OUR FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY
By Earl
Воан
in this steadily improving condi¬
tion.
Textile men are reluctant to
make predictions for the future,
they are quick to declare, but a
great majority of them are antici¬
pating good business certainly un¬
til the end of this year.
FINAL CRUISE of Tar Heels
Afloat took place over the week¬
end. with boats converging at
Wrightsville Beach. Thirty craft of
various sizes participated in the
regatta.
TIIK STATE stands to save $1,-
396.000 on the 400-bed teaching
hospital at the University of North
Carolina.
Low bids on the construction job
totaled $3,663,954. Assistant Budg¬
et Director D. S. Coltrane said
Friday. Even when architect’s fees
and incidentals are added. Col-
trnne declared, the cost should not
exceed about $3,947,150.
The legislature appropriated $5,-
344,000 for the hospital The $1,-
396.000 saving will go back into
the State’s general fund.
J. A. Jones Construction Com¬
pany of Charlotte entered the low-
bid of the general contract — $2,-
626.000.
TRANSYLVANIA County voted
last week on whether the legalized
sale of wine and beer should be
continued within the borders of
that county.
Voters went to the polls and de¬
cided to cut out the sales. Beer lost
out by a vote of approximately 2
to 1. The vote against wine was
about 3 to 1.
THE GREAT SMOKY Moun¬
tains National Park was the second
most popular in the nation during
July, according to the American
Automobile Association.
In its monthly News-Letter, is¬
sued Monday, the organization re¬
ported that 420.366 persons visited
the North Carolina-Tennessee park
in July. Most popular was Acadia
National Park in Maine, which
drew 775.162 visitors.
Yellowstone Park, in Wyoming,
was third on the list with 386.378
visitors.
The organization reported that
national parks were "overflowing"
with summer visitors and said that,
for the nation as a whole travel in
the parks was up 25 per cent over
1948.
IT was established in St. Thomas'
Parish, at Bath, before 1705 by
the Rev. Thomas Bray who sent
a ship load of books from England.
North Carolinians were not far
behind the other states 244 years
ago when it came to providing
books and free library facilities for
the early settlers along the coast.
One of the earliest legislative acts
in colonial records provided for the
maintenance and care of the first
free public library at Bath.
The Rev. Thomas Bray, founder
and secretary of the Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts, sent the first books
from London, and in 1705 North
Carolina legislators, meeting on
Capt. John Hecklefield’s farm, in
Perquimans County, proceeded to
make laws for the care and preser¬
vation of these books.
The same act of assembly which
provided for the incorporation of
the tow’n of Bath on a 60-acre tract
of land in Pamptico precinct made
provisions for the regulation of the
first public library in North Caro¬
lina which was already there, mak¬
ing it older than the first town in
the state.
Section 19 of this early act of
legislature recognized the library
sent over from England by the Rev.
Mr. Bray "for the use of the in¬
habitants of Saint Thomas Parish,
in Pamplico,” and provided for the
appointment of a librarian.
The trustees of the first public
library, whose duties were to in¬
spect the library and examine the
books each Easter Monday were
the Hon. Charles Eden. Governor
of North Carolina; Tobias Knight,
the Governor s secretary: Attorney
General Daniel Richardson, Capt.
Frederick Jones. John Porter, Joel
Martin. Capt. John Drinkwatcr,
John Clark. Patrick Maule. Thomas
Worseley. Lionel Redding. Colonel
James Leigh and Thomas Harding,
all of whom were members of the
courts in the great county of Albe¬
marle.
At first it was intended to locate
CONFIDENCE...
KEYSTONE OF TRADE
For 78 years our Compony has served its
customers in North Carolina. We can
produce any type of LETTER PRESS or
LITHOGRAPHY to fill your individual needs.
Our Representative will be glad to coll on
you anywhere in North Carolina.
★
Edwards & Broughton Company
Established 1871
Raleigh, North Carolina
THE STATE. Septem.C* IQ.
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