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

the Subscribers. 1T was cdlleu the Lyn-
don Agricultural Library. This con
tanned an encyclopedia, about so vol
unes upon agriculture, and some general
literature.
In 1894 the legislature of Vermont
enacted law that any town which had
no free public library could receive books
from the state to the value of 500,
under certain conditions. One of these
conditions was that a town of this size
must pay $50 year tor the enlargement
of the library. In order to take adj
vantage of this act the town Of Lyndon
in 1895 elected five library trustees, as
follows: Walter E. Ranger, Rev. John
Mason, B. F. Lincoln, Rev. ]. c. Bodwell,
and E. M. Campbell. They organized
April %, 1895, electing E. NJ Campbell
secretary and treasurer. He has filled
these offices to the present time, and is
the only one of the original trustees now
living in town
The library was opened to the public
Feb. 20, 1896, having 106 volumes, of
which 1913 were given by the state. An
increase was soon received in the gift of
the Lyndon Agricultural Library by its
proprietors; this contained 1O4 volumes.
During the first year the library was
kept at the store of Campbell & Blodgett.
March 1, 1897, it was removed to the
store of Mrs. Duston, who was appoint
ed librarian.
Funds have been received each year
from the town treasury; the town
voting an appropriation of 2 per cent. of
the grand list, in addition to the $50
required by the terms of the law. A
substantial gift of $4,000 with interest
was received from the estate of Isaac
Sanborn. After liberal subscription by
citizens, the town voted to pay the bal
ance of $11O0 to procure the site for the
new building, which is now completed,
through the munifcent gift of $16,500
from our venerable townsman, Eber
Cobleigh. In order that any library
may be successfully maintained, suit
able building is necessary. The gift of
Mr.. Cobleigh has provided for this little
library a convenient, durable, and
| spacious home. Therefore it is very
appropriate that it should be known
henceforth as the Cobleigh Public
Library.
1t is fitting at this point to mention
the assistance given by the Woman's
Club. This excellent organization has
accumulated through seven years of
patient toll fund of $500, for the aid of
the library, and has devoted portion of
this fund to the furnishing of natural
history room in the new building. In
this room the case of mounted birds has
great educational value.
| In about ten years the library has
grown to 5000 volumes, more than 100
cards have been issued, and the total
circulation has been $4,000 volumes.
An examination of the catalogue shows
that excellent judgment has been used in
the selection of the books; and it is par
ticularly gratifying to notice the large
proportion of historical books for chill
dren and young people.
| With the books arranged in this new
and beautiful building, the library to-
day ought to enter upon a new era. 1t
is town library, for the use of all the
inhabitants. Vermonters are frugal and
canny. Before a man buys a horse he
likes to look in its mouth. When a man
! pays a tax he asks whether he is to re-
| ceive a return. 1t may be that there are
taxpayers in town who think of this
library chiefly as an ornament to the vii
lage of Lyndonville, as an expensive lux
ury to be maintained by the whole town
for the benefit of literary aristocracy.
If there are any who question the wis
dom of the laws enacted first by New
Hampshire and later by Vermont and
other states providing for town libraries
to be supported by taxation, let them re-
fleet upon the benefits to be derived.
| Beginning with the financial considera-
ton, we observe that a wealthy man
ready to retire from business, looking
about for place to spend the remainder
of his life, will keep an eye out for the
public buildings in a town. A man in
middle life with money to invest and
children to educate will be more likely to
settle in town which has good schools,
a public library, and literary atmos-
phere. Thus a good library is liable to
attract capital to the town.
the possibility of financial recompense,
it is right that town should maintain
library for the education of the young.
America owes its prosperity very largely
to its free school system. The school
house is necessary institution. Now
the library is an important adjun( of
the schoolhouse. We have seen that the
earliest libraries in our country were con-
nected with collegesi in the University of
Virginia, Harvard and Yale. A very
large proportion of the libraries now be-
long to the schools, from the great uni
versity library to the score of books in
the cupboard of the little red school
house at the fork of the road A distin-
guished teacher is reported as saying
that nobody reads after the age of
twenty. This must have been a hasty
utterance, and should not be interpreted
literally; but it is true in part Proba-
bly, literary tastes are formed before the
age of twenty, and the most important
reading is done in school days, so that
the library is worth more to those who
are under twenty than to those who
have passed that age. Very likely there
are people in this town who will not use
the library, but it is proper that they
should help to,support it for the educa-
ton of the young just as it is right to
tax people who have no children for the
education of their neighbours children.
In many places practical connection
has been formed between the library and
the school, notably in Providence and
Worcester. Schools are permitted to
draw out books for the scholars to use
in connection with their studies, dupli-
Gates are provided for use in different
schools, and the Superintendent of
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