USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 70
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This library was flourishing in 1815, and had then about eight hundred volumes, which were arranged under the following lieads: Arts and Sciences, Belles Lettres and Rhetoric, Biography, Botany, Chemistry, Medicine, the Drama, Education, Geography, History, Law, Meta- physics and Moral Philosophy, Natural History, Natural Philosophy, Novels, Philology, Poetry, Politics, Theology, Veterinary Art, Voyages and Travels, Miscellaneous, and Continued Periodical Works. The collection included Rees's Cyclopædia and Wilson's great work on Ornith- ology. About sixty of the volumes had been presented.
In the year named the library was kept open one day in the week. It was managed by a president and a board of seven directors, who were elected annually. The shares were ten dollars apiece, were transferable, and were subject to an annual assessment of one dollar.
In 1826 this library had increased to thirteen hundred works, which are spoken of in Drake & Mansfield's book of that year as "well-selected volumes." It was then kept in a lower room of the old College building, and was open to the public Saturday afternoons. Strangers in the city and other non-shareholders were allowed, for a consideration, to use books by the single volume or on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly arrangement. It was thought the institution was not very well sustained at this time, judging from the frequent appeals of the directors for material aid.
THE APPRENTICES' LIBRARY
had by this time also got into full operation. It was founded in 1821, through the liberality of a number of public-spirited citizens, who saw in it an important means
.
259
HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.
of intellectual and moral improvement to the younger class of mechanics and laboring men. Five years there- after it had as many books, within a hundred volumes, as the older library was credited with. All young mechanics or other laborers were entitled to draw books, upon making satisfactory guarantee of their safe return. The contributors elected annually five directors, by whom the library was managed.
In 1829 the library was kept in the Council chamber. Other libraries mentioned this year are the Cincinnati, kept on Main street, north of Third; the Circulating, on Fourth, between Main and Walnut; and the Sun, a private circulating library, on Third, between Main and Walnut.
In 1841 the library had nearly doubled its collection, having then two thousand two hundred volumes, about four hundred of which were taken out and returned weekly. It was still free to all minors of the laboring classes, and was attended by a librarian who received the munificent salary of one hundred dollars a year.
THE CINCINNATI READING-ROOM
was founded in 1818, by Elam P. Langdon, then assist- ant postmaster. The Gazetteer of the next year, the first published in the city, gives it this notice :
The room is amply furnished with the most respectable news and lit- erary journals in the country ; also with maps, European gazettes, etc., etc. It is conducted on a liberal plan, and is a convenient and pleas- ant resort for the citizens and strangers who are desirous of noting the "passing tidings of the times."
It was kept in the rear of the post-office, on Third street, and was successfully maintained for a number of years. It is noticed as "this valuable establishment" in Drake & Mansfield's Cincinnati in 1826. It was fur- nished with many leading news journals and magazines of the country, including the North American Review, The Museum, the United States Literary Gazette, and the Port olio, and also the Edinburgh Review. Strangers, if to be in the city but a short time, were admitted to its privileges free. It seems at this time not to have been very liberally patronized, and was not long-lived thereafter.
THE MERCANTILE LIBRARY.
This noble literary institution, now forty-six years old, is one of the features of the higher civilization in which Cincinnati justly prides herself. A good account of its genesis and early growth is given by Mr. John W. Ellis, of New York, formerly of Cincinnati, in a letter contrib- uted to the annual report for 1879. Says Mr. Ellis:
The Young Men's Mercantile Library association, of New York, which originated in the year 1822, was the pioncer of many similar institutions since formed in the various cities of this country. This association had accomplished so much good as to excitc a fecling in favor of establishing similar institutions in other citics.
Several prominent young inen of Cincinnati had considered this matter, and one or two informal preliminary meetings had been held, at which the subject had been discussed, but the formal meeting at which the Young Men's Mercantile Library association was founded, was held on the eighteenth of April, 1835, in the second story of a building then used as a fire engine house, on the north side of Fourth street; two or three doors east of Christ church.
There were forty-five persons present; nearly all of this number are now dead. So far as I can recollect, the persons now living who were present on that occasion are Messrs. Rowland G. Mitchell, William H. Harrison jr., John P. Tweed, James Wiles, and myself. I was, prob- ably, the youngest person present, not much more than a boy.
