St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-01-02

| Do not be needlessly alarmed lest
our library furnish too many stories.
Since the beginning of history man
kind has craved and called for good
stories and no better way has yet
been devised of teaching great truths
The Founder of Christianity himself
did not disdain good story, aud used
them in his sermons almost as fire.
quently as some of his followers. To
many a tired man or woman a
bright, interesting story is verit-
able g dsend, and our young people
get into much worse mischief than
they might by staying at home even
ings quietly reading. For, as Holmes
says, The foolishest book is kind of
leaky boat on the sea of wisdom;
some Of the wisdom will get il any
how"
OF course we do not intend to have
anything but GOOD stories in our H.
brary. SOMETIMES they get in, how
ever, for there are wolves in Sleeps
clothing everywhere, you know. But
when we find them out, we chuck
them into The Atlantic ocean.
And now, just one last charge to
you, people of Lyndon. In accepting
this library, you have accepted great
responsibility. Take care of it, de-
ssrve it, and see that you make of it
means of more liberal culture and
better living to every man, woman
and child in this town. Let the beau
tiful Victory, whose graceful figure
adds the browning touch to our build
lug, b. emblematic of this institution;
with face hidden from all evil, from
all obstacles, but with strong pinions
outspread, ready TO ascend to any de-
sired height of achievement
After a solo by Miss Alice Hutchinson
the address of the day was given by Rev.
William c. Clark of Lyndon.
Mr.. Clark announced that he had
chosen as his subject, Immortal Words, ?"
and then said;
The Roman poet, Horace, wrote, g
have built monument more lasting
than brass Nor shall it pass
away with the unnumbered series of
ages and the flight of time. shall not
wholly die" His expectation has been
fulfilled; his words have lived, and after
nineteen centuries hundreds of diligent
students are translating them into
English.
Men have an instructive desire to record
their thoughts where Others can read
them.
"Blest be the gracious Power who taught
mankind
To stamp lasting image of the mind"
The speaker then traced the evolution
of the library from the hieroglyphic
Inscriptions of the Assyrians and
Egyptians to the present day. AS civil
lization advanced the different libraries
sprung into existence-frst the eccles-
astical library, then the university Ii
brary, then the national libraries and
last of all the proprietary libraries.
A prominent part in the intellectual
development of our country has been
taken by the proprietary libraries, i. e.,
libraries owned and controlled by a
number of individuals, which are avail
able to the public upon the payment of a
fee. A notable example is the Phila-
delphia library, which was founded by
Benjamin Franklin in 1881. This was
before the British Museum was opened
to the public and not city or town in
England at that time possessed a sub
scription library.
We now come to free public libraries.
Some of these have been given by philan-
thropic men, for example, the library of
Cooper Union in New York, named for
its esteemed founder, Peter Cooper. Other
libraries are supported wholly or in part
by taxation.
New Hampshire adopted the first free
public library law in America in 1S49.
Massachusetts, followed in 1851. Now
30 states, at least, have such laws,
authorizing town or city to collect
taxes for library. There was nothing
of this sort in England until 1850. New
Hampshire took a much holder step in
1895, passing a law which makes it
compulsory upon every town to estab-
lish and maintain free public library.
The most notable free public library in
this country, and with the exception of
the library of Congress the largest IL
brary in America, is the Boston Public
Library, with $4,000 volumes. housed
in magnificent building, with commo-
dious rooms for it's patrons, and several
branches with delivery Offices and read
ing rooms III inherent parts OF the city.
TRAVELLING LIBRARY.
In 1896 there were about 1900 free
public libraries supported by taxation in
the United States. In 1897 there were
"a libraries in the United States having
10000 volumes or more, and 4.O26
libraries having over 1000 volumes each.
and all together containing $4,000, 900
volumes. Not included in these figures
are many smaller libraries, and those
which have been established in the past
few years, of which many have been
encouraged by the splendid gifts of An.
drew Carnegie.
Turning our attention to the Public
Library of Lyndon, we find that it's
equipment has been derived from four
sources: proprietary library, state aid,
local taxation, and gifts.