The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-08-08

1gtu OF the EEOject VI EEeCAH6 -
BuiIding-Its Dedication.
In the current number of the Con-
neeticut Magazine, Judge Lynde Har-
rison, of this city, writes a description |
of the Blackstone library at Branford
and the events which led UP to its es-
adjustment. The article is a very in
teresting one, entertainingly written
and furnishes facts about the library
and its donor not hitherto published.
Judge Harrison's article follows:
The town of Branford, Connecticut.
which was settled in 1910, as one Of the
early towns of the New Haven colony,
has been very fortunate in having OBJ
tanned " the liberality of one of her
sons, one of the finest libraries in the
country, with a large endowment,
which will always, keep it well supplied
with books. %4.
In the summer Of 1890 afew of the
residents of the town, including two
or three of the clergymen then in
Branford, conceived the idea that APP
peals might be made to some men who
had been born in the town and had
been successful in business elsewhere.
Letters were written to few of them,
and one sent to Timothy Blackstone Of
Chicago, then president of the Chicago
s. Alton railroad. Mr.. Blackstone was
born in Branford about 1928. His faith
er, James Blackstone, was a descend
ant of William Blackstone, one of the
first settlers of Boston. JAMES Black
stone was for many years leading cit
lien of his town and county; and rep
resented Branford in both branches of
the general assembly Timothy was
the youngest son, and was educated as
a civil engineer. After doing some
work in the layout of the New York s.
New Haven railroad, and subsequently
Of one of the railroads of Vermont, he
was invited to Illinois ia take part in
the work of a civil engineer in laying
out some of. the. railroads in, that state.
He was capable, successful and fortu-
nate in every respect, and while still a
young man he was made president of
the Chicago & Alton Railroad Compa-
ny. -...5~ .sz4s..
Asssoon as Mr.. Blackstone received
the letter it impressed him favorably,
and in the summer of 1890 he came to
Branford and New Haven and made
inquiries about the construction of a
ton for one in the town of Bfanford.
He stated to the friends with whom he
consulted that he would like to build a
library in Branford in memory of his
father, and he would desire it to be
named the James Blackstone Memori-
al Library" He was told that the ex-
perience Of some small libraries that
had been started in the country towns
of Connecticut had been that after the
buildings had been erected and the
books provided it was difficult to OBJ
tain sufficient funds to keep them run
ming; and 1t was suggested to him that
out of such sum of money, that he
might be disposed to give for such a
purpose, it would be well that portion
of it should be put into an endowment
fund; This suggestion struck him IA
vorably, and he then stated that If he
should decide to establish such libra
ry,he desired that special charter
should be obtained from the legislature
of Connecticut, putting the entire man.
agement and control Of the library
and its funds In the hands of a self
supporting board of trustees, who
should not be subject to any local or
town Interference, and only liable to
be- called upon to render annually an
account to the governor of the state of
the income and expenditures of the
corporation for the preceding year, and
an inventory of it's assets and invest
Inents. He promised If a special char
ter could be obtained with such provi-
sions, that hit would then provide the
funds for building and an endoW-
meIt. Anticipating that there would
be no difficulty in obtaining a charter,
l1e5selected a spot on the Main street in
Branford just west of the public green,
and directed that that should be pur-
chased for the purpose of erecting a
building upon it later. He employed a
New Haven architect to prepare some
Sllupl5 Spletl1S WHICH were IurnlSneQ TO
him. but he subsequently decided to
expend larger sum and put up a finer
building. He made no use of the New
Haven plans, but employed a well
known Chicago architect S. S. Beeman,
to prepare plans for handsome mar
BILE library A charter for the James
Blackstone Memorial Library associa-
tion was prepared and introduced into
the general assembly of Connecticut in
1891. The deadlock over the election
Of state officers in that general assem-
bly, prevented any business of any
character being done, and, therefore,
Mr.. Blackstone decided to wait until
he could obtain proper charter for
the association. During the next two
years Mr.. Blackstone gave much time
and attention to the Improvement of
the, first plans which had been pre-
pared by Mr.. Beeman, and the build
ing finally erected was a handsoner
building in every way than it would
have been if there had been no dead
lock in the general assembly of 1891. A
charter was obtained on the 23d of
March, 1893. Six residents of Branford