The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
The Passion for Pedigrees.

For many years past many people In this
republic have taken an earnest and even
intense interest in searches after their
genealogies. This desire for pedigrees Is
due to ambition for social distinction, pride
Of family. or the hope of getting some basis
of fact on which to found such pride, and
are estates of fabulous value In Europe,
more particularly in England, which are
obtainable by the establishment of such
genealogical claims upon them by lost
American heirs. This last incentive was
more frequent formerly than 1t Is now,
there having been at one time shrewd fell
lows, both here and in England, who de-
voted themselves to stimulating it in sim
pie minds.
At present the motive is almost wholly
an ambition for distinction from the herd
of humanity in a democratic republic. 1t
is so far p~ervasive hat among the books
most sought after in the great Libraries
are those relating to genealogy and her
aldry, largely by professional ~Renealogists
employed by people eager to construct arls-
tocratic pedigrees for themselves, and to
establish some sort Of semblance to q title
to coats Of arms and c~rests, with which to
decorate and distinguish their letter pa
per, their silver, and their carriages.
Genealogical societies and clubs are also
numerous, and there are many current pub
locations on the subject. "
1t Is a harmless passion, and may hold
possession of men and women through
out a long life, %affording much innocent
diversion for their friends. The obstacles
to the construction of a thoroughly COM
plete and satisfactory pedigree in all its
links are usually insurmountable, but they
serve only to stimulate further the eager.
ness of the quest. The difficulty of es-
tablishlng a connecting link strong enough
and long enough to go across the ocean to
the Old World is the prime cause of
trouble which whets the zeal of the
genealogical searcher. American genealo-
giles going back to the earliest colonial
period of this country are frequent, but
the authentic instances where the link
stands the %corrosion of the salt water and
can be attached to a verltable pedigree of
aristocratic distinction on the other side
are comparatively few.
Obviously the great mass of the immi.
grants coming to this country at all periods
have not been of aristocratic lineage, and
the wealth which has given distinction to
most American families has been accumu-
lated almost wholly by the descendants of
hardy stock, In which there was no trace of
blue blood. Their inheritance was rather of
industry. peasant-like acquisitiveness, and
the humble virtues of economy and thrift.
That is the stock which has builded up our
American prosperity; 1t began poor and
through its own energy and prudence rose
to wealth. At present, more especially,
the great fortunes of this country are pos.
sessed almost exclusively by such families,
most OF the estates regarded as great q CEN
fury ago having been dissipated mean
while, or now being only moderate or very
small as compared with the magnitude of
these later accumulations. For instance, a
list of the very rich men of New York one
hundred years ago would include no one of
the families now most conspicuous for
wealth here. Most of the names now asso.
ciated with vast fortunes were even un-
known socially fifty years ago, and families
then living In social state have passed
away into relative ~obscurlty.
Undersuch circumstances, of course, there
is not a promising field for pursuing gene
illogical Investigations with results graft,
flying to the vanity of the. searcher. The
further the pedigree Is carried back, often
times, the humber is likely to be the end
at which 1t fetches up hence the greater is
the incentive to fraud in the professional
genealogical agents employed to discover a
brilliant origin,
The prize Of family and of inhsritAass