Evening star., 1942-03-18
WIDE World News Service.

QUINCY, Mass, March 18.-
Music matters have changed around
Quincy since the incident OF Thomas
Morton and the nlaypole.
Back in the early 1600s Morton,
who didn't hit it off very we'll with
the Puritan fathers, was sent back
to England in disgrace because,
among more serious antics. he
staged gay parties in Quincy S
Merrymount section and joined the
Indians in song around a maypole.
But today the puritanical taboo
on music has been lifted to such
an extent that, with total impunity,
you can listen to recorded swing
music in the Quincy Public Library.
Not only can you listen to popular
and classical reccrdS-the SYM
phonies and tone poems greatly
outnumber the swing tunes-but you
can borrow records for a week at
q time, just as you would borrow
books
25.Cent Fine Per Scratch.
Quincy, known throughout the
world for its presidential birth
places, its granite quarries and its
Fore River shipyards, Is one Of the
few cities in the country where
libraries circulate records for home
listening and it was one OF the first
communities in the East to pioneer
in that department OF the arts.
Yes, you can borrow records from
the Thonas Crane Public Library
but if you scratch them you're hned
a quarter a scratch.
Since that is the identical amount
charged for visits to the red clap
board saltbox farmhouses where
Quincy-born Presidents John Adams
and John Quincy Adams lived. it Is
obvious that the city thinks pretty
highly Of its collection Of more than
$500 wax disks.
The range is from medieval plain
songs to the later Freddy Martin.
Break one of them and not even
letter of explanation from your
district alderman will save you from
making a replacement.
Sun Over Moonlight Sonata"
I'VE had a funny case once" said
Miss Margaret Hebert, pretty music
librarian who has had charge OF the
record collection since 1t was intro
duced by Librarian Galen Hill In
December. 1910.
you couldn't call it breakage,
but the records were destroyed. A
man who had borrowed a whole
album left 1t on a window sill at
home and the sun warped the rec
ords."
What was the name Of the set
that was warped by the sum-" asked
the reporter.
"Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. "
she replied with smile.
Surprisingly, however, only 36 rec
ords have been broken since circu-
lation started-the first one to 60
kerplunk was Love Sends a Little
Gift of Roses" the fines for
scratches average only three or four
month among hundreds of pa
irons.
Were lenient about the
scratches" explained Miss Hebert.
Unless they cause a bumpy sound
in the record we forget the fine
and put the record back IN cir
culation until some one kicks"
Lone Rangers Song.
1--WE had a complaint about our
William Tell number last week, "
she said thoughtfully. You see,
the children have it almost worn
out listening for the part they call
the Lone Rangers song"
The record collection Is kept IN
an alcove of a room principally de-
voted to collections of music books
and complete operate scores.
Several hundred albums and hun
dreds of single records are ar
ranged in slots on one wall OF the
alcove, just as they are in music
store. When you find something
you think you might like you step
into one of four soundproof booths
where monographs are available
and give yourself a concert.
You're allowed to borrow one COM
plete album which may include as