The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-03
BOOKS BY INDIANIANS.
Mr.. w. II. Smiths History of the state
Knxw

ans VINO nave turned their attention 10 1T
erature 1t Is rather remarkable that so few
have taken up historical work. Their own
State has offered an inviting field for such
research in its store of picturesque incl
dent. its stirring politics, its part in three
wars. and its wonderful development, but.
sngularly enough. less than half a dozen
writer's have given serious attention to In
diana history. For many years Mr.. John
B. Dlllons work was the only authority on
the subject, but his history though valu-
able within its limitations. related only to
the earlier period of the States life. Mr.
Jacob h Dunns book. also work of much
value and the outcome of laborious and
careful research. covers only that period
ending with William Henry Harrisons adj
ministration. That part of the late William
Fl. English's work which was completed at
his death includes a vast amount of sta
tistical and biographical information, but
is not brought down to the present time.
What has long been needed is a history of
Indiana, convenient in form and covering
the entire field from territorial times until
nova ready reference book. This want
Mr.. William H. Smith, the well-known
newspaper writer and correspondent has
undertaken to fill. Mr.. Smith is a native
of Indiana, has spent nearly all his life
within its borders, and in his capacity as
correspondent has been closely identified
with public affairs in the State for forty
years. In his journalistic work he says he
forcibly impressed by the great lack
of information found almost everywhere in
regard to the great resources of wealth
contained in the State. II found also" he
adds in his introduction, that as people
we seemingly took little pride in the great
achievements in science, literature and art
of some of our citizens. / could find hun
dreds of people who could tell me much
of Morton, of Hendr cks, of voorhees,, but
Benjamin Parke; many who knew some
thing of Eads, of Admiral Collins and of
John Clark Ridpath. but they either did not
know that these men were sons of Indiana
or had not stopped to measure the honor
and dignity they have conferred upon the
State. OF Wallace and Riley they knew,
but did not realize that one stands at the
head of the fiction writers of the century
and that the other is a poet more generally
read and appreciated by the common peo-
pie than any writer Of verse yet produced
by America
II found, too" he continues, that but
few believed that Indiana had history
worth writing about. 1t is a sort of creed
with the public that great politicians,
statesmen or soldiers are the sole source of
state pride A state that has produced
Morton. a Hendricks a Harrison, a Whit
comb, a Marshall, a Wright, a Kennedy,
an owen. a Lane. may well be proud of
them; but Indiana has other sources of
pride, equal if not greater than is found
in the list mentioned. Before the State was
twenty years old she established banking
system that was a model for the whole
country, and it was established, too, by
men new TO great financial achievements,
and not by men who had grown gray in
learning the science of successful banking.
When the Nation was in the thrOeS of civil
war. and when it was necessary to produce
currency to take the place OF the goid
and silver which had fed into hiding, and
organize a safe and secure banking system
for the whole country, it was not to Wall
street, or to Boston, or to any of the great
financial centers of the country the govern
ment turned to find man to organize ana
put into successful operation the banking
system which had been devised, but it was
to Indiana and Hugh McCuIoch was called
from his Indiana banking house to Wash
ington, and he is the only man in the Ma
tons history who was called three times,
and by as many different Presidents, to pre-
side at the head of the Treasury Depart
ment of the government.
ut was an Indiana-trained financier --r.
J. +. D. Lanier who, in connection with his
partner, did more in the early days to en-
courage and aid in the building of railroads
than any other man in the Nation, and
when the capitalists of the old world re-
fused to invest III the bonds of our gov
eminent during the war, it was this same
Indiana-trained fnancier who was sent
across the ocean to the great financial CEN
tiers to establish our Nations credit among
the moneyed men of Europe Indiana has
established and maintained one OF the most
complete and perfect systems or common
schools in all the land. Nor has she been
behind her sister commemorative in send
ing forth men of learning-great theologlanS
and lawyers She was the first State in the
Union to provide for state institution for
the care and treatment of the insane. and
the first to establish a separate prison for
women. She has been always among the
first in her care of the unfortunate, her
benevolent enterprises taking rank among
the great institutions Of the kind IN the
growth; her Industrious, thrifty and pros
porous people; the record made by her gal
liant soldiers and sailors; the liberality OF
her people in caring for the families of
those who went forth in the service of the
Union; her wonderful sources of material
wealth; all these nave maze the Word HOO HOO
sler" an honored term and no one now
sneers at Indiana. She has a history-a
history that reads like the pages OF ro-
nance; a history in pioneer life, in achieve
ments-grand achievements-in science, lit
erature. art and war.
Mr. Smiths work is entitled 1.-THE History
of the State of Indiana from the Earliest
Explorations by the French to the Present
Time. 1t is in two volumes, the hrst or
which is now ready, the second only await
ing the work of the binder The author has
arranged his matter in topical form, Wnlch
adds greatly to its convenience as work or
reference The opening chapter relates to
early explorations and settlement, the sec
ond to the archaeology of the region. The
latter contains some very interesting mat
ter relating to prehistoric romans found in
the State. Many know in vague sort of
way that relics of the mound builders are
found in Indiana, but probably few are
aware Of the existence of such curious
structures as that described below, and
which is only one of a number of like char
acter mentioned in the book:
I'm the county of Madison and not far
from the city of Anderson is a section rich
in archaeological interest. Within half
mile of each other are two groups of inter-
estng works, some of them in an excellent
state of preservation. The bluffs on the
south side of White river rise to a height
of Seventy-tive feet. A broad and deep
raVine extends a hundred or more feet to
the southwest. Just south of the ravine, so
as to be protected by it and yet so as to
overlook the river, the principal work is To-
Gated 1t is circular embankment ten feet
high, Sixty-nine feet wide at the base and
broad enough on top to furnish pleasant
driveway for carriages. On the inside is
ditch sixty feet wide and ten feet deep. The
diameter of the circle is four hundred feet.
On the southwest is a gateway thirty feet
wide, the ditch terminating on each side of
the entrance. To the west of this are four
other smaller Enclosures, and to the east
and southwest are three more. A half mile
up the river is another group almost equally
interesting
In his chapter on the Indian races found
in the State occurs the blowing passage
concerning the Miamis a few of whose de-
scendants still live in Wabash and Miami
counties:
THE Miamis were not as lazy as most of
the tribes, and raised corn, small fruits and
vegetables They had one peculiar feature
executioners, whose duty it was to execute
all criminals and this office was g. sort OF
hereditary one. So it was with the Miamis.
They Frequently condemned their CaDtiVeS