The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-12-29
Where Is 1t?

MEssRs. EDITORS: l have noticed
some articles recently published in En-
poria papers, with reference to cyclope-
dias. want one, but l want one that
comes near my ideal. which IS rather
high. Since a cyclop9dia is library
in itself, it must have as many authors
as the books of library would have.
The articles upon theology must be
written by theologians, upon politics by
statesmen, upon science by scientists,
upon local matters by leading citizens
of the locality, in each case. They must
be tcritte1l for the cork, not clipped from
books and periodicals hundred years
old. The world has learned something
in the last century.
Upon chemical matters do not care
to read the opinions, statements or even
the facts of fifty years ago.
Special articles must not only be by
specialists, but by leading men in their
respective branches of learning. They
must, for love of learning or money or
both, be induced to contribute and 10 do
their best in their respective depart
ments. If they sign their names to
these productions, they will disgrace
their names, and ! shall then get the
| facts and also know who is responsible
for the statement. One man, or even a
half dozen, would be utterly unable to do
| this. The round of sciences must lie
treated by a circle of scientists, each
combining himself 10 the department to
which his life long study has been APP
piled.
In controversional matters there must
be fair play. These things must not be
left out, but treated in courteous and
scholarly way, by those who believe in
the different sides of each controversy
To obtain this work might cost hun
dreds of thousands to the publishers
who must have capital and nerve to car
ry through the enterprise. Fifty millions
of Americans demand such a work. Il
must be American in its origin, but uni
versal in the scope of its work.
If vast quantity of stuff that might
be cal He'd THE Lives of the Saints'' were
left out OF much condensed, matters con
corning the American of to-day couiC
be well treated in the same number o
woIds used by the leading cyolOpedia:
before the public ten years ago. B,
publishing the work in royal octav,
with narrow margins, by using some
what less grand-mOtherly type, "a bool
of reference does not nee'
the type of "first reader;''
whiteness-in short by strict econom
in the publishers work, the scholarship
required can be paid for; and the cy
clop2dia which want can be produces
at half the cost of those prominent be
fore the people up to 1874. Though il
cost will be half, its value will be dor
1 BILE.
Has such work been published
so, where is it? want it.
Yours in search of knowledge,
ENQUIRER.
Probably enquirer had better 81
q Professor Fowler of the Kansas Stat
Normal School, who writes the follow
= ing:
n Mr. c. r. Adams.
DEAR SIR: After such examinatio
and comparison as have been able I
make, have no hesitation in saying tn,
g Johnston's cyclyp9dia is an admirabl
+ production. Its contents are ample j
extent and variety for all purposes
general reference. An examination of
y partial list of the articles which appes
II over the writer's names show that vel
If large proportion of the contribution
- other than were statements Of fact, 81
the work of men eminently qualifie
by special study 10 give info
II nation which shall be exact an
Il reliable, and to select frol
!. all that might be said, tho
things that are of most importance ar
n likely to prove most useful. 1t Is 81
isfaction too, 10 most people, TO kno
on whose authority they are relyiE
when they go to encyclopedias Tor i
formation. The work also has Il
merit Of being freshly written; it is n
. revision of old articles that have g
Al behind the times The illustrations q
h excellent. the type clear, the paper Al
binding ali that could be desired.
r These excellencies taken in conHectit
ID with the fact that it costs only abe
t: half as much as either of its promine
q competitors, make it, ia my j1dgmel
q the cyclopedia to buy.
r GEORGE FOWLER,
t. Teacher in mathematics, State Norm
n School.