The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-14
INTEREST in LINEAGE
FACILITIES OFFERED FOR RE-
SEARCH IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
A Recent and Widespread Revival
Observation-Disclosures Searchers
of Ancestral Data.
New York Evening Post.


New York Evening Post
The thirst for genealogical research is un-
usually strong at present. This is proved
by several facts. First of all. many men
and women now make comfortable liveli-
hoods simply by tracing out the difficult
lines of ancestry for persons who have not
the patience, perseverance or skill to do
the work themselves. These professional
searchers get plenty of work and act quite
independently of the lawyers and law firms
who make the tracing of lineage n especial
and important part of their business So
great and constant is the application for
access to the genealogical records and reg
listers at the public libraries that the Len
nox, which has at present the most COM
plete facilities for research in American lore
OF this sort, has decided to add yet another
compartment to its spacious reading rooms,
and devote it almost exclusively to the
wants of the genealogical student. Next
September the handsome exhibition room in
the library, now dedicated mainly to the
storage and display of rare old manuscripts
and portfolios, valuable books, ETC., will be
opened as headquarters for those who wish
to consult state, town and county histories
family genealogies proper, and the hundred
periodicals bearing on the subject
Those who have given the matter but
slight attention are amazed at the extent
and efficiency of resources for genealogical
students to be found at the great libraries
Persons intent on tracing their ancestry
subsequent to the transplanting to Ameri-
can soil browse most satisfactorily at the
Lenox, where every possible aid to research
on that ground is at hand, as well as advice
from experienced sources as to the best
and most expeditions method of attaining
their end. Those DESTROYS of delving among
the records of their foreign antecedents,
in one country or another prior to the time
when there was American ancestry, resort
to the shelves of the Astor, a veritabe
storehouse in this regard, with a reserve
fund of treasured volumes so amply and
exactly computed in the matter of detail
and epoch that the amateur antiquary and
digger into family history fires with en-
thusiasm at the mere sight of the material.
1t is peculiar infection, this of the gen.
ealogist, but the symptoms be told at
a glance hy the initiated, so it is said and
once the craze takes hold of one it never
relaXes until there has been obtained an
unbroken line of descent for all the out
lying branches of the students family, let
alone his own hereditary stock. Many of
of research, even go further, and having
completely studied out their own lineage,
proved less easy of mastery.
THE PROFESSIONALS
The majority of the professional genealo-
gists now working in the larger American
cities first imbibed a taste for the pursuit
by the ransacking of ancient records for
traces of their own lineage, and thus by
chance stumbling on many facts valuable
to their friends, or to persons known to
them. Finding the employment congenial
Git is passion that grows by what it feeds
upon, if general observation and testimony
are to be believed) and the results of such
investigation valuable, they took up
genealogy as a regular business from which
to gain livelihood. Many persons from
various parts of the country come to New
York for the express purpose of looking up
their antecedents in the vast repositories
of data and collected matter on American
history to be found in the Libraries here.
The summer is the best time of the year for
better the Libraries lofty and cool; hence
the librarians notice no falling off in the
lists of genealogical hunters from day to
day, whether the month be June or Janu-
begin to muster, and to make an initial
visit inSureS returning again and again.
Once fairly launched on investigation the
pursuit has a fascination all its own. proof
against weather. and the normal engage
ments and diversions of the seasons.
while I'm in town I'll just take glance
at American ancestry and see If that old
cacique, or landgrave, or whoever he was,
that they say was the first of mothers
family to land in this country, is men
toned. It's rather interesting that sort of
thing" says mothers daughter or son, quite
casually, on leaving home. but once yielded
to- this curiosity concerning the past proves
a spell not to be evaded, and that first hour
is the precursor of protracted poringS over
records
The catalogue of American societies and
associations that have been formed with es
pecial regard to the conserving and perpetu-
alton of ante-revOlutionary annals is long
and steadily increasing. In the list are
many Cloth for men and women) organized
within the last five or ten years, and TO
their influence is accredited the present
To become a member of the more prominent
and influential of these associations the
candidate must furnish credentials of de
scent other than those OF tradition, or mere
word Of mouth: and even when the new
members Individual data are accepted, the
committee on membership has the records
looked up and the facts substantiated. all of
which calls for constant turning over OF
files. and consulting of local and state his
tories and archives
NEW ENGLAND RECORDS.
The genealogical searchers most fortunate,
at present in this country. are those hailing
from New England The New England rec
ords are copious and comparatively un-
broken, the church records have been kept.
TO large extent carefully intact. and other
sources of information are easy to get at.
The local and domestic histories of the GEN.
trail States are next easiest to explore but
certain portions of the South. Maryland,
Virginia. South Carolina. that would nor
mally be rich in pre-revolutionary annals.
are most bereft of them. During the time of
Tory and Wing alteration and enmity.
many OF the local archives IN those States
were destroyed. and In few instances have
they renn counfled again The QeupaIORfcal