f Uiiiv. of 111. Library ^ KJ r \i D2.V 2. 2. A. t. A. LIBRMtT NGBGt THE TRANSFER OF THE * Newton Free Library TO THE CITY OF NEWTON. THE TRANSFER OF THE NEWTON FREE LIBRARY TO THE CITY OF NEWTON: INCLUDING THE ADDRESSES OF HON. J. WILEY EDMANDS, MAYOR SPEARE, HON. JAMES F. C. HYDE, REV. B. K. PIERCE, D.D., JOHN S. FARLOW, ESQ., and GEORGE H. JONES, ESQ., CITY ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE LIBRARY, WITH THE NAMES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL. BOSTON: FRANKLIN PRESS: RAND, AVERY, & 00. 1876. 2fA»(T/ Oo? 7. c2 <2. N loSUX. CITY OF NEWTON. City Hall, April 15, 1876. By a concurrent order of the City Council, the City Clerk was directed to request the several gentlemen who participated in the transfer of the Newton Free Library to the City, to furnish copies of their addresses on that occasion for publication, with the proceedings incident thereto. The request has been promptly complied with ; and the addresses, with a brief compilation of the pro- ceedings of the City Council in connection with the transfer and acceptance of the Library, is herewith Respectfully submitted, EDWIN O. CHILDS, City Clerk . ■>* vj (h Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/transferofnewtonOOnewt PRESENTATION OF THE NEWTON FREE LIBRARY TO THE CITY OF NEWTON. PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS. The following communication relating to the trans- fer of the Newton Free Library to the City of Newton was presented in the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Nov. 15, 1875. To Hon. J. F. C. Hyde, Mayor of the City of Newton, — At an adjourned meeting of the Newton Free Library, held on the 3d inst., a vote was passed, empowering the Managers to tender the Library to the City. The undersigned have been chosen by the Board, with full powers, to consummate the transfer of the franchise and property of the Corporation. Pursuant to this vote, we have now to inform you that the Committee are prepared to communicate with the Board of Aider- men as to the steps to be taken to place the Library formally in the hands of the City Government; and we await their action regarding further proceedings. Your obedient servants, J. WILEY EDMANDS, ) J. S. FARLOW, j- Committee. E. W. CONVERSE, j Newton, Nov. 12, 1875. 6 PRELIM IN AR Y PRO CEE DINGS. Upon the receipt of this communication, the fol- lowing order was adopted: — In Board op Mayor and Aldermen, Nov. 15, 1875. Ordered , That the proposition of the Newton Free Library Asso- ciation to make a free gift of their Library, with all its franchises, be referred to a Joint Special Committee of five, one of whom shall be the Mayor, one Alderman, and three from the Common Council. In compliance with the foregoing order, the follow- ing-named gentlemen were constituted the Committee therein provided for, — his Honor the Mayor, and Alderman Pettee, with President Allen, and Messrs. Ward and Weed of the Common Council. After due consideration of the subject, the Com- mittee submitted the following order, which was adopted in concurrence by the two branches of the City Council : — In Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Dec. 20, 1875. Ordered, That the City of Newton accepts the Newton Free Library as a gift to the City, upon the terms and conditions con- tained in the tender of the same by the Corporation, and that the City of Newton hereby assumes all the obligations and the condi- tions of trust attaching to the Institution. Ordered, also, That a Joint Special Committee be appointed by the incoming City Council of 1876 to petition the Legislature for the necessary enactment as suggested in the opinion of the City Solicitor. Soon after the organization of the new City Govern- ment for 1876 , and in response to the foregoing order, PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS. 7 and the recommendation of his Honor Mayor Speare, the following-named gentlemen were designated as the committee to petition the legislature for the necessary enactment, — the Mayor, and Alderman Rice, and Councilmen Potter, Chester, and Goodrich. In compliance with the petition of this Committee, the legislature promptly passed the following Act : — [Chapter 18 : Acts, 1876.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : — Section 1. — The Newton Free Library may grant, transfer, and convey to the City of Newton its franchise, library, and prop- erty, real and personal, for the establishment of a Public Library therein, to be forever maintained by said city. Sect. 2. — All grants, donations, or bequests heretofore made to the said Newton Free Library, shall, by force of this Act, and of the transfer and conveyance hereby authorized, inure and pass to the City of Newton, for the use and benefit of the Public Library to be established and maintained therein as aforesaid. Sect. 3. — This Act shall take effect upon its passage. House of Representatives, Feb. 24, 1876. Passed to be enacted. JOHN D. LONG, Speaker . In Senate, Feb. 28, 1876. Passed to be enacted. GEORGE B. LORING, President. Approved. Feb. 28, 1876. ALEXANDER H. RICE. Upon the passage of this Act, the Board of Managers 8 PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS. officially notified the City Council of their readiness to complete the formal surrender of the Library to the city. The committee representing the City Govern- ment consisted of the following gentlemen, — Messrs. Gorham D. Gilman, James F. Edmands, J. Willard Rice, on the part of the Aldermen; and Messrs. Dwight Chester, Rufus Moulton, and William J. Towne, on the part of the Common Council. This Committee thereupon proceeded to make ar- rangements for the formal reception of the Library by his Honor the Mayor, in behalf of the City, designat- ing Thursday evening, March 16, 1876, for that pur- pose, the services to take place in the Library Hall. Both branches of the City Council, with the heads of Departments, Ex-Mayor Hyde, the clergy of the city, and other citizens, were invited to be present. THE EORIAL TRANSFER OF THE LIBRARY TO THE CITY. In accordance with arrangements made by the Joint Special Committee of the City Council and the Trustees of the Newton Free Library, the formal transfer of the Library, with its building and other property, real and personal, from the care of its Board of Trustees to that of the City Government, was made on the evening of March 16, 1876. There were present his Honor Mayor Speare, and members of the Board of Aldermen, Common Council, and School Committee, with officers of the City Government, clergymen of the city, and others interested in the business which had called them together. Hon. J. Wiley Edmands, President of the Board of Trustees, occupied the chair : and upon his invitation the services of the occasion were introduced with prayer by Rev. S. M. Freeland. The title-deeds of the property, and the keys of the building, were then tendered to the city, through its chief magistrate, by Mr. Edmands, who made the transfer in the following appropriate words : — 10 ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. Mr. Mayor, and Gentlemen of the City Coun- cil, — At the last annual meeting