The association was formed and constitution adopted, the members going to work vigorously to get it in shape. As cash in those days was a much scarcer thing than it is now, the salaries of clerks being very small, it worked on very limited means for a long period. It was loca- ted for the first few months in the second story of a building belonging to Mr. Daniel Ames, on the west side of Main street, below Pearl street.
During the hot summer weather of 1835, not having the means of hiring a librarian, the library was temporarily closed, but opened again in the fall in the second story of a building belonging to Ross & Geyer, which was located on the north side of Fourth street, just east of Main street.
For a few months the entire duties of librarian, porter, janitor, etc., were performed in turn by the officers and directors. They gave out the books, swept the rooms, and cleaned the lamps. There was no gas in those days.
Donations of money were solicited from merchants, and the sum of eighteen hundred dollars was obtained. By the end of that year, 1835, the library contained seven hundred and fifty volumes, and many lead- ing papers were on file in the reading-room.
In the winter of 1836 Mr. Doolittle was elected librarian, and a spe- cial charter for the association was obtained from the legislature.
For the next three years, viz., 1836-37 and '38, embracing the period of the greatest financial revulsion that ever occurred in this country, not excepting that of 1873, the existence of the institution was con- stantly imperiled for want of money; and it was only sustained by the constant and untiring exertions of a few gentlemen, who were deter- mined, at all hazards, to carry it throngh. They gave their own per- sonal labor and exertions night after night. They advanced money to it; they became security for its debts; and, in fact, did everything to ac- complish a successful result. It might be improper for me to mention the name of any of these young men who thus did so much for the as- sociation, as I might do injustice to many who could not be mentioned. There was one person, however, who more than all others may be con- sidered the father of the association, and that was Mr. Moses Ranney.
The "hard times, " growing out of the panic of 1837, did not cease for several years, and of course affected the means of the members in sustaining this association. The older members will recollect, and others may find out by referring to the minutes, how "soliciting com- mittees" were appointed every month to raise money to save it from sinking.
In 1837 Mr. Doolittle vacated his office, and Mr. Holly was appointed librarian.
In 1838 the first printed catalogue was published and sold at a mod- erate price to such members as chose to purchase. The expenses over and above these receipts were paid for by a few gentlemen.
In the year 1839 the number of paying members was increased to five hundred, and all the debts of the Association, for the time being, dis- charged. This year Mr. James Wildey was elected librarian. Matters began to improve, connections were better, and the number of volumes in the Library increased.
In 1840 a special collection was made of one thousand dollars, which was sent to London to purchase some choice editions of books, and resulted in the importation of seven hundred and sixty-eight volumes. The record shows, as I have' ascertained, that the number of volumes at this time was one thousand six hundred and sixty.
During this year the Association moved its quarters from Fourth street to the old College building on Walnut street, paying a rent of three hundred dollars. That building was a predecessor of the present one. From the south end of the College to Fourth street there was a beautiful garden, with shrubbery and trees.
In 1841 a new catalogue was prepared and published, which showed some three thousand volumes in the library. There were then some six hundred members, and the annual receipts amounted to two thou- sand dollars.
Among the notable events in which the association participated in a body were the funeral of President Harrison in 1841 and the laying of the foundation of Mount Adams Astronomical Association building in 1843, when the oration was delivered by ex-President John Quincy Adams.
In the year 1842 there was an effort made to establish classes in French and German languages, but they were not successful.
The annual contests, which have been a marked feature in the elections of this association, were originated at the election in January. 1843; and I think this fact worth mentioning, as these contests, con- ducted always with good feeling, have had a marked effect on the prog- ress of the association.
260
HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.
It may seem strange to mention the fact ; but a very important event in the history of the association, in a small way, was the introduction of gas into the library and reading-room in 1843. Previous to that time the association, like the community at large, had depended for light on the use of tallow candles and lard oil.
On Sunday morning, January 19, 1845, the college building was en- tirely destroyed by fire, but by the great exertions of the members and citizens generally, all the books of the association were saved, and the little damage done was covered by insurance. This fire, however, re- sulted in an arrangement with the trustees of the Cincinnati College for the present quarters occupied by it.
By great exertions there was raised, chiefly by subscriptions from merchants, the sum of ten thousand dollars to pay for the fee-simple of its quarters, and one thousand six hundred dollars in addition for the furnishing of the rooms. The association took possession of its new quarters in May, 1846, amid the general congratulations of all the members and their friends.
In those days of small things it is well to acknowledge that the eleven thousand six hundred dollars contributed by the merchants for the pur- pose showed great liberality.
