Famous Givers and Their GiftsBolton, Sarah Knowles
History
Famous Givers and Their Gifts
Bolton, Sarah Knowles
Philanthropists
The city of Pittsburg agrees to appropriate $40,000 annually for the
maintenance of the library system. Mr. Carnegie has always felt that the
people should bear a part of the burden. He said at the opening of the
library, Nov. 5, 1895, "Every citizen of Pittsburg, even the very
humblest, now walks into this, his own library; for the poorest laborer
contributes his mite indirectly to its support. The man who enters a
library is in the best society this world affords; the good and the
great welcome him, surround him, and humbly ask to be allowed to become
his servants; and if he himself, from his own earnings, contributes to
its support, he is more of a man than before.... If library, hall,
gallery, or museum be not popular, and attract the manual toilers and
benefit them, it will have failed in its mission; for it was chiefly for
the wage-earners that it was built, by one who was himself a
wage-earner, and who has the good of that class at heart."
Mr. Carnegie has said elsewhere, "Every free library in these days
should contain upon its shelves all contributions bearing upon the
relations of labor and capital from every point of view,--socialistic,
communistic, co-operative, and individualist; and librarians should
encourage visitors to read them all."
The library stands near the entrance of the valuable park of about 439
acres given to the city by Mrs. Schenley in 1889. "This lady," says Mr.
Carnegie, "although born in Pittsburg, married an English gentleman
while yet in her teens. It is forty years and more since she took up her
residence in London among the titled and wealthy of the world's
metropolis; but still she turns to the home of her childhood, and by
means of Schenley Park links her name with it forever. A noble use this
of great wealth by one who thus becomes her own administrator."
Near the library are the $125,000 conservatories given to the people by
Mr. Phipps, and a source of most elevating pleasure. Mr. Carnegie's
gifts in and about Pittsburg amount already to $5,000,000; yet he is
soon to build a library for Homestead, and one each for Duquesne and the
town of Carnegie. "Such other districts as may need branch libraries,"
says Mr. Carnegie, "we ardently hope we may be able to supply; for to
provide free libraries for all the people of Pittsburg is a field which
we would fain make our own, as chief part of our life-work. I have
dropped into the plural, for there is one always with me to prompt,
encourage, suggest, discuss, and advise, and fortunately, sometimes,
when necessary, gently to criticise; whose heart is as keenly in this
work as my own, preferring it to any other as the best possible use of
surplus wealth, and without whose wise and zealous co-operation I often
feel little useful work could be done."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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