Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-10-03
EARLY LIBRARIES in UTAH.

j " . VI 81
The leading feature of Young Won
Prof. Levi Edgar Young on "The First
Library in Utah. This is Interesting
reading. The author has devoted u
great deal of time to historical re-
search. and is well acquainted with the
history OF the Church. He has a clear
and vigorous style and holds the inter-
est of the readers.
In this article he shows by historical
evidence that the Latter-day Saints
have always been a reading people, and
therefore Intelligent and INDEPENDENT
thinkers. This is contrary to the ideas
entertained by the ill-informcd oppo-
nonts of tho Mormon" people. But II
lis true. Prof. Young quotes from an.
cpistle by tho Church leaders issued at
the time Of the exodus. and In this they
4 advised the Saints to gather up valu-
able books on all subjects and take
them along. in addition to food and
tclothing, What other emigrants on
their5treks to the West In those early
days considered hooks as necessarics of
{1ife2 Inthe letter. or circular, referred
to, the Church leaders said. IN part:
TT is very desirable that all. the
Saints should improve every opportuni-
ty of securing at least a copy of every
valuable treatise on education. every
book. map. chart. diagram that may
contain Interesting. useful and attrac-
tive matter, TO gum the attention of
children. and cause them to lovc to
" II l. lot.
mathematical. philosophical, gcographi-
cal. geological, astronomical scientific.
practical. and all other variety Of useful
and intercs: inE writings. maps. etc, to
present to the general Church Record
or when they shall arrive at their dcs-
5tinat;on. from which important and In
tercsting matter may be cleaned to
(, compile the most valuable works on
every science and subject, for the hcne-
lit of the rising gcncration.'
This counsel was followed. Books and
1naps and various scientific instruments
were hauled across the desert by OK
teams. The company thut came TO
Utah in 1850. Prof. Young SAYS, had n
library In every wagon, and many m
hour on the plains was spent IN read
ing and In gathering specimens for n
prospective museum Ana 50 1t hap
pened that Utah was the first common
aveath east OF Missouri river To cstab-
lish q public library. RI
In n general cpistle to the Saints is
sued IN 1851, Brigham Young announced
that DR.. Rernhiscl had been appointed
to select books for the Utah library
for which Congress had appropriated
$1,000. MILFORD Woodruff Ind charge
of the cmigrant train which brought the
library to Utah. After IT'S arrival IN
Salt Lake City the legislative assem-
bly, Immediately worked for thu open
ing Of IL free public reading room,
where books might be had. and in De-
tobcr. 1851, II passed n Joint resolution
in, relation to the Utah library Which
Prof. Young quotes, William G. Staincs
was appointed librarian. fnlS5a Prosi-
\ dent Young issued n catalogue Of tho
books in this first library In Utah Tho
list includes treat iscs on theology &c.
q rlesiaSiical history. and law: art sci.
i cnce, history, literature, and biography
There were the works of Shakespeare
Milton. Bacon, Byron, Homer Ju,
venal. Lucrctius. VIRGIL, TInripi5les
? sophocles. Plato, Montaicnc, rneltus
Spcnser, lIerodotus. Goldsmith, an,
many others Of the great masters Of tn,
worlds best literature. 1t was won,
derfu collection OF books. Tho library
received copies of tho New YORK
Herald, New York Evening Post. the
Philadelrhin Saturday Counter aud the
North American Review on the sccn-
G life worksstllcre We're Newton's "Prln-
cipia." Herschel's Outlines OF Astron-
omy." and Won Hnmboldts Cosmos
There We're works by John Stuart
Mill, Martin Luther, John Wesley, nnt
Emanuel swcdenborg. The books, Prof