of the Newton Free Library Corporation, a vote was passed, authorizing the Managers to tender the Library as a gift to the city, and empowering them to make a transfer of its franchise and property, on the city’s assuming the conditions of trust of its present organization. In accordance with that vote, the Library was offered to the city, and accepted by vote of the Board of Aider- men, passed Dec. 20, and by concurrent action of the Common Council, Dec. 22, 1875. An Act having since passed the legislature, en- abling the Managers to give up their official trust, and turn over the property, they now meet you for the purpose of putting the city of Newton in possession of all that belongs to the Newton Free Library Corpo- ration, including the reading-room, with its magazines and journals. Acting in behalf of the corporation, I now sur- render to the City Government the keys of the building, and place in your hands, Mr. Mayor, the title-deeds of its real estate and personal property. The institution is fully equipped for its work, and adequate to the needs of the time ; and its building is capable, at a moderate cost, of such enlargement as the future may require. Balance of cash funds on ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. 11 hand is $ 2,764.39, which will be handed over to the City Treasurer. 1 This formal ceremony, Mr. Mayor, is the consumma- tion of a business transaction of more interest than ordinarily attaches to such occasions. Although we follow the conventional routine which is customary when the city takes possession of a new building, the circumstances attending this acquisition are of infre- quent occurrence. The occasion is an interesting one, not solely from its being a formal recognition of a gift to the public now being made, nor from the material value of the fine building, with its contents, which passes to the city. This public ceremony has more than ordinary significance, as marking the accession of an institution of a distinctive character in promoting the moral and intellectual culture of the community at large. A free library, in its relations to the public, performs an office peculiar to itself, and occupies a place which no other of the city’s institutions can fill. The occasion is not without much interest to those who have labored to make the Library what it is, whose feelings have been deeply enlisted in its welfare from its inception to the dissolution of its present organization. A sense of the obligation which every man should feel to do what he can for the good of the community incited the movement which led to its establishment, 1 The cash balance was increased $58.53, collected for interest, making the amount turned over to the city treasurer $2,822.92. OF ILL LI3. 12 ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. and secured the co-operation of many friends, who have given their money and their unselfish services to support it. Its books have not been gathered at hap-hazard, to give fictitious importance to its catalogue by the num- bers on its shelves, but have all been selected with much care and discrimination, making up an assort- ment of miscellaneous works equal, to say the least, in point of merit and profitable reading, to the average collections of our public libraries. Early in the history of the Library, the enterprise lost the character of an experiment. Its ready ap- preciation by the community gave evidence that it had not been started too soon. It found friends to come to its support when money was needed to con- tinue it; and its steady growth has confirmed the most sanguine hopes and expectations of those who joined in establishing it. They well knew, that, however fortunate they might be in pecuniary resources, the degree of popular favor which the Library should secure would constitute the measure of its usefulness. There has been no disappointment in this respect ; and the rapid growth and present prosperous condition of the Library is due to its appreciation by the public. During the past four years (those of its full opera- tion), the number of books has increased over thirty per cent, and the circulation forty-one per cent ; the number on the shelves at this time being 11,289. Since the close of the official year, Sept. 30, when ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. 13 the Annual Report of the Managers was published, its progress has been greater than at any former period. The circulation of the five months ending the first day of the present month is 32,298 volumes, being an excess of 11,862 over the same months of last year. This increase illustrates the growing disposition of the community to avail of the advantages of the Library, and is significant of what will, before long, be re- quired, in enlarged accommodations, to meet the wants of our rapidly-increasing population. A complete history of the origin, growth, manage- ment, and the present condition, of the Library, and detailed information regarding its working from year to year, will be found in the book which I now present to you, as one which may be useful for reference hereafter. A free city library is an important adjunct in the educational system. Newton has spared no pains or expense on its schools ; and the acquisition of a free library is one step further in the direction of edu- cating the community. The library, in its formative inlluences, is to the community at large what the school is to the young ; each contributing, in its own sphere, to the improvement of society. It is the province of the school to train the young mind through systematic study, and to discipline it, so that it may retain and assimilate the knowledge acquired. School education is to be considered as a means to an end, — so to improve the faculties of the 14 ADDRESS OF MR. EDM AND . young, that they may be fitted by disposition and ability to improve the opportunities for usefulness in after-life. The true end of school instruction is self- education, and the library co-operates to that end, taking up the young at the point where school instruction leaves them. The seeds of knowledge planted in the school, and germinating in after-years, often acquire their fullest growth and productiveness under the favoring influences of the library. It fur- nishes the means of self-improvement to all, indis- criminately, — the old and young, the rich and poor, the men and women. That school instruction which does not develop and result in a desire for self-improvement falls far short of the highest purpose of education. That scheme of popular education is the most perfect, which treats the individual as the subject of educational influences through life, and prepares him to take advantage of the facilities offered for continued mental develop- ment. When you give free access to the stores of knowledge gathered in the library, you do much towards utilizing school instruction; and it is through these available means and facilities for self-improve- ment, that you secure the full fruition of popular education. In view of the high rank which a city free library holds at the present day in popular estimation every- where, your adoption of this institution is of no slight consideration, as adding to the attractions and to the ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. 