The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-09-10

q
as living in place AMI not be a par
taker Of its greatest privileges.
There is such thing as having eyes
that see not, ears that hear not, and
ability that is not in service There
is such thing as living on the tenn
| porary instead of the permanent, as
reading and not becoming masterfuI,
as getting into literature and only
dissipating energy, time and charac-
ter. The greatest work is not done
when the library is established, when
the building is opened, when the IA
cilities are set in motion. There re-
mains yet the careful, strenuous use
Of discrimination to protect the life
| and the heart from the debasing and
the degrading. 1t depends upon what
one reads whether it is beneficial.
There are books and books, and they
are as different in purpose, character
and helpfulness as are individual men
and women. 1t depends upon what
one reads, what one thinks, what con-
secration one makes, what ideals one
follows, what kind Of use one makes
Of the great instruments of civiliza-
ton as to the results upon his ca
reer and upon society. A mind can
be fed to its upbuilding, it can be
fed to it's enervating. 1t can be
strengthened by its exercises, it can
be weakened by its designations.
What books and reading do for a hui
man soul depends upon the man and
the kind of reading and thinking he
cultivates.
5. What a library does for a peo-
pie depends upon what people does
for a library. Good agencies need
to have an opportunity to meet the
real demands. Whether a library is
benefit or curse depends upon the
management. 1t may be the hand
maid Of progressive civilization if it's
shelves are filled with the messages
of truth, Righteousness aid progress.
1t may be the source Of evil and Of
decentralization if it's books are Of the
trifing, the worthless, the desecrat-
ing and the degrading type so COM
mon among the publications of the
present age. This blessing to man
kind depends, therefore, upon the
prudence, the good sense, the honesty,
the sincerity and the wholesomeness
of the management which enthrones
the pure, the enrolling and the
Strengthening as the types that are
to direct the thinking Of the masses.
G. 1t is not necessary to have
thousands OF volumes to have great
usefulness. 1t is necessary to have
the right volumes. There is need to-
regard the indispensable, the essen
tial, the working character of the vol
umes. Current literature in the
large variety in which it appears to-
day is the most valuable to the man
of affairs to the club workers, to the
student and to the teacher, and when
preserved and properly classified,
guarantees great future for the
work in a community, as men live in
the present, not the past, and that
learning is modern and alive which is
especially serviceable to the solution
of present problems.
Who can estimate the good that
this beautiful library buildings free
gift to this city-should mean? Who
can measure the careers of the men
and women whose trend of develop
ment and service to the public will
be determined by the work that is to-
be in this home of culture and en-
lightenment? Who could dare to try
to calculate the inspiration to the
poor boys and girls who have here
free these sources of training and de-
velopment? Who can realize the
wonderful value of the crop whose
sowing takes two or three genera
tons to fully harvest the results?
oskaloosa has many things of which
she can afford to be proud, but her
greatest pride has~been In the past,
and will always be in the future, in
the men and women who living with
in her boundaries received the inspir-
alton and the encouragement which
sent them forth equipped to become
mighty factors in determining the
trend and the character of civiliza-
ton. 1t is great to dedicate, it is
greater to successfully carry out the
spirit of the dedication. 1t is grand
to commemorate the triumphs of eff
fort in the advancing of the public.
welfare. 1t is granted to see that
public welfare has become a reality.
Here this generation stands looking
back upon the progress and enlight-
eminent that has been attained. Let
it never be forgotten that the great
est deeds are yet to be done, the
greatest progress is yet to be accom-
plished and the largest problems o.
civilization are yet to solve.
The meeting closed with public
vote of thanks to Mr.. Carnegie for
the handsome and princely gift to
the people Of Oskaloosa. The mo-
tion was made by Mr.. Williams, sec
onded by John A. Kalbach. 1t was
carried unanimously.
President Rosenberegr, in the abb
sence OF Father Waldron,of St.Mary's
al, i.