Year: 1879

For the information of all parties in
terested, and the further developement OF
the case involved, notice is hereby given,
that an organization has been perfected
for the parpose of establishing a Library
and public Reading Room in this city,
and the success of this laudable enterprise
will now materially depend upon the as
sistance and active cooperation of our
citizens.


Articles of incorporation, including the
Constitution and Bylaws agreed upon in
public meeting, have been recorded, and
the Executive Committee have since ap-
pointed committee to solicit donations of
money, books, periodicals, or other useful
and essential articles that may assist in
building up and furnishing an institution
which, if initiated and properly sustained,
will prove credit and of vast benefit to
our city. Over two hundred dollars have
been subscribed las start, and as soon as
sufficient amount shall be paid or
pledged, a room will be obtained and an
appropriate selection of books and period
icals procured, and said Reading Room
opened to the public. Our citizens may
expect call, and they should be able to
see at glance, that this is not solicita-
tion for subject of charity Of doubtful
propriety, but one for the present and
permanent benefit of our young city and
its growing populace. Let five times the
amount named be raised if possible, as it
will assuredly prove to be valuable in
vestment for the public welfare, and he
who contributes most literally, will never
have occasion to regret the act.


By provision of the constitution, the
Reading Room will be under the charge
of a librarian, with suitable regulations,
and will be open at all seasonable hours
to the public, without charge. Any one
paying one dollar into the treasury, and
signing the Constitution, becomes MEM
Der of the Association, and entitled to a
voice and vote in all its proceedings.
Library tickets will also be issued, and
any member or other person on the pay
ment of one dollar, will be entitled to a
ticket, good for one year, that will allow
said person to draw books for stated peri
DDS; the proceeds to go towards the need
full expenses, or to augment the library.
The fees for membership and library tick
cts may be taken from any ones subscrip-
tion, if desired, or they may be made adj
ditional thereto. While membership is
not essential 10 secure the privileges of
the library, yet all who are favorably dis
posed and who do not feel able to make a
larger contribution, are earnestly solicited
to subscribe enough, at least, to entitle
them both to membership and the pur-
chase of library ticket, and those who
have more ample means, we trust, will
feel constrained to give in due proportion,
but let no ones contribution be measured
by his neighbor's purse, property, or free
will offering.


Now, fellow citizens, this enterprise is
commended to your Judgment, and must
rely upon your fostering aid, upon liber-
ality of will and generosity of purpose
that will cause your hands, in sympathy
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check books, and thus enrol your names
as public benefactOrs. Neither excuses
nor special pleas will fill the bill, for as
citizens whose interests are involved with
our own, we need not only your good will
and sympathy, but something tangible and
practical; your names, your influence, and
portion of your money; and upon your
action will depend the success or failure
of the effort. If we succeed, to you will
all credit be due, and landmark of pro-
gress will be established in our history;
if we fail from lack of means, upon you
will fall the discredit; but we trust that
your action will be such as to show. that
ne delusive phantom of failure will readi-
ly disturb your imaginations or thwart
your nobler impulses.


In a commercial or business point CT
view, while holding out inducements to
settlers, Columbus should foster little
pride in keeping pace with her sister
cities of the state, rs our educational sta
tus and our facilities for literary culture
will elicit inquiry, and will be reflected as
it were from the sign boards of our town,
either to repel or attract intelligent immi-
grafton. We believe that our general
reputation, as well as the moral and intel
lectual standard of our city, would be ele-
waited by good library and reading-room
in our midst; that greater love for SCI
ence, history, and good social literature
would be acquired, and under judicious
management, that much good, both direct
and reflective, would be produced upon
our entire community thereby.


On behalf of the Executive Committee,


Very Respectfully,


WM. burgess, President.


E. L. SHERMAN, Secretary.


Prairie Creek Items.