The Somerset reporter., 1903-08-06
For the REPORTER.
The Free Library at
NOrridgewOck.

MS OWN achievements III the lHdttSIt COn-
ceived the notion Of securing tn permanent
foundations of public library for the town.
There was at that time a library on the
north side of the river of something more
than thousand volumes, owned by a small
number of people in that locality, but which
was accessible only to those in its immediate
vicinity. To the people on the south side Of
the river that library was practically a dead
letter, because toll bridge and mile Of
road lay between it and a majority Of the
south side residents in the village; besides
library cards had to be paid for so that the
library had practically no circulation on the
south side of the river, at least.
With the above mentioned facts in mind,
the writer. who had no money to give, start
ed out single handed to make canvas Of the
business men and farmers of the town and
he soon found out that while a large number
were sceptical, majority wanted a library,
located in central place and one which
could be used by all citizens, free from all toll
and expense.
The subject was preached to DR.. Brown,
then and now correspondent OF the REPORT
Err, who readily gave his valuable assistance
to so excellent project His articles set
forth fully to the residents of the town how
library could be founded. The town must
raise two hundred dollars to begin with and
the state, thereupon, would give us one hun
bred dollars worth of books.
A few days after the writer mentioned the
matter to Mr.. Cony Russell. Mr.. Russell
offered to give fifty dollars towards starting
the library. Mr.. F. W. Spaulding who own
ed circulating library of considerable value,
then offered to give it to the town, if the
library uas established and fuytbey oaparoua
ly offered the use of his store for a library
until the town could afford to provide libra
rian and furnish building The writer was
at that time one of the selectmen, and as the
snow bills were coming into his office almost
every day for month or two before town
meeting in March, no effort was spared to
canvas the feelings of every voter upon the
library question. Chronic "kickers" were
approached with care by friends of the libra
ry, and the most skeptical of them, at last,
agreed not to oppose the library at the town
meeting.
At the March meeting Of 1901, after it had
been explained that the state would aid us to
begin, and would always give ten per cent Of
the running expenses afterwards, and that
hese contributions by Mr.. Russell and Mr.
Spauldng were already at hand, not voice
gifts and raising enough more to make the
nucleus of free library. A committee was
appointed by the moderator of the meeting,
consisting of five citizens to establish the
library out of the various funds at hand.
The town already owned a set of Maine
reports in the Harrington law Office worth
three hundred dollars; the town raised one
hundred and fifty dollars; Mr.. Russell gave
worth from one to two hundred dollars; the
state gave one hundred dollars in books.
That made a collection Of books to begin on
worth seven hundred dollars.-not a large
amount, but quite respectable considering
that 1t was only a start. The committee
chosen to put the library into operation was
c. II. Hussey, Cony Russell, Rev. J. A.
Jones, l.. K. Folsom and Charles Warren.
When the library opened it was in room
directly over the South Norridgewock post
Office, where it has remained since that time.
A good number of citizens began to patronize
the library at once and the circulation Of the
books has continually increased. The libra.
ry committee made arrangements with the
ladies of the Village Improvement Society
and others interested, to furnish librarian ser
vice, so that for that particular department to
date, the town has been to no expense, and
great credit is due to the Village Improve
ment Society for what they have done for the
library since its foundation. Their interest,
however, is naturally lightning to wane, and
it is probably only question Of short time
when the town will have and ought to have
responsible librarian who shall be paid by
the town. 1t is asking too much of the I'm
provement Society To expect the members to
taly 81
gree of care, necessary to keep one or more
OF their number constantly ready to take up
the work on library days
AT the March meeting of 1902, the town
raised one hundred and fifty dollars more
for the library and accepted fifty dollars from
Miss Rebecca S. Clarke; at the last March
meeting the town raised another hundred
and fifty dollars. The library contains, it
will be seen, about twelve hundred dollars
worth of books. 1t is doing good educa
tional work; it is located where it encourages
reading, and the number of readers is now
constantly increasing.
So much for the past history Of the library
A few days ago, Miss Rebecca 5, Clarke
made an offer to the library committee. 1t
was substantially as follows:
She would give the use of the small Lind
sey house at the north end of the toll bridge
to the town for public building as long as
the town would keep it in repair, heat and
light it, furnish librarian and give the Vii
lage Improvement Society the right to hold
meetings there, and provided the toll bridge
company would let passers to and from the
library cross the bridge free.
Now Miss Clarke and her sister are writer's
OF emlnence. The people of Norridgewock
are all justly proud that so celebrated literary
geniuses have been reared here and still re
side here. The offer, therefore, of Miss
Clarke was worthy of careful consideration at
the hands of the townspeople.
In the first place, it was made from the
most generous motives. Miss Clarke un
doubtedly had the best interests of the town
at heart; she would furnish a meeting place
for the Village Improvement Society; she
would have library patrons cross the toll
bridge free All this can be said in favor of
accepting the offer.
On the other hand, the north side Of the
river already had good library; hence the
acceptance would bring both libraries to the
north side of the river in an out of the way
location; but very few people on the south
side, especially of the farmers, have any bust
ness to cross to the north side of the river;
there is not single store or place Ct business
whatever, on the north side, so that it is very
far from being convenient or central
location, as by far the great majority of citi-
Gems OF the town live south of the toll bridge.
Every family in town has business on the
south side of the river. All OF the south and
north side people come to the business part