The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-30
HISTORY OF MONTANA.
The Much Discussed Contribution to Local
Literature.

We have examined since last issue the
History Of Montana, published by Warner,
Beers & Co., Chicago, and have examined 1t
with the more interest as it has been some
what vigorously championed and again da-
nounced by several papers of the Territory.
As an entirety we consider 1t an excellent
work-the basis, generally correct, of all
future histories of Montana.
The original proposition Of Mr.. Stewart,
who inauguratsd the work, was to publish a
book of 600 pages. The present work as com.
piled by Mr.. NJ. A. Lesson and published
by Warner, Beers & Co., contains 1867 pages.
The work is divided into Exploration and
occupation" 80 pages; Indian history, %
pages; Indian wars, etc., 60 pages; gold aud
silver mining, 50 pages vigiiantes and high.
way robberies, 81 pages; press and courts, %
pages; churches and schools, % pages; socie-
ties, 20 pages; rivers and railroads, 50 pages;
agriculture and stock raising, IS pages; sta
tisticsl review, 20 pages; history of the sew
eral counties, Ola pages; personal history and
"reminiscences, 378 pages.
There are some inaccuracies of date and
fact in the history and biographies, but not
more than would be expected to occur in a
work the data of which was collected by diff
ferent parties, and prepared for publication
by one who in many cases had not original
papers or memorandum to revise by. Alto
gether we consider it q very valuable work,
containing an immense amount of original,
historical and biographical matter of great
value, and put 1t in compact, systematic,
nnr L. a.
and rescuing vast amount of 1t from per-
ishable records or personal "reminiscences,
some Of which would now be unobtainable,
and much more of which Is year by year dy-
ing, as die the pioneers, or perishing with
scattered and lily preserved records. The
political history of the counties, running
back in such instances as they could be OBJ
tanned, to their organization, is not the least
valuable feature, and alone required weeks
of work.
There has been some joking about the por-
traits. As a class they are fair to good litho-
graphs-some that are very poor; others that
are almost as good as photographs pictures
in which the artist has done good work and
caught the expression. Among full-page
illustrations of this character we note of per-
sons we KNOWN. Egbert Smith, r. Z. Fisk,
james Fergus, Martin Maginnis, William
Chumasero, d. w. Buck, John Noyes, ".
W. de Lacy, R. C. Knox, K. G. Walker. w.
A. Clark, L. NJ. Black, Samuel Word, j. P.
Woolman, and John Shober. Among the
bad ones, we notice d. III. Cuthbert, of
Helena. The artist must have copied from
the wrong photo"
In the criticisms of the work we have no.
ticed most of adverse comment seems based
on review of the illustrations, which are
denominated "wood cuts" while there Is not
wood cut or electrotype engraving in the
book. The farm and building sketches are
some fair and many very abominable. But
If the persons who ordered them are willing
to pay for them, as they probably did, other
su bscribers to the work need not growl.
These sketches are put in just as ADVERTISE
ments are put in newspaper. The sub
scribers get the paper with so much reading
matter In 1t, which is what he pays for; the
advertiser pays so much to have his business
mentioned. He wishes 1t and the publisher
perhaps thereby makes the margin over ex-
penses. If one don't like an "ad" in paper
they needn't read 1t, or can tear 1t out; If
they do not like the pictures in the book,
they can do the same. Aside from all illus
trations and biographies there Is more his
torical matter In the book than was original
~ promised. And, beside, we admire the
pioneer who will "put up" to have even a
passable illustration of his early home, with
perhaps the newer and better one in con-
trast, and we wish that difidence, or per..
haps financial stringency, had not prevented
many more Of our people, not only the men,
but the women of Montana, from having
their portraits in this work. 1t may not be
Of SO great interest to-day, but It will be in
time to come.
Another matter criticised IL the biographi-
cal sketches. There is no other part of the
volume more valuable. The biography Of
every Montanian Is of interest to every other
Montanian, and the man who Is not ashamed
Of his record, need feel no shame that 1t be-
comes part Of the history of Montana. 1t
10 men and women that make State, give
to its institutions, and impetus to
ts progress. Their lives are Of value to his
'ory, and the only regret should be in the
omission Of persons who should have had
mention and the occasional inaccuracies that
occur. A perfect work was not to be ex-
oected; IL Is better than we had anticipated;
Ind especially Is credit due to Warner, Beers
b Co., who took hold of the work after re- |
,eated failures, allowed every dollar col |
ected by defaulting predecessors, and pub. |
ished the work a. IL Is now offered to sub |
cribers in Montana.