Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-11-16

amount of money expended
MAY seventh, nineteen hundred
and four, 1t was decided to adopt a
library constitution an bylaws. May
fourteenth, the committee reported a
constitution and bylaws which were
adopted by the club. The club was
to elect a president and six trustees
from the club members, two for
three years, two for two years and
two for one year President and
two trustees were TO be elected
each year Mr.. Kelliher was unani-
Imously elected president and the
following board Of trustees was
chosen: Three-year term: Mrs f, A
Moore, Mrs. p, H. Raymond; two
year term; Mrs. G. H. Irwin, Mrs,
/ Traver; Qne-year. term: Mrs, f, W..
Waters, Mrs. r T, Geer These lad
| les with the names following, served
at different times on the library
board until 1t was turned over to the
council: Doctor Staples, Mrs Mum
roe, Mrs. Catlin, Mrs. Gillingham,
Mrs ]. p, Jones, Mrs A. n. Bush,
Mrs william Brown Mrs A. ~.
/ Moores. Then the work Of building
up the library began in earnest The
club dues and fees were small, so in
order to save expense the ladies did
the janitor work themselves sweep
ing and mopping the council chamber,
washing windows, and on one occa-
sion, cleaning the cuspidors.
"For a while the ladies took turns
acting as librarian, but this did not
prove satisfactory. Some Of the mem
bers, assisted by outside friends paid
a certain sum each month and hired
Miss f. Phillips to act as librarian
at twenty dollars a month, But
books were needed, reference books
for the school children, for it was
the aim Of the club from the start
to- make the library attractive and
useful to the young people, and good
reference books are expensive, so we
gave entertainments of divers sorts
We had concerts, card parties, gave
a charity ball we staged the "Cri-
sis" at the Grand opera house, and
before we were through ran a lunch
room during the Cherry Fair-any-
thing to make money for the library
Some of the entertainments, while
good money-makers, were not of
high classical order, and the club was
criticized for not educating the pub
lie to higher standard so to please
the critics we secured Mary Kuntz
Baker a dramatic reader of national
fame to read Monsieur Beaucaire"
The entertainment was delightful, but
alas! for net results! The "Huskin'
Bee netted us $126,75; the Baker
reading, seventy-five cents. Educat-
ing the public has never been a fl
nanCial success in Salem, Sometimes
the library board took charge Of the
entertainments, but the club was the
source to which we looked for money
and the club minutes commonly con-
tained these sentences: Mrs. Kel-
liner gave an interesting account Of
the library work and asked for more
money October eighth, nineteen
hundred and four, Mrs Kelliher re-
ported one thousand volumes in the
library and on December Of the same
year additional shelves for four thous-
and volumes were reported, October,
nineteen hundred and five, the club
rendered the library to the city, but
the council refused to accept it and
asked the club to keep charge of It,
"All questions as to there being no
one to patronize the library had long
since been answered for from the
first opening the attendance was
much greater than had been antici-
pated even by the most sanguiue Of
Its friends
In January nineteen hundred and
four the council voted three hundred
dollars TO aid the library and in
December, the same year, this amount
was increased TO five hundred dol
lars, January twelfth, nineteen hun
dred and seven, the club discussed
the adyisibility Of trying to procure
"a Carnegie building, but nothing
could be done until suitable site
could be secured. In Nobemher. nine
teen hundred and twelve, concert
was given to raise money for li-
brary site and from that time dates
the rise OF real estate in Salem, II
amy ladies' known to be ON the library
board walked past a vacant lot and
looked at IT, the price went up
thousand dollars In twenty-rour
hours Two sites were selected at
different times and payment made
g., lttftN D..