15 importance of Newton ; and it will be long before any municipal act will appear on our city’s records, more conducive to its prosperity. A free library is fraught with practical consequences affecting our community for the present and the future. It is an important auxiliary to the teacher in furnishing the scholars with the books which he may recommend as relating to the subject of their studies. It is the source of information to the special student and the general reader, giving to all who resort to it — whether for general knowledge, or to indulge in the beauties of literature — a higher estimate of their privileges, a stronger attachment to the locality where these opportunities are found, and an increased interest in the welfare of the community. Through books, the learned men who have impressed their thoughts on the minds of past generations con- tinue to reign in the realms of literature. The printed book is a mirror of the past ; and the genius and learning of ancient and modern authors are now as open to the multitudes as were ever the lectures of Socrates and Plato to the few who listened to their teachings. A free city library has an element of strength and permanency in the knowledge which every citizen, educated or uneducated, has, that no restraints upon the circulation of its books can be made, and that its privileges and benefits are assured to all classes. It is to be supposed that the ownership of our Library by the city will secure for it an abiding popular 16 ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. interest, surpassing in kind and degree that which a private or corporate association can feel sure of hold- ing for the long future. In severing their relations with the Library, the members of the corporation are parting with a cher- ished object, and are naturally sensitive to any sup- posed risks incident to a change in its control, from their knowledge of the care and attention it has hitherto required. They indulge in a feeling of satis- faction in contemplating their work in building up an institution worthy of the city’s adoption, and they will feel a deep interest in all that attends its course here- after, ever solicitous for its prosperity and usefulness. If it were proper now to make any allusion to the causes of the past success of the Library, there is one prominent among the others, which might be con- sidered pertinent to the occasion, in view of its impor- tance as a precedent. I refer to the policy, established at its commencement, of keeping the Library free from all extraneous influences; and the action of all con- nected with it has been ever true to this policy. In the election of officers, in its appointments and its man- agement, no sectional, political, or denominational bias or partialities have influenced its course at any time. We have no concern regarding this for the immediate future. All that has transpired in connection with your reception of the Library evinces your appreciation of it in all its bearings; and we. trust there will be no divergence of views on this point by your successors ADDRESS OF MR. EDMANDS. IT in office in the length of years, to jeopardize its welfare, and possibly its continuance. The Managers now resign their trust, with its re- sponsibilities, to you, with full confidence in the growth and increasing usefulness of the institution under the city’s control ; and they doubt not, that the considera- tion which it will receive in your hands will be com- mensurate with its benefits to the people, and its importance to the city. Edward Everett once said, when speaking of the school's, “ A school is not a machine, to be wound up like a clock, and then left to take care of itself;” and this is applicable to the Library, which requires, .not only constant attention and care, but the wherewithal to keep it in proper working condition. Its collection must be kept fresh by continued accessions. A library, like a plant, will soon pine, without adequate nourishment. When its supply of new books fails, it ceases to grow; and cessa- tion of growth is the beginning of decay. Under the fostering care of the City Government, the Library will maintain a vigorous and prolific growth, amply remunerating for all that is bestowed upon it. Let us hope that this care will not be di- minished by any cause, until the Newton Free Library shall, by its ennobling influences, secure the interest of every citizen, and become the most valued of our city institutions. The important trust conveyed in the preceding ad- dress of Mr. Edmands was accepted, in behalf of the City, in the following 18 RESPONSE OF MAYOR SPEARE. RESPONSE OF MAYOR SPEARE. Mr. President and Gentlemen, Trustees of the Newton Free Library, — You have placed in my hand a deed which conveys to the city of Newton your “ franchise, library, and property, real and personal, for the establishment of a public library therein, to be forever maintained by the said city,” in accordance with authority given the Newton Free Library by the legislature of our Commonwealth. You have also given me the keys to the main entrance of the building, thus opening to the City Council all its opportunities and responsibilities. The city of Newton gratefully accepts this most princely gift which it has ever been the good fortune of any city in the Commonwealth to have received. We accept not only this beautiful and substantial building, — fitly representing the lasting remembrance in which you and your associates will be held by the citizens of Newton in all coming time, — but also the results of ten years of earnest thought and honest labor. All this you have freely given, asking, expecting, and receiving no other reward than a consciousness that you have tried to use properly the talents God has given you, whether those talents have been the money you have contributed, or days and nights devoted to the advancement of the interests of the Library. Newton accepts this, another, its last, its best school- RESPONSE OF MAYOR S PE A RE. 19 house, — a schoolhouse which shall furnish opportunities for culture to all its inhabitants, from the pupil in our primary schools to the graduate of the highest uni- versity of this or any land. If our children are properly instructed at home and in our public schools, the desire is aroused for a wider range of knowledge and breadth of culture, which li- braries alone can supply. There are over eleven thousand carefully selected volumes in this library, — about one-third as many as there are in the circulating department of the Boston Free Library, exclusive of its branches, and three times as many, in proportion to the number of inhab- itants to be accommodated. You also have attained an average weekly circulation of over eleven hundred volumes ; and, through agencies established in the various wards, the books are easily accessible to all our citizens. Can we too highly appreciate our public libraries, containing the priceless treasures of recorded knowl- edge, wit, fancy, and wisdom of the past and present, in