The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-04-21

To THE EDITOR OF THE DEMQcRGr:-

To THE EDITOR OF THE DEMocRAr:-
The old fossil of the REGISTER, J.. P.
Charles, has chosen to make himself the
mouth-piece of the few CHECKERS" among
the seven or eight hundred subscribers
to the History of Preble County. This,
of course, he has a right to do, and we
are rather glad than otherwise that he
has made his article in the Register"
so plainly illnatured and malicious. At
ter fairly stating the difficulties to be en-
countered IN the preparation of such a
work as We have been engaged upon for
the past year, and furnishing an explain
alton of the alleged shortcomings Of the
book, he proceeds through a column and
a half Of the most scurrillous denuncia-
ton Of the work and its publishers
which, he is kind enough to tell us, he
does in the performance Of a duty, be-
ing, as he styles himsef-(Heaven a v
the mark y a Journalist"
Now, what is the burden OF this old
nineompoop's complaint? Let us see:
ave regret to have to say that it is no
approach to the book promised and is in
no just sense a history AT All. 1t is but
half the size promised" We have oc-
cas;onally met with an individual who
estimated the value of a book by its size,
but we did not expect this from an alleg-
ed journalist" But Mr.. Charles falsi-
fies when he says the book is but little
more than half the size promised. The
prospectus which We issued on commence
ing our work here and which was put in
to the hands Of many in the county, who
subsequently became subscribers, states
that 'tTHR BOOK Will PROBABLY CONTAIN
-FOUR OR FIVE HUNDRED PAGES, ALTHOUGH
WE CAN NOT NOW DETERMINE THE
NUMBER" The Preble work contains
four hundred and forty-three pages. But
the Ching" he says, is full of errors and
is cIammed with trihing matters. He
tells US he is a native of Dixon and is
competent TO point out the errors in the
narrative of that township, which he pro-
ceeds to do. The writer of that history
states that the northern and eastern por-
lions are hilly, while it would have been
more correct to have said southern and
keastern. This is such a terrible mistake
that the torch should be applied to the
| whole edition at once. But the O. +. is
utterly crushed on reading the descrip-
ton of Fourmile creek, which is said to
be q small stream. Hear him.
awe, who IN the haleyon days angled
in it for minnows, sun-fsh, sinners and
red-horse aud dove, swan and layed GU
stalwart limbs in its pelfucid waters, do
not like to hear its deep holes and rush
ing current so belittled by a historical
tyro's facite PEN"
Shades of Oliver Goldsmith Would
any one have suspected that the writer
of that paragraphs had rel been blessed
with halcyen days? As to the date of
the establishment of the post-offices of
Beechy Mire and Stony Point, and the
names of their postmasters, the informal
ton was obtained from the post office de-
partmenE at Washington, whose author
ity is probably as reliable as that of our
courteous critic But we do not care to
reply further to the diatribe of this old
dotard. Divested of It's biIlingsgate and
scurriility there is nothing in his so-call-
criticism deserving Of notice. That there
| are errors In the work we are quite will
ing TO admit No work of the kind a
be produced that will be free from them.
The writer of the Dixon history, as OF
other townships, collected his facts per
tanning to general matters from the old
est residents of the township, and not
withstanding the carping CRITICISM OF
this so-called journalist, We venture to
say it will be found to be substantially
correct. We have no doubt that he
searched it from beginning to end and
mentioned all the errors, however tri-
nlng, ne could INC, ana wnat Is tne re
suit! IN nearly We've pages 1l Print,
comprising over ioooo WORDS .nere are
are OF any serious importance, as any
lnteingent reader knows aItnougn MI
Charles may not Know II. ne see noun
ing IN me pook TO m II Is tnor.
ougniy pau, Sne wr.oers are P Thesa