"SIC TRANSIT GLORIA" a
‘ 0
end of six months and points out that this must
have been a sizable sum. For example, in the
fifth concert there were 19,000 prizes of $19 »
each. But each of these 19,000 tickets was
P divided into ten coupons, so that in the great
majority of cases only $1.90 was due to each of
many coupon—owners scattered widely throughout
( the world and never claimed. Not one penny of
E this, he says, was turned over to the libra-
` ry.(27)
1 To be sure (Towne writes) there was no
law in existence compelling the transfer
J of this sum to the public library fund,
...lt was merely a promise to the public
1 over the signature of Thos. E. Bramlette, .
which was never kept. Possibly it might
; have been kept had Governor Bramlette
lived; but he died January 12, 1875, and
the last concert was given February 27th 2
_ of the same year. lt is certain that S
( this promise to the public was not con-
L " sidered legally or morally binding so far
  as Governor Bramlette’s successors were
( concerned. Mr, (C. M.) Briggs was elect-
g ed to take the place of Governor Bram-
( lette, and on the death of Mr. Briggs '
(July 13, 1875),R. T. Durrett,the Presi— ,
dent of the Board of Trustees of the `/
Public Library, was elected as his suc- [
cessor, who has never made any report L
whatever of the amount due the library
I from unpaid prizes.(28) "
At another point in his chronicle Towne ex-
plains that Durrett was named to succeed Briggs A
43
, A I 1
— J, * 1, ., .   , ___ __ ..., ,-.... .. . ...,,;,9»* rl