Brattleboro Union High School - Colonel Yearbook (Brattleboro, VT)

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THE BROOKS LIBRARY N the spring of 1821-about 128 years ago-when I the first bank of Brattleboro, now the Vermont- Peoples National Bank, was being established, there was another group of men and women actively engaged in organizing the first Circulating Library. Brattleboro was then 97 years young-the first settle- ment was made in 1724-and it is interesting to note that Guilford, at that time, was slightly larger than our fair town. In those days, it was said that Brattleboro was organizing a bank and a library merely to show that rival town that it, too, could grow. The first library was originally housed in the sarne quarters as was the Brattleboro Bookstore, which loca- tion now would be between the places of Dunham Brothers and Houghton Sc Simonds on Main Street, des- ignated as Hall's old long building. Afterwards it was located in the Fisk Block, now where Lunden Sc Adams is situated, and later in the newly-erected Hooker Block. The new establishment held itself out to the public as accommodating all those people who wished to avail themselves of a cheap mode of reading. It contained about 500 volumes to which additions of later publica- tions were to be made as they appeared in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and other places. This very declara- tion proves that the worthy citizens of Brattleboro ac- cepted a reading establishment as a good proposition and were striving to make it up-to-date according to standards of large cities in our vicinity. The terms of this honorable institution were as follows: to sub- scribers, the fee for one year would be 33.50, six months, 31.87, three months, 31.00. To non-subscribers or persons taking books occasionally, six cents on the dollar was levied. To companies or classes, formed from a different town and composed of not less than five in- dividuals, the tax was 3512.75 per annum. This class also had the privilege of borrowing two volumes to a sub- scriber at one time. One week was allowed for the read- ing of small volumes, while a two-week interval was granted for the larger ones. Persons living at a distance were favored by being permitted to keep a volume of any size for two weeks. A special fine was imposed on overdue books at the rate of three cents per day, and persons damaging, obliterating, or losing any volumes were liable for the value thereof. IN 1842 a meeting was called for the purpose of tak- ing measures to organize the Circulating Library into a Public Library. This ambition was realized as G. C. Hall offered the free use of a room in which to keep the establishment, a regular librarian was selected, and shares of stock were issued. In addition to organizing a public institution, the amount of reading matter was in- creased to 2,000 volumes from the extra amount of capital. E. J. Carpenter, proprietor of a bookstore on Elliot Street, took over the control of the library in the year 1855, and it was under his direction until 1882. During thistime, and while it was located in the Blake Block, now the Vermont-Peoples National Bank Building on the corner of Main and Elliot Streets, the great fire of 1869 occurred and caused severe damage, resulting in a loss of one-half of the volumes. After this catastrophe, the library was moved to the Market Block on Elliot Street, where it remained until the Town took over its management. The library's most generous philanthropist during these trying years was the late A. H. Bull, whose gift of S122,000, known as the Bull Donation, was largely re- sponsible for the usefulness and strength of this estab- lishment. There was a condition in his will, however, that provided that the citizens of Brattleboro should in- vest JBSOO at the time of his offering. Other provisions were made by him: the library was at all times to be kept insured, no books were to be purchased except those approved by the Clergymen of the Town or a committee appointed by them fin many cities a similar aim, with respect to comic books, is being fulfilled todayj, the library was not to be kept open at all on Sunday, at the expiration of twenty years from the date of his will, November 16, 1852, the Brattleboro Library Association was to spend at least twenty dollars annually for books to increase the reading matter, the books given by the Bull Donation were to bear a special label distinguishing them from the others, the library was to be kept open every day and evening except on Sunday. If the Brattleboro Library Association failed to comply with any of the aforesaid rules and regulations, then the obligations would become void. AT a town meeting held on March 7, 1882, the voters decided to establish and maintain a free public library in Brattleboro. The next month the Town took over the books and property of the old Brattleboro Li- brary Association, and, during the course of that sum- mer, the lower part of the town hall was fitted up for public library purposes and was accordingly opened on September 18, 1882. The sum of 351,000 was also ap- propriated by the Town for the foundation and main- tenance of the library during that year. A meeting of the Trustees was held on May 15, 1882, just before the opening day, in order to plan and arrange for the operation of the Brattleboro Free Public Library. The hours it was to be kept open were from 9-12 a.m.g 2-5 p.m., 7-9 in the evening three days a week, with the exception of Sundays, Fourth of july, New Years, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Memorial Day. Mrs. An- nie E. Fulton was chosen the first librarian and her im- mediate duties were to catalogue the library by the deci- mal system and to prepare a manuscript catalogue of

