((Citizens of West End) to Andrew Carnegie, November 18, 1897)

              Pittsburg Pa.,
November 18,1397. To Mr.Andrew Carnegie, c v
G-reeting:-
We9the undersigned Citizens of the West End of the city of Pittsburg Pa.,and vicinity,a committer appointed at a meeting of representative citizens,held on the above date,being miBh interested in the welfare of our community, and feeling that if the subject of wants and necessities were brought properly to your attention,that your generous nature would act in harmony with ours,in a desire to plan for the present needs and the prospective necessities,to provide mental food for the intellectual growth and moral developement of our rapidly increas-ingpopulation. Words fail to express our gratitude to you,for the generous manner in which you have provided for our section,in your arrangement for branch libraries.We trust 3^ou will not consider us as lacking gratefulness, or as desiring to take advantage of your ruagnaau^y, if we should present for your consideration, certain facts and figures peculiar to our section.
We look upon your gift of a library as a great boon,and one which must of necessity develop rich fruit in the manhood and the womanhood of the future.
You are aware that if you feed the mind with intelectual food,you must supply the wants which that intellectual growth creates.
You have founded the library,but,your committee informs us that one of the component parts of the librae is to be omitted, the lecture hall. This information to the citizens of our community proved to be a sad disappointment. Many anticipations of lectures and concerts and other intellectual entertainments,were swept away,when the announcement was made bthat the Carnegie Library would have no lecture hall.
We have not lost hope,and are encouraged to make this appeal to you,through expressions made by your coimittee in charge of the construction of libraries in our city,viz.Mr.Frew,Mr. Holliday, Mayor Ford, and others,that your desires,in regard to branch libraries,were to meet the wants and necessities of the citizens of these sections,rather than cut the building down to v\' meet the amount of the donation,and that if the amount set aside was not sufficient to meet thcfie wants,and carry out your ideas, there was a generous heart and an open hand back of it all.
Now,we desire to call your attention to the fact that there is not a single hall in our section,that is in any way adapted to the wants and necessities of our people. Our community is made up of honest,provident,and intellectual men and women,engaged in a variety of industries,but more especially in the production of iron.
-     - The 1 oeation is excellent, and if tlm arlv�.nt.AgQfl of the library are granted to the surrounding boroughs of Carnegie,Crafton Greentree,Sherraden,Elliot,Esplen and McKees Rocks,will gurnish medicine for the minds of not less than twenty thousand people.All the citizens of the above named boroughs can reach this libraryA and nd lecture hall by the street cars,and by paying but a single fare.
We present the above facts for your thoughtful consideration1,and pray you to direct your Building Committee,in charge of the work of erecting libraries in our city,to so change the pflans of the West End branch as to provide for a lecture hall. We believe that the cost of an additional story, to provide for such a room,wll be insignificant when compared with the future intellectual and moral growih,developed in the minds and hearts of those who drink at its fountains.We trust that you will give our petition the benefit of your mature thought,and we will ever pray that it may meet with your approval,and that this library may become^ one of the noblest monuments to your memory.