Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-07-26
Mr.. James Bertram,
New York CITY.

ence with the Hon. Neal Brown who
at that time represented the library
board of the city of Wausau, in rela-
| tion to the generous offer of the Hon.
| Andrew Carnegie to cities for libraries,
| the last letter OF which was dated
January l3, 1903, you stated that the
city of Wausau might have Jhe-sum of
S25 600 for library building upon the
conditions attached to all such dona-
tions. The city understood and pro-
perly so, that building site must first
| be provided and the question of the
| location of the same in our city as well
as in others, became disturbing factor,
which prevented the prompt accept
ance Of the generous offer of the Hon.
Andrew Carnegie until lately.
The city is now in condition to
comply with all the requirements
precedent to the acceptance of the
donation. For fear that the applica-
ton of the Hon. Neal Brown has
escaped your memory | take the lib
erty to inform you again of the pres
ent condition of our city.
The school census of 1908 shows the
number of children of school age to be
Sab, of which 1896 were enrolled in
public schools and 7l3 in private, and
the increase is still more for the census
of 1904, which has not yet been COM
pleted. The population of our city is
now between Is, 600 and Is, 900.
We have q public library consisting
of over 1900 volumes exclusive of
magazines and public reports and
records. We pay librarian S45 per
month, and keep the library open dur
ing busines hours and on evenings of
Saturday.
The library is supported by private
means and public taxation and the
sum annually raised for its support by
the city during the last six years was
on the average of 81 800. We desire
home for the library and for that
reason the Hon. Neal Brown made
the application to the Hon. Andrew
Carnegie on behalf of the library
board.
The undersigned is the president of
the present library board and renews
the request at this time, assuring you
that ali the conditions precedent to
the donation have been complied with,
so far as we were informed by Mr..
Mr.. Brown, except the purchase of the
site, which will be done as soon as we
hear from you in relation to the matter.
The common council of the city of
Wausau at regular meeting in July
adopted an ordinance levying the
sum of So, 500 annually for the support
of the library, to become effective as
soon as the site is procured, which
will be done after we hear from you
that the city has complied with all
the conditions of the gift and can rely
in going ahead with procuring plans
and making contracts for the build
ing.
Please inform us therefore, whether
we have, in your judgement, complied
with all the conditions after the site
is procured and if not, what else is
necessary to obtain the donation so
generously held out to us.
Mr.. Brown is not here and may not
return for some time and as he has not
filed the letters or correspondence he
had with you in relation to the matter,
we are unable to Judge exactly of what
was demanded of us at that time, ex-
cept as was orally stated by Mr.. Brown
70 the members of the library board at
that time.
We request therefore that you may
inform us as soon as possible, whether
we have done all that is necessary to
obtain the gift, and if so whether we
can go ahead with advertising for
plans after we have purchased the site,
and will it be necessary to submit to
YOU the title deed for the site and
plans for the building?
Please give us all the information in
your reply. I enclose a copy of the
ordinance adopted for the tay levy.
Very Respectfully Yours,
LOUIS MARCHETTI.
President of the Library Board, Wau-
sau, Wis.
HoBoKEN, N. j., July IA, 1904.
Louis Marchetti, Wausau, Wis.
DEAR SIR:-Yours of the Sth inst,
addressed to Mr.. James Bertram, is
referred to me for attention, as Mr..
Rertram is spending the summer in
Scotland with Mr.. Carnegie.
Please send to me at above address
certified copy of ordinance providing
for the conditions attached To MIR.
Carnegie's gift of $25, 900 to Wausau
for erection of library building, also
official advices that site for proposed
building is owned.
Upon receipt of the above Mr. Car
negieis gift will be available and /
shall take pleasure in advising you in
the matter of payments on this ac
count. Yours truly,
R. A. FRANKS.
| Judge Marchetti fui4..,- lie brief
statement representing the situation
generally, relating to library building,
and after brief discussion by others
it was moved and carried unanimously
that the present committee on Free
Public Library appointed by the Wau-
sau Mems club, namely. G. ). Curtis,
Louis Marchetti aud G. b. Bird, be
appointed the eommitte of this meeting
to obtain funds for the purchase OF a
| library site. and for such other pur-
| poses as may may be deemed desirable
in connection with the Wausau Free
Public Library. Such committee was
authorized TO appoint such other sub
committees and 10 obtain such other
assistance as it may think proper.
1t was conceded that the Wausau
Free Public Library owes its existence
largely to the Ladies' Literary club,
snd on motion unanimously carried,
the said general committee was
directed to cooperate with the Ladies
Literary club, and with the board Of
directors of the Wansau Free Public
Library.
1 The committee announced the follow
ing snb-committees subject to vision
and addition
i 1st. Committee for Raising Funds
Il u. L. Plumer, + P. Stone, james