The Washington bee., 1901-08-24

So many accounts are ooi,o ,La
rounds of press now.a-daI.s g. ne .e
~hat Mr' Daniel Murray is preparing
lot phollcauon that, The Bee deemed
the matter OF sufficient Importance to
get an aUthoritive account from the
author From him we learned thar.
IN 1894 the Bureau of Education un-
oertook the compilation of a biblio-
gIaphy OF all books and pamphlets bv
AFRO American authors the work he
ing done through the assistance of
Bishops Turner and Arnett. & II
and +. Z. Cooper at the conclusion the
same was published as a part of the
report Of the Bureau for ISo3-oA and
showed just I38 titles and these
were very deficient in bibIiographi.
cal correctness. When it was decided
TO have in connection with the Paris
Exposition 1900 an exhibit of the IN
tellectual and Industrial Progress of
the American Negro, it was deciced
by the Commissioner F. D. Peck AT
the Sugg estion of Thomas J. Gallo
wav, Special Agent that an exhibit of
DOCKS and other publication by the
Atro-American be included and that
MIR. Daniel Murray Assistant Libra
ran OF Congress be detailed 10 make
such collection. This being agreed
10 Mr.. MURRAY entered on the work
with great enthusiasm and being 4
practical librarian he was able in three
weeks to correct the work of the Bu-
reau OF Education and publish what
was designated as a preliminary list,
designed to awaken interest in the
subject and which contained 27o titles.
as against the 1873 Of the Bureau Of
Education. AS stated this was oniy
preliminary. Since then he has dill
gently pushed the inquiry and he has
now listed nearly two thousand titles.
The showing is indeed a remarkable
enc in fact it has started the literary
world, very best informed previously
never dreaming that FIVE hundred ii
ties could have been found by the
most unremitting search. Saws Mr..
Murray: 81 soon found evidences Of
the highest intellectual capacity of
the Negro race, the existence Of which
was previously unknown to me.
though | had been fully thirty years
! intimately connected with books and
handling them daily in an intellectual
way. He did this at the instance Of
Bishop Samuel Wilberforce.
Ida B. Wells (Barrett) with Mrs,
Anna Hutchinson, and many others
200 numerous too mention. II will at
ence be apparent to every we'll inform
ed person that an effort at matching
the great men. African and Caucasin
will be very effective and to perform
such work requires an equipment Of
nc ordinary character. Mr.. Murrav's
knowledge Of Modern languages and
vast historical information so we'll fits
him for the task, that il is difficult to
mention another person equally quail
fed. The work may be relied upon
for its accuracy in regard TO every
thing upon which il treats. In every
case where possible the original
sources have been examined and
/ previous errors, where found. correct
ed. In the matter of dates in all cases
where such could by the most persist
Mt effort be obtained, no effort has
bee" spared.
! To insure thorOughneos Mr. Murray
lexpeCts 10 devote fully a wear longer
ts the work. ind ed. he saws, he would
rather delay il five wears than have il
tuil of errors when il does appear II
will furnish the necessary evidence
along literary lines for refuting any
| lingering impression that the African
IS mentally inferior. but show COnClu
/ sivelv that he is and has been at all
times equal to his opportunities. LiV
ing in tOrrid zone where little exer
ton is required to secure subsistence
he has heen without the necessary IN
centivs but under a temperate cline
he has demonstrated his equality at
every opportunity.
There are four points in his book Of
transendant interest. Every Mason in
the world should know the full history
Of CoeliostrO one Of the Worlds great
est characters. He invented the Egypt
ian Rite Of Freemaeonrv an honor
heretofore held by the whites Mr.
Murray saws he was a coIsred man
and will "iye full evidence 10 sustain
the claim. This is startling infor
nation. The next is Zamone. a re
markable character mentioned bV
Alex. Dumas, he was intimate with
/ Louis XIV. who made him Royal gov
enor. also with Nine Du Rsrrv and
Marie Antoinette The ChevalIer
Saint Georges. who was the boon
COMPANION of George ". of England,
Louis XVI. and the Duke of Orleans.
Saint Georges is mentioned by Dumas
as one ofthe greatest OF his time. The
life Of Josephine. wife OF the Emperor
Napolen, saved from the gullotins by a
cOlored man. former lover in Marti
nique, who had risen to a position OF
grest power in France, during the