Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-02
EAGER FOR A LIBRARY
Citizens Of Langdon Hold En-
thusiastic Meeting.
COMMISSIONER WEST
REV. W. E. PARSONS AND MR..
JAMES T. DU BOTS SPEAK.
All Tell of the Needs of the Thriving
Little Suburb - Resolu-
tons Adopted.

mass meeting, under the auspices of the
Northeast Suburban Citizens Association,
to ratify the action Of the association in
offering site for branch library.
Addresses were made by Commissioner
Henry L. West. Mr.. James T. Du Bots. a
member of the board of trustees of the
public library, and the Rev. w. E. Par
sons. d. D.. president of the board of di-
rectors of the Lutheran Home for the
Aged.
The meeting was called to order by
President Edwin A. NJ Lawson of the
citizens association Mr.. Lawson made a
short address, in which he set forth the
needs Of the community and asked the
citizens to take a more active interest
| in the work of securing Improvements.
He said the meeting was called as much
for the purpose of awaking interest in
the citizens association movement as for
any other purpose. and that the time had
now arrived when all the citizens must
pull together for the good of the locality
in which they lived. He spoke of the other
citizens associations and Of what they
had been able to accomplish for their re-
spective sections of the District. He urged
the citizens present to join the associa-
ton Immediately, and notified them that
applications would be received by the sec
| rotary at the close of the meeting.
A series of resolutions read by the secre-
| tary. Mr.. l.. H. Patterson set forth what
had been done in Langdon and what was
needed. The fact that certain streets had
been macada mixed and that certain other
streets needed macadamizing was brought
out. as well as the need of a bridge over
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at 2Sth
street. thereby connecting the suburbs of
Langdon with Avalon Heights. The Com
missioners were thanked for their kindly
acts with regard to the branch library
site. There was contained in the resolu-
tons the following:
Public Library Question.
Whereas Mr. Andrew Carnegie has do
mated a sum Of money for the establish
ment Of branch libraries in different sub
urban sections Of the District and
whereas the sites offered for a branch
library in Langdon are admirably located.
being on high elevation and In close
proximity to Langdon grove, with its fifty
great oaks, many Of them over 100 years
old; and
whereas Langdon is the center of this
thickly populated northeastern section and
therefore the proper location for the IL
brary; therefore be 1t
Resolved That the action of the North
eastern Suburban Citizens Association In
requesting the trustees of the public H.
brary to locate a branch library in Lang
don be and hereby is approved by this
public meeting of the citizens of the north
eastern section of the District"
The resolutions were adopted unani-
mously.
Commissioner West said 1t was very hard
for a Commissioner Of the District to have
to listen to requests for improvements and
not be able to grant them. The Commits
s1oners represent as well as they can the
entire District he said. and have all the
sections at heart. 1t Is impossible for them
to grant all the requests for improvements
matter how b3d1v they m h<a ad
Congress must be appealed to by the Com
m1ssioners after the people have petitioned
the Commissioners, and the people should
endeavor to impress on Congress the neces-
stiles of their section as well as on the
Commissioners.
Mr. West spoke of the history Of the city
Of Washington and its rise from forest to
it's present grandeur. 1t has not reached
the limit of it's Improvement and growth
yet. he predicted. The time will come when
the streets will be extended to the utter
most limits of the present District and rows
Of houses will mark the places that are
now bare and vacant.
Mr.. West commented on the condition of
things In Langdon as he had seen them in
his walk from the electric railway and as
serted that If it lay wholly with him
Langdon would have everything 1t had
asked for and more, too.
DR.. Parsons Address.
Mrs. D, ]. Roberts gave a short reclta-
ton. after which DR.. w. E. Parsons was
introduced. DR.. Parsons said the resolu-
tions suggested three thoughts to him. The
first was the necessity for light. Light was
needed everywhere and by everybody, he
said. He had never had that thought more
forcibly brought to his attention than in
walking to the town hall from the Luth-
eran Home, where he had spent the earlier
part Of the evening II 1t had not been for
the guidance Of a stranger he would not,
he said, have been able to find the hall
There was insufficient light and poor light
when there was any at all.
The second thought suggested was the
need Of water. DR.. Parsons told OF the
difficulty the authorities of the Lutheran
Home had encountered in getting water
and said they had finally decided to wait
until the extension Of the city mains. This
was a thing that everybody wanted and a
thing that was needed for the school, the
library that Is to be and for the proper
maintenance Of the Lutheran Home, In
which the speaker was more particularly
interested.
The third thing the speaker desired to call
to the attention Of the people Of Langdon
and the Commissioners was the lack OF
proper roads and proper outlet from the
city. DR.. Parsons said this was felt by
every person who had business in the sub
encountered in driving from his home on
Capitol Hill to the Lutheran Home In
Langdon. a distance Of not more than two
or three miles. yet which consumed several
riage.
At the close Of Dr. Parsons address, Mrs.
Finley s. Hayes sang a solo. after which
Mr.. James T. Du Bots, a member of the
board OF trustees Of the public library, was
introduced
Mr.. Du Bots Speaks.
Iir. Du Bots confined his remarks to a
statement of the conditions which will have
to be met by legislation before the trustees
of the library can proceed to portion out
the fund given by Mr.. Carnegie for the es-
tablishment Of Libraries. The board Of trus-
tees. he said would like to see $4,000
branch library in every suburb; and If they
could, they would authorize the building of
the library, but Congress must be induced
to take certain action looking toward the
administration Of this fund before 1t can be
portioned out.
The speaker paid an eloquent tribute to
Mr.. Carnegie. reciting the principal events
in the history of the phiianthropist who.
Mr.. Du Bots claimed. Is one of the greatest
men the world has ever produced.
The meeting was held under the direction
OF committee from the citizens associa-
ton, which included President Lawson,
Secretary Patterson. E. F. Hazel, Wilton
Harvey and !. ]. Baker.