USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Metropolitan Boston; a modern history; Volume III > Part 18
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43
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and in addition to its well filled stacks, has many unique possessions which in a measure make of it a museum of law.
The casual reader of the newspapers seldom stops to wonder how all the up-to-the-minute articles, particularly biographical and informative, come to be written. A man dies. The news sheet that afternoon or the next morning carries a full account of his life and a history of the enter- prises in which he had been engaged. The most of the articles are fresh born in the "morgue" or the clipping room of the paper. In several of the newspapers of Boston, the morgue has become a library, or a part of one, which is really notable. The "Boston Transcript" started its library under the direction of Mr. Fred W. Ford, news editor, possibly thirty years ago. To Ford, it was but a side line, but with the years his col- lection of clippings has broadened out and it is now one of the impor- tant parts of the paper. Book reviewing gave the base of the book section ; to this has been added all manner of reference works. But the clipping bureau is the crowning feature of the library, with the most marvelous element, the index which makes what might be a mass of dead matter, something alive and available.
The "Boston Globe" Library is probably the oldest of the newspaper collections, starting as it did in 1892. Its characteristics are much like that of the "Transcript's," but is even larger, with the same elaborate files. The "Globe" library is said to be one of the largest of its kind in this country, comparing favorably with those of the "Times," "Herald," and "World" of New York City. It is a veritable mine of information on anything concerning New England.
The "Boston Herald" also has a notable library, one that was started by the "Boston Journal" and taken over when that paper was absorbed by the "Herald."
The "Christian Science Monitor" Library has a collection of clippings that form a good sized "Newspaper Morgue," but books rather than clippings make up the library. The book collection has been accumu- lating since 1908; the library in its present form dates only from 1917. The many other publications and publishers have their own materials gathered together in shapes very like libraries. Some of these will be mentioned later; the few selected were chosen either because of their age, or place, or completeness of organization.
The banks and other financial institutions of Boston have, for the most part, libraries that are filled with material of use in their business. They are by no means small affairs, and are built along the general lines of the newspaper library. Taking the Old Colony Trust Company Library as an example, one finds it a straightforward attempt, and one highly successful, to get together a mass of usable material in a usable form. It
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was needed to inform those in the bank along financial lines, and before it was realized the collections gathered assumed both the size and char- acter of a library. There are two main divisions in the library under which the material is grouped, legal and statistical. In the former are the usual law books and thousands of pamphlets. In the statistical department, which is the more important, are cabinet after cabinet where are filed, for easy reference, financial information of nearly every con- ceivable subject likely to be needed. To facilitate the library work, several "special services" are subscribed to, which issue and analyze much of the data of money movements and the like. As nearly every library has a specialty, or its controller a hobby, so has the Old Colony- railroads. If one wishes to look over the record, equipment, financial history and condition of any of the American transportation systems, and many of the foreign, there are few libraries in the city where this can be better done.
The Merchants National Bank Library is somewhat typical of the National Bank Library, which has multiplied during the last few years, but is larger and better than most. If one needed to know the ins and outs of textile finances, he could do no better than to secure permission to look over the textile department of the Merchants Library, for it is its specialty. Not only does this department collect material, but it has for a number of years issued publications on the textile industry and export trade, with special issues giving government reports and legislation affecting textiles.
The State Street Trust Company, while not conducting a library on the scale of the two banking institutions just mentioned, has contributed historical brochures to the mass of information concerning Boston which are invaluable. Annually since 1905, the company has published a book on some phase of New England and Boston history. These, carefully written after effective research, and beautifully illustrated, are greatly appreciated by their recipients. Some of the older brochures have be- come rare; the possessor of a complete set of the twenty already issued is to be envied.
Other financial organizations, such as the Kidder, Peabody Company, Lee, Higginson & Company, E. H. Rollins & Sons, all have special libra- ries in which are filed all sorts of financial and statistical data. Lee, Hig- ginson & Company, established in 1848, have been collecting sources of information since its organization, but it was not until 1888 that an at- tempt was made to do this in a systematic way. In the libraries of these and other like institutions, the principal specialty is statistics, the dif- ferences consisting in the subject about which the statistics are sought, and in the mode of making these available for use.
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As indicated in the beginning of this list of special libraries, the greater number of them have been established by commercial, industrial and business firms. The class of information desired is often not to be found in the larger public libraries, and even when this is not true, the information is not readily available, too much time and trouble being expended in getting what should be right at hand. Hence the special business library gives the employees and usually those unconnected with the concern, just what they want, right where it is needed, and without waste of time or energy. The names that follow are given to indicate what companies have these special libraries, and where it can be done briefly-the specialty of the library.