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MODERN VERMONT I-IANDICRAFTERS ERMONT, with all its breath-taking scenery and vast vopportunities for recreation, may seem to the out- of-stater a very enticing piece of Paradise. However, many of its inhabitants have discovered that it is impos- sible to make a living solely on landscape. Today one of Vermont's foremost headaches is the problem of keeping its citizens-those ranging from twenty to forty- five years of age-within its boundaries. The small in- come from farms and industries has not been sufiicient for many. Therefore, to earn an additional sum of money, these people, with the encouragement of the State Department at Montpelier, have turned to handi- craft. Even a special commission entitled The Arts and Crafts Service was organized in 1941 to work directly with these craftsmen. The state legislature also set up a revolving fund for those who might need supplies for their work in arts and crafts. One recipient of this worthwhile aid was a woman who lived in a densely-wooded area near the Quebec border. A mere loan of 356.19 enabled her to knit lovely, fleece-lined mittens. She profited considerably upon their sale in a smart New York shop where the Vermont Commission placed her items. Incidentally, she has encountered certain opposition in her new occupation. While her conservative husband is constantly exclaiming over what poor taste the New Yorkers have in purchasing -knitted products fmeaning her modernistic designsj, bears stubbornly persist in raiding her sheep. Being isolated far from a town or village in the middle of winter is no discouraging note to any crafts- man. Scheduled to give a demonstration of her expert spinning one day, Mrs. Gertrude Wheelock awoke to find a blizzard swirling about her mountain farmhouse. Thanks to the vigorous efforts of her class-to-be, she arrived in style by sled, bringing with her an ancient spinning wheel. The Martins of Plainfield, Vermont, owners of prize Merino sheep, have supplied Mrs. Wheelock and other craftsmen throughout the state with fleece for their various work. As a result of the family's close association with Goddard College, arts and crafts have become a pre- dominant interest at the school. ID ERHAPS one of the most memorable woodworkers of Vermont was Charles A. Smith, who lived on the cor- ner of Canal and Oak Grove in our own town of Brattle- boro. He specialized in the unusual art of making wooden clocks. Besides cutting the wheels and gears of birch and maple, he also built the inlaid cases and the hand letters for the faces. All of them operated by weights rather than by springs. No lubricating oil was ever re- quired to keep them running. Once they were properly sanded and finished, they tick-tocked for life. His most popular No, 2 model , a wall clock, was 12 by 18 in size and retailed for about twenty-five dollars. In 1944 his output was more than fifty clocks. Another individualist in this field is Arthur Sweetster, a maker of split-ash baskets, a trade handed down from his grandmother. Indians who lived near her home had been her teachers. Her husband, Mr. Sweetster's Grand- father, never appreciated his wife's skill. One day when they went to market, she brought along her baskets. As she strutted into the store with her articles, her husband nonchalantly introduced her as his squaw . Sweetster's grandmother was so angry that she didn't make any baskets for two years. Shave and a haircut arenit Napoleon F. DeGuise's entire list of talents. This barber in his spare hours whittles numerous figures of pine. His particular favorite is a country store scene complete with people, a cracker barrel, a checkers game, and a pot-bellied stove. Each of his figures is a caricature of a familiar face in his home town. Consequently, if an elderly friend were to visit him sometime, he would be likely to see a miniature version of himself staring at him from the collection. The artist's models have always regretted the fact that he didn't whittle his own image during the war years. He used to create a most extraordinary picture as he put-putted through the main streets of Waterbury on a bike to which a washing-machine motor was attached. Consuming only one gallon per 240 miles, his bicycle certainly conquered one war shortage. ILLPOWER and perseverance have brought one man wthe realization of his life's ambition. Even as a child, G. S. Malcarne of Wallingford had the inborn desire to build a forge of his own and to fashion self-designed articles from metal. Although he moved to Connecticut while very young and lived there many years, his hopes still did not vanish. Immediately after the War, he re- turned to Wallingford and proceeded to establish a busi- ness which is now called Green Mountain Forge, Incf' At present, his work includes such innumerable fine pieces as the varied candle holders that contain from one to five candles. There are iron coffee tables and collapsible tray stands with tops of slate or Vermont marble. His work draws the interest of hardware stores as well as gift shops, because Mr. Malcarne has a lengthy line of colonial hinges in the H and HL styles, latches, and shutter fasteners. Recently there has been a spon- taneous demand for his newly-designed andirons, ire screens, and other equipment for the fireplace. Receiving now an endless supply of orders from all over the United States and Canada, Malcarne finds it unnecessary to ad- vertise extensively. Also famous in the field of crafts for her beautiful art of tying flies for fishing, Mrs. Hallie Galaise set off for California for a vacation away from her occupation. fC071fiI1llE?d on page 121

