"SIC TRANSIT GLORLM — lb
great honor to the State, completely al-
layed all suspicions that it was a mere ·
private speculation of a single individ- T
` ual...(20)
On May l, 1873, Towne arrived in Louisville
to begin his duties. Six years later he is re-
calling the optimism with which he viewed his 4
new position:
Probably no man ever entered upon a
work more heartily than did the librarian
upon his new duties. Visions of a Brit-
ish Museum in Kentucky flitted before
him. The building that had been purchased ,
was to be remodified without regard to i
expense, a vast museum to be begun which ’
would eclipse anything of the kind known
on the American continent. Fountains, E
statuary, aquaria, and a million of new ,
books were to spring into existence
through the magic power of one or two
more concerts, and the endowment to be S
` received from the last one would be suf- ‘
ficient to place the whole upon a basis *
as solid as the Bank of England! Such a
future required that the librarian should 4
not do much sleeping during the prepara- I/
tions for the grand international gather-
ing that would be made to witness the .)
gorgeous display of the treasures to be /
concentrated from all parts of the '
I earth.(2l)
/
Towne immediately set about bringing some
order out of the confusion inwhich he found the
3'Z
  TI 
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