L ---_.=-1.,2 Horace Platt, Pacific Improvement Company representative Here is an excerpt from his lovely speech- an ocie to libraries in general: It has been the fashion to declaim against money as tainted money, because the owner of it has accumulated too much ofit Ifit betrue that money become tainted when too much of it has accumulated in the exchequer, I know ofno better way ofremoving the taint than by devoting it to some great public purpose... And so, the libraries that adorn countless towns in many climes and serve as beacon lights of culture to so many nations, let their lights shine before men no less brilliantly because they are the gifts of a millionaire, who, by his broad minded philanthropy, has immoralized the name of Carnegie. (I believe the newspaper must have meant immortalized!). He has made possible the collection ofbooks in every town where the English language is spoken- Books are ourbest ourwisest and most faithful companions. They instruct they entertain, and they console us. Books, like searchlights, penetrate the darkness ofthe past and supplement our fading memories. Like the noonday sun, they illumine the present and make our limited field ofvision almost boundless as omniscience. They are the bridges that span the centuries... They annihilate space and time, and make our libraries whispering galleries wherein the faintest noise from the most distant place and time can reach the dullest ear. I know that there is a different theory from the above, fbr a poet has said that a civilized man can live without books, but that civilized man cannot live without cooks. This is not 1rue. Many a civilized man would have lived longer but fbr his cook I therefore stick to my eulogy. All praise then, and honor and gratitude to the founder ofthis library, Andrew Carnegie." The building was opened to the public on Tuesday evening May 12, 1908, in time for summer visitors. The entertainment following the official speeches at that grand opening partially consisted of "numbers by Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick J. Bacon, celebrated banjo players from Chicago." Mr. Bacon also did an imitation ofan express train, and the battle of Santiago, played on the snare drum, followed by Mrs. Bacon playing her banjo with a violin bow"in almost perfect imitation ofa village church organ." (Daily Review, May 22, 19081 Here are some excerpts from a speech by Paris Kilburn, president ofthe first library board of trustees upon the opening ofthe new library, and a well-spoken library supporter: Economy is a good thing but... parsimony is the most expensive policy that this or any other progressive city or administration can adopt.... What you want here is your taxes not lowered but increased, and abandon the idea ofgetting something for nothing. . . . I know whereof I speak when I assure you that if the proper policy is pursued Pacific Grove will be able to boast ofhavingthe best equipped and prettiest library in California." Apparently there was some opposition from some ofthe citizenry on the library's encroaching into the park. Paris's spirited response was, "Ruin the park! You never had any park until the erection ofthis library building. Where a year ago one person would come, now people come in droves. ./ 1834 - 1909 7 *tr , OCR Text: L ---_.=-1.,2 Horace Platt, Pacific Improvement Company representative Here is an excerpt from his lovely speech- an ocie to libraries in general: It has been the fashion to declaim against money as tainted money, because the owner of it has accumulated too much ofit Ifit betrue that money become tainted when too much of it has accumulated in the exchequer, I know ofno better way ofremoving the taint than by devoting it to some great public purpose... And so, the libraries that adorn countless towns in many climes and serve as beacon lights of culture to so many nations, let their lights shine before men no less brilliantly because they are the gifts of a millionaire, who, by his broad minded philanthropy, has immoralized the name of Carnegie. (I believe the newspaper must have meant immortalized!). He has made possible the collection ofbooks in every town where the English language is spoken- Books are ourbest ourwisest and most faithful companions. They instruct they entertain, and they console us. Books, like searchlights, penetrate the darkness ofthe past and supplement our fading memories. Like the noonday sun, they illumine the present and make our limited field ofvision almost boundless as omniscience. They are the bridges that span the centuries... They annihilate space and time, and make our libraries whispering galleries wherein the faintest noise from the most distant place and time can reach the dullest ear. I know that there is a different theory from the above, fbr a poet has said that a civilized man can live without books, but that civilized man cannot live without cooks. This is not 1rue. Many a civilized man would have lived longer but fbr his cook I therefore stick to my eulogy. All praise then, and honor and gratitude to the founder ofthis library, Andrew Carnegie." The building was opened to the public on Tuesday evening May 12, 1908, in time for summer visitors. The entertainment following the official speeches at that grand opening partially consisted of "numbers by Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick J. Bacon, celebrated banjo players from Chicago." Mr. Bacon also did an imitation ofan express train, and the battle of Santiago, played on the snare drum, followed by Mrs. Bacon playing her banjo with a violin bow"in almost perfect imitation ofa village church organ." (Daily Review, May 22, 19081 Here are some excerpts from a speech by Paris Kilburn, president ofthe first library board of trustees upon the opening ofthe new library, and a well-spoken library supporter: Economy is a good thing but... parsimony is the most expensive policy that this or any other progressive city or administration can adopt.... What you want here is your taxes not lowered but increased, and abandon the idea ofgetting something for nothing. . . . I know whereof I speak when I assure you that if the proper policy is pursued Pacific Grove will be able to boast ofhavingthe best equipped and prettiest library in California." Apparently there was some opposition from some ofthe citizenry on the library's encroaching into the park. Paris's spirited response was, "Ruin the park! You never had any park until the erection ofthis library building. Where a year ago one person would come, now people come in droves. ./ 1834 - 1909 7 *tr , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Names of People about town,L through M File Names,Library,500 - 600_s CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_016.pdf,500 - 600_s CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_016.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: 500 - 600_S CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_016.PDF, 500 - 600_s CENTRAL - INCLUDING MUSEUM_016.pdf 1 Page 1