The Aberthaw Construction Company, 27 School Street, established library facilities in 1902. The small working collection of the firm deals principally with concrete and constructional engineering, the business of the company.
The Allen and Daggett Library has a collection dealing mostly with federal law as it affects patents. The members of the concern have been, for fifty years, composed of patent attorneys.
The American Agricultural Chemical Company Library, 92 State Street, is under the auspices of the Agricultural Service Bureau of the company. It consists mainly of books and pamphlets on soils, fertilizers and farm crops. Dr. H. J. Wheeler, the international authority on agri- cultural chemistry, on becoming the manager of the bureau some years ago, brought with him his collection of bulletins and reports from most of the agricultural experiment stations of this and other countries, which formed the base on which the present large library has been built. There are few subjects in connection with the earth's agricultural productions that have not their place in the material gathered from the four quarters of the globe.
The Boston Chamber of Commerce Library is a mine of information concerning Boston, New England, and foreign trade, together with much general material. The library serves not only as a reading and reference room for the members, but is the department of information for the staff of secretaries and administrative officers. The chamber has issued a number of valuable publications, and is very ready to place both its services and those of the library at the command of those who need them.
The Associated Industries of Massachusetts is in the Park Square Building.
The library of the Boston Consolidated Gas Company, located in the commercial department of the company's building on West Street, has a collection, chiefly technical, of works connected with the gas, coke, and construction requirements of its business. There are, of course, many
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books and pamphlets dealing with the many allied industries. Most of the material dates from 1897.
The Boston Elevated Railway Library, shelved in the general offices, had the distinction for many years of being the only street railway com- pany in the United States maintaining a special library. Most of its collection consists of pamphlets covering the data of use in its business. The great mass of material is surprisingly well indexed and easily avail- able.
Cram and Ferguson, architects, have maintained a library, now at 248 Boylston Street, since 1892. Its collection deals with architecture, sculp- ture, painting, decorations, stained glass, and the thousand and one allied subjects. The senior partner, Ralph A. Cram, for many years professor of architecture in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is respon- sible for the perfection of the library, which has been not only of great use to employees, but to students everywhere.
The A. H. Davenport and Company Library, long at 573 Boylston Street, has numerous books, clippings and the like, which cover the fields of interior decorating. architecture and furniture. Both this and the Irv- ing-Casson companies have collected books along the lines of their busi- ness, and when the two united some fifteen years back, the library was established. The library is for the use of both employees and public.
The Edison Electric Illuminating Company, probably the largest con- cern of its kind in New England, has maintained a library since 1907, first on Boylston Street and now at Roxbury. The library is technical, and by a system of inter-library loans covers a very wide field.
The William Filene's Sons Company, have a library in their Wash- ington Street buildings for the use of their employees. It was started in 1912, and is non-fictional in character, but not strictly technical. The library is intended as a means of welfare work for the employees of the company, who are invited to indicate their wishes in regard to the books purchased. General business subjects dominate the list of books on the shelves.
Hollis French and Allen Hubbard, consulting engineers, 210 South Street, have a library at their offices which has been in existence since the start of the firm in 1898. The general subjects covered are miner- alogy, geology, mechanical and electrical engineering, manufacture and physics.
The Insurance Library Association Library, of 18 Oliver Street, is the most complete library of fire insurance in this country, perhaps in the world. While maintained for the association, students and research workers are given permission to use its collections. The library is sus- tained by the contributions of the fire insurance companies in the associa-
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tion, with a direct gift from the National Board of Fire Underwriters. Some of the features of the library, which is of course devoted to one main subject, go back to very early days. There is among its posses- sions a broadside issued in London, 1681, which is notable as containing one of the completest arguments in favor of fire insurance, made at the time when this system of protection was first being projected.
The D. C. and William B. Jackson Library, in the Garden Building, is mainly a technical collection of data on electrical engineering, the business of the firm. The material was first collected when the concern went into the business in 1908, but was not organized as a library until 1911. The members of the firm, who are authorities in their line of work, have seen to it that little has been overlooked that might be of use in elec- trical engineering. The senior member of the firm is professor of elec- trical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Lamson Company have maintained a library since 1915, made up of data concerning pneumatic tubes, cash and parcel carriers, conveyors and elevators. Aid is tendered the investigator along these lines.
Arthur D. Little, Inc. Library, now removed to Cambridge, is an example of the worthy commercial library. Technical knowledge must be readily available to the consulting engineers, chemists and other specialists of the Little Company, chemists. The firm, since 1886, has always had some one whose business it was to collect such information and arrange, catalogue and index it, in the most perfect way. So suc- cessful has it been that the present library is often studied as a model in technical business libraries.
