The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-14

bee, however. buzzes most industriously
when most likely to be baffled, and citizens
of the very States whose local history IS
hardest to get at are occasionally the most
aSSiduous Searchers.
Quest for fortunes that have been iliegti-
mately diverted, for a noble eScutcheon or
crest for family equipage and household
equipment sometimes spurs the genealogical
searcher to redoubled zeal in the surmOunt-
ing of difficulties, but there is proof that
many of the unpretentiouS book-wOrms who
spend morning after morning in the Libraries
searching into the dim and ofttimes not par
ticularly illustrious past, are prompted by
motives the reverse of vain or frivolous, and
free from any remoteSt idea of tangible
gain. These students have a pardonable
curisity and interest in knowing what man
ner of stock they sprang from, and take a
particular pleasure in ferreting out the
tastes, abilities. tendencies appearance and
opportunities of their dead and gone pro-
genitors, to discover the source of an ANAL
gamation that made them what they are. be .
IT. good. bad or Indifferent, The zest is alto
gether human and entirely apart from the
feeling with which "A scientist approaches
the subject, or the student of human nature
In the abstract. The egotist and the altruist
alike find certain allurement in searching
out their ancestry and whether there is
much or little to be proud of when the rec
ord is at last laid bare, IL possesses the
charm of analogy. The ill-favored as well
as the handsome man fells certain interest
in seeing his likeness. and even deformed
occasionally.
THE MORAL EFFECT
This craze for genealogy is good thing.
on the whole, very good thing" said an
elderly critic one day last week as he
glanced at the students taking notes from
the genealogical records. IF the family
records reveal anything to be proud of the
descendants will unconsciously elevate their
standard of living, whether mentally, NOR
ally or physically and if the investigation
ends in mere mediocrity or oblivion 1t will
tend to quench undue vanity and conceit.
In fact, my observation has been that those
men most interested in their origin are
most just or exact in their estimation OF
themselves. They love the pursuit of
cestor hunting, not for what 1t Will yield.
but merely because 1t interests them, pretty
much as huntsman pursues his game. ua-
flaggingly, for hours, and then may be
throws it away when at last in his possess
sion. Nobody can be a successful genealo-
gist who has not an active imagination to
help conjure images out of the dead past,
and supply the gaps in the sources or evil
dence. The genealogist. must be able to
frame hypothesis from conjectures, cast
about in one way or another for motives OF
action, and put himself as much as possible
in the place of the progenltor he wishes TO
resuscitate, taking in :, consideration the
fP e a ne yea ln t dc If "a Wery ter
esting study, particularly when inspired by
love of kindred and a natural talent for in
VeStigation. STA 2l hr
''At present l know of a bit of genealogical
patchwork being set together in this library
which, when the gaps and interstices are
filled in or bridged over, may result In
swapping of fortunes across the Atlantic.
The eldest son of the head of a north OF
Ireland flax-spinning and manufacturing
establishment was, as boy of nineteen in-
plcated in the rebellion of 50. and only
saved his life by fleeing to America. Power
after the troublous times were over, and
the property reverted to the younger
branch. Now the descendants Of that elder
son, four generations removed, are en-
deaVoring to trace the refugees movements
and verify their claim to the family estates,
valued at something like million pounds
sterling. One grave stallng place in the line
of inquiry hinges on the given name OF the
adventurous youngster who dehed his ram
lily adherence and paid the penalty for his
rashness by landing penniless inrPhiladel-
phia one hundred years ago. Another
stumbling block is the inability TO trace d
certain other refugee, who accompanied the
mill owners son, the descendants OF whom
could corrobcrate the story The woman
descendant who is now hunting up the fam
and New Jersey history for missing evil
dence, allows neither adverse fact nor
theory TO daunt her enthusiasm. She has
thought out for herself her progenitor
character, and conjured a mental picture OF
him as real as though she had known him
in the life. She even assumes the probable
fate of the family of that companion refu-
gee, merging ii, by marriage, into that OF
her own ancestry Working on this cen
jectured theory, she has arrived at clews
that promise to lead eventually to success,
clews that would never have been dreamed
The line Of descent may never be traced
clearly enough to give her possession OF the
fortune she declares, but, at any rate, she
will fathom the origin and destination or
the pots of gold so much dwelt on In ncr
family tradition. This is an interesting
case because of it's just falling short OF the
actual proof, and 1t is only one of the many
that have come under my observation where
imaginat ton and enthusiasm have almost
lifted the veil from obscurity.
There are more than 10000 volumes bear
ing on genealogical topics concentrated To-
gether at the Lenox library now, and, IS
fast as individual family histories are COM
piled and printed, in whatever part OF TIE
country, the library secures them either Oh.
rect from the author or from the pubhsher.
Nearly every historical and patriotic society
Of note publishes from time to time records
of it's members and their ancestors achieve
ments and associations. The various historic
associations, formed mainly with view 70
preserving historical data in readable form,
turn in certain quota of valuable local IN
formation containing references 10 lndlVlu-
uals From all these sources the geneaiog1-
cal Libraries are being constantly augment-
ed and enriched. The labors of the profess
sional as we'll as the amateur lineage hunt
ers are thus rendered more certain OF sue
cess and easier of execution.