9 The Library H '!'!.( word " Library " may bo defined as "A collection H of books belonging to a private person, public institution or H company. H Tho making of books and records, dates back as far as n tho dawn of civilization. Grrdually assuming more definite Hi form until the development of our present book. Hjl As early as I5K0O J. ('., .Sargon J., the Semitic ruler of Aecad BBji founded a library in tint city. Libraries of a similar kind ox- Ur islcd in the chief cities of Babylomia, and their contents, or Hjj conies were gathered together to form the great Assyrian KE llbrnry, established at Mlnovnh by tlio saVi ' I'l monarch ABSur-bnnl-pal. H ' n nnclcnt Egypt, tlioro was nn Hl j liumcnso literature, nnd over tho gHi I floor of tho library of llnmcscn I. was HJ! (ho Inscription "Dispensary of tlio Hj I floul." H Mcmphln nlso had a Krc.lt llbrnry, B i at ft vory curly date. Tho greatest of K all nnciont llbr.irloy wits that ostub- wM llflhcd by the I'tulcmlcs nt Alexandria SBj In tho Drd century I). C- WBi J Tho nnclunt Ilohrown carefully pro-IK pro-IK served their nncrcd writings in thu (eraplo. Tho Kings of I'cr.da also K ' rondo colloctlonB. Aristotle in hollov- B" ed to ho tho first Greek to collect n W llbrnry. V, Homo received her flint groat 11- ' trnrloB from tho spoils of war. It was f j a favorite project of Julius Ccaanr H ' to establish' it great public library, m ; which should contain nil tho works in V i Oreok nnd Unlit litcrnturo; tint ho B being kilted beforo IiIb design wan jjl completed it wns loft to his successor, Kl ono library of which continued titnll H the timo of Pope Gregory I. Othor 11- HWii1 trarltn wore Intor established. When Hhl' Constantino becamo emperor, ho bo- Hjffi' gan to collect tho Christian hooka. flPn This library wns gradually enlarged Bjjm until It contained 120,000 volumes, but Hfjjjj w partially burned in tho 8th cen- K: tnrr. ' Tho barbarians later destroyed Bf many books by tiro. Much of tho HVu' ancient llteraturo was neglected by M the Christians. Still tho Clolstora BhJ wro housliiR many books. Tho Si Monks of St. Ilouodlct woro tho spoc- AV 11 collectors nnd book makers ot tho Hft alo'dlo ages. BBB Tho firs', ot tho 17th contury was BB tk beginning ot library collections BH la England. In tho middle- of tho BBV it century n circulating library was HB ettiibllsuod nt London. In tho 10th BBV century an act of pnrllniont was pns- BBV cd plvlni? cortnln dlitricts power to BBS lax.tholr Inhabitants for tho purposo BBJi ot establishing freo libraries and thus BH many wcro established. Tho Ilrltlsh BBj) Mucum at London has a. collection BBS at over 2,000,000 volumes. Scotland BBS and Ireland have many libraries. BBk Franco Is rcmnrkablo for tho nuni- EBE " t 1,s Provincial libraries open to in the public. Its capital Is thus bettor Mmk protlded than any other city In Kit- Ml rope. Ono library contains over 3,- Hj MMOO'volumc. Tho school library BBK U also a very Important feature ot tho BBS Trench system. In 18S2 there woro BE Sfi00 ot these school libraries. BlB In Uorlln, Germany, thero are over BK twintr libraries. Italy has many BBV libraries but tho greatest ono Is nt BBn tho Vatican nt Homo which Is prob- BHj ably tho oldest ot Europe This Is BBb tho prlvato llbrnry of tho )opo; hut BBJj all scholars can gain access to It by Bnl permission. BBk Tho library at St. Petersburg con- IffPI 't,n8 nvor 1-000'000 volumes, and tin- iiJ ' '10 '1cn ,0 n" ovor " years nJLrc of nco. ffrui ,n "l0 l'nltci1 fitat03 "10 accumula- ijtflf (ion ot books has gono on vory ra- il pldly slnco tho closo ot tho Civil wnr. m Tlarvnrd university had 250,000 vol umes In 1000. Xuarlg. cvory state In tho Union has established nn official library to which admission Is freo. Tho Jacob .Astor library contains ovor ov-or 2!0,00 volumes nnd Its endowment provides for nn aniiunl expenditure of $18,000 In tho purchase of books. The congressional library of tho 1 'nltod Ktntes Is nt Washington nnd lis tho national library. Tho building I In which It Is placed Is tho largest library building In tho world. Andrew Carncglo has been devoting devot-ing Inrgo sums of money to tho founding foun-ding mil endowing of public libraries. Many millions of dollars are thus ox ponded . In small communities us well as Inrivo cities publ!callbrarlcs ntnnd forth for-th ns public monuments to his bene-fllcont bene-fllcont worth. Amorlcun Kork'ls Indeed In-deed fortunntc In being numbered ns ono of these. Ten thousand dollars has been set nsldo by this fund for tho erection of n llbrnry In our city. Iho land Is purchased, tho citizens voted n one-half mill tax to sustain the llbrnry nnd purch'nso books nnd now tho Library Hoard nro busy arranging ar-ranging plans for tho structuro ot this worthy cdlflco which will Ik orectcd tho ensuing year As united cltlzono to n worthy canso wo are marching shoulder to shoulder for the advancement of our community lite, In beauty and educational endeavor. endea-vor. P. M. KKl.LY. M. D.