Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18

because 1t was in existence at least Tor 5S years,
when in 1869 it was moved into the new build
ing erected for the Young Mems Christian
Association at the northeast corner of Ninth
and d streets generally known as the Lincoln
Music Hall. and the probabilities that it
at that time merged with the Y. NJ c. A.
library, which was also housed in that building.
IT'S charter takes us back nearly 1T years,
when Washington was indeed a city Of
magnificent distances" time even preceding
the burning of the Capitol by the British. The
first clause of this interesting docunlcn. leads:
BE it enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States of America
in Congress assembled, That James Laurie,
Joseph Stretch, William Parker, Jonathan s.
Findley, George Way, Moses Young and Thomas
H Gillis and their successors duly elected or
appointed in manner hereinafter directed, be,
and they are hereby made, declared and con-
stituted corporation and body polite, in law
and in fact to have continuance forever, by
the name, style, and title of The Directors of
the Washington Library Co. and by such
corporate name, STYLE and title shall be here
after forever able and capable, in law and in
equity to and be sued, plead and be inn
pleaded answer and be answered unto, defend
and be defended in any court, or courts or
other places and before any judge judges,
justice justices, other persons whatsoever,
within the District of Columbia, elsewhere,
in all and all manner of suits, actions, COM
plants pleas, causes, matters, and demands, Of
whatever kind or nature they may be, in as
full and effectual a manner as any other person
or persons bodies polite or corporate. may or
can do"
It is signed by Langdon Cleves, who was at
that time the Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives, and by E. Gerry, Vice President Of
the United States, and President of the Senate,
and was approved by President James Madi-
son, on April Is, 1914.
BY 1885, the cost to those not shareholders
in the library was:
Five dollars per year;
Three dollars for six months;
1.-TWO dollars for three months;
lone dollar for one month:
to be paid in advance, on deposit being made
with the Librarian Of double the price affixed
for the book, or set of books; subject, in all
other respects, to the same regulations share
holders; but such persons, if not residents Of
the City of Washington, shall deposit with the
Librarian double the value of the books taken
out"
The officers of the library given for the year
1884 include: Directors-Samuel H. Smith,
president; John Sessford, treasurer; Phineas
Bradley, Peter Force, Charles Mclean, C. PALE
frey and Richard Bennett and the librarian.
S. w, Gray.
THE first home of this library seems to have
been Gin the front room of the first floor Of
the house on Pennsylvania avenue occupied by
Henry Whetcroft, notary public, and owned by
Elias Travers" This, we are told, was at the
south side of the Avenue between Thirteenth
and Thirteen-and-a-hah streets where it re-
manned for three years.
In 1917 Gideon Davis was appointed librarian,
evidently succeeding Jonathan S. Findlay and
the library was removed to the formers book
store ION Pennsylvania avenue near the
theater." From 1920 to 1927 it was kept in the
upper story of the Post Office Building, on
Seventh street, which was the Blodgett Hotel
Building, purchased by the Government. While
located in this building it was during the year
1921, under the care of George Sweeny the
chief clerk of the City Post Office The fol-
lowing year John Alexander Adams, clerk in
the Post Office was in charge, and from 1923
to 1927, the date of its removal to the Union
Lodge Building, it was under the direction Of
William p Elliot. draughtsman in the Post
ONCE, and here it remained until 1869, when
the books, papers and equipment were removed
to Ninth and streets northwest
The old Union Lodge Building, which stood
midway of the block on the Eleventh street
side Of the square now occupied by the Post
ONCE Department Building built in 1904
by Federal and Columbia Lodges of MasonS,
and was the first building erected by the Ma
sonic fraternity in the city, who used the
second floor for their meeting place, while the
first floor was rented to the city for registrars
Office, and here the City Council for while also
held its meetings.
HCCOLuulS W W. LAWSUIT JOLAlSCOH III nAB
Early History OF the Washington Library Conn
pany and Other Local Library Companies:
1.-The only circulating library besides the WASH
ington Library of which have been able to
obtain any notice was the circulating library
of the Charitable Society of st. Patrick's
Church, a collection for which on the 18th Of
March, 1928 was announced in the National
Intelligencer of March IS"
WITHOUT rejecting, we who are today living
in a high-price period might not consider
the charges made for the use of the library Of
&c Of