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Show 1 1 m Salt Lake Free Public Library jl It was in 1875 that the Salt Lake freo public library had its inception, and strangely enough, it was conceived in the heart and stronghold of Masonry in Utah. At that time the Masonic hall was located in a hall on the third floor of what is now tho Aucrbach store, and ovor tho Trowbridge billard hall, and tho library room measured fifteen by fifteen feet, so' that there was a limited space for shch'es, and even with the limited number of volumes at the inception of the library the librarians were crowded for room. In that yoar Christopher Diehl suggested sug-gested to the grand master of Utah, Judgo C. W. Bennett, now deceased an extension of tho plan of the library, then consisting of Masonic literature only, and add to it books of scien.ee and general literature. The grand master mas-ter incorporated the suggestion in his annual Tep'ort to tho grand lodge, and the latter body, setsing the forc.o of tho argument, agreed and appropriated tho sum of $50 to be expended for the class of books indicated in tho report of the grand master, the purchase to bo made by -Mr. Diehl. then the head librarian. Bennett & Til font each gave $200 to the fund; Hoglc BrosM $100; Aucrbach Bros., $400, nnd 'many others contributed from $50 down to $.1, and 500 volumes of modern literature and scientific worTcs were ordered from an eastern, publishing house through the local busiuess house o .Tames Dwyer. More room was added to tho library and large shelving under glass was put in place, tables and chairs and many other conveniences were added to mako the place pleasant and comfortable comfort-able for the readers. Some years earlier, Nov. 30, 1871, twelve womon. prominent in social and beneficial work in the city, organized1 themselves" into an association known as the "Ladies' Library association.' and opened a reading room for tho fiublic. Tho oipenses of tho associa-ion associa-ion were met by ontertainments and lectures, and for a few years this library had a very good patronage, and had strong hopes of realizing tho expectations of its fair founders. The reading room was located on Main streot, just north of tho McComick building, according to Mr. Diehl '3 recollection. rec-ollection. Later, the Masonic fraternity having announced its intention"' to establish a free public library in the city, tho ladies proposed to tho committee to transfer the books that had been stored to tho new Masonic library, and after the conditions imposed by the ladies had been put in form and agreed to by tho committee of the Masonic fraternity, fra-ternity, the books were transferred. Women Were the Leaders. The women, who -were tho leaders in this first start at a free public library, whoso honorable names have been preserved, pre-served, though many 6f them havo gone to their reward, were Miss Georgia Snow, Mrs. S. A. Cooke, Mrs. H. Gamble, Gam-ble, Mrs. William Hayden, Mrs. C. W. Bennett, Mrs. R. H. Robertson, Mrs. J. B. Mckean, Mrs. T. E. Jones, 2tfrs. L. C. Goodspeed, Mrs. O. J. Hollistor. All of those wero given honorary membership member-ship certificates in the Masonic fraternity fratern-ity library and all of them pledged thomselves to givo further assistance to tho Masonic fraternity in its work toward tho creation of a freo public library and they all kept thoir pledges. March 22, 1S77, the sixtj'-fifth anniversary an-niversary or tho death of tho great German poet, Goethe, tho books of the cert and ball given in Salt Lake on jB St. John's day, December 27. lvSSO, th' sum of $1103 was realized, and tli- entire sum was put into new books for tho library, . The annual report of tho library for tho year ending December '51, lSfJO. showed a total of 7502 bound -volume and the number of books loaned' on. that j-ear was 11.0S9. But the spacf IH limit for more books had been reaehci;, and the fact that moro spacious quai H tcrs had to bb provided confronted the Masonic fraternity, who had built the .library up to the important public iu stitution it was at that time, and it was realized that something had to bo H done to perpetuate the library. H At the. meeting of tho grand lodge f H held January 21, 1S91, a committee consisting of Judges C. W. Bennetl. W. H. Dickson, with Parley L. Wi) ' hams, John S. Scott and John B. Far low, was oppointed with power to act ' H in the securing of better and more !H capacious quarters for the library, with H the purpose of carrying out tho original H intention for which the library was established and providing commodious quarters for its volumes and those that, it would bo necessary to add. Also ' H io form some kind ot an associaliou j . which would be a responsible govern- ing body. J Pioneer Library Association. , j -t the grand lodge meeting January 1 JO, 189, tho committee reported that i it had organized, and on March 10, 1891, ( had incorporated the Pioneer Libran association. All tho books in th'e ! IH PT-aI7 "opting those that wore , ( strictly Masonic, were turned over to 1 'H the pew association, and the Masonic !H public library was closed as such on 1 1 March 31. The Pioneer Librarv asso- 'H ciation organized with tho following 1 ii directors and officers: C. W. Bennett. president; Fred Simon, vice president; 1 1 Christopher Diehl, secretary and librar t lan; John S. Scott, treasurer, and the additional directors were W, G. Van H Horne, A. M. Grant, W. F, James, C. B. H Jack, Robert Harkness, Lewis S. Hills. H John W. Donnellan, C. E. Allen and D. C. Lett j The Ladies Literary society came lo the rescue and held a kirmis.' nt which Ifl $1000 were raised, but the ladies de termined fo spend the money them H selves. They bought some few articles 