About the same time Mr. Cist was elected librarian, in the place of Mr. Wildey, deceased.
As a good many inquiries have been made, and as there has been considerable discussion for some years past, in reference to the origin of the Chamber of Commerce of Cincinnati, it is well to say that during the early years of the existence of the Young Men's Mercantile Library association, there were many reports made on the subject of forming a chamber of commerce, or merchants' exchange, or board of trade, as it was variously styled from time to time. Many resolutions were passed and conferences had between the officers and merchants of the city. Commencing in 1839 and running through the following years up to the spring of 1844, when a committee was appointed, of which Mr. John W. Hartwell was chairman, on the part of your association, and Mr. Thomas J. Adams, a prominent merchant, represented the merchants of the city. They employed Mr. Lewis J. Cist to collect the commercial statistics of the city then accessible, in the shape of imports and exports of merchandise, etc., by canal and river. For the purpose of paying the expense of this undertaking, ninety merchants contributed five dollars each. The result of Mr. Cist's labor was daily recorded in the books in the library rooms, accessible to all contributors; but no daily meetings were held. After the association had moved into its present rooms, an arrangement was made for a nominal consideration, by which the Mer- chants' Exchange became a fixed institution, under its own manage- ment, as it now exists.
In regard to the lectures that were a prominent feature for many years, some recollections may be of interest.
The first lectures delivered before the association were upon com- mercial law, in the winter of 1835-36, by Joseph L. Benham, a promi- nent and distinguished lawyer.
In the winter of 1838 Judge Timothy Walker gave a course of lec- tures. No charge was made for attendance upon either of these courses.
In the winter of 1840 and 1841 Dr. Robinson gave a course of lectures on American history, for which, if I recollect aright, he received three hundred dollars, not from the association, but donated by individuals.
In the winter of 1842 Dr. John Locke delivered a course of twelve lectures on geology, which were well attended.
William Green, esq., also lectured three or four times on various sub_ jects. There were also some miscellaneous lectures the same year, but, to the best of my recollection, were not successful.
Up to this period home talent had been entirely enlisted in this mat- ter. Efforts were made to get literary men from the eastern cities to lecture, but the time, fatigue, and expense of travelling were so great that it was impossible to accomplish it, as it required from five to seven days to travel to New York and other eastern cities.
Finding this impossible, for two or three seasons the officers and some of their intimate friends took the bold step of delivering their own lectures. These were very well received by the community, and if they did not enlighten the people on the subjects of which they treated, they at least had the benefit of teaching their authors the subject of composition and delivery.
In the winter of 1843 and 1844, these lectures were delivered by Messrs. R. M. W. Taylor, Richard A. Whetstone, Lewis J. Cist, and others. The following year lectures were delivered by Messrs. J. T. Headley, J. F. Annan, James Calhoun, George S. Coe, John D. Thorpe, William Watts, James Lupton, and John W. Ellis. All these were active members of the association.
The celebrations of the anniversary of the founding of the Associ-
ation were quite prominent features, and an effort was made to have these anniversary orations delivered by active members of the associ- ation, but this was not strictly carried out.
The first was delivered by Mr. R. G. Mitchell, on April 18, 1839. The next by Mr. John C. Vaughn, an honorary member, and editor of the Cincinnati Gazette, April 18, 1841.
This was followed by that of 1844, when the anniversary address was made by John W. Ellis, and a poem was read by William D. Gallagher.
On the eighteenth of April, 1845, the address was made by J. T. Headley; the following year, 1846, by Judge James Hall.
This brings me up to the period at which I ceased to take an active interest in the management of the association, and shall therefore leave the future history to others.
The first officers of the society elected were; Moses Ranney, president; Elbridge Lawrence, William M. Greer, vice-presidents; Charles G. Springer, treasurer ; W. R. Smith, recording secretary. S. A. Spencer, Rob- ert Brown, R. D. Mitchell, I. D. Wheeler, directors.
The succession of presidents of the association, and statistics of the members elected year by year, the total number of members each year, the number of volumes annually added to the library, and the whole number at the several periods, are exhibited at a glance in the fol- lowing table, prepared for the Annual Report of 1879, which had, to a considerable degree, an historical char- acter:
Date.
PRESIDENT.
Elected.
of Members
Added.
Volumes.
1835
Moses Ranney.
I
45
1836
Moses Ranney.
169
767
1837
R. G. Mitchell ...
207
146
913
1838
William Watts ..
