History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

Places of Interest 241
The circle selected and purchased twenty-one books, at
a cost of $1.12 per member.
The following is a list of the works, which were passed
around the circle, in order, as they were read:
" Madehne, " Mary J. Holmes ;
" Stories from Old English
Poetry;" "Lost in a Great City," M. Douglas; "Patience
Strong's Outing," Mrs. Whitney; "Madam How and Lady
Why,'' Kingsley; "My Study Window," LoM^e/^- "My Winter
on the Nile," Warner; "Infelice," Evans; "Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow," Underwood; "Roman Days," Marjory
Daw." A Wric/z; " Oldtown Folks, " Mr5. >S/ow;e,- "A Reverend
Idol," 0. W\ Holmes; "His Majesty, Myself," Baker;
"Rlessed Saint Certainty," Baker; "Warlock, O'Glen Warlock,"
Macdonald; "The Guardian Angel," Holmes; "Without
a Home," E, P. Roe; "Unknown to History," Yonge;
"Thomas Carlyle," Froude; "The White Elephant," Twain,
The Swansea Public Library Association was organized
May 9, 1883, according to the provisions of Chapter 40 of the
Public Statutes of Massachusetts for the organization of
"Social Library Corporations."
The Officers and Board of Directors were as follows:
President, Rev. O. 0. Wright; Vice President, James H.
Mason; Secretary, Miss Juha R. Wellington; Collector and
Treasurer, Frank R. Stebbins; Trustees, Henry 0. Wood,
Frank S. Stevens and Job Gardner; Librarian, Rev. 0. 0.
Wright; Assistant Librarian, Mrs 0. 0. Wright.
The warrant for the meeting for this organization was
issued by James H. Mason, Justice of the Peace, on the petition
of Otis 0. Wright, H. 0. Wood, F. S. Birch, Thomas J. Jones,
Henry C. Brown, Joseph H. Northam, Hiram B. Babcock,
Frank R. Stebbins, Carrie A. Chase, Ellen S. Austin, J. L.
Wellington, Jeremiah Gray, F. S. Stevens, Jonathan Slade,
N. R. Wellington, Mary E. Mason, Betsey E. Winslow, Helen
L. Wellington, JuHa R. Wellington, Job Gardner.
A constitution and by-laws were adopted, and printed for
distribution, a copy of which may be found in the records of
the Association.
The object of this corporation was: "To provide a
library and reading-room, and to promote literary and social
intercourse among its members."
The book circle donated its books to the Public Library
Association, June 14, 1883.
Narragansett Lodge, No. 58, Independent Order of Good
Templars, having voted to surrender its charter, gave its
libraryofeighty-sevenvolumestotheAssociation,June23,1883.
The library was located during its first year, at the res-
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