all departments of literature, accessible to all ? And in whatever line of thought or avocation we desire fur- ther improvement, we here find it, ready at our hand, “ without money, and without price.” Are there any who question the usefulness of such an institution, or who doubt the propriety of „ its acceptance by the city of Newton ? Is there a citizen who would not have felt humbled and chagrined, if the 20 RESPONSE OF MAYOR S PE A RE. City Council had refused to receive it, or if we should not cherish it with our best and most vigilant care ? We believe not one. On the contrary, as the magni- tude of this gift shall come to be fully appreciated by the citizens, so will the desire to foster and care for it be increased. The citizens of Newton never have been parsimoni- ous, and assume with pleasure the burden which you and your associates have thus far cheerfully borne. The benefits are for all ; and they all demand the privi- lege of alike bearing their proportion of the responsi- bility, and sharing the honor, of its continued support. An enlightened City Council will now take up the work, where you leave it, through its appointed agen- cies, and, profiting by your experience and the co- operation which we know you will cheerfully give, strive not only to maintain, but, if possible, to increase, the usefulness of its own Free Public Library. We trust our fellow-citizens will not forget that the measure of the advantages to be derived from it will depend on the manner in which these books are selected and used by them. Among those who shared the responsibility, pecuni- arily and personally, in the establishing of this Library, was our lamented friend and fellow-citizen, David B. Jewett, one of your trustees at the time of his depart- ure from his labors here to their reward in the hereafter, and who will long be held in grateful remembrance. He left to this Library a legacy of five thousand RESPONSE OF MAYOR SPEARE. 21 dollars ; and only the income from it, we trust, will be expended in needed additions to the Library, the principal forever remaining a monument of his wisdom and benevolence, and a lasting incentive to others to do likewise. But, sir, a small book, containing the history of your doings up to this time, reminds me that deeds, not words, have characterized your proceedings ; and, while it would be gratifying to call to mind the more minute history of the inception and progress of this enterprise, we will not detain you with them, but leave this honor for those who can better perform that duty. Sir, the munificent contributions made by you, of more than one-fourth of the amount expended in the erection of this building; and the maintenance of the Library to the present time, were coupled with impor- tant details of organization and conditions, the wisdom of which is thus early apparent. One of those condi- tions was, that it should be called “The Newton Free Library ; ” another, that the building should be of enduring material, brick or stone. May the influence of your noble example, and the usefulness of this Library, be as lasting as the rocks that compose this structure ! May God in his goodness grant to us, and those who shall fill our places hereafter, the wisdom, knowledge, and virtue which shall enable us to forever here main- tain this “ the crown of our republican system of pop- ular education,” and that it may do its full part in bearing up and sustaining a well compacted and im- 22 ADDRESS OF EX-MAYOR HYDE. perishable fabric of freedom, — of that freedom which rests upon intelligence, which must be regulated by law, and which can only be maintained by piety, phi- lanthropy, and patriotism ! ” Upon assuming the chair, at the conclusion of his address, Mayor Speare continued, — Mr. President, we have to ask through you that the present organization shall retain their respective positions and duties until the City Council shall have fully completed the necessary ordinances, and ap- pointed the Trustees therein provided for, and they shall be ready to assume the responsibility. Gentlemen, we are favored with the presence of the one who first had the honor of suggesting that which we to-night have had the pleasure of consummating. I need not introduce to you, but I have the honor of presenting to you, the Hon James F. C. Hyde. ADDRESS OF EX-MAYOR HYDE. Mr. Mayor, — It gives me pleasure to be present to-night to witness the consummation of a thing so desirable as the formal transfer of this Library to the city. I had the honor to suggest, in my address last year, that such an arrangement would be a wise and proper thing, and expressed the hope that measures might be taken to place this Library in the charge and under the direction of the city. Before the year closed, some action was taken in this ADDRESS OF EX-MAYOR HYDE. 23 direction. His Honor, the mayor, my successor, ap- proving the measure warmly, seconded the suggestion previously made ; and, soon after the inauguration of the new government, votes were passed concerning the matter, and application was made to the General Court, and the necessary authority obtained ; and we are here to-night to witness the formal and legal transfer of all the property of the Newton Free Library, as a free gift, to the city of Newton, subject only to such proper provisions as the nature of the gift demands. Hence- forth, these doors are to swing open widely and freely to all, — as well to him who pays but two dollars tax as to him who pays two thousand. Here rich and poor, young and old, all, from every part of the city, may come and enjoy the advantage of the thousands of volumes that fill these shelves. In the long roll of years yet uncounted, who can tell what blessings may come to this and succeeding generations from a wise and proper use of these books? No city or town, so far as I now remember, has ever received such a princely gift. Some cities have had a sum pledged, if the city would raise an equal amount; but here all is freely given. A large, convenient, and most substan- tial building, well adapted to the uses for which it was designed, with more than eleven thousand volumes, selected with the greatest care by those who inau- gurated this noble enterprise, are now to be transferred to the city as a free gift. The question has recently been asked, How, consist- 24 ADDRESS OF EX-MAYOR HYDE. ently with my views of economy, I could recommend and justify such a yearly expenditure as will be re- quired for the. support of this Library and its surround- ings, and thus lay an additional burden upon the poor tax-payer. Can it be a burden or a hardship to him who pays a tax of two or five dollars a year, only two or five cents of which would be his portion contributed yearly to this Library, while it may be this same tax- payer has a family of five, six, or ten children, each of whom would be entitled to, and might take, each a book a day, making an aggregate of thirty books a week for the smallest family named, if they could find time to read as many ? Certainly one might as well calculate the interest on his furniture, dress, or even the food he eats, and seek to use less because thereby money would