140
346
184
1, 159
1839
Chas. C. Sackett ....
158
480
298
1,342
1840
Moses Ranney.
140
500
283
1,660
I841
Chas. Duffield.
142
541
1,076
1,809
1843
John W. Ellis
700
3,299
1844
John W. Ellis.
592
3,626
I845
R. M. W. Taylor.
625
3,998
1846
R. M. W. Taylor.
283
722
536
4,250
18.47
John W. Hartwell
318
1,007
1,320
4,786
1848
John W. Hartwell
540
1, 144
2,089
6,106
18.49
George T. Stedman.
278
1,517
1,609
8,195
1850
Joseph C. Butler ...
163
1,697
1,292
9,804
I851
Joseph C. Butler ..
510
1,782
674
11,096
1852
James Lupton.
577
1,956
872
11,769
1853
James. Lupton .. .
689
2,157
1, 198
12,64I
1854
H. D. Huntington
527
2,38I
1,002
13,839
1855
C. R. Fosdick.
717
2,550
1,582
14,841
1856
A. B. Merriam.
805
3,113
1,118
16,423
1857
W. I. Whiteman.
522
3,074
694
17,54I
1858
S. M. Murphy.
559
3,196
881
19,386
1859
C. W. Rowland.
523
3,237
782
19,873
I860
Theodore Cook.
678
3,327
1,223
21,096
I861
C. P. Marsh ..
197
3,104
439
21,535
1862
A. S. Winslow
204
2,702
I74
21,707
1863
C. Taylor Jones.
243
2,065
148
21,834
C. Taylor Jones
2, 16I
805
22,542
I865
Adolph Wood ..
2,188
875
23,417
I866
S. C. Newton
523
2,850
4,413
27,830
1867
S. C. Newton.
326
1,993
1,700
29,530
I868
F. H. Baldwin ..
4r7
2, 144
969
30,499
1869
F. H. Baldwin ..
251
2,079
698
31,212
1870
George W. Jones
480
2,051
1,281
32,247
1871
Hugh Colville
1,033
2,735
1,071
33,350
1872
W. P. Anderson
547
2,833
1,282
34,362
1873
Samuel B. Warren.
338
2,607
1, 167
35,259
1874
Wm. S. Munson
716
2,726
1,184
36,193
1875
Wm. J. Armel ..
534
2,853
1,134
37,092
1876
Herman Goepper.
571
2,776
1,067
38,159
Earl W. Stimson.
350
2,599
914
38,803
1878
Chas. P. Wilson
331
2,325
1,248
40,05I
I879
Henry J. Page.
459
2,417
2,255
41,306
1880
Robert F. Leaman
1881
Walter J. Mitchell
Mr. John M. Newton is now, and has been for some years, the popular librarian of the association.
Members |Total No.
Volumes
TotalNo. of
§ 1. D. Wheeler .
1842
William Watts
550
2,885
1864
1877
261
HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.
The following designated gentlemen are distinguished as perpetual members of the association :
Larz Anderson, N. L. Anderson, William P. Anderson, William J. Armel, F. H. Baldwin, J. B. Bennett, Robert W. Burnet, W. T. Bur- ton (transferred to Mrs. W. T. Burton, 1876), Gideon Burton, Joseph C. Butler, Theodore Cook, Augustus Darr, Charles Davis, Julius Dex- ter, J. W. Ellis, J. J. Emery, Seth Evans, Kenner Garrard, H. H. Gib- son, Herman Goepper, Frank W. Handy, Jacob W. Holenshade, Charles H. Kilgour, John Kilgour, jr., Joseph Kinsey, Robert F. Lea- man, George W. McAlpin, John McHenry, A. B. Merriam, William S. Munson, J. M. Wayne Neff, E. H. Pendleton, William Powell, jr., President Cincinnati Gas Light & Coke company, President of the Cin- cinnati Insurance company, E. M. Shield, Gordon Shillito, Charles W. Short, W. W. Taylor, S. B. Warren, William A. Webb (transferred to W. L. Mallory, 1876), George Wilshire, A. S. Winslow, Adolph Wood, D. T. Woodrow, C. W. Woolley, Edward Worthington, Nathaniel Wright, jr., Charles B. Wilby, Charles P. Wilson.
