The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-01-31
WAYNE CO. s LAW
LIBRARY ASSOC.
Its 1000 Volumes Worth
$4,000
KEPT UP BY RECEIPTS FROM
FINES AND FORFEITED RECOG-
NIZANCES


" We had a lawyer here years
ago, by the name of-well let us say
John Doe, Democrat, who was very
anxious to be elected to the office of
District Attorney. He ran for that
office against a well-known Repub-
lican attorney, and was defeated
AS an inducement for the dear peo-
pie to vote for him he got a special
Act of Assembly passed repeating the
Act of 1868, requiring that all the
fines and forfeited recognizances
were to be paid to the Wayne Coun-
ty Library Association. The dear
people failed to elect him. Later
he went to the Wild and Woody
West, and has been there ever
since, and is still living at last
accounts"
Sucn is the apochryphal story
related to account for the repeal OF
an Act passed by the Assembly in
1868, constituting Law Library AS
sociations in the different counties
of the Commonwealth, which were
to be supported by monies received
from all fines and forfeited recogniz-
ances. The Act of incorporation
was approved February 19, 1869, by
Governor John w. Gerry.
e. B. Sturges, Scranton, was the
first contributor to the Wayne
County Library Association, and the
date of his gift was May 3, 1869.
The first forfeited recognizance was
paid over by R. w. Kiple, May 90,
1869. The first president of the So
ciety was Tarl Wheeler; the first
secretary and treasurer, H. NJ. See
ley, and the first executive committee
was composed of Messrs. F. NJ.
Crane, Samuel E. Dimmick and Geo.
S. Wall. A year later F. NJ. Crane
succeeded Mr.. Wheeler as president,
in which office he continued to the
time of his death in 1876. Chas. S.
Minor was elected president in 1877.
The seme year, April 80, VIM. H.
Lee was elected secretary and treas
urer. He is still serving in that
position.
The oldest member of the Bar was
usually selected to be president. c.
S. Minor acted as executive head of
the society up to the time of his
death. Hon. Henry Wilson was
first elected president May 8, 1902,
and has continued as such to the
present time.
The finances of the Association
were amply provided for under the
Act of 1868 by receipts from fines
and forfeited recOgnizances. Then
came troublous times for the local
society. The Act of 1868 was re-
pealed, and those funds exhausted in
1898. From that time to 1909, the
organization was maintained by GER
tain members OF he Bar paying IS
annually into the treasurer hands.
The present executive committee
comprises Attorneys Henry Wilson,
Frank P. Kimble and VIM. H. Lee.
The Library which is housed in
room at the rear of the Court
House contains approximately 1000
volumes, valued at more than $10,-
900. The United States, New Jersey
Law and Equity, Massachusetts, New
York Court of Appeals, Pennsylva-
MIA Supreme and Superior Court,
District and County Reports and a
number of side reports, as well as
the Pamphlet Laws, are regularly
received. The Library is intended
primarily for the use of the Court
and attorneys.
For a number of years the Lii
! brary was located in the law office
of Attorney Lee. A dozen lawyers
paid $50 apiece to keep the society
running, when outside contributions
were cut off by legislative enact
ment. The Legislature several years
! ago repented of it's former action,
and enacted a law requiring that one
| half of the monies collected from
! fines be turned over to the Library
| Association.
But maybe they didn't know how
| to play the game OF politics in
Wayne county twenty years ago,
, Shades OF Mark Hanna Just think
| of it for a moment A representa-
| tive from one OF the smallest coun-
| ties in the State got a bill affecting
the sixty odd counties OF the Com
monwealth, through the Legislature!
And he was a Democrat, too!