Middletown transcript., 1909-11-13

FFeQ H. AnoltfeOlf secretary ana treaeurl
: Of tile Library Board, Mr. Arthur j
Bailey is libratiap. and has eighteen asst
> tants.
: The Dnver State Library at Dover col
tains 1000 volumes and is the secon
largest in the state. II is growing yer
rapidly. Af'erseveral different trials III
library was established in 1885. Til
Dover Library Company was incorporate
on March 24th, 1885, BY an Act Of Aseem
bly, with an authorized capitalsof $500
On April 9Th, the stockholders met
adopted bylaws and elected nine director
with Mr.. Manlove Hayes president Of th,
Board. There are two clssses of snbscrip
tions-tlie life subscription. at $500, ant
the annual subscription, at $500. Thret
hundred volumes we're presented By
| friends. two directors sent to Philadelphia
TO purchase books, aud on the 9Th o.
June, 1885, the library was opened tc
subscribers. At the end of the FIRST year
they had /, ,452 volumes. All the popular
magazines are placed on the tables, and
after one month are Issued as books, to
subscribers. In 1887, they purchased the
property known as the Cowgirl property
on State street, at cost of 81, ,669, for the
use OF the library. The librarian is Mr..
FL. RidgIey Harrington.
The Corbit Library at Odessa contains
5,C66 voIumes. It is free for the use OF
the residents Of School District, No. 81,
only. There are 36l cards In use. This
library has existed for number OF years
and was endowed by Dr. James Corbit
and Mr., Daniel Corbit, both of Odessa,
aud DR.. William B. Corbit, OF Washing.
ton, D. G. The last named left $4,000
for the use of the library upon the death
Of his vile which occurred about two years
ago. The librarian is Miss Mary Aspril.
The New Castle Library contains about
5000 volumes, and has about fifty mem.
bers, very small membership for town
the size uf New Castle, but it is probable
that many Of the residents of the town
make use Of the Wilmington li5rary. This
library is supported by endowment and
subscriptions, though one cannot see how
they get much money from subscription,
when there are only fifty members. The
librarian is Miss r. A. Challenger.
The Dover Library which is distinct
from the Dover State Library, was incor-
porated and opened in 1885, aud made
free and public on January l4th, 1902. 1t
contains nearly five thousand volumes,
and l,028 applications for membership
have been fled They receive an appro.
priatiun from the state, town appropria-
ton, three yearly contributions from pri-
vate citiz ,ns and interest from an endow.
ment fund of 1000 raised by the ladies
Of the Dover Century Cub. This library
s entitled to state dividend each year,
under the law passed in 1903, probably
about $l25. and the school board must
'aise for them any sum between $3.50
md $500, as is thought best, bat not
ess than $780, The Ladies' Library
Jlub has helped quite little, chiefly in
yifts OF books. The librarian is Miss
Beatrice Mast.
The Historical Society of Delaware, in
has an especially interesting
library. The Constitution of the Society
ays: THE object Of the Society shall be
he calculation Of history particularly such
PORTIONS as may refer to this state" The
'ociety was organized on May 3lst, 1864,
~ the executive committee of the Will
nington Institute, who made Hon. Viii.
ard Hal chairman OF the meeting for or
aniz4tion. When the officers were
lected, only one, Msilr John Jones, was
resident of MiddletOwn. The donations /
o the Society, as told Of in the society
'amphlet, are interesting, and among the
loners one may NOTICE the names OF Msior i
-ones, Mrs. Lydia Rothwell, q Med. I
Roberts aud Thomas Skee Merritt, from
bis town. The members are from diff
ereht parts of this state and other states.
The building which this society occupies
} itself historical, being, next to Old
wedes Church, probably the most ancient
hurch edifce in the state As the earliest
tructure of The First Presbyterian Church
o Delaware, aud the third place OF wor. b
hip in Wilmington, the quaint building
nd the cemetery adjacent form centre T
all Of interest to all. In the cemetery d
e the remains of Drlsware's first gov &
rnor, DR.. John McKinly. DR.. McKinly
7as captured by detachment OF British n
oldiers in the night following the battle
| Brandywine, and kept prisoner for a y
ear. In this cemetery also lie the re- =
rains Of Cunning Bedford, first indge Of
be District Court of the United States for q
delaware. Within this historical build "
,g are many interesting objects, too q
lany for one to enumerate, bat visitors =,
re welcome and il you will look through Il
le register ryou will find the name Of "
he writer of this paper on it's pages. The !.
brary of this interesting society has n
04l catalogued volumes, and about one. b,
,ird as maiy uncatalogued. The presi- p'
sns is the Hon. Willard Hall, and the ..
brarian, the Rev. Willard H. Hinkley. y y
The Smyrna Library was established
bout 1862 aud contains Some valuable g
ooks, There are now between three and
nr thousand books ON the shelves, treat
q. OF nltet every sui ject. It is still
description library, but at the nominal
ice 81 10 per year, it is within the Z
acb Il ali Who desire 10 use il. Miss \
nna Hough = the librarian
A number Of years ago, library ex
led in>Newark, then for long time the
wn Was wi.i,Uul library. In March, Z
OS, it MAS recognized by The New Gen.
rs Club sith onIy few volumes. Now
ere are 2, 400 volumes, and one hundred
descriptions. The library is supported