Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-10-10
ImP0RTANCB
or the American supplements 10 the
EmcIYclnninlIiN rlriIamnicn.

or the American supplements 10 the
Encyclopedias britannica.
From the American BOOKSELLER, June LIST, 1889.
The ninth edition OF the EncyolOL gdid
britannica has Just been completed, ia
years after the date of the preface Of its
first volume, January LIST, 1875. It's "a
volumes contain marvellous oondenss-
tion OF the world'a knowledge in all de-
psrtments. Its principal articles are ex-
hpustive trea'ises on their respective
subjects. So fer ss science, philosophy,
art and general history ARE concerned,
the E1lcyc!0pG3iG britannica is, beyond
question, the most complete and valua-
BILE work Of its kind in any language. 1t
ia not surprising, therefore, that this
work has obtained wide recognition in
the United States. Tbs publishers of the
Edinburgh edition hGve openly stated
that four. dtths of their subsoribers are
Americans, yet ont OF the hundreds
OF writers who have contributed
to the treaRnre- house of the Encg.
clopgiiG britannica, less than 80
have been Americans and most Of
these have written but aingle article
It il not surprising, therefore, that the
statements of American history aud
biogra[ by, the accounts of the natural
history, resources, material, social, and
| intellectual development OF this giant
| Republic OF the New World should be,
| in most caBes, utterly inadequate. The
whole work required careful atudy by
| American EcholaTs and mon Of pflA,rS, for
| the purpose of detecting such omissions
Rs no British editor could appreciate,
and Of Supplying auoh additional articles
| as would tit the work for the actual
everyday needs of intelligent Americans
of every alass.
The editors OF tho .1mei lean Supple
meat have directed their attention chiefly
to matters Of vital interest to American
readers. They have carefully avoided
any repetition Of what is compriged in
the original work, but have sought ia
present what is essential to adapt the
work 10 this country.
In another respect, OF special import.
snce 20 all readers, the RrttlRpicG wlt
felt to need careful enlargement. Thai
work has faithfully adhered to the
singular rule that no biographies should
be inserted of men, who happen 10 be
living when the volume is prepared
Hence the great wo-k now completed het
not merely passed by great men still liv
ing, but has failed to notice, except ii
tho most incidental way, Generals Gran
and Sheridan, Presidents Garfield spi
Arthur, Garioaidi, Gamhetts, Gortschskof
and Lord Beaconsfela. II is silen
about Bismarck and Gladstone, BlainI
and PRrnell. The editors OF the Sup
plement," pursuing q different method
and anticipating the popular demand fol
knowledge of all these generals, states
mon, scientists, poets, and historians
have suppied interesting articles full @
accurate information in regard to thei
liveS and achievements. In nstura
science, the BiitanBicG seems often 4
attempt to anticipate the future, but il
literature and biography it confines itsel
strictly to the pAst. The "Supplement,
by careful statement of facts in theae de
partments, goes for toward giving a life
like picture OF the social, political
scientific, sud literary world OF to-day
The Britannica by its name and cha.ac
ter belongs essentially to tho Old World
the supplement" treata fully OF tn
New in addition to the Old. Togethe
they exhibit in its entirety the Who'll
sphere OF human activity, and constitut
an intellectual Cosmos.