The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-08-10
DEDICATED TONIGHT
Handsome Library to be Form.
ally Opened With Program.
GROWTH OF 1HE,. LIBRARY.
List of Donations, and Description
of the Handsome Home of Deni-
sons Library.

This evening witnesses the open
ing of the Carnegie Library in
Denison- The event has been looked
forward to with great interest. not only
because of its Importance as an event
in our city's history but because it will
throw open to the eager reading public
the large number Of new books recently
purchased
Denison has long had q public Library
1t was begun by the :hcol district and
for wears had its home in the book store
owned by L. T. Carr The library
finally founda a home in the fine suilding
donated to the w. C. T. U. of Denison
b. Mrs. McKim.
White a number of citizens took great
interest in the library the tax voted
from year t. year was small leaving
but small margin for the pnrchas: OF
new books until the library was prac-
ically 'lead out.
The first impetus toward library de-
velopment came not from MIR. Carnegie
but from humber. but 20 less phllan-
thropic source, Prof. Savage return
in; from institute work in the northern
part of the state two years ago. brought
the good tidings t hat Mr.. Geo. Schee,
of Primghar, Iowa, had offered
Denison 81 900 for the purchase
of books providing s25oo addition
al could be raised in Denison. A num-
Der of citizens interested themselves
and despite of some opposition in which
local paper joined, the required
amount was soon donated.
About this time the Friday Club
ladies' also interested themselves in
library work and through their enter
prise about SaOu worth of valuable
books were added.
Those having the matter in charge
now found themselves with sufficient
funds to purchase good library but
without suitable place to house 1T,
1t was felt that, public library should
be in a public building. where every
person no matter what their belief on
religious or moral questions might feel
equally at homs 1t was in this pre-
licament that Mr.. Carnegie was ap
pealed to- A statement of fact was
prepared and presented to the distin
guished millionaire both by letter and
by Hon. J P. Conner personally
Finally. to the great JOY of all, Mr.
Carnegie came to Denison's rescue with
the handsome donation of $4,000. Tht
site was the next proposition to be set
tied, after the couacil with the practic
ally unanimous approval of the peopl
had voted $1,000 per year maintenanc
tax. The site problem was Difficult
one, made more so by the fact tina
those in charge wished, to conserve tn
funds for buildings and books rathe
than to spend it for real estate Tn
present ideal location was looked a
with longing eyes and as soon as Mr..
P Miller, residing in California, hear
that his property was desired for librar
purposes he showed his loyalty to tn
old home by presenting it to the city.
With the presentation OF the Sit
most of the obstacles seemed to hav
been overcome. But it was SON foun
that building such as was desire
could not be built for the ten thousan
dollars at hand. The plans adopted
drawn by Cox and Schoentgen of Coul
ell Bluffs, were models of desirabilit.
and handsome architecture and tt
board finally succeeded in placing tt
contract for the building with MI
Frank Fee, for $4,000 for the buildiD
alone. This left the shelving, furnis
51a ing, lighting and heating still to be'pr
yided. These amounts reaching a lit
over s25O0.OO were paid out of the a
oumulated library tax, end the buildir
was completed. 1t was felt howev