EARLY LOUISVILLE LIBRARIES
floor and four small rooms in the half-story A
above, and was completed in 1816. Dr. Mann ,
Butler——educator, graduate in medicine and law,
and historian, who in the same year became the
leader of Louisvi1le’s first library enterprise
--was engaged as principal at a salary of $600
a year. Tuition was $20 for six months, and
there were between forty and fifty pupils.
After some vicissitudes, the institution, in
1845, became the Academic Department of the
University of Louisville, and fifteen years
later was re—named Male High School and removed
from the University’s jurisdiction. lt retained
its college status, however, and continued to
give academic degrees until lQl3.(8)
The following characterization found in Dr.
McMurtrie’s SKETCHES may serve to round out
this picture of Louisville in the years just
after the War of 1812:
Commercial cities of newly settled
countries, whose inhabitants are gathered
from every corner of the earth, who have
emigrated thither with buta.sing1e object
in view, that of acquiring money, are
stamped with no general character, except
that of frugality, attention to business,
and inordinate attachment to money. Ab-
sorbed in this great interest of adding
dollar upon dollar, no time is devoted to
literature or the acquirement of those
graceful nothings which, of no value in
themselves, still constitute one great
charm of polished society...
_ There is a circle,sma1l’tis true, but p
within whose magic round abounds every
5
NUI