be saved. I see around me the men who have given so freely of their time and money to bring this Library, and all that pertains to it, to its present most excellent condi- tion. All honor to them ; and I desire here and now, in behalf of the people of our city who are not here to-night, and the thousands more who are to come after us, to thank you all for what you have done, for the great blessing you have conferred upon the pres- ent and coming generations in this noble Library. Let the city receive and appreciate it; and may it be the aim of this and all succeeding city governments, to care for and watch over it, yearly voting a sufficient amount to make it what our people demand, and are so able to appreciate and enjoy. ADDRESS OF REV. BRADFORD K. PEIRCE, D.D. 25 The next speaker was introduced by Mayor Speare in the following words : — The School Committee are deeply interested in, and intimately connected with, all the educational interests of our city ; and I doubt not you will be pleased to hear from their talented and efficient chairman, Rev. Dr. Peirce of Newton. ADDRESS OF REV. BRADFORD K. PEIRCE, D.D. I congratulate you, Mr. Mayor, in being the chief magistrate of our city at this interesting period, and especially, that, on the eve of one of the most signifi- cant and important of our centennial events (the 17 th of March), you become the organ through which our city receives, by the noble generosity of some of her citizens, this beautiful, substantial, and perpetual gift. This well appointed. Library does not indeed fall under the jurisdiction of the School Committee; but I am ready to acknowledge that it is one of the most important and effective educational institutions of the city. Every thoughtful observer is aware that the school is only one of several almost equally powerful agencies at work in accomplishing the education of the children in such a community as ours. It is impossible to overestimate the influence and efficiency of a cultivated family in the early development and after-training of children, both intellectual and moral. It is a matter of ready discovery in the same schools 26 ADDRESS OF REV. BRADFORD IC. PEIRCE, D.D. under the same teachers, with an equal proficiency, in the ordinary drill of these institutions, by the amount of general information, and familiarity with public events, to find the youths who are daily enjoying the inestimable opportunities of intelligent conversation and wholesome reading at home. The natural scenery, and the aesthetic taste of the community, as displayed in both public and private forms, afford a constant and universal education for the young, of one of the richest sides of their intellectual being. We all know what a happy change has been effected, in our times, in the training of little children. By object-teaching, the senses are solicited, and, in the most delightful manner, the mental faculties of the little pupils are awakened ; and learning is made a delight rather than a burden. Our city, with its varied and charming scenery, with its fine embowered streets, its beautiful lawns and tasteful gardens, is one immense kindergarten, from which our young people are receiving the profoundest and most wholesome impres- sions. Broad sides of their nature, usually neglected, are thus constantly addressed and developed. There is another powerful agency at work in the mental training of our children, to which 1 may be permitted to allude ; and that is to our cultivated New England pulpit. Beyond its legitimate office, as the interpreter of God’s word to man, and as a divine embassage, bearing a gospel of grace to sinning souls, our pulpit, with its well-trained ministry, has had no ADDRESS OF REV. BRADFORD K. PEIRCE , D.D. 27 small share in the intellectual training of the people ; in awakening mental life in the community, in devel- oping general intelligence, and in arousing a whole- some ambition for higher education and liberal learning Then comes the public school, the pride and defence of our republic. It is not for me to disparage this institution as it exists to-day in our city. It compares well with any similar system in the country. Doubt- less it is open to criticism, and capable of great im- provement. Changes, some of them quite radical, are already going on in our schools. It is an era of revo- lutions ; but they are transpiring silently, and without violence or open demonstration, which is by far the most hopeful form of their introduction. In ten years, as we look back, we shall be surprised at the real progress which has been made. Our school-edifices are our chief public buildings. They are structures of which we have no occasion to be ashamed. With one or two exceptions, they are as grateful to the eye, as they are well adapted to the service they are called to render. While some of our sister cities, by the accumulation of a heavy debt, have expended as much money, nearly, upon one high- scliool building as all our school-edifices have cost, we have as comfortable, as graceful, and as well appointed schoolhouses, as the Commonwealth affords. For two generations, at least, our wooden structures will meet all our necessities. 28 ADDRESS OF REV. BRADFORD K. PEIRCE , D.D. But after the public school, what ? A large portion of our youths finish their school education with the grammar department. They never enter the high school. Many leave before they reach the highest grammar classes. Their minds have simply been developed. They have learned how to read, think, and study. They know but little ; but they have secured the rudiments of all knowledge. Without higher schools or college, there is no limit to their prog- ress in literature or science, if they are studious, and the means are at hand. Here comes the open door of the Free Public Library, soliciting their newly awakened intellectual appetites with every variety of tempting food. If habits of reading and study are not formed, they will lose, through lack of exercise, nearly every thing that they have gained; and the schools will be blamed, as they have been, for profiting them in nothing. But, if their tastes are awakened and culti- vated, there is no limit, but life, to their possible attain- ments. The British nobleman, who was so surprised to find the son of his gardener reading La Place’s “ Mechanique celeste,” received a significant answer from him to his question, “ How did you become able to read and comprehend the work of this great mathe- matician?” "What more does a person need to begin with than a knowledge of the alphabet?” was the expressive answer. But the library creates a higher intellectual taste in the community. It becomes a popular university ADDRESS OF REV. BRADFORD K. PEIRCE, D.D. 29 with all its professional schools. If the community depends upon the incidental reading that comes to hand, its time will be squandered over newspapers, periodicals, and the least wholesome and elevating of the innumerable works of fiction, thrown out in cheap forms from the press. But where a large, well-selected library proffers it free opportunities, and where the intellectual tone of the whole community has been inspired and elevated