As a library the Fraser Institute has fulfilled a popular service. It has a very valuable collection of French books, in addition to the original nucleus of the French library, and has rare volumes of English, French, Latin, etc. It has also a very valuable collection of “Canadiana.” The library made great progress during the presidency of Mr. McLennan, which has continued during that of Mr. Joseph Rielle. Up to 1901 it had increased from 40,000 to 70,000 volumes. The first librarian was Mr. Boodle, and since 1901 Mr. P.B. de Crèvecoeur has served in that capacity.
The Fraser Free Library during its long and useful career has not yet realized the desire of the founder and the first governors to become also a “museum and gallery, to be open to all honest and respectable persons.” Certainly such is needed in the city now. The future of the institute if it follows out its original intention, is still before it, with the help of a generous public.
II. LITERARY AND LEARNED SOCIETIES
One of the earliest learned societies is the Natural History Society which was founded in 1827 and the difficulty of its founders in bringing it about is best shown in the following extract taken from the first annual report, 1828:
“It is now only twelve months since a few gentlemen, who casually, met together, proposed the establishment of this society. They were not unaware of the difficulties they would have to encounter. In all communities such as this where wealth is comparatively little, where no opulent endowments take off the necessity of attention to securing a livelihood, and where as a consequence, the attention is directed into other channels, very different from those of scientific research, not many can be expected to join in assisting this society by their personal exertions, however pleased they might be to see it arise.
“Anticipating therefore, but a small list of members, and where also that at different times associations have been founded for literary purposes, which have gradually been dissolved, the founders of this society saw the necessity of a bond of union, independent of this personal characteristic of the first members. As a visible sign of the existence and utility of the institution, and around which the members might at all times rally, with a view there to afford this bond, to prevent this tendency to devolution, the proposers of this Natural History Society resolved to found a museum, an institution which experience has proved to have great power in calling the attention to scientific pursuits and the wants of which was firstly felt by several members, who looked back upon the various causes which in their younger days retarded their own improvement. But the new collections of the productions of nature would leave the design of the society imperfect without the possession of books, that treat of such subjects. One without the other would leave the work half done, but both connected give the greatest facilities for instruction which can be afforded. In addition therefore to the possession of a museum, it was one of the first objects of the society to secure a library of books on science in general. On these principles and with these views the Natural History Society was founded.”
This body holds a bequest, though slight, for providing annually a lecture course for the public. It is known as the Somerville Foundation. This unique distinction is credited to the association, but it is also a sad commentary on the dearth of provision for the general education of the public.
The institution is still with us and after having fulfilled a valuable and no mean role in the past, may rise to the larger demands and opportunities that the larger city which, at present, still has no other museum of its kind, now offers to it to embark on a larger venture than of old.
One of the earliest and more important factors in the intellectual life of the city and in the creation of a real love for the best in the existence of the working man has been the Mechanic’s Institute which was founded in November, 1828, by a body of earnest men, who felt that the worker should have a chance to educate himself not only in science, but in art and literature. The first meetings were held in the house of the Reverend Mr. Esson, who with Judge Gugy, L.J. Papineau and John Molson formed the executive. In its early years, not much progress was made, but on its incorporation in 1845 new life was put into the work. Seven years afterwards land was secured on St. James Street for a permanent building which was opened in 1855. In 1862 the building was enlarged by the addition of a large hall to hold 800 people. For twenty-five years the institute was the principal hall for meetings until the city spread more north when it was divided into offices. Today its reading room and library are but very little used in comparison with the past.