The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-06
new LIBRARY OPEN
Building at Printers Home
Dedicated Last Week.
IS A HANDSOME STRUCTURE
Festivities Last Two Days at Colo
RADIO Springs-COntafns Space for
Serving Apartment-BuIIdin Cost
$4,000 In Voluntary Contributions.

tOtOFduO GpItuEs, 0OtO-s r tD. Ollie
library addition to the Union Printers
Home at Colorado Springs was dedicated
with elaborate ceremonies last week The
formal opening Of this building is an in
teresting event in the union labor world.
The festivities opened at noon on Feb
ruary Is, when a luncheon was served to
the physicians OF the Pixies Peak region,
the members OF the home being the
speakers. with President James Lynch, Of
the international Typographical Union.
as POSTMASTER. On Wednesday after
noon public reception was held. all the
buildings and grounds being thrown open
to the public. The dedieatory exercises
proper were held Wednesday evening
President Lynch was the principal speak
er. while addresses were made by Mayor
H. r. Avery and others.
Is "a Handsome Building.
The new library addition is one of the
handsomest buildings at the institution.
Although erected primarily for the pur-
pose OF housing the splendid library OF
lL00o volumes. it also contains a spacious
dining-room, kitchen, serving room, and
other culinary departments. Later two
additional stories will he added 10 pro-
vide dormitory accommodations for forty
residents. It cost $4,000. and the funds
were raised entirely by voluntary contri-
buttons from members of the union
The main building OF the Printers Home
vas dedicated IN 1892. and since that time
more than $4,000 has been expended. and
has total valuation OF 100000 The
average number OF residents is 80. the
average cost per resident being $50 a
month. Practically every cent which has
been spent in buildings and maintenance
has been raised by a monthly per capita
assessment. OF late years the manage
ment has devoted increasing attention to
the treatment of tuberculosis and has
met with splendid results in Colorado.
Printers Give Is Cents a Month.
One minute of his working time every
day is what each union printer in North
America gives al his mite toward the
maintenance of the Union Printers
Home. Every month every one OF the
a 900 members OF the International Typo
graphical Union pays an assessment OF Is
cents-hslf a cent a day. or less than the
amount the average printer will earn in a
minutes working time. It is a small sac
rifice. but it is this small sacrifice. COM
ing from every man. working in co-opera-
ton with MS fellow-laborers, which gives
the home an annual fund OF s90,00O for
maintainence and improvements
The printers have built and maintained
the home themselves. and they are proud
of the fact. 1t is their home; every man
has an equal share In IL. an equal right
10 partake of its bounty If the time
should come when old age or Illness
should make it necessary for him to re-
treat to the shelter In the rearing and
maintaining of which he has done his
small part In the beginning. George ".
Childs and A. j. Drexel made a gift of
$1,000 to the International Typographical
Union. With this as the nucleus, the
home fund was started. Since the foun-
dations for the main building were laid in
1891, nearly $4,000 has been spent in
buildings furnishings. improvements, and
maintenance. Every cent OF this, with
the exception of the Childs-Drexel gift
and the income from the Julia A. Laid
endowment OF 81, COO, has been contributed
by the printers.
Property Now Worth $1,000, 900.
Figures may tell a part of the story of
the Uni9n Printers Home But it is not
sufficient TO know that the property.
which stands on commanding eminence
east of Colorado Springs, is to-day valued
al S,000O00, when twenty years ago this
tract was barren prairie land which could
have been bought up for a few dollars an
acre; or 10 learn that there are now six
buildings on the grounds-the main build
ing the tuberculosis sanatorium, the SUI
perintendent's cottage. the laundry heat
ing plant and barns. besides the tent
colony and the $4,000 library. which has
just been completed and dedicated. II is
not enough TO know how these eighty
acres have been reclaimed from barren
wastes until they form one of the garden
spots of the continent; nor to be told that.
in all, more than 1000 have been admitted
to residence since 1892; that the average
number at any ore time is $50, and that
the average cost per resident is only $50 a
month.
OF the residents. some are cripples:
some are blind. many are old. and num-
bers have been "exiIed" with a death SEN
tence from tuberculosis, but are slowly
building up the bodies that have been
wasted by disease. And the hearts OF all
beat true TO that thought OF brotherhood
which is placed in arching letters above
the gateway to the grounds, in this le-
gend: 1.-THE Union Printers Home: It's
Bounty Unpurchasable.
Although the first proposition to estab-
lish a home was made In May, 1857. Moth
ing definite came of the plan until 1856.
when Messrs. Childs and Drexel made
their $4,000 gift To swell the fund, the
printers on the birthdays of these two
gentlemen each contributed the amount
received from setting 1900 'ems" of type.
Louis R. Enrich, of Colorado Springs. Of
fered an eighty-acre site, and this city
was selected as the permanent location
for the home at the Denver convention in
1889, after a spirited contest with many
other cities. In 1891 contracts were let for
the main building. which was dedicated
with appropriate ceremonies on the birth
day of Mr. Childs. May II. 1892, a notable
occasion In the history OF union labor.