The Portland daily press., 1884-04-22
New Publications.
THE PEOPLES CYCLoPEDIA.

THE PEOPLES CYCLOPEDIA.
OF the making of cyclopedias it may well be
said there is no end. There are many of them.
some general and comprehensive, some special
and minute, and those which have
been long known and we'll regarded
require to be revised every few years
to keep pace with the rapid develop
ment of knowledge. The most of these CYCLIC
pedias are so voluminous that persons who
fully appreciate the value of such work in
the office or the household feel unable to afford
themselves 50 much libEaEy I0FgS5ygc ruiTT iThs a
meet the wants of the people who do not need
or cannot afford the more extensive and cost
ler works. From the da ate of it's first publioa-
tion it has had marked degree of favor and as
convenient reference book, adequate in all
respects to the common wants of the family
the business man and the literary work it has
proved highly satisfactory. Those who have
used it most best appreciate its yaloe and
many VINO have more than one cyclopedia at
hand habitually consult this one first. and
seldom have need to look farther
new edition bearing date the present wear
and revised to include the new knowledge
which has been obtained in all departments
since the publication of the former edition. ia
now offered to the public. The former edition
was in two volumes, the new edition is in
three volumes. While there is little difference
In The aggregate number of pages, the volumes
are more convenient for use. This work, as one
intended for popular use should be, is compre-
hensive in character. When it is considered
that for all general purposes it is sufficient
SUBSTITUTE Tor history of the world, COM
plete gazetteer and atlas, that it contains all
that most people will care to make inquiry
about concerning law, medicine, botapv
architecture, biography, geography, physiology,
the arts, mineralogy, natural history, COM
merce, agriculture, mechanics, travel science
theology and the Bible, the scope of its con-
tents Is evident, and it is apparent also that
the possession of it makes the possession of
many other books which one ia tempted to
purchase unnecessary.
In short it is what it purports to be-a
cyclopedia of universal knowledge, upon the
preparation OF which many eminent scholars
have been employed under the general direc-
tioH of W. II. Depuy, we'll known for MANY
years as the editor of the Christian Advocate
and the author of the valuable "Com mpendium
OF Popular Information" 1t is said that over
four hundred persons have been engaged in
the preparation of the work. Over $4,000
topics are treated of in the body of the work:
and many thousand more in the appendix
There are more than 5000 illustrations and
nity-tWo large double page maps which have
Deen corrected to conf0rm to the latest dis
coveries: In type, paper, engravings, maps
and binding 1t is neat, beautiful and substan-
tai, SO that whether We regard its plan, its
literary merit on its mechanical part it ia
equally worthy of favor
A particularly valuable feature of this work
is the appendix, wherein is conveniently and
compactly stored an amount and VARIETY of in
formation which we do not know were to find
elsewhere within the same compass There ia
hrst biographical classification of the dis
tingulshed men and women of all nations and
times, 90 double column pages with but one
line allotted to each name; yet there is given
IN this brief compass the full name, its pronun-
citation, the nationality, the special distinction
and the date of birth and of death of the SUBJ
1ect This is followed by dictionary of
Literary Pseudonyms; a list of the chemical
elements, their symbols and equivalents (old
and new); a description of the origin of
familiar words and phrases rules of English
orthography and punctuation; the reigning
dynastics and royal families of the world;
statistics of the republics of history: the
standing armies, the ruined cities, the art
galleries, the monetary statistics of the world:
a large amount of educational statistics list
OF inventions; chronological out line
OF historical events; the remark trials, the
important treaties; population of the wor Ids
great cities; the religious summary of all na-
tions; tables of weight and measures; an extend
ed summary of the last census of the United
States and great many other matters regard
ing which intelligent people are constantly
seeking information. We qnite agree with
the judgment of the State Superintendent of
Schools, N. A. Luce, that for the people it is
the most convenient and usable of all eyclo-
pedias before the public"