The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-06-04
SIMMONS LAUDS
KENOSHA SPIRIT
Is Guest of City at Dedica-
ton Of New Branch
Library.
CELEBRATE 18TH YEAR

"You can't down Kenosha! The old
home town is bound to rise, and rise
so rapidly that we old-timers will
marvel all the more. The town will
rise in spite of the fool administra-
tion at Madison. The progress and
growth of the city in the past few
years has been remarkable, and it will
continue to grow and prgress. May
the blessings that have been brought
to the community~by a philosophical
citizenry continue to be showered up
on you forever and ever"
That was the Enthusiastically
cheerful greeting brought to Kenosha
on Saturday by z. G. Simmons, presi-
dent of the Simmons company, form
er citizen Of Kenosha, but now living
at Greenwich, Conn. Mr.. Simmons
dropped into town as the guest of the
city on the occasion of the celebration
OF the twenty-ffth anniversary of the
dedication of the public library pre-
sented to the city by his father, and
the dedication of the new west branch
library at the corner of Elizabeth and
Edward streets on Saturday evening.
Combining the Memorial Day cele-
bration with the Library anniversary,
and paying tribute to the soldier and
sailor dead together with honoring
the memory Of 2. G. Simmons made
the day one of double significance in
Kenosha. Elaborate preparations had
been made by committee consisting
of members of the present library
board for the day and all went off as
scheduled.
Following the regular Memorial Day
services at Library park, Charles G.
Brown, the only present member of
the board who was with the original
library board in 1896, gave brief con-
ception of the value of the work of
such an institution in the community.
Emory L. Grant, also a member of the
first board, presented the anniversary
address, in which he turned back the
pages in his memory and told of the
years that have gone by since the
first dedication on Memorial Day, 1900.
He pointed out the remarkable growth
of the library movement in Kenosha,
and suggested that the present cul-
mination of the earliest ideas held
by that group of public-spirited men
who met in the old Grant house in
1895 was far greater than they had
ever dreamed. Mr.. Simmons also gave
a word of greeting to the crowd that
filled the lawn south of the library
steps.
The big celebration for the day, as
far as the library was concerned, was
the occasion of the dedication of the
west side branch library on Saturday
evening. Here city officials gathered
with the library board to make merry
in rejoicing over the most suspicious
occasion Members of the city coun-
Gil. City Manager C. NJ. Osborn, mem
bers of the library board, 2. G. Sim
mons, Miss Cora Frantz, present IL
brarian, and Mrs. Clara Barnes, first
librarian whose work extended for q
period of fifteen years since the in
ception of the library as an institu-
tion in Kenosha, and others.
In the newest addition to the library
system of the city-made possible en-
tirely from surplus funds accumulated
in the library treasury, the dedica-
tory services were held. W. H. Afford
presided.
my conception of the duties OF
government" he said, in opening the
evenings program, "are to safeguard
the health of the community, protect
the life and property of its individ
uals, and give them things that car
be provided as a community PROPOSE
ton, and more abundantly so thar
by private enterprise. The public Ii
brary fulfills that last requirement
This newest library building is but
an evidence of the rapid continuous
growth of our city and desire or
! the part of its members to provide
the people with worth while things in
life
In introducing Charles c. Brown