Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-31
rvonop wprA VS.. eAzErrEgR.

A CyclopBdiai or hucyciOpHula, IL
da6ued as circle of human knowledge
"a work containing, in alphabetical
arrangement, information in all depart
ments Of knowledge. A dictionary is a
book containing the words of language
alphabetically arranged, with explana-
tons of their Meanings word-book.
A gazetteer is a book containing names
and brief descriptions, arranged alpha
betically, of the natural and civil divis-
ions of States, cities, etc.-a geographi-
cal dictionary. In its day the British
Cyclopmdia, of all works in the English
language. was celebrated as authority,
being fully up in every sense to that its
title imported--to the information of the
times. SO too, afterwards, but with too
brief mention to be quite satisfactory,
Chambers Encyclopaedia partly filed a
gap of years. In our country. issuing
gradually from the press of the Apple
tons, in New York, from 1858 to 1863,
came the New American Cyclop@dia fer
in advance of all others at that time, in
the English language. in fullness, com
pleieDess, thoroughness and accuracy in
all branches OF human knowledge as then
existing. In the lapse of few years,
however, so wonderful progress had been
made in arts and sciences. such marked
changes in affairs of nations, as to geo
graphical limits and political status,
such great discoveries in regard to his
torical events, localities and personsges
of ancient times had opened up, and so
many previously unsettled questions had,
by critical investigation, been decided,
that the data of 1868 was no longer
sound. Much that was then occult has
been brought to light in the last few years
and SO vast and important have been the
changes, and in some cases so completely
revolutionized the aspect of certain
branches of knowledge, that the latest,
the best and the fullest of Cyclopedias
Of a few years ago is now no longer reli-
able for reference book. In this view
of the case the publishers of the New
American Cyclopedis of 1868, D. APP
pleton & Co., who had kept up
an annual cyclopedia after the compile
ton of the New American, having the
experience Of their old editors to rely
on, determined to issue a new work so
and complete that it should for
years to come be as a cyclopedia-the
standard work Of the age. This is the
work now being published by them under
the name of the American Cyclopedis. |
Revised" 1t is what its name Imports
q work embracing the circle of knowl-
edge in articles especially prepared for
it, sufficiently full though concise, and
explicit though condensed on every sub
ject, to impsrt clear and precise infor-
nation TO every sesrcher of its pages.
in history. biography, geography, on
every dIt, ludBuihCtuEo duu nSichCct uu
every mooted question of ethics, govern
ments and general policy, in regard to
all classical and general literature, to
religions of all kinds, to religious creeds
and to every phase Of information that
makes up the sum Of human knowledge, |
its articles, unlike the brief descriptions |
OF a gazetteer, are broad enough and ex-
tended enough to impsrt real knowledge
to the reader. A gazetteer has but those
brief descriptions which fail to satisfy
the mind that seeks the full information |
that a real cyclopedis gives. A COM
parison of the American Cyclopedia,
revised, with Zell's work, will show the
marked difference between the two. The
6rst is 10 reality what is meant by the
word cyclop@dis in its fullest sense;
the other, with its bare and brief descrip
tons, is not eyclopediash, but is in
truth fair specimen Of an enlarged
gazetteer. with dash now and then at
something outside of it.