Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-06-20
C0URTEAAY'S GIFT TO CHARLESTON.
FOUR HUNDRED PRICELESS VOLUMES AND
NUMEROUS HANDSOME P0srRAITs.
[Charleston News and Courier.

On"ioe1oh L.oraTy OOclety many
valuable and highly appreciated do
nations have cheered the hearts of
its members and added materially to
the almost priceless treasures con-
tanned in its cases and weighing its
shelves with knowledge. The Will
liam Porcher Miles Above of Shake
spearean literature, the Joseph j.
Legare Library of Art Works and
General Literature, the Trenholm
Collection and many other excep-
tionally valuable gifts have marked
new era in its historic life. But
the magnificent donation of books
and portraits by which the Hon.
William A. Courtenay has made
memorable the One Hundred and
Fifty-eighth Anniversary of the
Society possesses some features
which give it unique character and
individually, so to speak, which
places it in class of benefaotions
altogether its own.
For a long time the deep and abid-
ing interest of this publio-spirited
c!.!son in the welfare OF the library
has been manifested by frequent
gifts of rare books, of which the
seventy-tiye volumes of the Jesuit
Relations in their handsome case are
a striking example. But only a
favored few have been aware of the
fact that for more than sixteen years
MIR. Courtenay has been quietly de-
voting his time, his rare literary taste
and acute instinct of research, with a
lavish expenditure of money, to the
requirement of a specialized collec.
tion of rare and otherwise unattain-
able works, largely, if not entirely,
of local historic interest, with the
sole purpose of presenting them to
the Charleston Library. With char
acteristic singleness of aim and in
domitable perseverance, in the face
of obstacles, Mr.. Courtenay has pur-
sued his object to ultimate success,
and wisely recognizing the uncer-
tainties and unsatisfactory character
of posthumous generosity, be has in
living personality delivered his gift
and secured the infinite reward of
seeing TIE accomplishment of his life
purpose.
The gift consists of four hundred
volumes, large proportion of which
are rare editions of still rarer books,
of pamphlets arranged and assem-
bled into volumes, and bound under
the donors personal supervision,
covering in minutest detail the whole
period OF South Carolina, and espe-
cially Charleston history; four Ex-
Libris volumes, containing English,
French and Irish book plates; books
relating to the pre-Columbian dis
coveries of America and to anti
quarian research; a complete set
fifty- one volumes-of the Historical
Public Records of South
Carolina; Memorials, remarkably
full and interesting, of the Hon.
James Louis Petigru, and many more
volumes of like character and value.
The Timrod Collection-which is to
follow at some future date-is simply
beyond any computation of value,
and is contained in special cabinet,
handsome photograph of which has
been prepared. 1t is surely accord
ing to the fitness of things that this
complete and unique memorial to
Charleston's sweetest singer should
be one of the most cherished trea-
sures of the Charleston library. With
the books are cases specially made
for their keeping, upon the shelves
of which each volume has its desig.
mated place.
The portraits, most of which Mr..
Courtenay has had painted for the
library, are those of Hugh S. Legare,
William Crafts, William Gilmore
William Henry Trescot,
William James Rivers, William j.
GraysOn. Edward McCradv ard