In accordance with section 5, article II, of the consti- tution, providing that "persons of distinction may be elected honorary members of the association by unani- mous vote of the board of directors," the following per- sons have been made honorary members: Hon. Bellamy Storer, 1862 ;* Henry Probasco, esq., 1872; Hon. A. T. Goshorn, 1873 ; Robert Clarke, esq., 1873; Reuben R. Springer, esq., 1876; Professor Daniel Vaughn, 1877 ;* Theodore Thomas, 1879.
There are also two hundred and eighteen life members.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, October 21, 1869, the col- lege building occupied by the Library again took fire and burned for several hours, destroying much of the build- ing, but not leveling it with the ground. The second floor, however, used for the library and the reading-room, was so badly injured as to be untenable, and much dam- age to the books and other property of the Association was done by fire and water, especially the latter. A read- ing-room was opened at No. 137-9 Race street, between Third and Fourth, and the books were stored and the ordinary operations of the library suspended until the old quarters could be re-occupied. Since then the occupancy has been undisturbed, and it is justly regarded as one of the pleasantest retreats in the city for the members of the Association and their introduced friends. The files of newspapers, magazines, and reviews are very numerous and choice, and the books of the library are kept up with the progress of publication, on all the lines of popular demand.
The circulation of miscellaneous works from this library during the year 1880, was reported at thirteen thousand nine hundred and sixty-four, while four thousand three hundred and forty-nine were read in its rooms; of novels, forty thousand two hundred and fourteen; read in the library, three hundred and forty. Total issue of books for the year, fifty-seven thousand eight hundred and sixty- seven-an increase of three thousand eight hundred and twenty-two against the report of 1879. The Association had in its treasury the handsome amount of twenty-five thousand seven hundred and seventy-one dollars and twenty-six cents. One hundred and thirty-two pupils of the public schools are admitted to the privileges of the library, under the provisions of the Day bequest.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
By the statute of May 4, 1853, the State Legislature * Deceased.
provided that a tax of one-tenth of one mill on the dol- lar of valuation should be levied and appropriated to the purchase of libraries and apparatus for schools, under direction of the State Commissioner of Common Schools. Under this law the Commissioner at first himself obtained books for small libraries, as the means in hand warranted, and sent to the officers of the several counties, for dis- tribution to the school districts. Sixteen such libraries, each the exact duplicate of every other, came by this ar- rangement to Cincinnati in 1854-one for each school district in the city. The Board of education of the city naturally objected to libraries so ill adapted to the situa- tion, and requested the Commissioner to allow the Board the handling of its quota of the library fund, or to send it books in a single library. He agreed to the suggestion, and the next year sent according to a list furnished by the Board. Soon afterwards, in 1856, the Board con- tracted with the Mechanics' institute for the perpetual lease of the second story of the new institute building, on the corner of Vine and Sixth streets, and the tempo- rary consolidation of its library with the collection in charge of the Board. Ten thousand dollars in city bonds were placed with the institute, subject to recall when the premises, after due notice, should be vacated. In this building the "Ohio School Library," as its name then was, opened to the public, July, 1856, its collection of eleven thousand six hundred and thirty volumes. Of these six thousand five hundred and eighty-three were the property of the Mechanics' Institute, and the re- mainder, something less than half, constituted the school library proper. This part of the collection had cost seven thousand five hundred and forty-one dollars and ninety-two cents, which was not half the sum which the city of Cincinnati had paid in library taxation under the law of 1853.
The library had a very satisfactory circulation the first year. Accounts were opened with two thousand four hundred persons, and twenty thousand one hundred and seventy-nine books were given out. A catalogue of one . hundred and fourteen pages octavo was prepared-as the tradition runs, by boys from the Hughes high school- and printed in January, 1857. It is, of course, very far from what such a catalogue should be, and presents a marked contrast to the admirable catalogues that have been prepared in later years. The second catalogue ap- peared in 1860, in a volume of two hundred and four pages, double-column. The catalogue now in use, a portly octavo of six hundred and forty-four pages, was published in 1871, under the supervision of the distin- guished librarian, Mr. W. F. Poole. In addition the li- brarian's office contains a large number of manuscript "shelf catalogues," in bulky volumes, for entry and clas- sification of books by topics; also a very thorough system of card catalogues in drawers, for classification alphabet- ically by authors. The new books of every month are also classified and catalogued in a Monthly Bulletin, a thin quarto pamphlet, which is sold at a nominal rate, and keeps book-borrowers regularly informed of additions to the library. Special catalogues are also being printed, exhibiting the resources of the library under each of the
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