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THE DIAL 9 books to be purchased in the very near future. Some other rules and regulations read as follows: persons visit- ing in town or temporarily residing therein were re- quired to deposit live dollars when taking out books, at the expiration of the allotted time, the fee was to be returned to the borrower, provided that all the rules and regulations had been carried out, the librarian or the trustees were the only persons allowed to enter the al- cove and take books from the shelves, except by special permission of the trustees, gentlemen were obliged to remove their hats upon entering, and the use of tobacco was strictly prohibited in the reading rooms. MANY of you have probably heard of Mr. George Jones Brooks, for, indeed, he was a man of repute. His fortune was accumulated primarily on the Pacific Coast, where he had gone in 1850. He became the first, and for a time the only paper-selling agent on the Coast, after becoming wealthy he retired. Then he invested part of his fortune in San Francisco real estate, and returned to Brattleboro, where, in 1871-1872, he built the Brooks House at a cost of about 35150,000. Further to show his interest in our community, Mr. Brooks engaged an architect from Springfield, Massa- chusetts, to draw plans for the new Brooks Library Building. These were completed by january 1, 1886, and after receiving many bids, Bartlett Bros. was hired to construct the building. The main structure was 50 by 28 feet in size, with a wing 33M-3 by 40 feet for the main library. The foundation was of Dummerston granite, and the superstructure of pressed brick laid in red mortar with terra cotta and brownstone trimmings. The interior finish was done by many skilled jobbers, and their work certainly shows that they were true artists in their field. Two reading rooms, one for women and one for men, and a large lobby comprised the main part of the library, while in the basement were located a committee and trustees' room, one for natural history specimens, and a boiler room. just a few days before the building was to be dedi- cated, Mr. Brooks died suddenly. of heart failure. On the morning of his death, there were found on, his desk in his library two sheets of paper upon which he had com- menced a preliminary draft of his dedication speech, so it was thought proper that this should be read on the occasion. From his will it was found that he had appointed five trustees to carry out his wishes. It was provided that, in case the building was not constructed before his death, a sufficient sum should be set aside to complete and furnish the library according to his plans and specifica- tions. A further proviso stated that this amount, includ- ing what had been expended during his lifetime, should not exceed 3515,000. In a codicil to his will, however, Mr. Brooks set aside an extra sum of 357,000 or what- ever additional amounts might be needed for the com- pletion and furnishing of the building, including the grading of the grounds. Several days before his death, many prominent resi- dents prevailed upon Mr. Brooks to sit for a painting, so that upon its completion it might be placed in the library. Mr. Robert Gordon Hardie was engaged to paint the portrait in his studio on Canal Street, and just the expression of the face was finished when the end came so suddenly for Mr. Brooks. UST before the library was reopened in the new building on August 4, 1887, a gift of 351,000 came from Mr. Lucius Pratt of West Newton, Massachusetts, for the purchase of such books as the Board of Trustees might select. The first annual report after the opening of the new library showed the total number of volumes to be 5,999 in February, 1888, a substantial increase from those of the very first library. Many legacies and donations were received from time to time until there were so many volumes that space was lacking in which to store them. At a joint meeting of the Brooks Library Trustees and the Brattleboro Free Library Trustees, plans for an addition were submitted by Pellett Bros., estimated to cost from 357,500 to 358,000. A check for 352,500 was received from Mrs. C. A. Loud, and the Town generously contributed 353,000. The new, large addition was constructed in the rear in 1912. A regional station of the Vermont Free Public Library Commission was established here in july, 1948, from which the Book Wagon serves many communities. There is much proof that we appreciate our library opportunities today. Statistics speak the truth. In 1948, 13,250 people lived in Brattleboro, the library was open 301 days last year and 66 hours each week, new bor- rowers registered numbered 826, the number of vol- umes was 39,578, 2,053 books were added during the year, of which 228 were received as gifts, the largest number of books issued in one month was 9,924 in last March, the greatest number in one day was 554 in November, the average daily circulation was 304, mak- ing a circulation per capita of 7.5, adult circulation was 72,483, while the juvenile was 27,895, making a total circulation of 1o9,s16, the gain over the year before was 6,015, discards were 695, and reserves were 3,502. Brattleboro has indeed been fortunate in having a fine public library. We can sincerely thank our forefathers for this invaluable community blessing. 7 -Mary Frame: La Rom