New-York tribune., 1903-07-06

cottages on tire east side. where the fisk OF Nre
was Chiefly imminent. (Mr. Carnegie reserved
to the corporation the right OF appropriating 10
Its own purposes a small portion or the site OF
these four cottages, of which the precise extent
was to be oenned by mutual agreement between
the trustees and the corporation-) The trans
action was only carried through at tn expendi-
ture Of much time and money. Mr.. Carnegle's 8
Intervention indeed peculiarly opportune on
more grounds than were foreseen- The owner OF
tn three cottages furthest from the oirthpiace
had been q refreshment caterer on a modest
scale. 1t now proved that she intended TO con-
vert her three tenements into a single restau-
rant or tea shop or an orthodox modern pattern
1t was only on payment of a very large sum
(f2.O00) that she relinquished her resolve or es-
tablishing restaurant on what (she arguedl
was from its proximity to the birthplace, with
its annual army of visitors, the best site for
such a purpose in the town. Thus. by a happy
coincidence, Mr.. Carnegfe's purchase protected
the birthplace not only from peril OF FIRE. but
from peril Of proximity to most incongruous
innovation.
No conspicuous historic or archaeological in
terest attached to any Of the four houses The
two furthest removed from the birthplace Con
whose site once stood a single timoered ana
thatched cottage) were little better than novels;
they had been crudey built OF cheap modern
brick within living memory, were innocent or
all architectural features and were at the back
In ruinous condition. These two tenementS nave
been recentlv demolished, and the site is to be
converted into garden.
The other two cottages nearest the birthplace
boast more reputable record. In Shakespeare's S
day they formed one domicie, which was oe-
cupied by a blacksmith called Richard Horne
bye. In the seventeenth century the building
was owned by one ThomaSh Nash, whose al
legged Identification with the husband of Shake
81 cares granddaughter (of the same name) is
very doubtful The premises were early d.
vided into two dwellings, and until 1860 un-
derwent no further radical change. Hencefortn
renovation was frequent About 1910 the OLD
timber front, with an overhangtng story, was
removed, and a new fat brick front with pro
jecting windows, was set up In lts stead De
spite other repairs. OF later date the ancient
timber of the side walls. the timber beams or
the roof. and open fireplace with inglenook
nd
Vive.
So long as the houses were tenanted these
features, which may date from the sixteenth
century, were largely concealed by modern plas-
ter and wallpaper. Their presence was verified
by experimental scraping after the residents haa
left the premises during the last few weeks. A
thorough survey led the trustees to the con-
clusion that the old work inside these cottages
rendered their preservation desiraole' Inc eA-
pert advice Of J. A. Cossins, the architect, VINO
represents at Birmingham the Society FOR tne
Protection Of Ancient Buildings. showed thdt
it would be easy to renew the ancient shape
OF the interior. The harmless nineteenth CEN
t1trv brick facade has neither architectural nor
archaeological value, but believe that the trus-
tees purpose to leave it standing for the present
Whatever the extent of the "enovation, the
two cottages will henceforth be employed soleIy
for the purposes Of the Birthplace IIusC; I
Neither fire nor artificial light will be permitted
in them. The custodian's house Wh1ch slan1s
In their western vicinity, will be vacated, while
whence the two adjacent novels have been re-
moved will now bound them on their eastern
MACE which the purchase Of the four cottages
was Intended by Mr.. Carnegie TO secure VIII
be fully attained. At the same une. Lhs t u.s.
and the public will greatly benefit by the extra
room space which the conservation or two OF
the cottages places at the disposal OF tns uus-
tees The trust has long been in want OF con
venient boardroom, secretarial offices and muni-
nent room and to almost all those purposes
the new property can readily be adapted
now turn to the action Of the corporation
In the matter of the free library. Here voc. L
find that the censorious clamor rests on every
thing except accurate knowledge. The need or
desire Of public library in Stratroro mas oeeti
impugned. We are told that there are eHV1sn ,1
libraries there already. and that, many II =,
library is to be Imposed" on the town at all IL ~
is the height of improperly to set II up IL ~
HenIev-st Undoubtedly there are in the town
Two good Shakespearian collections OF books
each devoted to a particular departnent OF tL tae
subject; one of these special collections Is IN te
T2irfhnlace Museum, the other is in the SNAKE
enaare Memorial But the existence OF these
Observation-Disclosures as they are IN Iher '1 0"h
way-has little bearing on the present i
These Shakespearian collections nave notnlns ta ~
common with a library destined TO serve tne
general purposes Of the Stratroro puOLc- -
present the numerous readers anu stuuvLiso s
among the rank and file Of the Stratroro to"nSI
folk are without free access TO any gen eene4 @
literature apart from SNAKES peare1to Hoa ~ A cr
raference to standard treatises or sclence Ol
art to newspapers and periodicals. Inc Co. 60
nora +Ion's critics are in error In IMAGINING IiI
the +ownsfolk cherish doubts as TO the aoEdiI "a,
- 80 +I,a+ thew or their numerous summer VS.
itors are likely to derive from a Hee hDt LS q,
The public library system may Is De oP ctro+ford
IN nractice but no sensible native OF otIaII0i a.
hos heen found to deny that It's pIihclple - -
sound and one capable OF userul appllc@'loi -
his town. go -. o-,o,Do+a tho IL
brarv movement there. Before that was IN cues Is
tion efforts were made TO estaoIlsh Hee 80 -
brary and it was understood at otIaeoau +tes an5
Miss Corelli who attacks ooth trustees Ttiid
cOrnoratfon on the ground that the town AGs
never sought free library at all generousLy
proposed to provide site Tor a Tree t hpIat ~, "a
reading room, in furtherance of the townIolks
ITisTas "Before any mention was made or the
nronosed gift of a free library TO StratIorq-0h-
Avon by Mr.. Carnegie wrote MI, 81 H,rb W
fer an active citizen of Sratoro' 10 me ne
Stratford-upon-Avon Herald on June T.
vas asked to obtain for Miss Corell price Tor
the piece of land (then belonging TO MI. John
W'rfgbtS adjoining the technical school, In
Henley-st, for the purpose or 1ree hnrdry,
It would therefore. seem that MISS Corelil
in "historic Henley-st." The land IN question;
which had remained vacant since II was cleared
bv the fire Of 1896, six doors on the Dlrtn-
place. The negotiation for the purchase zen
tbrouph according to Mr.. Winters statement,
because Miss Coreln deemed the price asked Dy
the owners to be too high Thls schene OF
devoting to the public purpose Of a library the
only vacant site in Henley-st is now IN cc-$rse
of fulflment by the joint action of Mr. Car
negie and the corporation
IRRESPONSIBLE gossip reiterated throughout the
controversy even as lately as May IL, that MI
Carnegie proposed to erect in proximity 10
Shakespeare's birthplace an oStentatious build
ing of palatial spendor. This suggestion IS
meaningless travesty Of the truth. The only
part that Mr.. Carnegie has played in the bust
ness has been to promise payment Tor the
library building, whatever the form the cor
poration allotted to it. and on whatever site
they placed it. He has expressed the wish that
his name should not be bestowed on the build
ing and that IT should be merely called The
Stratford Free Public Library" The circum-
tion's consideration elaborate architectural
design. The cost of maintaining the