368 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
John a public library building erected by the munificence of a 
philanthropic man who never saw our city, and who is animated 
solely by a desire to do good to the human race. The require- 
ment which he makes of us, as citizens of this city, is that we shall 
year by year spend a specified sum in carrying out the purposes 
for which he provides the building. Into that contract we have 
entered cheerfully, and I have little doubt that its terms will be 
observed faithfully. But the public library building ought to be 
supplemented by such a building as I have suggested — as others 
have suggested before me — for the Natural History Society. A 
modest, brickstructure, built upon a simple plan, sufficiently large 
to contain our museum and our library, and to allow something 
for their expansion, would not cost a great deal of money. There 
ought to be ten citizens of St. John willing, as there are surely 
many more than that number able, to give us a thousand dollars 
each with which to commence the work. With that sum in hand 
the road would be easy enough. I do not look with great favor 
upon the constant calls which are made upon the civic treasury 
to help this or that particular institution, but if we had a good 
sum in hand, if we showed willingness upon our own part to make 
a fair pecuniary effort for this undertaking, we may say to the 
city fathers, “We occupy by your grace premises which would 
bring you in an annual rental, if they were put upon the market, 
of so much money; in all human probability, and as long as we 
do fairly such work as we are doing now, you will continue us 
in the occupancy of these premises ; but it might be quite as well 
for you, financially, to capitalize the value of the rental and give 
it to us. You will help a useful civic and public institution by 
doing so, and you will be recouped the outlay by the revenue which 
will accrue from the rooms which we now hold.” But I feel that 
no such proposition can be made until at least we have in sight 
a good deal more money that we have now for the purpose. In 
some way we must make a commencement towards the accumula- 
tion of money for the purpose if we desire our work to continue 
successfully. 
Surely it is work that ought to continue. 'When I read in the 
papers or hear of discussions as to whether this particular subject 
