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COI.UMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES
ing: Rev. Frank l ‘ . Manhart, president: Maud C. W alker, vice president; E va Rupert, secretary; Mrs. K. H. Little, treasurer; M arlin K Lutz, Anna M . Frym ire, M ary A . Correll. M r. Manliart having very shortly a lte r re moved from town, Col. John G. Freeze suc ceeded him as president. The Library shared its first quarters with the W . C . T . U., this organization very gen erously making over a collection of books which it owned to the control of the Library directors. In the spring o f 1891 this partner ship was dissolved, and the Library’s equip ment moved to the Y . M. C. A . room. A fte r operating for four years its affairs, like those o f many other early scmi-public libraries, languisbed, and for over ten years the town w as without any active organization. Before the expiration o f this time the women's clubs began to agitate the matter of a public library, and in 1903 the C iv k club with its Library department was o^anizcd.In 1902 the project o f a public library which should also be free, w as put forth by the wom en’s clubs of the town. Contributions o f books and money were solicited and entertainments given, with the result that practically every cit izen of the town owned some share in the suc cess which attended the institution from the start. The largest sum given by an individual w as the thousand-dollar bequest o f Mrs. D. J . W aller, and the largest amount from any one source w as the $ i ,io o from the Bloomsburg Centennial fund. T he Civic, Century, Wednes day and Iv y clubs stood sponsors at its incep tion, and have been loyal supporters through out its years o f growth. T he new L ibrary Company is operating the free public library under the original charter, althougli its by-laws were amended to increase the number o f directors to twelve, including two members of the town council. T he first board a fte r the reorganization w as as follow s: M rs. S . C. Creasy, president; M rs. J . L . D il lon, vice president; M iss Sarah E . 1. Van T a s sel, secretary; M rs. C. W . M cK elvy, treasu rer; diss I^tura W aller, M rs. E . B . Tustin. Mrs. . P. Welsh, Col. j . G . Freeze, C . W. Miller, xiuis Cohen, 0 . n . Bakclcss, John R . T ow n send. A room was secured in the C lark building on Center street, the Library organized by M iss Elizabeth Reniiingcr, and on June 18, 1Q03, with M rs. M ary b. R . Worthington as librarian, and with four thousand books on the shelves, the Bloomsburg Free Public Library w as opened to the people. F iv e years later the L ibrary w as expanded to its present size
of two targe rooms and storage space. The same year, upon petition of the people, council came to the financial aid of the institution. Since (hat time the appropriation has lieen in creased until in 1 9 1 1 the present ruling was pa_s.scd: Council voting to duplicate any sum raised by the board o f directors, provided th.it sum be not in excess o f $1,00 0 . T he library has also aanimulated, despite its scanty resources, an endowment fund which at pres ent stands at somewhat over S3.000. With over 4.500 volumes added to the original col lection, and with all possible storage space crowded with unbound periodicals and other needed material, the Librar)' has reached its limit of growth in the present situation. It is generally conceded by the board and by towns people that a building o f its own is the only solution o f this congested condition, and that this building when erected must lie commen surate with (he town itself in beauty, and fitted to the growth of the town for at fpast twenty years to come. H ie board at this time consisLs of the fo l lowing persons: J . R . Townsend, president; ames H . Coleman, vice president; M iss M ary . nangst, secretary: M rs. Samuel W igfall. ’ treasurer; M rs. C. W . M cK clvy, Miss Sarah K. I. Van T assel, M rs. C. W. Funston. M rs. H . G . Eshclman, M iss Anna Creasy. C . W . Miller, O. H. Bakclcss. Dr. G . H. Welliver, , amcs Magee, Dr. J . W . Bruner. Trustees, . R . Townsend, A . Z. Schoch, George E . ilwcll. T h e following librarians have served as noted: M rs. Worthington, 1903-1908; Miss Irene Mercer, 1 9 0 8 - 19 ^; M iss Clark, June, 1909; M iss Blanche Williams, 19 0 9 - 19 11; M iss Edith Patterson, 19 11- 19 14 . Each year the library is financially aided by a "tag d ay," in which the townspeople as well as traveling public arc importuned by girls selected for the occasion to buy a tag or streamer, the price varying with the inclination of the purchaser. In 19 14 seventy girls par ticipated and the sum realized w as $270, the largest on record.
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SOIJUERS' M ONUMENT
T he erection o f a monument in honor of the men o f Columbi,i county who fought for the preservation of the Union in the C ivil war w as a subject .agitated and discussed fo r many years before its accomplishment. Back in the seventies an effort w as made to raise a fund for this purpose. A small amount was real ized by entertainments and in other w ays, but
