West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-11-19
DOOM OF AN EYES0RE
How Kansas Women Transform
ed Towns UglieSt Block.
PUBLIC LIBRARY THEIR AIM.
Through EHorts Of Abiiene's clubwo-
men an unsishtly Spot Was Con.
demned For P% X Purposss--carns-
sic Library e. -eted In Its Center.


men an unsishtly Spot Was Con.
demned For Pax Purposss--carns-
Gle Library e. -eted In Its Center.
After nine Wears OF effort. sacrincs
and planning the women Of Abilene,
Kan, recently saw fruition Of their
hopes In the dedication OF n public H.
brary costing $i2.boo. equipped with
1900 books and set In the midst OF q
pretty city park IN the most central
block OF town.
This Is striking example OF what
can be done In the average country
community when the right persons
have the right inspiration and endeav.
or TO do some good TO those around
them. Ten years ago the people OF
Abilene laughed Mt the idea Of n sue.
cessful public library. Several at.
tempts had been made to establish
such, and each was failure. The
books gradually had been lost. and
hnally the rooms were given up.
The clubwomen took up the idea,
appointing n committee composed OF
members from each OF the clubs. and
made another effort, says the Kansas
City Star. IL was a slow and tedious
process at flrst The FIRST books were
gifts from individuals. making a very
meager collection OF Indifferent litera.
ture. The first money I'm any amount
that was secured for the library was
from lecture by William Jennings
Bryan soon after the election OF 1900
The proceeds were divided between
the library and other local enterprises.
and 500 was realized. Then came
the first rummage sale, something the
town never had experienced and which
created much hilarity when II opened
But In those days old clothes were
much more In demand than In these
times, and the proceeds surprised even
the managers. After this the library
fund grew steadily from all sorts OF
entertainments. donations and schemes
that would add to fits proportions. A
small room was secured over n grocery
store, and the first books were install.
ed with librarian who practically
gave her services.
This librarian was Miss Ida Romig.
n graduate OF the University OF Kan.
sas and with experience IN the large
book concerns OF Chicago and Boston.
She entered into the work OF the
struggling library with all the enthu.
slasm Of the clubwomen's committee
and gave II the same earnest and care.
ful attention that might characterize
the largest city institution.
After awhile the town voted n libra
ry tax. This amounts to about 1.20O
n year. which speedily put the library
on It's feet II had become by this time
an established institution The appli.
cation for books far exceeded the
equipment. and the little room became
too small for the growing number OF
volumes. Next the women sought n
library building, but they had no place
to put It nor money with which to buy
site Finally they evolved n way out
OF the difilculty~and included In their
plans the wiping out Of what had be-
come the towns eyesore. the uglicst
block In Abilene.
This block was I'm the center OF the
town. but on low ground which had
often been overfowed at food time.
on one corner was the badly located
city hail. built In the boom days and
used for the mArshars residence and
the fire department An unsightiy liy.
cry barn. an old house, n great sheet
Iron shed for implements. four OF FIVE
rIckety store buildings used for black.
smith shops and second hand stores
and three or four lots covered with
discarded traction engines tbrashIng
machines and rubbish Of every sort
completed the Disagreement of the
square. II was laughed at. scorned
and abused by everybody and consid-
cred disgrace to the city. Visitors
never were taken past that block n II
was possible 10 avoid Il.
The clubwomen undertook to trans.
form this unsightly spot into one OF
beauty. The mayor assisted them by
calling special election to issue park
bonds. and by the work Of the women
these bonds were voted by a small ma.
jority Then the entire block was con.
demned for park purposes and all the
buildings and disHgurements on Il
were removed. leaving the city hall az
its only occupant Then by request OF
the women the city made formal nppii-
cation 10 Andrew Carnegie for $1,000
for public library. accompanying the
request by the assurance that the park
block would be used for a site. The
library tax already in force. together
with the income from other methods
OF money raising, insured a suficient
income 10 meet the requirements OF
the Carnegie gift The city hauled in
dirt from the higher portions OF the
town and filled up the block far above
the high water mark, and In the center
has been placed the new public libra
~. II is all stone and brick. with CO
ment basement and foundations. and
Is one OF the handsomest buildings Of
IT'S class In the state The furniture IL
all oak and in the simplest lines and
most artistic form. A handsomely fur
nished assembly room Is open 90 the
clubwomen for their meetings
When the new building was opened
the people throDged the rooms and
we're effusiyc in their praise Of the ac-
complishmcnts that tho women Of tho
town had brought about
The pretty park block has been
planted I'm elms and sown TO blue grass
and VIII be one OF the beauty spots OF
Abilene Every visitor now Is taken
by the public library and the town
park
DeWius Kidney and Bladder Pills are