The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-30
CITY BENEFITS BY
 PUBLIC LIBRARY Sketch of Work Being Done by
 The Institution ARRESTS IN HEAD CASE Negro's Wife and Another Man Are Now Charged With the Crime.
 General News of the
 Steel City.
ARRESTS IN HEAD CASE

Ensley, June 29,- Special .)-Few of the 12,OoO or 15,0OO people living within and near the city of Ensley have seemed t--us far to realize and appreciate the val : and usefulness of one of it's most important and probably least talked about institutions. A little more than a year ago when Andrew Carnegie offered to give to Ensley the sum of $1O000, pro- viGed the city would Itself contribute 5000 a year, with which to erect and maintain a free public library and the city coun- ci, headed by former Mayor Scott, ac- cepted the offer, it is probable that even that body itself did not then realize that this act was, from many points of view, the most important and far reaching of that administration. At mass meeting of citizens called to consider MT. Car negie's offer and the action of the city with reference thereto, Dr. R. M. Gun ningham, former lieutenant governor of the state, and one of the most prominent citizens of EnsIey, who has been iden tifisI with the growth and development Of the city from the beginning, stated that he regarded the acceptance of the offer and the building of the library as absolutely the most important step, next to the building of the public schools, th-.t the city of Ensley had been called upon to decide. This statement was echoed by many other prominent citizens and the library became an established fact the lot on which 1t was erected being generously donated by the E,nsley Land company, through its vice president, Capt J. W. Baker who, though not a resident of Ensley, has always been great ly interested in its welfare and develop ment
 The library building, which is located on the corner of Avenue II and Elgh the city, is well adapted by construction for its purpose. There is a central lobby or vestibule. slightly to the rear of which, and facing the entrance, Is the desk of the librarian, Miss Louise Thompson, who has had charge of it since Its opening about year ago. On either side are two reading rooms, one for adults and one for children. In the rear are the trustees room, where the board of trustees, the governing body of the library, meets on the first Tuesday of each month. and study room, where those who desire priv acy in pursuing any line of study may secure 1t.
 There are at present nearly 2500 books in the library, covering every subject which can possibly be desired, all so classed and arranged by the card cata- logue system that no difficulty is exper- fenced in finding them. There are many technical works by standard authors, and many more have recently been donated by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company through the general manager, MT. Frank H. Crockard. These books should be of much value to those con- nected with the various industrial plants of the city, and the kindness of the Ten nessee company and Mir. Crockard Is greatly appreciated, not only by the trus- tees and the librarian, but also by the city at large. The value of the contri- button is nearly $500. These books speak for themselves: Hughes, coal mining; Banerman, metallurgy of iron; Howe, metallurgy of steel; Dana, mnerology; LeCoute, elements of geology; Kemp, ore deposits of United States and Can ada; Mlxter, elementary chemistry; Holleman's inorganic chemistry; Johnson, theory and practice of surveying; Brough, mine surveying; Thurston. materials or engineering; Baker, masonry construc- tion;; Holmes, steam engine; Thurston, steam engine Thurston, steam boilers; Foster mining and quarrying; Low, com pound engine; Low, power catechism; Houston's electric dynomic machinery; Paterson management of dynomoes; Shel- don's alternating current machines; Jack son, elemntary electricity; Barnes, en- zine tests; Hiscox, gas, gasoline and oil engines Parnelly colliery machines, handbook; Richards ore dressing; Patten, treatise on foundations; Camps notes on track; Sinclair, locomotive engine run ming; Haslzins transformers; Slinso eS Brooks electrical engineering; Grimshaw, locomotive catechsm; Anthony Bracket, physics; Rose, slide valve; Spangler, valve gears; Prelni, tunneling; Hopkins experimental science; Richards Metallurgical calculations; Hutton, gas engine; Thorpe, inorganic chemistry; Hor- ner pattern making; Hiscox, compressed air; Stodola, steam turbine.
 Besides those of general interest, the library subscribes also for many scientific magazines, such as Cassier's Magazine, Engineering Magazine, Scientific Ameri- can and Scientific American Supplement, Electrical World, Power, Engineering and Mining Journal, American Machnist.
 The following daily newspapers, contrib uted by Capt. J. w. Baker, also reach the library regularly: All the daily papers of Birmingham St. Louis GlobeDemocrat, Cincinnati Enquirer. Chicago Record-Her- aid, New York Herald and New York Times.
 Altogether the library is very cozy and comfortable place in which to while away the time, either for pleasure or profit, for there are books to suit every taste. from the most careless to the most discriminating.
 The library lot could and should be improved, so as to make it's exterior more attractive Of course, the library is young yet and everything is dependent upon the generosity of the city and it's individual citizens and everything desired cannot be