by its rich treasures, a line of instructive reading, in some branch most in accordance with the taste of the youth, will soon be chosen and pursued, greatly to the profit of the reader. It is the almost universal experience of those in charge of public libraries, that while at first works of fiction, and these not of the most select and improving char- acter, are in large demand, the taste for them gradually wanes, as readers become impressed with the breadth and value, and interest also, of more substantial works. Then works of science and art, biography and history, philosophy and poetry, have their opportunity, and are eagerly sought to administer their better nutriment to the thoroughly awakened appetite for knowledge. It is thus impossible to overestimate the value to the city, in all its coming generations, of such a noble contri- bution as this Library to its educational instrumen- talities. It is a pleasant thought, that, unless some terrible fire should sweep over this portion of the city, the edifice we are now reconsecrating to a broader field 30 ADDRESS OF REV. BRADFORD K. PEIRCE, D.D. of its predestined province of public education, will survive the century upon which we are now entering. The surrounding, somewhat unsubstantial edifices will have accomplished their services, and been superseded by others; but this substantial pile of granite, as graceful in its proportions as it is solid in material, will remain, to bear down to our successors a most significant symbol of the generosity and public spirit of our citizens, and of the culture of our city at the opening of its municipal life. It may require, as we hope it will, enlargement through the steady growth of its invaluable contents ; but its sturdy walls will admit of another story, and in front new halls — corre- sponding with the beautiful one in which we are now gathered, and preserving the fine architectural propor- tions of the graceful building — maybe erected; but the original structure itself will stand as the unbroken link between the centennial era eighteen hundred and seventy-six, and its, we hope, even more prosperous successor near the close of nineteen hundred. As Mr. Peirce resumed his seat, the mayor proceeded as follows : — No enterprise of any importance, however well endowed financially, will achieve its full measure of success, unless there is some one person who has the time, the disposition, and the ability to largely take the lead in the necessary thought and hours of un- known and unrequited labor ; but, fortunately, this undertaking was favored with one whose qualifications ADDRESS OF MR. F ARROW. 31 for the place were only excelled by his devotion to the interests of this Library, and who, for the first four years, presided over the deliberations of the Trustees. I refer to George H. Jones, Esq. On learning that Mr. Jones was not present, being detained at home by severe illness, the Mayor called on J. S. Farlow in his stead. ADDRESS OF MR. FARLOW. I cheerfully respond, Mr. Mayor, to your call on me to fill the vacancy in these proceedings, caused by the absence of Mr. Jones. You could not have asked me to fill the place of a worthier man, or one who has done more for this Library; and I assure you, sir, it will afford me great pleasure to do what I can to make his place good here to-night. I will not, sir, attempt to follow on the line so ably marked out by the gentlemen who have preceded me, but will, with your permission, indulge in some reminis- cences of the earlier days of the Library, not so much for the laudation of those whose efforts have been so successful in its establishment, as for the purpose of holding up those efforts as an example for others to follow, in the establishment, in our city, of other insti- tutions of like beneficent character, and to convince them that earnest, persistent effort in such labors will be crowned with like success. Notwithstanding the gratification the Managers of 32 ADDRESS OF MR. FARLOW. tlie Library cannot but feel at this happy consumma- tion of their labors, there is to them a tinge of sadness in the proceedings here to-night, — a feeling, sir, some- what akin to that experienced by fond parents when surrendering a beloved daughter to the husband of her choice ; for however well assured they may be in their minds and hearts, that, in so doing, they are promoting her greatest good, there is, nevertheless, the sadness and pain of separation. So with these Mana- gers ; for, perfectly assured as they are that the greatest good of the Library will be promoted by its surrender here to you to-night, they yet feel the sad- ness of a separation from the pleasant cares of many years. I shall never forget, sir, and I do not think any of those who were present will ever forget, the meetings held in Mr. Bacon’s parlor in the early days of this enterprise. The doubts and misgivings that all felt more or less, as to their ability to raise a sum suf- ficiently large to procure what every one present at those meetings admitted to be a necessity of the town ; viz., a good library building , library , and reading- room, that should be free to the whole town; and whether, if such were established, could or would their use and benefits be availed of and appreciated by the whole town, composed as it was of so many scattered villages. Fortunately for us, sir, these doubts and fears, and many others that arose from time to time, were dispelled and overcome. A favorable oppor- ADDRESS OF MR. F ARROW. 33 tunity offered to obtain this eligible site ; and a few brave spirits at once subscribed the means, and se- cured it. Matters rested thus for a while, until the offer of a munificent conditional donation was made by our friend here on my right This gave renewed vitality to the project. The offer was gratefully accepted, and promptly responded to by contributions more than sufficient to fulfil the conditions of our friend’s gift, and to an amount large enough to cover the estimated cost of the building and library. Before the building was completely finished, however, it was found that in this, as is very often the case with other undertakings, the actual had exceeded the estimated cost ; and those engaged in it learned, very much to their disappoint- ment, that they were likely to have a completed building without complete means for meeting its cost. This was somewhat embarrassing, to be sure. But in no wise discouraged, and acting upon the idea, “That those would now give Who had not given before, And those who had always given Would give the more,” they started a new subscription, and succeeded in obtaining the needed funds. The building proceeded on to completion ; the library and reading-room were supplied with the requisite books, periodicals, and newspapers ; the corporation was duly organized under 84 ADDRESS OF MR. FARLOW. legislative charter ; by-laws, rules, and regulations were enacted ; and the library and reading-room thrown open free to the whole town. Here, then, was an apparent fruition of the hopes of those who initiated and carried through the enterprise ; not really so, however, in the opinion of the Managers. They realized the fact