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Rh Mr. Andrew Deakin, and of William Creighton, an employé of Boulton & Watt; original drawings and sketches by J. Vincent Barber, Samuel Lines, Warren Blackham, W. Tarlington, and others; also the only known perfect copy of Bradford's great view of Birmingham, which would seem for some reason never to have been published. Pre-eminent among all the gifts to the Library is that of the vast Boulton and Watt Collection, presented by the munificence of Mr. George Tangye, J.P., together with a generous contribution to the cost of installing it in a special room. This priceless collection is of world wide interest, and is in itself sufficient to make our Reference Library famous.

We conclude with an earnest appeal to those who are the depositants of ancient deeds and documents referring to local history or of local interest to follow the example of so many liberal donors and present them to the Public Reference Library. It would be an act which would enrich our stores, and yet in no way impoverish the donors. When in our possession, such documents are carefully read, docketed and catalogued, and are kept in a fire-proof room where they are, humanly speaking, exempt from all fear of fire or loss. They can be consulted at any hour when the library is open, without delay or difficulty, and if needed for legal purpose at any time, are at once available, since the Library is bound to produce them to any Court when required for evidence. Our Reference Library is a monument of public generosity as well as of public spirit—a surprisingly large proportion of its treasures is of the nature of a private gift for public purposes, and the more we give to it, the more interest we shall feel in our institution, which stands high among the legitimate sources of our civic pride.

HOWARD S. PEARSON.