The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-14
a THREE-MuLLIoN DOLLAR BOOK.
One of Uncle SANS Most Expensive
Publications.

Publications.
George r. Walsh in the Congregationalist
The present war with Spain has stirred
up many an otherwise indifferent boy and
giri to read the histories of our naval
conflicts and military campaigns on land.
and al all the libraries the demand for such
books is unique in the history Of the in
situations. There is one history, however.
which will not be accessible to the aver
age reader, but in the present crisis some
Facts about this most expensive book in
the world may be of general interest.
The book to which l refer IS the Official
history of the civil war. Before Ii Is final
ly completed 1t will have cost out govern
ment about $4,000 900. Probably no other
book in the world ever cost one-tenth Of
this enormous sum. Rare editions of Dick
ems, Thackeray or Dante cannot touch
this history in the matter OF cost. Ii is
true that the history is composed of 1l2
volumes of massive proportions, but that
does not alter the fact that il is one con-
tinuous story-practcally one book
This latest reminder to us OF the enor-
nous expense of war is probably justified
by circumstances for its publication
brings out clearly all the details of the
war according to the latest reports from
leading participants on both sides. and ii
VIII lcilu TO settle ueuQlttlN disputed
points of that great historical drama. The
official history will be complete and au-
thoritative, and all future writer's must
appeal to 1t as a final resort. The atlas
which accompanies the book contains III
plates, Illustrating the important facts.
campaigns and battlefields. These pic
lures are nearly all taken from photo
graphs, and are not the ideal conceptions
of an artist Therefore they have the
value of accuracy.
The printing and binding of this expen-
slYe book has cost the government over a
million dollars up to date, while more than
another million has been spent In salaries,
rent and stationary, for the purchase of
photographs and private papers of indi-
vduals The work is not yet finished, but
in year or two copy of the great under
taking may be looked for in all of the lead
ing libraries Less than 100000 copies will
be printed at first, for 1t is not expected
that the demand for it win be enormous.
While the book Win be authoritative it
will contain much that Is very dry, and I'M
interesting to the average reader, and
hence win never be very popular.
In one consecutive history may be found
all the war material and reports of com
manders of armies, corps, brigades and
regiments deposited ia both the federal and
confederate state archives. AS both sides
of the struggle will have free representa-
ton In the work, the history cannot be said
to be impartial South as well as North
tells it's own story. As the joint production
of the two great sides in that war. it will
make for better understanding between
these two sections of our country. 1t will
be a book that a whole-one and lndiVisi-
bie-nation can contemplate with pride and
. honor. Even though IL cost 81, 900, 600 II VIII
more than repay the seemingly enormous
outlay, for it will leave for future genera
lions a complete impartial account of our
greatest national struggle, thereby pre-
venting biased opinions and prejudices from
being handed down.