The Elbert County tribune., 1915-08-06
HAS OWN CARNEGIE"
Western Kansas Has PhiIan-
y thropist to Itself.
Makes No Noise, School Libraries His
Hobby, and Churches Of All
creeds Are Well Taken
Care OF.

Topeka.-Out in western Kansas
lives modest man-George w. Fin
nup of Garden City-who is conduct
ing foundation" of his own. While
it is not receiving the publicity that
the Rockefeller foundation or the Car
negie foundation enjoys, the F1nnup
foundation is doing much good for
Kansas.
MIR. Finnups hobby is to help the
country schools and churches, and
the good he is doing in this respect
is attested by the people of six coun-
ties in the southern part of the state.
If there is a single country school in
those counties which has no library,
1t is not Mr.. Finnups fault. If there
is church in Garden City and vicin-
ity that isn't equipped with perma-
nent fund for its upkeep, it is due to
an oversight on his part.
Thirty-six years ago George Finnup.
a thirteen-year- boy, came from
Indiana with his parents and settled
at Garden City. From that day to this
he has worked like Trojan. Fat
years and lean years found him ener-
getically engaged in the usual pur-
suits of western Kansas-ranching
and handling real estate. He learned
thrift at the start and as a conse-
quence he is perhaps the wealthiest
man in southwestern Kansas.
Some time ago Mr. Finnup con-
ceived the idea of using the money
which he had made, or a large por
tion of 1t at least. in trying to make
western Kansas a better place in
which 20 live. His mind naturally
turned to the foundation on which
wealth and happiness rest-education
What could he do to improve the edu-
cational facilities of the schools and
thus equip the children of the western
plains for better chance in life?
The public furnished the textbooks
4 family was too poor to buy them;
the district supplied the building. the
blackboards and teacher. One essen
tial was lacking, however, good H.
brary. So he made a proposition to
every country school in Finney coun
ty that he would donate a sum of
money If 1t would match it, for the
purpose of eauipping the school of
that district with an up-to-date H.
brary. Every district in the county
jumped at the chance
The result is that the country chill
dren of F1nney county have access to
as good books as do the children of
the larger cities. So popular was the
enterprise that Mr. Finnup extended
the proposition to five other counties
In southwestern Kansas, and they, too
are taking advantage of 1t with avid.
ity. Mr Finnup doesn't require each
school to put up a sign This is a
Ffnnup Library" He is not courting
publicity. In modest way he is try
Ing to help his fellow men without u.s.
ing a brass band.
The books selected for the school
libraries are chosen by committee
named by the district boards The
only suggestion Mr.. Finnup makes is
that the books shall be wholesome
and that they cover history, the sci
ences and fiction. No yellow backs
or coarse books are permitted.
After getting his library enterprise
well started. Mr.. Finnup branched
out in another direction. Education
must be accompanied with religion to
assure the best results, he reasoned.
although he himself is not a church
soing man. The influence OF the
church, next to the school. would help
western Kansas materially. ne be
lieved. He did not care to pass judg-
ment on the several creeds nor to
dictate whom the churches should
employ as pastors. He simply de-
cided to help all of them in Garden
City.