that the work could not fairly be considered as complete , until suitable provision had been made for its future maintenance and improve- ment for a term sufficiently long enough to demon- strate the correctness of their early decision, that a free library was a necessity of the town. The longest term of service for which any of the managers were elected was live years. For such a period, at least, the Managers felt it incumbent on them to provide at once the necessary funds. But how and where were these to be obtained? Every gentleman here to-night who has ever had the honor and good fortune to serve as a solicitor of contributions knows full well the labor and difficulties attendant even on a first application. Here was a case, however, where the field of contribution had, it was thought, been pretty well reaped on a first application, and, to all appearance, been closely gleaned on the second. What hope, therefore, could there be in attempting a third ? Discussions in repeated meetings of the Managers afforded no solution of the difficulty. Reports of sub-committees appointed to consider and devise, if possible, some course likely to prove success- ful, failed to present any. Matters seemed far from en- ADDRESS OF MR. FARLOW. 35 couraging. It was in this state of affairs, that at one of the meetings, the President drew from his pocket a letter, which he said had been addressed to him by a secret anonymous friend of the Library. That letter, sir, contained a gift of four thousand dollars to the Library. The turning-point was reached. The read- ing of that letter electrified all present: liberal sub- scriptions immediately followed, and in a very few days the whole amount required was obtained. It was some time, sir, before even the Managers knew who this secret friend was ; and, to this day, very few in Newton know to whom they are indebted for this timely gift. We owe a great deal, sir, to all those, who, by their labors and contributions, have aided in achieving and perfecting this work ; but to three men pre-eminently belong the honor and credit of its successful accomplishment; and these deserve special mention here to-night. I would name first our esteemed friend, the President of the Board of Managers, Hon. J. Wiley Edmands, whose munificent donation gave such vitality to the work at the outset, and whose continuous labors have so materially aided us throughout. Next in order is our absent friend, the first President of the Board of Managers, George H. Jones, Esq , whose unremitting zeal, clear, concise judgment, and unswerv- ing fidelity to the cause, did so much to make success sure. I sincerely regret, sir, that he could not be with us to-night to take his proper part in these proceedings. 36 ADDRESS OF MR. FARLOW. Third on this roll of honor is the secret anonymous friend of whom I have spoken, John C. Chaffin, Esq. A liberal, open donor before, his secret gift at a critical time clinched the nail of success so well driven by the others before. Now, sir, you have the work completed here before you to-night. Here it is : let it speak for itself The Managers here and now present this Newton Free Li- brary to you in the very flood-tide of its prosperity : they ask of you, sir, and of your associates of the City Council, and of your successors in office, the hearty, generous support such an institution deserves. Make it, sir, what it has been so well described by others here to-night to be, — a powerful adjunct of the educational system of our city. Give it that support, sir ; give it, also, at all times, the close personal supervision so necessary to keep it pure. Hold it, as it is now, and has always been, high above all sectarian, political, and extraneous influences whatsoever. Allow no narrow views to militate against the good influences it should at all times exert on the community. Give it these, and depend upon it, sir, its success in the future will be as well assured as is its present, so manifest here to-night. Note. — Mr. Jones has very kindly, at the request of the Mayor, furnished a copy of the remarks intended to have been made by him, had he been able to be present at the meeting ; and we insert them here, very properly, as a part of the history of the Library. ADDRESS OF MR. JONES. 37 ADDRESS OF MR. JONES. Mr. Mayor, — I thank you for the kind words you have spoken relative to my connection with the estab- lishment of this Library. You are not mistaken as to my devotion to its interests, however much you may have overrated the value of my labor. The discharge of no public trust has ever given me so much pleasure as has resulted from the positions I have occupied by the favor of those gentlemen who were the pioneers in the establishment, and the constant friends of the perfection of this eminently successful institution. No official position was ever conferred by a constitu- ency whose support was more confiding than that which gave to the Building Committee full powers as to the erection of the building and the preliminary steps in the organization. The citizens of Newton have ever recognized that public benefits require public benevolence, and that the giving must precede the enjoyment of the benefit. This was eminently true in the case of our Library. Once and again large sums were called for, and in both instances more was given than asked ; and while, in most cases of the kind, many subscriptions fail of collection, we only lost on collections one hundred and ten dollars on about sixty-five thousand. This amount was given by about three hundred persons, in sums from five dollars to sixteen thousand ; and who shall 38 ADDRESS OF MR. JONES. say that many of the small subscriptions were not as costly as the larger ones to the donors ? I claim it, sir, as one of the crowning glories of the establisment of this Library, that it was thus built and furnished, and that so many can feel, in future years, that, by their assistance, this Free Public Library was established. And now, sir, it has become the Free City Library of Newton, by free and unconditional gift. I rejoice at this consummation, and shall ever rejoice in its increasing usefulness and enlargement. This will come from the requirement of an intelligent commu- nity, which ever seeks the improvement of existing benefits, and also from an intelligent city government, deriving, in large measure, that wisdom which gives value to its action from the stored knowledge and cul- ture in these alcoves. You have alluded to all who have been associated as managers during the time since the permanent or- ganization. Permit me to say that Newton never fails to find men suitable for her work. In this case, it has been eminently true that men have been found who were always in harmony ; and I trust the institution has felt the value of this fact, and I believe it to be true, also, that each has striven to advance its interests. It is, sir, a source of satisfaction to the many friends of this Library, that it has received, in the past, your pecuniary and moral support • and to-day we are grati- fied to recognize by your words, that, in your official ADDRESS OF MR. JONES. 