Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-02-11
ER TO EDITOR
70 ne Eastor d tae geeaiag Capstal:

Sir 4 crave @MKMCs&HL space ~ @M&s~
pYeinent and elaborate the casual re-
marks / made ID yon some days $40
relative To the library memorial NTEg
proposed by Miss Carr.
one 0f me drst points TO be deter
mined Is whether the proposed me
mortal Ii To be III memoriam Of iii
our Maryland soldiers 0r whether We
sshall contlue our efforts 40 honOring
our own county hoys. Most Essential
also is III to know where the memorial
shan BE erected II II IL 10 be gen
eraI. it's location should b. all meaua
Sc iii the capital of the stats, Until
thai question Is definitely settled.
FOR one cannot get UP much enfhusi-
asua for the scheme All the talk hess
tofore has aaid nothing about the stse.
/ should not be willing 70 lend any I'd
SO long as this capital point Is leFt
open. Having stolen large part ~
her neighbor's real estate, Baltiug se
would not hesitate to rush In an he
the whole thing, honors and all n il
fis her way
Let us. therefore endeayOr 20 ses ie
the question 81 site before we 80 Az
further. Then we Of Anne Arun il
shall know what to do Personally
am OF opinion that we should h.xsd
aloof from any action other than ~
ing fo secure the memorial for ma
polls. II we fail IN that, believe ne
should refuse to join Ii the movemkuf
for d general memorial TO be eraoted
any where outside of Annapolis. Npa
start q drive for one OF our own. ln
that case. a library for the use Of the
citizens Of Anne Arundel county would
be most appropriate While serving
as housing for the books. It would
supply long felt want namely q
building which would be the civic cen
ter for the whole city and county,
where various Intellectual activities
could be carried on.
The present writer. with many 9th
ers. has frequently wondered at and
deplored the lack of literary culture in
Anna potts, where ST Johns college
and the Naval academy should prove
an inspiration to intellectual cuitiva-
ton and enjoyment II Is astonishing.
not to say Incredible, that there should
exist such dense ignorance about the
great body of our magnificent litera
ture, running back to The Father Of
English Poetry George Chancer-
and coming down to the present time
All along the line will be found intel
lectual giants who have enriched Eng
lish thought with the very best liter
AIRY forms. whether 1t be the drama
lyric poetry. the essay, history or the
novel Greece at her best has nothing
superior to offer And az to the most
superficial knowledge of worid-Iitera-
ture. 1T is totally lacking. even III those
iii whom 1t might be presupposed.
The question arises, Why should
people, who have had sufficient preEa
ration for the enjoyment Of good liter
allure, vast their leisure Ia reading
trashy newspapers. trashy novels and
even more trashy magazines, when
they might read Chaucer. Spenaer,
Shakespeare, Milton. Addison. Dgy
den, Collins. Gray, Byron Shelley
Keats, Browning. Tennyson, Lowell.
.Longfellow, Poe. Bryant, Scott, Dick
ems, Tfackeray and host OF others
who might be named The answer
probably is To be largely found ii the
fact that we have no library facilities.
IA fairly good collection OF books IL
found In the state library. but they
are alb good as useless. as they MAJ
not be taken ont, and that means thesY
are not read A spasmodic effort WsA
made some years ago to utilize theaa
books by sending them out as, travel
ing libraries: but that, learn. has
been stopped So they lie there on the
shelves and are Of no more use thar
so much rubbish
Al suggestion. IN closing in this cons
nection. have already expressed Ex4
hearty approval Of Miss Carr's ptns
posal for memorial library. I ~
not believe that any other scheFt
could be devised which would serve
q more continuous reminder Of the tn
roic sacrifices which our dear sold AZ
boys made. whether ii be OF those y
gave the last full measure OF DEF II.
ton or OF those who sacrificed lart
IN Ln6lI tlAS y 1k%A AMSAt tatG sssSA.s 3
might be made safe for humanity. ~ Z
suggestion have 10 offer Is that, Il
case we can raise the funds for u
proposed library. We endeayor to
cure from the general government
portion Of the large lot contiguous
the post Office, the same serving onS.
as an ornament to the building ali
secondly. to keep In mind the possss
Ibility Of having turned over to us tkk
useless books now In the state Iibrasy !
Legislative action would be necessary
in both cases. but believe that cOulel
be easily secured
SAMUEL GARNERs
Annapolis. February 10,
Solid COIored Rugs ii
4 x. = y -