The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-08-31
HON. LYMAN G. DRAPER.
THE RIGHT MAN TO WRITE THE HISTORY
OF wIsCoNsIN--WHEN WILL he DO IT?

THE RIGHT MAN TO WRITE THE HISTORY
OF wIsCoNsIN--wHEN WILL HE DoIT?
We take the following from the Chica
go E0eniaag Post. The Wisconsin State
Journal and the Wisconsin have publish.
ed it approvingly. Admitting It's cor
rectness, Lyman G. Draper Is the right
man to write The History of Wisconsin.
The question remaining if, When will he
do it?
He is small man--physically. A firm
mouth. clear eye, and active hand, a
step as elastic as boys, mind fearless
in its investigations, a spirit OF wonder
full patience and endurance, and an am
bition to learn that is at once restless and
tireless-this is Hon. Lyman G. Draper,
the father of the Wisconsin Historical
Library, the largest collection of books
west Of New York, and the third in i'm
portance In the country. No one men
not even excepting the philosophical
Ex-Governor FarWell-has done so much
for Wisconsin as has Mr.. Draper He
has created an esprit du corps where be-
fore there was Indifference enlighten-
ment where before there. was ignorance ;
and sort of center for the literary cul-
ture OF the West IN State where before
there was nothing to attract the student
of letters.
Twenty years ago he went 20 Madison
and was made Secretary o. the Historical
Society. He devoted himself to his work
with a genuine passion, and So inocuated
Others with his ardor thaC he made the
little nucleus of trunk full of books
produce their hundred fold More: he as
pired to learn thoroughly the early his
tory OF the country, and to that end he
made himself pilgrim. Through every
state west and south OF New York he has
travelled, at his own expense from year to
year, by railroad and canal river, stage,
horseback, and foot path. He has seen
and conversed with every pioneer of note
who survived after 1910, has collected the
largest existing library Of American his
tory, and has gathered az immense amount
! OF pioneer manuscripts that will 90 far
towards furnishing complete history of
this Western country from 1880 to 1926.
TINS eager quest he has prosecuted with
the energy that a father would put forth
III the search for favorite child lost in
the woods, and he has met with wonder
tul SUGGESTIVE success which always re-
wards interchangeable and persistent toll
ID reSculng perishing dates and circum-
stances from frontier oblivion. He has
ridden 10000 miles and travelled 10000
miles on foot--further, probably, than
any other American, even Bayard Taylor
and the result is that he has gathered
ponderous piles of original manuscripts
not less than $4,000 pages-comprIsing
minute information of the most obscure
portion OF American history. In his bands
George Rogers, Clarke, Kenton, Boone
ana their companions, and contemporaries,
have emerged from half mythical twilight
and become stalwart living men.
The only difficulty thus far encountered
is to analyze this vast accumulation of
hitherto unknown facts and mould them
into tangible history. Mr.. Draper is es.
sentlally an antiquarian-a collector, rath-
er than publisher. If be could be EN-
p'oyed to direct or help direct our Chi
cage Historical Library, he would imme-
dlately set it on its feet, fill it's dead body
with life, and make it growing power,
rms immense private pioneer library
ought to be utilized While he lives, his
abundant knowledge and retentive mem
DRY ought to brought practically to bear
on the solution Of the vexing problems
| OF pioneer history, in which the West has
an abiding interest ~ssez