Thanking Andrew Carnegie For Freeport's Library Grant

My friend and I obtained the Carnegie correspondence by writing the Carnegie Foundation and borrowing the microfilm.  In the early years Andrew Carnegie's private secretary, James Bertram, who handled all the library grants for Mr. Carnegie, did not save the letters sent to the recipients of the grants.  Therefore, I have only the letters from Freeport citizens to Carnegie.

The following is the third letter to Mr. Carnegie thanking him for the increase in the grant amount from $25,000 to $30,000.  The letter was sent on March 13, 1901 and follows:

Mr. James Bertram
Private Sec'y,
New York City,

Dear Sir,

Your favor (of the) 8th instant received.  We wish to thank Mr. Carnegie very heartily for the increase of donation to $30,000.00 as well as for the original donation and to accept the same.  We have thought it wise to ask Mr. Carnegie to appoint the presidents of the five Freeport banks or, in the absence of any one of them, the cashier, as a board of trustees to handle these funds and to appoint such committees as may in their judgment be necessary to provide for the proper carrying out of the plan.  We make this suggestion because we believe such action would be a guarantee to our people that the money would be not only honestly but intelligently used and this would lend an enthusiasm that will be a great assistance in raising money for the purchase of a site.

Knowlton Bros' bank is not incorporated but Mr. D. A. Knowlton is the senior member.  The tax levy for the support of the public library has run from $2074 in 1891 to $3118 in 1895 and $4236 in 1900.  We think there can be no doubt that the city council will adopt a resolution at its next meeting that it is the sense of the council that the levy of two mills per hundred dollars for the support of the library should be made each year.  The law authorizing such a levy was passed some years ago through the efforts of the representative and senator from this county and the law is a very popular one here through their connection with it and the future support of the library is in our opinion amply assured.

If these suggestions meet with your approval we should be glad to have you signify that fact as promptly as possible that we may get under way very early in the season.

yours truly,

C. F. Hildreth
O. B. Bidwell
Oscar E. Heard
C. W. Harden