The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-24
PROFESSIONAL GEyEALOGIsT.
The Unique Occupation Which One WON
an Has Found

The modern woman docs not. as a gen
eral thing. consider that she can Obtain
many ideas I'm regard 10 her business lite
by looking back upon the records OF her
ancestors But there Is one woman who
has taken up an altogether delightful bus
mess which she Is doing In a delightful
way, and it is directly due 10 an incentive
given by her great-grandmother.
Miss Louise Tracy. OF New Haven, is a
professional genealogist She spends
hours among musty old tones in the big
Libraries of different cities. Births, mar
riages, and deaths, as she brii IS them 10
light i'm old church records, furnish her
with unimpeachable clues; land and pro-
bate records are rich in important data,
and even In old graVeyards are to be
found lost branches Of ancient family
trees.
And the result is such complete chains
Of Relationship running back into the mid
die ages and even before, mat 1t the old
kings and conquerors of those days
should choose TO visit these modern
shores. even in their spirit forms, they
would find the whole families ready to
receive them with open arms
Miss Tracy's own ancestors were
among the most noted Of the sturdy New
England pioneers, many of whom traced
their ancestry back to royal blood.
But ! must mention among my ances-
tors George Pardee," says Miss Tracy,
i'm telling her story. "IIc was a brave
Uuguenot lad, one of the early emigrants
to the New Haven colony. IT was
through the line OF ancestry that / trace
tn him that 1 came to take up genealogy
as profession
His Observation-Disclosures, my great
grandmother, Lucy Pardee, named my
mother her first granddaughter, tor her
self. aud brought her up In the old home
built i'm 1850. She possessed much OF the
skill of the raconteur and the tales she
told my mother Of revolutionary and col
ouial days were repeated TO me IN my
childhood.
THE stories Of New England nfe, so
different from that of our home then In
Carolina. made a deep impression upon
me. and later ! began to weave great
Grandmother and her tales into a story
which grew, bit by bit, into :uii-sized
book
81 had looked up the data necessary
for joining one of the revolutionary socl-
cites for several cousins and friends, as
well AS for myself while 1 was at work
ON my book. When it was all compiet-
Cd I felt that. like Othelo, my occupa-
tiOn was gone.
Chen. as my health had broken down
I'm teaching. / turned my attention TO my
settler ancestors. going back into France
and England with different lines, collect
ing the various coats of arms, bits Of
history. etc. relating to them, and ar
ranged them in books for my own pleas
ure. Then one cousin after another want
ed a similar book, each bringing IN an
rprent lines. When, after "A while l
showed my work to my experienced gene
alogists. they were amazed at the result
of a few months work.
The work requires strong eyeslsHl'
a good memory, and clear brain; a
quick perception and patience 10 follow
M A slight clue. II is hard WORK /
frequently take notes at library Iof
nine. ten. sometimes eleven hours VIII
out stopping. but to me it Is very iasci-
mating. nan,
"Nlv success has been. think pheIoi'-
email hut | am told have many OF ''e
REQUISITES OF a successful genealoslst An
artist friend assiste me by drawing Goa
OF arms. old houses. etc-Wheh theS ar
desired with the genealogies Ana 50,
YOU see how the school marin OF leSs
taan a year ago has been transformer transit, It
INTO the professional genealoslS~
New York Times.