The Lockwood, Greene and Company is really composed of two com- panies, one listed as engineers, the other as managers. With their offices in various parts of the country, the companies are engaged in the con- struction and operation of industrial plants. The business calls for spe- cialists in many lines, and to meet their need since 1912 the companies have been gathering and arranging materials needed in their spheres of activity, such as steam and electrical engineering, water power develop- ment, designing of textile and other industrial plants, the reorganizing of industries, and architecture. The library is undoubtedly the largest and most complete textile manufacturing library in New England, and be- cause of New England's preëminence in textiles, probably in the United States.
Walter M. Lowney and Company, candy makers of renown, have at their offices a very complete library covering confectionery manufacture, and many of the subjects of importance in connection with this line of business and its sale.
The Mellen's Food Company Library naturally includes many works
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on infant feeding. Medical, drug and chemical journals supply much of the material that has been collected and indexed.
The Metcalf and Eddy Library was established in 1907 by the firm of consulting and civil engineers. The many volumes and pamphlets in the library are mainly on civil and sanitary engineering, chemistry and bac- teriology, and are very complete both historically and practically.
The New England Hardware Dealers' Association has been collecting since 1892 an information file for the use of its members relating to hardware interests. Largely this material has been composed of registers and directories, but with the years so much else has been secured that the library has become both large and comprehensive.
The National Industrial Conference Board Library is a part of the equipment with which this society carries on its work. The board is a cooperative body composed of the representatives of national industrial associations "organized to provide a clearing house of information, a forum for constructive discussion, and machinery for cooperative action on matters that vitally affect the industrial development of the country." Many national associations are represented on the board, and supply both the means and the material out of which the library has been built. For the student of economics, labor and trust problems, much informa- tion is at hand. The library was organized in 1917.
The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company Library is one gathered for the use of employees along technical and industrial lines, the most of which may be found in other libraries, but not in so access- ible and complete a form.
The Pilgrim Publicity Association Library is maintained by the members of the Association, and is the only one in the city devoted mainly to advertising and salesmanship.
The Sampson and Murdock Library is unique in consisting chiefly of directories covering many classes. The city and town directories are kept up to date and include these works of nearly all the places in the United States. The company has published the Boston Directory since 1846, and has on file directories going back to 1789. The general public is invited to make use of the library, and a surprising number do, for there is an astonishing amount of information to be found in a directory, its service not ending with the year for which it is printed.
Among the libraries of accounting is that of Scovell, Wellington and Company, certified public accountants and industrial engineers, started in 1910. Its foundation was the private library of Clinton H. Scovell, the senior partner, and contains selected works on general business, account- ing, auditing, banking, commercial law, scientific management, corre- spondence and advertising.
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The library of Stone and Webster, probably the oldest of its kind in America, having been started in 1907, is exceptionally strong in engineer- ing, statistics, finance and public utilities.
Charles H. Tenney and Company support a library in their offices on Devonshire Street which is devoted mainly to industrial engineering. The concern manages a large number of public service companies, such as gas, electric, street railway, and others, and the collections shelved have to do with its needs. The library was established in 1903.
The United Drug Company Library was established in 1913, and is devoted to the drug trade, merchandising and Pharmacology. Trade journals from all over the world are on its shelves, including full indexed files of their own. There are more than a thousand volumes of strictly technical works.
The Youth's Companion, first issued a century ago (1827) and there- fore the earliest of the juvenile magazines in the world, started an edito- rial library in 1898 which has expanded into something very much larger than contemplated. The material saved and used is of such a varied nature that the library refuses to be classed other than with the word "editorial." It has something about everything; it is carefully filed, and indexing has been very completely carried out in most lines, so that the editor or others can find, with great readiness, information along many lines. The "Youth's Companion" is completely indexed back to 1875.
