The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-23
GENEALOGY AS A CALLING.

| The Compensation-Cha of
the Genuine Ancestry-Hunter-V
| OF Lenox Library-Recopying Trinity
| Records.
| 1t is an uncommon thing in this year
| of the republic to discover the profess
| sional genealogist who makes COM
| Portable living by ascertaining for plain
Americans whether their lines run back
through illustrious lineage or lead to
cul-de-sacs before which curiosity
stands paralyzed.
Since the Centennial, that prolific
source of patriotic societies, an immen-
Sc impetus has been given to the natural
desire to know whence one sprang, and
who was who" along the ages in that
stream of blood which finds it's latest
embodiment in the inquirer. But it Is
not merely to prove ones eligibility for
membership in such a society that gen.
eadgical enlightment is craved; the
growth of wealth, the vast increase in
the leisure class, the contact of this
class with Europe, it's inevitable aspira-
ton to establish q claim to recognition,
based upon the most powerful open Sc
same" namely, blood, have contributed
much to the desire in this country for
pleasant Illumination of ones remote
past. Moreover historical scholarship
is constantly becoming more earnest
pervasive. and real, and genealogy is
one of it's unneglectable fields of re-
search. Finally, with flying time and
densar population come more complex
and obscure property relations, and by
no means infrequently the sole motive
of an elaborate and costly investigation
of descent is to win litigation and pro-
fit pecuniarily.
There are to-day genealogists galore
in this city, Boston, Philadelphia, Chica-
go, Baltimore, Washington, and other
large cities,' said to-day one who is
prospecting in this vocation cit is a de-
licate matter for ofne of a craft to speak
critically of the rest, but sound ethics
requires the warning that in this broth
erhood are many-very many-who de-
serve to be distinguished by quotation
marks-thus: 'genealogists'-an not
otherwise. Not few days of these are
thoroughly unscrupulolis; others, per-
haps, mean well, but are hopelessly in
easy and Independent life to dip into
books in a library, or pore over musty
church records, report what they find or
fail TO find, and pocket the fee.
'The qualified genealogist, who pur-
poses building substantial reputation,
to say nothing of his sense of duty both
to his patrons and himself, knows that
it is a most difficult and trying calling,
requiring infinite patience and indomit-
able perse verance-sacrifice, indeed.
disproportionate to the financial reward.
Think OF unearthing promising clue
after a longbaffled search--of pursuing
it with warming eagerness for days and
weeks-only to find suddenly that you
are on a totally wrong scent. I tell you
the sincere genealogist feels at that mo
ment as if collapse We're imminent but
it isn't-he pulls himself together and
renews the attack, and by that token
you know he is the genuine article.
Some hereditary conceptions are ludi-
crous in their extravaganza | know of
a person not insane who insists upon de-
scent from Queen Elizabeth Those who
claim Mary Stuart as progenitor are al
most legion. Frequently erroneous con-
tentions are based upon what resembles
evidence if not scrutinized too closely
remarkable instance was furnished
in the case of man who sought ances-
tors in the American Revolution Re
search revealed the fact that there were
two entirely unrelated American sol |
diers of exactly the same Christian and
family name, both of whom were killed
and one of whom was distinguished
while the other was abscure The lat
ire was the real ancestor of the inquisi-
tor, but he had ardently adopted the
former and could not be persuaded OF