The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-09
REMARKABLE PROGRESS OF A
SOUTHERN PUBLISHING HOUSE.
Vruinia tennessee Alabama North Carolina Georgia,
Arkansas South Carolina, and Other States Using
Large Quantities of Textbooks the Product
of Southern Authors Artists,
and Africans.

, Of tho literary work of the South had
| never had worthy dress. The sheets Of
! provincial newspapers were The sole re-
| posit0ry of part the leaves of lon--for-
| gotten magazines formed the unworthy
! caskct in which another part rcposcd.
! and only here and there Were found
| writings sufficient in bulk. or whose au-
J thors and their friends had had sufficient
! means. 20 give them permanent form.
| The mine OF old Southern literature was
| found 10y Miss Manly TO be almost mex
! haustible. 10 is true that the veins Of
precious stun led sometimes I'm queer
! directions. and that the treasure was
! found accompanied by much dross but
( Miss M8nly's patience and discrimination
; We're equal 90 the severest demands of
[ the task which she had set herself. and
! her book has brought about TWO practi-
cal results. both OF inesumable value In
the first place. permanent barrier has
[ been set 20 the further destruction OF the
remaius of ante bellum literature. We
J can. at the worst. never know less of old
Southern literature than We know now.
and the gradual paling Of faint star after
star can never leave the sky more dark
than IL is at present This Is a great
gain. but il is far from all The success
fu attempt OF Miss Manly 10 rescue from
oblivion the literary remains OF Southern
writer's has interested others I'm the task.
The light of her researches has shed a
glow over the quest and directed others
10 10 until there Us hardly any work OF
higher zest 90 many people than the task
OF filling the gaps I'm the known remains
of Southern writer's. by collecting from
every source the scattered fragments
Of their work. and fitting these. piece
meal into one harmonious whole Not
gr,fr fa hn frt.r of
valuable writings stopped by the success
of one compiler. but that success has
called others into the field. and the out
look Is now bright for the restoration
I'm permanent form Of almost an that was
fine and worthy Of perpetuaion in our
old literature
II the b. r. Johnson Company had no
claim upon the South except what is
involved i'm Manlys Literature. their
position should De q strong one. but they
have advanced infinitely beyond that point
in becoming the
PIONEER PUBLISHERS OF TRUTH
Full HISTORY.
Some people say. ANA some Northern
publishers seem To believe that "a lie
wei stuck 90 is better than d wavering
truth" Whatever may be the fact in
this comparison the Johnson Company
is perfectly aware chat in writing his
tory. as I'm every other thing. "the truth
We'll stuck to IS better than lie." II
would be q rehearsal OF tales already
twice tOld-a threashing of winnowed |
wheat 10 30 over again the condition of |
the textbooks on history used in our |
Southern schools when first the Johnson |
Company resolved 20 undertake the pub !
LEGATION of a satisfactory book. Their |
plans I'm this as iu other matters. were |
fnf f... It. H.f.
fled themselves By the wellnigh univer- |
sdi complaint about the histories pub |
lished at the North. that no one Of those
books had any real worthiness for the /
place which had been given IL I'm the /
schools They examined tba claims of the
most prominent of the critics Of the |
North-made histories to be considered
Judges i'm such "a cause and selected "a
commission of the clolrcst-headed and
OF those critics TO LASS
upon the merits of such work as might
he submitted 10 them. The Publishing
House next advertised ID connection
open 10 any writer iu which manu-
script histories We're o. Dee submitted 10
he commission OF examiners that they
might select the worthless for the basis
)f the future book. Writers of the hieh
PSI repufe as well as many whose work
was little known eagerly contested for
ne palm. I'm order 90 secure .ho utmost
fairness. tho manuscripts We're numbered
and not signed. and mo- ono ON the com.
mission knew. when Doc gave his award.
whose manuscript had been selected
From the fact that "a manuscript which
was LATER identified as tho Norl, az Mrs
susan Pcudloton Lee received the unqni-
nous approval OF the commission il f.
lear that its merits were mcontcsfsblv |
greater than those of Us councillors.
,ud yet some of the other books have
incc been considered good enough 10 10
published by other firms and to De- land.
"a as histories of thc highest adaptodncss
% Southern schools
LEES HISTORIES
With this manuscript as "A basis and /
alliue 20 their aid the best artistic SKIN
10 the south on Southern rapcr ana in
outhcrn factories the johnson Co-npanv
ompleted its first edition of Lees his.
DRY. The book had am ovation when II
ppcared The style was clear and on
ertaininE. the incidents were selected
Win rare judgment. bat highest ana best
Z ALL the fair. sweet face 90 truth an.
carcd ON every page.
our soldiers Were delighted with the
ook because they could testify not only
% the literal truth of many points but
lso 10 the general spirit OF candor which
erNaded the statement of the whole
eri0d OF the war. One voiced the eonn
lent OF an when he declared Mrs Leo
& the first historian Of the South VINO
as had q vision clear enough 10 pierce
lo mists OF uncertainty and tho clouds
I fasity that have for 50 many years
altered about many places On the story Z
z the war"
Lawyers and professional men. trained ,
ninkers Of every sort. welcomed the .
ook as solid addition TO the small f,
lass OF writing which was laid OUT upon
rlctly exact lines and logically and cor
'cty developed Again let one speak for
a. a highly distinguished Southern at
1rney writes Of the book: Taking II {
together Mrs Lees History would be /
'garded as TOO good for school children b
anything could be too good for them" Z
Teachers. the final arbiiers Of school ,
)oks fate. have been the most enthu- :
astic endorsers OF this book II Is a
cry remarkably fact and wonderful 4 I
ibute 20 Mrs. Lees History that the
ore distinguished and successful a
acher Is. the higher seems his estimate .
ihis hook. or course the explanation .
this truth lies I'm the fact that. II a y
an has not the skill and knowledge Of a y
ass needs that viii enable him to APP 5
eciate the excellence OF school book. Z
hen this excellence Is 50 clear as in d
,e's Histories no cannot have the char a
tsristics that 20 TO make the real teach | .