Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-03-04

10 Il y !. =
range OF iiioim atiou. Tue 70 acs Sag
gested for consideration are of sort
with which our readers are familiar,
but some of the competitors will no
doubt be surprised-and perhaps dis
concerted as well-to find how care
lessly they pigeonhole their knowledge.
One knows, vaguely, SO many things,
and grasps firmly SO few, that even the
newest novel or latest play leaves but
crowded impression. The great desi-
deratum, after all, is, as said long ago,
Ito know where to look for knowledge"
and the purpose Of reference books is
to facilitate that search and educate the
searching instintt. Horace Walpole
coined the word 'serendipity" Ia clum-
sy creation which never made for it.
self a place in.the English languagel to
describe the sixth sence which en-
ables some men to turn instantly to the
right book and the right page. 1t was
said of the learned Person that he
smelt out station as hound scents
game" and in our own time, DR.. Gar
nett the present keeper OF the printed
books in the British museum, is credit
ed with the power to refer with hrlf-
an hours notice to anything that any
man ever knew. The million and a
half of books at his elbow would be-
wilder men of less encyclopedia mode,
but some measure of adroitness may be
acquired by even the most casual
reader. and the searching of good
books of reference is, in this connec-
ton, an admirable exercise of the in
telligence.
Fifteen of the one hundred and fifty
questions are so constructed that they
can only be answered by reference to
the Century dictionary and encyclopedias:
they demand explicitly its invocation
as an authority, and it is the avowed
intention Of the publisher that the
prizes shall be won by those who use
the work. But the remaining one
hundred and thirty FIVE questions $50
per cent of the whole are such that
they could be met by examination of
other books, at the cost OF greater eff
fort. The publishers are curious to
learn just how many other works
would be needed for the purpose, or in
other words, how many other works CT
reference the Century dictionary and
| cyclopedia replaces. A disciplined
student can, no doubt; in the course of
a days search at the Aston library, ar
rive at all the Information upon any
one given subject which is afforded
under any one heading in the Century
dictionary and cyclopedia; and he
would use only a few OF the 260. 0OC
volumes in that connection. But how
few? In order to approach solution
of this question the Centusy company
invites efforty to answer not less thai,
one hundred and thirty five of tn,
questions from any ten published WORKS
or reference, other than the Centur,
dictionary and cyclopedia, and offers d
supplemtry prize of further $500 to
the competitor who laying aside the
Century dictionary and cyclopedia) sue
ceeds, and succeeds most singaliy, in
this undertaking. And these one hun.
dred and thirty-five questions can un-
questionably be answered by turning
up dictionaries and encyclopedias and
other hand-books. There is note
| of good natured defiance in this offer
and, armed with good Britannica, and
the Unabridged, friend OF our school.
days, and eight more works as portly
as they grew--to back up these two
one ought to make bold attack This
auxiliary competition appeals especial.
ly 10 men who are in the habit OF max.
ing small memoranda from large hooks
while the primary project appeals to
everyone who has Century dictionory
and cyclopedia and uses itintelligently,
The experiment may and may not re.
suit in the institution Of competitive
examination upon other bases, but il
will at any rate furnish more rational
diversion than is to be found in 'sspell-
| ing-bees" and twenty questions. =
First Pub. Feb. II, 1897
SuMmons.
State Of Soute Dakota,