The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-11
may soon HAV
CARNEGIE 4. | ! \ {. [: ; | | GIFT
Renewed and Vigorous Effort
Being Made to Get the
Public Library.
MONEY is STILL 4 WAITING l
Mr.. carncgie's Secretary Writes
That tic Gift Has Not

sas Richmond is TO have n great Carnegie
81 library Thslts what the Richmond Edu-5
4 cation Association have decided, and there
j seems ~ be- every prospect that the pro-
4 ject viii be successfully carried out.
" Some months ago Mrs z. G.. Minor
% d deter1nincd TO ask certain members Of the
E1atchmond Education Association TO unite
with hen IN bringing the long delayed
= Carnegie library mattcrSato an issue. ia "A
committee was formed, OF which Mrs.
4 Minor was chairman. This committee
consisted OF Mrs Minor. Miss Edwards
Mrs. Egg!eston;t Miss Kelly. Mr. James R.
I,ggIeston. Mr.. a. c. Hill, Mr.. w. W.
Il Archer. Mr.. J. T.. Thomas Mir w. s.
Z sCnpeland, Professor s. CT Mitchell, Mr..
& A. r. Pace. Mr.. Robert Whittet. ST.,
n Colonel W. Gordon aIcCabc and Mr.. W.
crens shaw. sS4 I. s,s
The committee appointed n ubcommlt-
tec,s composed OF Mr.. James r. Gordon
chairman; Professor Mi ltchell, Mr.. Cope
Il lnnd. Mr.. Whittet and Mr.. crensl1aw.s
The subcommittee requested Mr.. hit
i tet to write to- Mr.. Carnegie. !. in order to
q ind out II his 5offerSof four ,-earssago. to
give 10000, WIS sti1l good
Letter to Carnegie.
Mr.. Whittet sent the following letter.
to Mr.. Carnegie:
ft5S @ = ovember$ ~, lyO4.5sS
q Andrew Carnegie. Esq: 81 AZ "a
Dear Sir,-It Is now about four years
ii since you gave 10 Richmond the generous
q gift OF $780, 600 for a library building, and
& T am not 0little ashamed to gay that
% 1t has lain all this time inoperative:S and
I feel that an exploration IL due to you
to account for tho delay in proceeding
With the work. M 558z s Il 4s .
The city Counc you will remember.
yI,,se nd IN Ifyjf n n
n board OF trustees o carry out Its pro
visions, tho first or which was the matter
4 OF n site. This the trustees chose. and
recommended 1t to the Council for ap-
& proval. It was to have cost So, 600. But
Z about that time there arose considerable
feeling In the community on account o +
4 the condition Of the water supply and the
sewerage OF the western portion OF the.
city, which had recently been added a TO
the corporation boundaries. The amount
i Required for, these purposes vas very
q slarge-about $4,000. and quite ovcrshad-
owed appropriations In other directions.
and the Finance Committee of the time
RI ilegitated to recommend the purchase OF
1 the Site Now however, the water and
sewerage matters have been provided for,
and a number OF gentlemen Interested in
the library, considering it an opportune.
time to resuscitate an effort to obtain
II, met and appointed committee to
to bear on the Council to grant the ap-l
preparations required by the terms Of
your gift But before taking any steps
towards this end, and remembering the
lapse OF time which has occurred since
( your gift was made and the apparently
ungracious hesitation In putting It into
force. they are deslrous Of knowing how
a YOU feel III the matter, sincerely hoping
that we have not forfeited your kindness,
but that you are still willing to grant
lis the precious institution Of a FREQ public
Z library,
I enclose q copy OF a paper which was
presented to tho Council by the trustees
by way Of renlonstrance, and to stir them
q 10 action; hut Iregret to say that the
d water question proved too strong q
barrier we lave now. however, n new
Council, and our expectations are higher
( 5 T will be pleased to hear from you,
M and meanwhile remain,
/, Respectfully yours, 3GlE 5s
ROBERT NVlHITTET,e SIR. .gS
Mr.. Carnegie's Reply.
TO this letter Mr.. carnegle's private
(, secretary sent the following reply; u.
5 New York. November Is, 1874,
Robert Whttet, ESQ.,, No. II North
Eighth Street. Richmond, Va;
Dear Slr,-Yours of November 10th res
ceived. Mr.. Camege's gift has not lapsed
by the delay, and he hopes that Rich
lnond will soon be abreast Of other cities
IN regard to It's library.
@ Respectfully yours.
Il JAS. BUTRAN1,
8s Private Secretary.
,rhis very important point having been
Il thus happily settled, the suhcommitte tee
II determined to ask the Council $to pass
an ordinance based on tho statute known
as the g. IS, p, Fatteson statute In the
Virginia Code Of l09a.
Mr.. crensllaw lrrepared the ordlnance,
a which WAS submitted to Hon. IL =, Poll
Il lard, city Attorney, Mr. Pollard res
I wrote the ordinance ana passed II on to
81 Mayor Mccarthy, who 10 heartily IN
sympathy with the plan, There is no
doubt but that there VIII he some ans
tagonism manifested by certain members
of THE Council, but a large proper Ion
OF the members who have been interv
q viewed have shown a marked Interest
The ordinance viii be offered BY Alder,