Harvard Baker Library-The present day problem in the special library field is whether they can be continued. More and more space is required for their housing, the costs of maintenance have become too great, and there is too much duplication, and perhaps competition. It would seem that the solution of the problem had been reached when, in June, 1927, the Harvard Business Library, the business department of the Boston Public Library, and the Business Historical Society, made up of many of the foremost captains of industry in the United States, con- solidated their resources and created what is the greatest business library in the world. This library, located in the George F. Baker Library, the central structure of that remarkable group of the Harvard Graduate Schools of Business Administration buildings opposite the stadium, started with 130,000 volumes and innumerable pamphlets. It is expected that by 1932 the number would exceed 500,000, since it seems likely that many of the special business libraries of Boston and elsewhere will deposit their collections with the new institution. Perhaps before many years shall have passed, some generous citizen will endow a down town branch of this library so that its facilities may be more completely avail- able. One of the features of the New Baker Library building is the reading room, 240 feet long and 40 feet wide, the largest room ever given
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over to such purposes. As many as 750 can use the room at one time, and what is most novel, smoking is permitted. The research man, in the pursuit of his often tedious task, may at least have the solace of tobacco, a thing unthought of in the large libraries of the country. Charles C. Eaton is the librarian of the Baker Library. And since the library is a legal branch of the Boston Public Library, Charles F. D. Belden, its librarian, will share in the work of making the Boston insti- tution a leader of the business departments of public libraries. Boston is now the mecca of those who would study the romance, the tendencies, the facts of modern business.
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CHAPTER XVI. THE RELIGIOUS ASPECT.
If, after a study of the religions in the past of Boston, one turns the attention to the present religious aspect, so great is the difference that one is apt to overlook the fact that the change is also progress, and that the present is vitally joined with the past. The present day Bostonian may be less interested in theology, or religious dogmatics, than were his forefathers, but this is no evidence that he is irreligious. Each census provides convincing proof of a steady increase in the number of com- municants or adherents of the churches of the city; and what is even more notable is that the percentage of this increase averages much higher than that of nearly all the larger American cities. There can be no ques- tioning of the fact that the churches of today hold a very different posi- tion in the community than did those of the early days or even of half a century ago. But this is true of nearly every human agency one can mention, for progress leaves little unaltered. The Puritan colony and church formed a theocracy with little room for religious liberty, or any other sort of freedom for that matter. The colony has become a com- monwealth and an industrial democracy where liberty has been so increased as sometimes to approach license. Instead of one church sup- ported by taxation, and therefore responsible to those who paid for it, there are now many churches which must look to their own members for support, but which are also free to manage their affairs as they will. All religious denominations are now on an equal footing. The freedom which all forms of religion enjoy in the United States has been attended by the broadest spirit of toleration to be found in the world. And it must not be forgotten that while Boston was slow in its movement towards religious freedom, no place in the Nation has been so often in the forefront of the battle for breadth of religious ideas as this city of the Puritans.
Boston's Contribution to Religion-Unitarianism, Universalism, Transcendentalism, all arose in Boston, and all were efforts to give free- dom, breadth, elasticity and joy to religion. Boston has retained her fer- tility of ideas and ideals that continue to shape the religious destiny of our country. In modern times, Boston's religious leaders have instituted movements that have brought together opposing schools of theology, as for example at Harvard University. They have led the way in the cooperation of different denominations, and healed the feuds that have separated groups in single denominations ; the rancor has gone out of the
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relations existing between the Trinitarian and Unitarian Congregation- alists. By way of modern original contributions to religion, there is the Christian Science Church, whose "Mother Church" is in Boston, and what is known as the "Emmanuel Movement," so called from the church of which the Reverend Elwood Worcester, the first proponent, was rector. Once convinced of the value of a change in faith and practice, no city has shown a greater aptitude for making changes, or greater capacity to push such alterations to the logical limit.
The emphasis in the churches of the city is placed now on the psy- chology of religion rather than on theology, on the social applications of Christian ethics rather than on dogmatics. It is sometimes complained that Boston lacks in her pulpits such outstanding figures as the Mathers, Lyman Beecher, Horace Bushnell, "Father Taylor," William Ellery Chan- ning, Theodore Parker, and Phillips Brooks. But this condition is more or less true of the pulpits of all of the country, for there is no longer the need of controversialism in preaching. The demand is for religious edu- cators, teachers of philanthropy, ethics and practical religion; and in the supplying of this demand the Boston churches have not been remiss. Boston, religiously, is as direct, rational and practical as are her citizens in business and politics. Deeds count more than words, and works and faith are united in a combination that gives life and vigor to religion. No city is more noted for its benevolences; it is the resort for those who seek the means wherewith to carry on some good cause, and seldom do these go away with empty hands.
The High Place of the Clergy-Some of the traits of the modern relig- ious practice are direct survivals of the original Puritan faith, or the effect of Puritan traditions upon the later generations. Many of the ideas of stewardship of money, standards of personal and civic conduct, have their roots in the early theocratic government. Church and State have long been separated, but the ideal of a union of religious faith with civic duty and life still remains, and the high place of the minister in this has been retained. Mr. George P. Morris of Boston, in the book "New Eng- land," in writing of religion in Boston has this to say :
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