The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-10-13
IOUNG MEH'S INSTITUTE.
ED SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL
 MEETING:

Borden, Librarian, Read an HistOri- .aI sketch Of the Institute-OrGan- 1ed in August Is2e-PreeariOus Early Eears-Agitation for Consolidation With New Free Public Library.
 he seventy-fifth annual meeting of
 Young Mems Institute association $ held last evening in the parlors of
 institute on Chapel street, Joseph
 French. the president, being in the air. William Alanson Borden, the rarian, read sketch of the insti- les history from its foundation in 6 to date. His effort brought forth Ich applause and many words of mmendation.
 Ir. Borden said in opening: For arly a century the education of the ung worhngman has been more or of a fad among certain good peo- and the decade from 1920 to 1880 very prolific in organizations for Is purpose.
 I have no desire to belittle this anch of educational work. It was rticularly necessary during the de- de spoken of and before. There many prominent men to-day who
 e their start in life to some of the stitutions. They did a good work and ey did it with good purpose. and ey are still cherished memory in E minds of many here
 The institute was one of them; and is the object of this paper to explain ly this library. now we'll along to- lrds its centennial, is still one of the ominent institutions of our city, in lad of being only a cherished mem~ y.'
 These organizations were generally nducted by class room methods. They ught men what they should know, It what they wanted to know. The prary answered the latter purpose, but praries and lecture courses were so re in those early days that young en took the classroom course through cessity, although they did not find
 satisfying their demands.
 "The institute was founded by eight ung men of New Haven in August, 26 under the name of the Appren- es' Literary association. A library as started at the outset There were fly a few books at first, but these ere well read. Classes also were ndueted.
 In 1927 a reorganization on a sound asiness basis was effected and the ame changed to the Young Mechanics stitute.
 The existence of the institution was fluctuating one during the period om 1927 to 1S40. In the latter year bother organization was effected. The stitute was granted a. charter by the gislature in 1S41 incorporating 1t un- er the name of the New Haven Young en's institute. It had at that time a embership of $50.
 The period from 1840 to 1856 was ery similar to the preceding period ex- ept that the institute was a larger ganization. The directors during this eriod were among the foremost citi- ens of New Haven.
 In 1856 the first important donation ias received being the income of $5,000 orth of Northampton railroad stock ven by Joseph E. Sheffield. 5 The building now known as the Pal dium building was built by the asso- ation in 1856. The period from 1856 to 61 was prosperous one.
 The Civil war caused great depres- aon, and in 1864 the association was Dmpelled to sell the building. Fduca- onal classes were dropped as the pup Sc school system was reaching state f efficiency, rendering them no longer Aecessary.
 4 The period from 1884 to 1879 was one 8f considerable struggle. The institute kandered about from place to place for Fant of a permanent home. In 1877 the Building now owned and used by the ssociation was begun, and it was com 8leted the following year. Beginning Fifth the fall of 1879 a prosperous era segan.
 A The institute was never a free library 7n account of financial necessity. As 5 was it was paying out three times s much as 1t received and is still do- Ing so.
 Then the agitation to merge the in 3titute into a free public library be- ian. Two plans were drawn up by judge Pardee in 18S6 The first propos- 3 d that the institute lease all it's prop srty to the city for ninety-nine years 4t nominal rent. The city was to Appropriate a certain sum each year for maintenance. Of a board of nine di- Sectors, the city was to have six and he institute three.
 The second plan was that the insti- ute itself become a free public libra
 OPERATIONS NOT ALWAYS