Evening journal., 1922-03-04
LAY LIBRARY
Stone TODAY;
BISHOPS PRAY

Continued From First Page)
|brary and Debating Society. the
building over the Market House on
|Fourth street between Market and
|shipley streets. was purchased and
became the home Of the library. Six
years later. in 1857, the Library
|ompany was amalgamated with the
IlYoung Mems Association for Mu-
| |tual Improvement, into a new cor
| 5yoration known as the Wilmington
|Library and Young Mems Associa-
/ Euon. This new association. after a
tnrief career of two years. became the
Wilmington Institute. which erected
n 1860. the building so we'll known
o all OF US at Eighth and Market
Streets
I'm 1898. the Institute Library.
which had hitherto been a strictly
tnrivate association. offering its priv
Eleges only to its members, became
4 free and public institution. open
% all the citizens Of Wilmington.
through the generosity and public
<spirit Of Mr.. William p. Bancroft
working in cooperation with the
,ity OF Wilmington. An agreeme MT
H. then made. by which the city
Iinder. ook to pay so much annually
Tor running expenses in considera-
! ion Of Mr. Bancrofts offer TO buy
Ilp the stock OF the members OF the
company. and make the library free.
inns partnership. now nearly 80
hears old. is still In full force.
And now. thanks to the gener-
4 psitv OF Mr. Pierre 5. DUPONT, who
3 3la, given this site. and of the three
Il thousand men. women and children
Evho have given the building fund
md thanks TO the tlreiess and whole
fl,arted devotion through many years
NJ our president. Mr.. John =. Nields
i ind Of our secretary and librarian
HNIr Arthur l.. Bailey. and thanks
a % the cooperation OF the city. We
re- here today. fulfilling the hopes
Il ind fears OF an he years Of those
4 thousands OF Wrming;onians who
H ise the library. and have dreamed
pr what we now see taking shape
leforo our eyes.
N 'pcr manus lampas tradatur.' W.
shave received the lamp from those
q who have gone before. Who car
# measure the influence shed by iti
avr for 1874 years on our citi'
zens2 Let b. Doe borne aloft by ms "a
. I'VE pass. and lot IL be handed on
ir.mmed and brightly burning q
hose who come after MS. eager O.
assumo our duties and traditions az
< <Wimingtonians.
8 Actual laying of the cornerston'
*neXt was in order This was done
H. John +. Nic'ds president OF tn
Wilmington Institute Free Library
listed hv Edgar ~. Hopes. Jr
<< hairman OF tho new building com
tuittec. and Librarian Bailey. Tn
III metallic box was nut into position
workmen Iowered the cap-stone owe
Q. and Mr. Nields with few def
n trokos OF "a trowol sealed it witt
/. mortar. This done Howard NJ
award. president of City Council. re
b counted the % story NJ the Publ
II library movement and spoke In par
as follows.
side hy f de in the wildern"s
# iur forefathers planted the churcl
and the school; and on these tw
A. imports the nation has stood nrn
ma grown great. But a tripod i
IS necessary for stable equilibrium. \
'.< ne country has grown its indus
rial. economic and political prob
~ ems have grown more numerou
a
.euuired broader base OF inteli
+ ence ANA morality for ifs securit
nf nerpatuity. The third supper
.< Eor a wider and higher national III
& pa been found IN the public library
Ii vl ch. cooperating with the schoo
IS olhles the value OF the education
hc child receives In school and fur
nor inc'tes him 90 continue his ed
cltinn after leaving school and fur
hos him with facilities for doin
%.
also enables the adult 10 max
n for tho opportunities ne neglect
. or. more often. did not have 5
W l.iy life. II does this. too, at a
-'onse 90 the community OF no
more than onc-tenth of the cost pc
# apita of school education. There
l.| 1.r. as the late Stanley Jevons said
n om'tting that small eXpenditur
4 % universal system of librari'
j which would enable young men an
v.mcn TO continue their education
vc spend the % and stingily declin
he really needed 10 make the res
'f the 100, effective or. I ma
50. in homelier phrase. it is lih
'.| living $l9.5O for an overcoat and r.
sing another half-dollar for hu
& 'ns TO make il thoroughly service
ST. hle.
IS; a library Is not a luxury; Il
> %. for the cultured few: 10 is M
'- merely for the scientific; Il Is M
'r any intellectual cult or exclusi,
+. crary set. II Is a great, broa
Universal public benefaction. II lif
he entire community; its is n
ght arm of the Intellectual a.
|.< 'e'opment OF the people minlste
<X ng 20 the wants Of those who al
M lrcady educated and spreading
2.< niversal desire for education. II
4 Dc upper story Of the public scho
- ,tem. while IL is broad fie
herein ripe scholars may find
20 Ter training for their alreaS
W -h'y developed faculties 1t
.< hove an splendid instrument I,
"a ho education and culture of tho
art masses OF boys and girls IN
~ ra denied the high privilege Of Il
4N stcmatic training OF the schools.
- Many years ago we learned tn
81, he first stone of a building WI
I| usually laid in the northeast corne
and this one which has been Ia