Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/92

 76

��Hon. Rodney Wallace.

��To His Honor, the Mayor and the City Council of the City of Fitchburg :

Gentlemen : — The subscriber has felt for a long time that a building with proper appurtenances for our Public Library here in Fitchburg was much needed, and makes the following propo- sition, viz :

I propose to convey by proper deed to the city of Fitchburg my lot of land situated at the corner of Main street and Newton place, and to expend, with the advice and approval of the Trustees of the PubHc Library, within the next two years, a sum not less than forty thousand dollars (^40,000) in erecting a building on said lot ; said building to be under the care and management of the Board of Trustees of the Public Library for the time being, and to be used for a Free Public Library, Reading Rooms and Art Gallery, and for no •other purpose.

And it is understood that the city government, accepting these donations for the above purposes, shall assume and bear the current expenses of said building, grounds and appurtenances, after the Library building shall have been completed and furnished.

If the above proposition is accepted I shall proceed to carry out the same as -soon as it can conveniently be done. Rodney Wallace.

Fitchburg, March 17, 1884.

Mayor Davis said this act on the part of our esteemed fellow citizen calls forth the profound gratitude of all the inhabitants of our city. I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without ex- pressing my thanks, as a citizen, for the munificent gift. May his life be long and his prosperity increasing.

The following order, introduced by Mayor Davis, was then unanimously adopted :

Ordered, That the City of Fitchburg accept the donation of Honorable Rod- ney Wallace to it of the lot of land on the corner of Main street and Newton place, and the Library building to be ■erected by him thereon, upon the con- ditions and in accordance with the terms and provisions contained in his written communication and proposal to the

��Mayor and City Council ; and places on record its profound appreciation of the public spirit and munificence of the donor, and its recognition of the incal- culable benefits which will result to his fellow citizens and their descendants and successors for all time from this noble gift.

Alderman Joel said the surprise was so great and so agreeable that words were not at his command to express the thanks he, in common with all other members, felt for the munificent gift presented by Mr. Wallace. He moved that a committee be appointed to pre- pare and forward a vote of thanks to Honorable Rodney Wallace for his gift. The motion was unanimously adopted, and Mayor Davis appointed Alderman Joel, Councilmen Flaherty and Parkhill as the committee."

From the Sentinel of April 10, 1884, I clip the following :

" The following resolutions have been presented to Honorable Rodney Wal- lace by the special committee ap- pointed at the joint convention of the two branches of the City Council, March 25 : To Honorable Rodney Wallace :

Fitchburg, Mass.

Whereas, the Mayor and City Coun- cil of the city of Fitchburg have re- ceived and accepted a proposition ten- dered by Honorable Rodney Wallace of this city, by the terms of which a lot of land situated at the corner of Main street and Newton place is donated to the city of Fitchburg, and a sum not less than forty thousand dollars is to be expended by him, with the advice and approval of the Trustees of the Public Library, within the next two years in erecting a building on said lot, said building to be used for a Free Public Library, Reading Rooms, and an Art Gallery ; therefore,

Resolved, That this body desires to voice and place on record the universal appreciation on the part of our citizens of the generosity and public spirit of the honored donor, of the timeliness of the gift, and not less, of the wisdom and foresight manifested in the particu-

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