The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-10-30
MUNIFICENT GIFT Mrs. HoadIey B. Ives Offers s3OO,OOO to the City for New Public Library
 Building.
CITY MUST PROVIDE SITE
OPTION ALREADY OBTAINED ON THE BRISTOL PROPERTY.

This Located Corner of Elm and Temple
 Streets-February 1, 1907, Fixed us
 the Limit of Time in Which to Ac-
 cept the Property-Gift Discussed at Meeting of Library DirectOrs-City Will Undoubtedly Accept-structure Will Serve as Monument to Ives Fam
 iIy-SIrs. Ives Letter of Gift.
 Through her attorney, Professor George Watlous, Mrs. Hoadley B. Ives announced her intention to the board of library directorse last night of giving to the city a handsome S300,000 library building if the city will furnish a site, It was also announced that the option had been secured by gentlemen whom Mrs. Ives had chosen to advise her on the Bristol property, which is on the northeast corner of Elm and Temple streets. The price placed on the prop erty by the heirs is $75,000, and the city or Mrs. Ives is given until February 1, 1907, to take or refuse it.
 Mrs. Ives'letter as read to the libra ry directors last night is as follows:
 To the Bard of Directors of the Free Public Library of the City of New Haven.
 Gentlemen:-If the city of New Ha- wen will provide suitable site for 1t, I desire to erect and present to the city a handsome, freproof building for it's public library. With the assistance of Mayor Studley, and a few other gen. tlemen, in whose taste and Judgment I have especial confidence, a site has been suggested which to us seems to be the best that could possibly be found. This is the Bristol property, on the northeast corner of Elm and Temple street, having frontage of 102 feet on Elm street, and on Temple street of about 251 feet. It has been ascertained that this property can be purchased at a price which it is believed the city would be willing to pay, and an option upon it has been procured.
 If the city will accept this proposi- fion, and agree to provide this site, I will at once, with the assistance of the gentlemen of whom have spoken, pro- cure designs for a building suitable to that site and submit them to you for approval. After design which is mutually acceptable shall have been agreed upon, the work will be carried forward at once, and arrangements have been made with MT. George D. Watrous, my attorney, to provide, as it may be needed a sum of money, which, in the opinion of my advisers, is suf- ficient to construct building which shall be an ornament to the city, and worthy of the site.
 Respectfully yours,
 Mary E. Ives.
 (Mrs. Hoadley B)
 The gentlemen to whom Mrs. Ives re- fers in her letter are Professor John F. Wier of the Yale Art school General s. E. Merwin, Burton R. Mansfield and Professor Watrous, and this number is increased by the addition of the name of Samuel R. Avis, president of the li- brary board, who was invited to be-
 
 Attorney Watrous last night.
 It is now the part of the city to de- eide whether 1t will accept the gift or not. The meeting of the library board was an informal one, and at the re- quest of Mayor Studley, at whose call the members of the board came to- gether, no action was taken. The may or said that he had called the directors together on the evening before their regular meeting merely that they might all hear the facts and have some time to think them over before taking any formal action. The directors were merely called together as citizens to hear the announcement, but despite this fact Librarian Stetson thought that the facts should be kept from the public, and objected to the presence of newspaper representatives. This caus- ed some discussion among the mem- bers of the board, most of whom were in favor of the admittance of the news paper men. The matter was decided by the firm action of the mayor who an- nounced his intention to give the news paper representatives an account of the proceedings, If they were refused au- mittanee.
 The members of the board present were Samuel R Avis, Mayor John P. Studley, A. Maxcy Hitler, Thomas M. Prentice, Minotte D. Chatfield, Benja min R. English, Rev A. J. Timm s. B. Shoninger, Alderman John o. Johnson, r. s. Bradley. Controller Jonathan N. Rowe was also present. The news of the offer was received with applause by the board, who welcomed it as so- lution of a problem that has been trou- bling them for some time, and many were In favor of framing a letter of acceptance immediately. This was not done, but instead Attorney Watrous was asked to notify Mrs. Ives that her offer had been received by the board and that it would take action at a fu ture date. A vote of thanks was ten dered Attorney Warous and Mayor Studley, who deserve a good deal of credit in this connection.
 It was explained that Mrs. Ives de-