The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-28
III hundred.
49,. Years Ngo.
How tho People Lived When the
Country Was Young.
LITERATuRE.
ARTICLE NO. g.


An important name in the literature Of
the eighteenth century Is Jonathan Ed.
wards, who left ten volumes of religious
thought. He was one of the greatest the
ologians and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that has
lived In this country. His greatest work
was An Inquiry Into the Freedom of
the Will"
The next name is that of BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN, the philosopher and statesman.
He founded the first public library, and
edited the best newspaper in the colonies.
lie first introduced newspaper advertis-
Ing. For many years, he published under
the name of Richard Saunders, as alma
nae which became very widely known
as POOR Richards Almanac" as It con-
tanned many wise and useful maxims
He created our postoface system. He in
vented the Franklin stove, and abolished
that great nuisance OF colonial times,
smoking chimney fire places. He first ef-
fectually taught the necessity of ven
tilation, introduced the basket willow,
and suggested the use of mineral fertil-
izers. He proved the identity of lightning
and electricity, and set up the first light.
ming rods. He founded the American
Philosophical society, our first organiza-
ton in the interest of science He first
expounded the theory of ocean naviga-
ton by means Of winds and currents.
He proposed the first acceptable scheme
for uniting the colonies, and was chiefly
instrumental in causing the repeal of the
stamp act He took a leading part In
concluding the peace which ended the
revolution, and in the labors of the con-
vention which formed the constit lltion.
James Otis, Patrick Henry, Alexander
Hamilton, James Madison, Albert Gal.
latin, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson
and Fisher Ames, and the Adams by
h(.N
thought. PhiliI, Fireman was the first
American poet of real fame.
Lindley Murrays grammar lead in the
organization Of American English, while
Jedediah Morse gave the new government
it's first geography, crude as it was.
The first American novelist was Charles
Brockden Brown, whose 'FWieland," OR
mand,' and Arthur Mervyn' made
sensation at the close of the century,
vixen the favorite novels Of worldly and
sentimental young women were Vic.
toria," Lady Julia Mandervilfe" and
Malvern Dale
One more Of the notable names of the
century is that of Noah Webster At the
age Of twenty-four he conceived the idea
of preparing a series of BOOKS for use in
American schools. Nothing of the kind
had been attempted this side of the At.
laptic, and In literary matters. aside from
country was entirely dependent ON Eng
land. As early as 1888 Webster published
the American Spelling book, which i'm
mediately went into general use. He OBJ
tanned a home copyright This was the
beginning of our copyright system. The
history of this book Is the most wonder-
full in American literature. Though hum
BILE in form and modest in its pretensions,
1t has sustained a remarkable celebrity
through all the changes in our history.
1t taught the art of spelling TO whole
generations Of girls and boys. It's total
sales are estimated to have reached 100,-
100000 copies. Webster's Dictionary was
started in the eighteenth century, but
was first published in an abridged form
In 1906. AT the close of the revolution his
friend, DR.. Goodrich, Of Yale college, sug-
gested To Webster the compilation of
dictionary which would instruct the PEG,
pie in the pronunciation, photography
and meaning of all the words in the lam
guage. The plan was seen to be very
desirable in order that we might become
q nation of one uniform language, as
we'll as of one government; but the mag
nitude of the undertaking deferred him
from attempting its execution.
Finally he began; and his Unabridged
Dictionary Of the English Language is
the rich result of his forty years of labor.
1t, with its later rival Worcester's Die
tionary, has aided us in escaping differ
, ences in spelling and pronunciation, and
in becoming a nation of one language. IS
THE peasant of the Apennfnes drives
his goats home at evening over hills that
look down on six provinces, none OF
whose dialects he can speak. Here a
journey OF 1900 miles changes not the
sound or meaning of a word