1 H of furniture which were much needed, purchased 500 new books and paid some , of the pressing debts of tho association and the fund was again exhausted. Prior to and during this period the late Miss Annie E. Chapman was the ' assistant librarian and subsequently continued in that position for a num- ber of years, and during that time the library suffered its greatest hardships H and was forced to close the reading room and keep tho library open but two hours each day for the loaning and re , H turning of books. H Library Bill Introduced, ' At the first session of tho Utah state legislature, Senator Glen Miller intro- duced the library bill which had beeu H approved by Mr. Diehl for the associa- tion. Tho bill was originally drawn to provide a levy of one-third mill, but H the committee increased it to one-half i H mill, in which form it became a jaw , H and was signed by Governor Wells. ; H In 1S97 tho ordinanco under which the present librarv exists was intro- duced by Christopher Diehl, who was H then a member of that body, and chair- H man of the committee of the whole, to ! which tho bill was referred, and thin : FREE PUBLIC LIBRAE Y. j ladies' library were transferred to tho Masonic library, there being 910 volumes, vol-umes, and thoy were properly labeled and put on tho sholves. On the first day of September, 1877, tho library was opened for tho inspection of tho citizens citi-zens and tho use or tho public. There were in the combined libraries 17S6 volumes,- of which 22(5 wero on arts and sciences. 121 on biography, 50(5 on fiction, fic-tion, 302 covering goneral litreaturo, 191 on history. 26 dovotod to the mining min-ing of tho territory, 78 on poetry and the drnma, 97 reteronco volumes. 5-1 011 theology and 44 on Utah literature, pro and con. Tho cost of lifo membership in tho library was $25, and of the annual subscription to the privileges $5, which .was later reduced to $3, as was ulso tho line of teu cents for keoping a book ovor the timo limit roduccd to five cents. In theso early days, in spite of the closest possible supervision over the letting out of books, some volumes wcto lost. The tables had all tho magazines published iu America and nil tho newspapers news-papers published in Utah were kept on file. In addition there wcro chess and checker bonrds and many a battle was fought out in the library between tho chauipiona of thoso days, somo of whom are champions yet. ' During tho eleven months ending December De-cember 31. 1873, 63S7 volumes woro let out for home reading, of which .number 427G were fiction, tho receipts of tho library during tho samo period wore $1,477.50, of which tho fivo Masonic Ma-sonic lodges in Salt; Lako contributed $300, the grand lodgo of Utnh $250, and $203.50 was realized from a picnic given under the auspices of tho. Salt Lawo Masons at Black Rock on tho shores of tho lake. Increasing tho Library. After the first year tho books on tho shelves increased at tho rato- of 500 volumes n j'car, and it was but a. few years until every available foot of space was occupied with shelving. Th.o patronago waa great and tho expenses increased proportionately, but tho committee com-mittee met both stoically, and by tho means of concerts, lectures and balls, givon by tho Masonic fraternity, enough and moro than the increase of tho expenses wero realizod. At a con- committee adopted a resolution recom- 9 mending tho bill for, passage. It be fllH camo a law and tho library was moved jlH into quarters in tho city and county iH building, tho oity paying to the Pionoo'r , Library association tho sum of $1000 ' ( 9 and receiving therofor between eight IH and nino thousand volumes. This money 'H was applied to the payment of tho debts 1 of the association and tho latter went out of existence. IH A hotter day was coming to the free 'lH public library, and in 1905 the late John 11 Q. Packard, who was a multimillion- IH aire out of the minos of Utah and Cali- 1 fl fornia, and who had made this city his lH homo for many years, conceived the jlH munificent thought to present a suitable lH homo to the city of Salt Lako for its lH public library, which at that timo wai jlH tho possessor of more than 20,00i ffH volume?. Somo years previously Mr 'H Packard had acquired tho lot just south IH of tho present site of tho Alta club on Stato street, paying $30,000 for tho ! same. This was at a time when Salt f hH Lako realty was much cheaper than it l is now, and even in 1905 it had appreci- ilH atcd in vnluo fully 10 per cent. Ou 1 this he built the present handsome J structure at a cost of $S5,000, and wheu it was completed and tho library moved j H in he presented the lot aud the build , j ing to the corporation of Salt Lake City H It was formally opened to the public ,1 H October 27, 1905. i Tho present officers and directors of 11 tho freo public librarv aro as follows: J. D. Sponcer, president; Mrs. Eliza- , 4TI both M. Cohen, secretary; Mrs. S. H. 11 Clawson, Mrs. F. A. Vincont. Mts. S. f-l M. Barlow, Charles G. Plummcr. ncr . IbH man Bamberger, G. A- Blood and B. F. L 11 Johnson. ;H Miss Johanna II. Spraguo is th 'i librarian and the institution has now 'H somothing over 32,000 volumos, with an 1 nvcrago monthly circulation of 12,500 1 JH books. There aro three cominodioua ,! reading rooms in tho library, with tho ,j JH periodicals of tlyi country on tho tables ! IH and tho daily newspapers on .file. Phero j is a special librarj for tho juveniles on ' tho lowor floor and the little folk who are its patrons have a special attendant ' to help them select their books and a- j tend to thoir wants. The upper floor is fitted up with a stand at ono end and h i:flH UBcd for a lecture hall aud for enter- IH tainment. ! -wfj"nx. ;vv-gti r |