Marietta College - Mariettana Yearbook (Marietta, OH)

Page 20 text:

MARIETTANA NINETEEN AND NINE Marietta College Library fix , HE date of the incorporation of Marietta College, 1835, afcpb may serve as a date for the birth of Marietta College Library. In truth, however, even as the college was the inheritor and conservator of two or more educa-. tional institutions, so the library inherited from these institutions a goodly beginning. In December 1834, before the charter creating Marietta College had been granted, the trustees gave to Prof. Henry Smith leave 05 absence on salary, from the first of July 1835 to the first of November 1836 for the purpose of study in Europe. His departure was delayed until the summer of 1836 and meanwhile efforts were being made to secure funds for books and apparatus. Just at this time, and 'veryl opportunely as well as very unexpectedly, there came to the college the hrst large gift of money for books, $Iooo. The story of this gift is interesting from beginning to end, if we can be said to have reached. the end. Samuei Stone, a hard working farmer of Townsend, Mass, having been, as the quaint phrase of time expresses it, ttcalled sud-i denly to die, instead of making a will, left his property to the care of a few friends to be distributed in the manner which, in their judg- ment, should best promote the ttcause of religion? These friends must have been men farseeing and wise, for, believing that education and religion walk hand in hand, they gave $1000. to each of several colleges, directing that it must be spent for books. Marietta, then in her in- fancy, was one of the recipients and the money was placed in the hands of Prof. Smith, then about to sail for Europe. According to the in- structions given him he invested the sum in philological works. He, 18

Page 19 text:

NINETEEN AND NIN E MARIETTANA LIBRARY FORCE Minnie M. Orr Nellie S. Sugden Hortense Fogelsong Librarian Assistant Librarian Cataloguer ASSISTANTS France H. Putnam 1:. Anna. L. DeNoon Mg. Edward F. Cellars 09. I7

Page 21 text:

h NINETEEN AND NINE MARIETTANA himself, says of the purchase These books were carefully selected, and purchased for the most part by personal attendance upon the great auction sales of Leipsic and Halle. In this way the institution came into possession of one of the most valuable collections in the West, and for a sum probably less than one-third the price it would have cost in this country. That the trustees of an infant institution should have appro- priated to Greek and Latin classics with lexicons, grammars and other helps, the first $1000. given for books is worthy of record. Soon after returning from Europe Prof. Smith formed the plan of translating and editing the Homeric lexicon of Crusius, then re- cently published in Germany. His edition of this lexicon has been called an honor to him and to our country. It was dedicated to Samuel Stone for the reason given in the foilowing paragraph which is found in the volume: This translation is gratefully dedicated to the memory of Mr. Samuel Stone, late of Townsend, Mass, who- crowned a life of active usefulness by leaving his estate to be devoted; to the cause of christian benevolence. As one result of the benefaction, the library of Marietta college is in possession of a department of. valuable philological works, to which, in their selection and use, the present volume owes its existence? And thus was created a lasting memorial to Samuel Stone. It would perhaps be a pleasure to the book lover to spend a few moments in the examination of these old volumes, some of them dating back to the early years of 1500. They are bound for the most part in vellum, some of them having the remains of clasps and straps. A few' have the fortune to be bound in manuscripts. One, which is somewhat the worse for wear and age, shows two layers of manuscripts, the outer one bearing a musical score of words, with illuminated capitals. The back is reinforced with stamped pigskin. Two or three have the imprint of the house of Aldus, an anchort and a twisted dolphin. In the catalog of 1848-9 the library is said to contain 3,600 volumes. I9