our memory serves us right, the Ia.
lies Number Of that daily paper was is
med on the lst day Of May, lso7~-oyer
ixteen years ago. The edition was
ady editor.in-chief, lady reporters. lady
ociety editor, lady sporting editor, LADY