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library matters were completely left to his discre-
quarter of a century elapsed before the peculiar
became much known and talked about. Except-
oke seminary, founded by Miss Lyon, it is doubtful
institution in America whose history is so intri-
with the life-history of a single individual as is
sonic library at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As cause
two are inseparable; to understand the one
other, and thus a brief account
ences surrounding the early years
ous founder will be of in-

Theodore S. Parvin was

berland County, New Jersey, in 1817, where

he lived until

tion. More than a features of his work ing Mount Holyif there is another cately interwoven that of this maand sequence the

is to know the of the influ

of the illustri

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terest.

born in Cum

GRAND LODGE LIBRARY BUILDING, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

nearly twelve years of age, when his parents moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. After a course in the high school the lad matriculated in the law department of Cincinnati college, then under the presidency of Dr. McGuffey, the noted author of the Eclectic series of school-books, and was graduated therefrom in 1837 when but twenty years of age. In the meantime he had pursued a course of private study under the tutelage of Judge Wright of the supreme court and Judge Walker of the superior court. One year later he was admitted to the bar of the supreme court.

A slight but permanent lameness, the result of an accident in early boyhood, enforced a sedentary habit, and was one impelling cause of his rapid progress in scholastic work; but that which most contributed to the final life purpose, toward which all this was but a step in preparation,

seems to have been a matter of inheritance. Endowed with an unusually vivid imagination, among the earliest and deepest impressions of childhood was a mingled feeling of awe and wonder concerning the mysteries of that strange lodge-room to which his father so frequently and, to all appearances, so solemnly repaired. What was the object? What was done in that ever locked and silent room? Were the secrets of earth or of heaven? A subsequent visit to this room in company with his father served only to strengthen his interest; for, either from something that was then said or from what was there seen or perhaps still more imagined, certain it is the lad left that apartment with the firm determination to make the study and practice of masonry a part of his coming life-work, and in steady pursuance of this end, on the day he became twenty-one years of age-the earliest moment possible according to the rules of the order he presented himself as a candidate and was admitted to the "Nova Cesarea Harmony" Lodge of Cincinnati, the third masonic lodge organized west of the Alleghany mountains.

Soon after this event, as well as soon after his admission to the bar, the young man was present at a farewell banquet given by the city of Cincinnati to Governor Lucas in honor of his appointment as first territorial governor of Iowa, and attracting the governor's favorable attention he was invited to accompany him to his new field of labor in the capacity of private secretary. The offer was accepted, and soon thereafter the whilom young law student found himself established at the gubernatorial headquarters in Burlington, Iowa.

At that time there was not a single masonic lodge in the territory, nor for two years later; then, November 12, 1840, Mr. Parvin helped to organize Des Moines Lodge No. 1 of Burlington, the worthy progenitor of the many prosperous masonic lodges to be found in the state to-day. Thus early did Mr. Parvin become identified with the fortunes of the state, and thus did the inclinations of boyhood assume definite form by means of active identification with the organization whose principles, as exemplified in the high character of its membership, have been among those effective agencies which have tended to bring Iowa to its present honorable place among the states of the Union.

At the time of Governor Lucas' appointment the territory was very sparsely settled, the bulk of population being confined to a narrow strip along the eastern boundary, where, as late as January 8, 1844, there were really less than one hundred masons and but four subordinate lodges. As one report says, "the prospects for great literary activity were not flattering," and had it not happened that Mr. Parvin was appointed Grand Sec

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retary when the officers of this important lodge were first chosen, it is probable there would have been no story of a Grand Lodge library to tell to-day. He had already distinguished himself as a " reading mason," and already was the project of a future monster library beginning to find lodgment within his mind, and to assume the form of an individual purpose. Among the first recorded acts of the Grand Lodge of Iowa was the appointment of a library committee, whose report at the first annual meeting in 1845 reads as follows: "We believe that a commencement should be made, and additions from time to time as the Grand Lodge may be able, so that in time we may have a collection of masonic information that may be an honor to us." The immediate result of this was an appropriation of five dollars, " to be expended under the direction of the Grand Secretary for receiving such information as he may see proper."

