WESTERN TOWNSHIP LIBRARY.

By Abigail P. Keleher.

At the regular May meeting of the "Farmer's Social Club" in 1904, Mrs. Abigail P. Keleher suggested the idea of a "library," which met the hearty approval of the club.

With a firm conviction that a library in the community would prove bene­ ficial, especially to the younger people, the club, enthusiastically took up the matter and appointed a committee to investigate the subject.

The committee zealously went to work soliciting funds. Individual con­ tributions were received amounting to two hundred and fifty-seven dollars and thirty cents. Then followed socials, home talent plays and concerts, which netted a nice little sum for the library. Mrs. Hanna Butler, a former Orion girl, now a famous vocalist and teacher, gave a concert in her home town and donated part of the proceeds to the library. Mrs. Emalyne Tomlinson Cowperthwait, also a former Orion girl, helped increase the library fund by giving one of her excellent elocutionary entertainments.

The Farmer's Social Club elected a library board, consisting of Mrs. Abigail P. Keleher, president, vice-president, J. C. Stevenson; secretary, Mrs. Isabelle Love; treasurers, L. R. Bothwell, Mrs. Nellie Gustafson and R. J. McCahon.

The finance committee consisted of Chas. Hanna, J. C. Stevenson and R. J. McCahon. The book committee were: Edgar Love, A. C. Sanquist, Dr. F. O. Ringnell, Mrs. Grace F. Love and Miss Mary Warner.

Orion was considered a favorable location as it was near the center of the township, thus making it convenient for most of the farmers. The town people and school children might also share its benefits.

The village board of Orion generously offered the east room in the opera house, which was fitted up for a library and reading room. Mrs. Kate Harless was engaged as librarian and on January To, 1905, the "Western Township Pub­ lic Library" was thrown open to the public. It contained four hundred and eighty-six books, two hundred and seventy-nine of the number being donated. A circulating library from the "Chicago Wednesday Night Club" contained seventy-three books, thirty-three statistical and agricultural reports and ten magazines and periodicals.

At the spring election of Western township in 1906 the question of the township controlling and maintaining the library was voted upon and carried by only fourteen majority.

Thus the Western Township Public Library passed from the control of the Farmer's Social Club and became a township library, maintained by a township tax.

The means of support now being a certainty. two rooms were rented over the State Bank and the library moved thither, where it still,remains. One thousand, three hundred and eighty-seven of the best and latest books grace its shelves ; fourteen magazines and periodicals may be found in the reading-room and six hundred and seventy-two borrower's cards are in use.

Perhaps the one individual who did the most to make this library a success was the worthy secretary and treasurer, the late Mrs. Isabelle Love, who through her untiring correspondence with libraries of other places obtained all necessary information concerning the organization and equipment of such an enterprise. She further manifested her interest by bequeathing five hundred dollars to be held in trust and used for the support of the library.