The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-01-10
AppIeton's CyclopedIa Of American BIog-
raphy.

Says the New York Examiner, after a
critical reading of the five volumes now
out sixth in press and to be issued soOn):
The Cyclnpedia is one of the most use
full books of reference that the enter
prise of American publishers has ever
projected. IT is unique, 1t will be long
ere 1t has a rival. For politicians. jour
nalists, writers for the press, and read
ers who wish inteligently to follow cur
rent events it will he indispensable
There is nobody who will not find ii
frequently useful, and hundreds of
workers must consult it every day.
Much of the information that it contains
now appears in print for the first time:
and for the rest, we have here gwen in
compact form, at moments notice,
what must otherwise be sought. at con-
siderable expense of time and labor tire NJ
widely scattered sources.
The editors deserve thanks, in the
first place. for the pains they have taken
to make the work as representative AZ
possible. No narrow theories have mar
red the usefulness Of the Cyclopedia.
Excellent Judgment has been shown in
the appointment of space, and The wants
of all classes of readers are met. In no
other reference can so full and
trustworthy critical biographies be-
found of American men of letters, and
of public men still living. The longes'
articles in the book are those on Grant
Uhirty-twO eOlumns) and Lincoln TWEEN.
ty-hve columns. But Franklin has
fourteen columns, Emerson eleven, and
Hawthorne ten; Garfield has three col
umns less than Greeley, and Hamilton
but one more than Irving.
Politics, therefore, has no tx lusiye
recognition, and does not C ovid out
what will be more serviceable to many
who consult the work. Iu no Other
reference-book can one find so many
brief biographies Of eminent preachers,
theol )gians. educators. philanthropists
artists-the living no less than the dead
as are found here. To wire Of men
still living is a delicate task, that is
eschewed as a rule by Makers of cyclic
pedias, and therefore the very informa-
ton that one wishes mot isexac ly iEai
which one generally seeks in vain in
such books. We highly commend the
plan Of including 1 this work the men
of whom one reads in daily newspapers.
but about whom most books of reference
are silent.
Much labor and time have been ex-
pended in the effort to secure fullness
and accuracy in the notice of compare
lively obscure men. Here. again, the
work supplies lack that many have
had occasion to lament In other refer
ence books. The great names will b.
found in any cyclodedia; 1t il the swarm
of little great men that are passed over.
But knowledge of such men is like the
Texas mans need of pisol-"You
mout go a year." he said, "withour
needing one but when you did need it.
you'd need il mighty bad When a
busy writer wants fact he wants il
mighty bad" and is proportinately
to the book that supplies il with
minimum expenditure OF time.
Another element in the va'ue of these
volumes is the quality Of the Wi ers
who have been selected for the work
The editors have had the assistance of a
staff Of workers for the prep
arat'on OF the bulk OF tRe notices; but
these have been supplemented, in the
case OF the more famous men by the
choice Of some outside writer who NAV
fairly be called an expert. Thus. to take
the chief literary ar iclps, Emerson was
assigned to Mr.. @. P. Lathrop. Haw-
thoTns U Mr. George William Curtis,
Greeley, TO Mr., Whitslaw R.Id. and Irv
ing to Ar. Donald q. Mitch, n. The ar
ticle on Lincoln was written by Colonel
Hay, that on Garrison by Oliver JDhi i
500, that on Garfield by the Hon. WIN.
Walter Phelps. that on G ant by General
Horace Porter. and 80 on. Though the
articles are not signed, a LIST of the au-
.hors OF the more important biographi-
,al sketches is prehSed 70 each volume,
70 that in most cases where such infor-
nation is desired II will be forth-com-
ng,
The style Of the book is much like that
)f the American gyclupedis, issued by
The same publishers, except that the
page Is tri6s larger, and the type has
4 lighter face. The portraits that Illus
rate the articles are far from being the |
generally found in such |
works. Each volume contains ten steel
sngravings OF the hest kind. and wood |
cuts are profustly scattered through the |
Iext. These are taken from the most
suthentic sources. and are carefully ex.
scuted, Those OF people with whom we
lappsn to be personal ly acquainted are
excellent lkenRsses, and that warrants
conclusion as to The general accuracy |
If the rest.
A set OF these may be seen az this
office where subscriptions will be re.
,eived.