OCR Text |
Show A Popular Want. That a city of 20,000 inhabitants like Suit Lake should be without a public library and reading room ia aad corninentary on the munificence and progreasiveuesa of her citizens. It is folly to suppose that the iutelli-gence iutelli-gence sf the people is confined to that class who are able to buy books and subscribe for newspapers and magazines, maga-zines, and a sin to prevent ambitious young men and women from becom ing well informed simply on account of financial inability to secure the necessary self-instruction. Through the generosity of Dr. J. j R. .Park, some three years ago, that gentlemen's wall-chosen library was thrown open fur public bent-tit, the lower floor of tbe Council house tuild ing being used as a reading room. The enterprise was entirely Bucceaa-; ful for during the following two y-ars the register Bhowe there were made iu the neighborhood ,of 10,000 applications appli-cations for books. The information; thus furnished added to that afforded by the newspapers and other periodicals period-icals was oflextraordmary, value to the patrons of the library. This pub lie beuelaction iu consequence ot tbe removal of tbe university has been ,di8Contiuued leaving a great public want unsuDDlied. The ladies' library is closed, and the territorial library being circulating only, and the beat of the book being be-ing circulated in unknown plttcea, does not sufficiently meet the requirement. require-ment. In conjunction with the books a reading room is a necessity where all classes can drop in when so disposed and amuse or instruct themselves with books or scientific and literary magazines. There is no plausible reason why the literary appetites ap-petites of the massts can not be gratified; grati-fied; no excuse for letting the intelligence intelli-gence of any class of people longer remain uncultivated. Almost every fumilff him inmn hnnkn whir.h it, iIop not need; and if some public-spirited citizens will interest themselves in the enterprise and lend a little material aid to give it a start, there can be collected, col-lected, and within a short lime we could have quite a respectable library. Charity in tbe bestowal cf knowledge or in the means of acquiring it is a virtue ol the most beneficent kind; and if some of our philanthropists should, in tbe interests of popular education, happen to take the matter in band wo hope the persons favored j with an opportunity of donating will make a cheerful and BubsUntial reeponee. |