Thus was begun what was claimed to be the first Grand Lodge library in existence, and is now the largest and most complete collection of masonic works in the world. An amusing story is told of the means by which the first book was obtained. Calling one day upon a young lady friend in the winter of 1842-43, Mr. Parvin found on the centre-table a copy of Cole's Fhiman Rezon, and becoming absorbed in the volume he forgot his surroundings, until the lady suggested that if the book was so much more interesting than herself he had better take it. How peace was made with the offended lady is not told, but he took the book, and this initial volume may still be seen upon the shelves.

Five dollars would seem but slight foundation upon which to base hopes of a great superstructure, but Mr. Parvin's zeal in this especial work knew no bounds, and with the small sum he set about the desired collection, and so early as 1849, four years from date of first appropriation, books enough had been gathered to justify the publication of a small four-page catalogue. Thenceforward the work went steadily on until the year 1882, when the annual report showed a library worth fully $12,000, but which, through the indefatigable exertions of its collector, had been procured at an expense to the Grand Lodge of not more than $2,500.

It is only by knowing how multifarious were Mr. Parvin's other duties while engaged in making this collection that one is able to appreciate the magnitude of the achievement indicated by these figures. For at no time in its history up to that date, 1882, had he given his exclusive attention to this work. Like all the other members of the Grand Lodge he was a man of affairs, with a family to support, and business interests to both enhance and protect. From the place of governor's secretary he was successively promoted by election to the clerkship of the United States

district court of Iowa, and registrar of the state land office, which he finally resigned to enter upon a ten years' term as professor of natural history in the Iowa state university-of which institution, as a member of its first board of trustees, he was also one of the founders. While there, in addition to the duties of his chair, Professor Parvin acted as curator and librarian for the institution, besides laying the foundations of Iowa's now fine state library by taking it in charge for one year and purchasing for it its first five thousand volumes.

It would seem that so many conflicting personal interests would have

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been more than sufficient to daunt his courage for outside undertakings. These, however, were by no means the greatest difficulties with which the library project had to contend, which were found in the unfavorable literary conditions under which the work was begun and for a long time carried on, as shown by the following statement from Mr. Parvin: "Fifty years ago a large part of the literature of masonry and its kindred sciences,' outside the ritual, attainable to readers of English only, was, with comparatively few exceptions, and those mainly pamphlets, contained in Webb's Monitor, Cross's Chart, and a few books of similar character.

Among the newer settlements of the west then, and for many years after, even these few were scarcely attainable; and reading masons, like 'book farmers,' were regarded with little favor if not with actual suspicion by their brethren more fortunate, because desiring no knowledge beyond an ill-digested and contradictory ritual and a few traditional stories, improbable and childish, although rendered sacred by being often repeated."

How far the efforts of this one man were directly instrumental in bringing about the now existing very different state of things, it would be difficult even to conjecture; but certain it is that, soon after this library project had assumed definite shape, masons in this country began to awaken to the fact that if their order was to meet and satisfy the ever-increasing intelligence of an enlightened age, it must place itself in a position to answer inquiry and show aims worthy of respect. So to this end investigation began, ancient records were searched, and translations made, until with the old, and the much that was new which soon began to be written and scattered broadcast, it was not many years before masonry had won for itself a very respectable place in the great modern republic of letters.

In 1882 this library had already assumed really formidable proportions, but before the expiration of that year it was destined to become nearly doubled in size and value by the addition of the private library of Mr. R. F. Bower of Keokuk, Iowa, which, besides an extensive miscellaneous assortment of books on subjects allied to masonry, embraced the largest collection of purely masonic works ever belonging to one individual, its cost having aggregated fully twelve thousand dollars, to say nothing of the time and labor expended in its collecting. The Grand Lodge obtained this fine library at the very low price of four thousand dollars.

Now indeed had they that "collection of information which should be an honor to them," as had been foreshadowed in that long ago first report. With books worth twenty-five thousand dollars on hand, the question of some safe and suitable place for them became a matter of immediate import. For years previous the librarian had felt this to be a matter of vital concern, but his solicitude had not been shared by the members of the lodge in general. The necessity was too apparent to be longer ignored, and in less than two years from the time the lodge took the matter earnestly in hand, May 17, 1884, it became Mr. Parvin's happy privilege to assist in the imposing ceremonies of laying the corner-stone of what is now the completed structure of one of the most beautiful and most perfectly appointed library buildings within the borders of the United States. It is a fire-proof building, constructed of brick, stone, and iron, at a cost of thirty-two thousand dollars; the ground upon which it stands, with ten

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