feet in height and sets well up above the pavement. The first floor contains a ladies' reading room and toilet, and librarian's room in front, and the general reading room and library. The books are arranged around the walls, and the height of the story being seventeen feet there is room for a gallery, which will be added when necessary. The rooms in front are ceiled at the height of eleven feet, and the floor of the sectional hall above being elevated, a beautiful chess room is obtained, ten feet by thirty in size. The library hall, on the upper floor, will seat two hundred and fifty persons comfortably. The building is finished and furnished in white pine and heated by steam.”
An endowment fund of $22,500 was created, consisting of contributions made individually by J. M. Kennedy, D. J. Morrell, James McMillen and E. Y. Townsend, and by the same parties as members of the firm of Wood, Morrell & Co., and by Samuel Welsh, Henry Lewis, Geo. L. Oliver, C. S. Wurts, David Reeves and I. V. Williamson, directors of Cambria Iron Company, and in addition to this original fund, a legacy of two thousand dollars was received under the will of D. J. Morrell, and I. V. Williamson gave five thousand dollars, the interest thereon to be used for the purchase of books. The Cambria Iron Company, even at this time, assisted in bearing the ordinary expenses, which were about twelve hundred dollars per annum.
There were about two thousand volumes on its shelves at this period in its existence. Subscribers were privileged. The hours of opening the library were, on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 12 m., from 2 to 5 p.m., and from 7 to 9 p.m., and on Sundays, the reading rooms were open from 2 to 5 p.m., and from 7 to 9 p.m. The rate of subscription had been reduced from $3 to $2 per annum.
Although a scientific association had been formed at the very beginning of the library, on January 1, 1881, the Cambria Scientific Institute, an adjunct department of the Library Association, was organized. “This institute grew out of the wishes of the management of the Library Association to offer to the young men and young women of Johnstown and vicinity opportunities for self improvement and self culture,” and offered to everybody the privilege of discussion upon all topics of educational, technological, politician and scientific interests. Educational training in applied science was continued in regular class work, free to all, one evening each week during the
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