Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-12-17
A GREAT BOOKS HISTORY.
Some Timely References to the Webs
ter Lexicon OF To-day by a
HeaIth-Seeker.
TO the Editor Of the Optic.

feeling, imagination, labor, scholar
ship, knowledge. A great book is the
greatest achievement of which q human
being is capable.
Now, 1t will surprise the reader to
know that the book which inspired the
extraordinary tribute quoted above is,
neither more nor less than volume
which we are apt to conceive OF as life
less and dry, rather than a vital organ
ism, for this tribute was paid to a dc
~tionary, the Webster "International,"
brought out several years since by the
&. & G. Merriam company, OF Spring
field, Massachusetts,. Yet, to the
preparation of this volume, nearly or
quite a full century Of time has been
necessary. All the vital forces en-
umerated above have contributed to
its creation. 1t has had 3 steady, ex-
traordinary growth, and Is 80 fruitful
an illustration, in its history, OF what
the higher intellectual and moral traits
of American life may produce, that we
are moved to give our readers an out
line Of its development 10 some detail.
Noah Webster, the "schoolmaster Of
the republic" wesa typical scholar
patient, accurate, painstaking. Away
back, in the beginning OF the century,
he conceived the idea of a new dlc-
tionary of the English language, and
year after year when there was "no
money in 1t" whatever, he patiently
worked at the Herculean task OF
preparing, with his W hands, the
ne " lexicon which the rapid develop
ment Of modern thought, and
we may say, modern life,
80 urgently demanded. Slice
his day, of course, thousands OF new
words have been added to the book and
in particular the science OF etymoiogy,
of the history of words-has made
great progress. But Webster laid, in
one respect, very enduring foundation.
He was a born defner. He discrimi-
mated closely, and wrote accurately
in this particular, his talent was so
great it rose to the rank OF genius.
The most consummate master of the
English language in America during
this nineteenth century has been
Ralph Waldo Emerson; and this
"klng'' among literary men, many
years since, paid a particular tribute
% this "klng'' among books. by as
crlbing to 1t the highest rank. on &C.
count of its exceptional quality, in this
matter OF precise definition. So much
for the original volume brought out by
Webster himself, away back in the year
1928.
But as time went on, another ele-
ment Of vital force was needed that the
development of the book, so to speak,
might keep abreast OF the higher science
and enlarging intellectual life Of the
modern world. As time went on, the
book needed a "new BIRTH" a re.
creation, as truly as a man or woman
needs a new birth in the course OF that
development, which is the law OF
human progress. And 1t was precisely
at this point that the activity, push,
enterprise Of the publisher-the business
man,-was needed. The men for the
work were forthcoming in the persons
of George and Charles Merriam land
later Homer Merriam) who bought the
copyright Of the Webster family, in
1843, published a new edition of the
book in 1847; vigorously brought its
merits before the American public they
we're veritable pioneers in the modern
art OF careful and generous advertise
ing7, and as fast as they made
money by the sale Of the
book, they poured it back again
into the preparation of a new edition,
the "Unabridged". which they brought
out in the year 1864. In the prepara-
ton of this volume, literally the best
scholarship OF the country was employ
ed in the persons of such men as
William D. Whitney, of Yale college;
Daniel G. Gilman, o president of
Johns Hopkins university Noah Porter,
later president Of Yale, and in the
department Of etymology the eminent
DR.. G. A. F. Main, OF Berlin, Prussia.
It was a noteworthy enterprise and .
noteworthy success. The new book
instantly took the highest rank In this
country aud later in England judged
both by its very large sales and by the
enormous volume Of spontaneous trib-
utes to its worth from leading lawyers,
judges, educators, scientists and men
of literary emlnence.
But the development Of the work,
Notwithstanding the completeness and
temporary adequacy Of this edition,
went steadily forward. Various tables
were added supplementing the main
body of the work and new, editions
were brought out In the years 1879 and
1884. Then began in good earnest the
preparation of the great "Interna.
tional". To describe in detail the
immense amount OF labor spent In
%renovating and re-casting the former
editions OF this last m~asterpiece, would
require quite a volume. The best
available scholarship Of such institu.
tions as Yale and Harvard universities /;
OF such men Of science as Prof. Edward
S. Dana, Hubert A. Newton and,
William P. Trowbridge; Of such
lawyers as Francis Wharton; Of such
musicians az John S. Dwight; OF such
accomplished men of letters as Prof.
Henry A. Beers ;of such philologists as
Prof. August Flick, of the University Of
Gottingen, vas employed in bringing
this edition to its present perfection.
OF especial features incorporated 10
this volume, we have only space to
mention that miracle Of condensed re-
search the biographical dictionary of
noted persons, and the history OF the
English language originally prepared