39 capacity, you will extend to it that recognition which accords with its increasing necessities, as the rapid growth in population and influence of the city shall seem to demand. Most truly has it been said by the gentleman, who, as the representative of the Board of Managers, and upon whom has fallen, most fitly, the duty of present- ing to you the keys of this Library, and whose name, but for his choice, would have been given it, that, — “ Early in the history of the Library, the enterprise lost the character of an experiment. Its ready appre- ciation by the community gave evidence that it had not been started too soon. It found friends to come to its support, when money was needed to continue it ; and its steady growth from year to year has confirmed the most sanguine hopes and expectations of those who joined in establishing it.” In future years, when our beautiful and cherished city shall have attained the size and population, which, if its past and present intelligent and Christian char- acter shall be maintained, as it ever has been by the prompt recognition of all educational and moral exi- gencies as they arise, then will this institution be found foremost amongst those recognized agencies of the past which have made this city to Boston, what is often true of suburban towns and cities, the home of a popula- tion whose influence extends far beyond its boundaries, and whose citizens will be recognized then as now, worthy of position and influence, upon which nations depend for strength and greatness. 40 ADDRESS OF MR. JONES. But, sir, I will only detain you to say, that, when I look over any large assemblage of our citizens, I am impressed by the large number of our young men, whose industry, education, and character is a guaranty of future useful activity; and I cannot but express the hope that these will be early availed of in the future distribution of official positions of the government of this institution, as well as other offices, so that both the city and the young men will grow together in mutual interests and dependence, and thus the name of Newton continue to be the synonyme of virtue, intelligence, and Christianity in the future, as it has been in the past. After the delivery of the addresses, the benediction was pronounced by Rev. Mr. Freeland ; and thus the proceedings of the occasion were brought to a close. FURTHER ACTION OE THE CITY COUNCIL. The transfer of the Library to the city having been consummated, the following ordinance was introduced, and passed through its various stages In both branches of the City Council : — AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE NEWTON FREE LIBRARY. Whereas the Trustees of the Newton Free Public Library have conveyed to the city of Newton its franchise, library, and property, real and personal, for the establishment of a public library therein, to be forever maintained by said city, as appears by Act of General Court, approved Feb. 28, 1876 : therefore, Be it ordained by the City Council of the city of Newton, that the following By-Laws be adopted for the government of said Library. ARTICLE I. Section 1. — The affairs of the Newton Free Library shall be conducted by a Board of seven Trustees, who shall be elected by ballot by the City Council, as soon after their organization as may be convenient, on concurrent vote, as hereinafter provided. Sect. 2. — There shall be chosen one member of the Board of Aldermen, and one member of the Common Council, to serve for their elected term of office. There shall also be elected five Trustees at large. 42 FURTHER ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. Sect. 3. The members at large shall be chosen, — one for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years, and one for five years. At each election thereafter, one member shall be chosen for five years ; all of whom shall hold tbeir offices until their successors are elected. Sect. 4. — In case a vacancy occurs in the Board of Trustees, from any other cause than the expiration of term of office, such vacancy may be filled by the City Council, as provided in Section Third. ARTICLE II. Section 1. — The Board of Trustees shall have charge of all the affairs of the Newton Free Library and its branches, and shall conduct the same in the manner best calculated to subserve the purposes for which it was established. Sect. 2. — • They shall annually choose by ballot, one of their number to be President, and also a suitable person, from their own body or at large, to be Secretary for the term of one year, or until others shall be elected in their stead. Vacancies in either of the foregoing offices may be filled for the remainder of the year, at any meeting thereof. Sect. 3. — The Board of Trustees may appoint a Superintendent, Librarian, and make such other appointments as may be necessary for the proper care of the Library, the building and the grounds, and fix the compensation to be paid therefor. They shall annually make a detailed report of the affairs of the Library to the City Gov- ernment, and recommend such measures for adoption as they may deem expedient. Sect. 4. — The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Trustees. He may call special meetings of the Board whenever he may deem it necessary. Sect. 5. — The Secretary shall keep a true record of the doings at the meetings of the Trustees, subject at all times to the inspec- tion of the members thereof. FURTHER ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. 43 Sect. 6 . — The Superintendent shall have charge of the Library, under the direction and control of the Board of Trustees. He shall make a full and detailed report annually, and whenever called for by the Board, of the condition and wants of the Library. Sect. 7. — All drafts or orders, and all bills to be paid from the City Treasury, shall be approved by the President of the Board of Trustees, and the Superintendent of the Library. Sect. 8 . — These By-Laws may be altered or amended, by a two- thirds concurrent vote, at any regular meeting of the City Council, due notice having been given thereof at the preceding meeting. Upon the passage of this ordinance, the City Council proceeded to the election of a Board of Trus- tees in accordance with the provisions therein set forth ; and the following-named gentlemen, previously nominated by a joint special committee, were duly elected : — From the Board of Aldermen. WILLIAM W. KEITH, Esq. From the Common Council. WILLIAM I. GOODRICH. At Large. Hon. J. WILEY EDMANDS ( for five years). JOHN S. FARLOW, Esq. [for four years). Rev. BRADFORD K. PIERCE, D.D. [for three years). Hon. JULIUS L. CLARKE [for two years). Hon. JAMES F. C. HYDE [for one year). At their first meeting, the Board of Trustees duly organized as follows : — President. J. WILEY EDMANDS. Secretary. FREDERICK JACKSON. 44 FURTHER ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. Committee on Library. The PRESIDENT, ex officio , and Messrs. FARLOYV, PIERCE, and CLARKE. Committee on Building. The PRESIDENT, ex officio, and Messrs. HYDE, KEITH, and GOODRICH. The Board also elected Frederick Jackson, Super- intendent; Hannah James, Librarian ; and Caroline B. Jackson, Assistant Librarian.