Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-25
A Rounding Up Of the More
Notable Americans.
Something Of a Remarkable Book
Now Revised.
The 14,443 Men and Women Picked for
s Its Pages.


notable in all departments of useful
ness and reputable adventure" includes
exactly 14,443 men and women. The
publishers admit frankly that there are
still some notables unbidden TO the
banquet; some who are too shy to
come and others whose existence is
suspected but who have yet to be
caught. over three thousand of these
names have been caught and chroni-
cled since the preceding edition, thus
adding materially to the practical use
fulness of what has come to be gener-
ally accepted as an accurate and valu-
able book of modern reference as Well
rs raising a rainbow of promise for
those who have not yet been included
Aside from the biographical matter the
publishers have continued the custom
of making their results the basis of q
series CT statistics that throw an inter-
esting light upon the ages, marital con-
ditions, educations and territorial
preferences. both in birth and resi-
dence. of the sturdy band thus mar
shaled together; and they nave also
given the curious reader an interesting
glimpse of some of the difficulties of
holding up an American notable and
demanding, if not his life, at least his
autobiography.
Some very eminent people," says
this preface. ARE parsimonious of de-
tail when it comes to the enumeration
of personal statistics. Others, while
answering all the questions of the
printed blank, omit reference to what
are often the most important Incidents
of their lives-a class of facts which
no general set of questions could be
made to explicitly suggest. The gov
ernor of one of the original States filed
the data sheet without once suggesting
that he was governor or had ever done
anything in politics. Such inadequate
returns add largely to the labor OF
compilation by imposing the task of Sc
curing much information from extrane-
Gus sources. AS a general thing it is
far preferable to have q surplus of in
formation than deficit, although eX-
cessive generosity in this respect some
times leads to an embarrassment Of
riches One gentleman of distin-
guished ante-bellum record took his
pen in hand and wrote an instalment
of autobiography which brought him to
the Mexican War in about eight thous-
and words, at the end of which he
cheered the recipient with the assur-
ance that the remainder would reach
him i'm due time. 1t did, in about a
dozen similar instruments which ar
rived, with great regularity, in every
Mondays morning mail until the story
was told.
"That was an extreme case. Anoth-
er was that Of a lady, one-book au-
thor and magazine contributor, who, in
place of the requested data, sent
four column write-up from local pa
per. The few biograp hical facts ex-
tracted from this document as appro-
pirate for who's Who in America"
We're, in due course. sect to tie lady
for correction and approval. She
crossed out the brief sketch and wrote
below it: I do not see why you sent
me this little paragraph. Use the
printed article l sent you a month ago.
1t is ever so much longer and a great
deal more interesting.'
Proud mothers and fond fathers, so
the editors confde to US are noticeably
given to enumerating their children,
evidently considers somewhat eXtrane-
Gus despite the recent interest that has
appeared in the phase OF what the
Chief Executive has certainly defined
as usefulness, and no one need hesitate
to class as reputable adventure; in
fact, one father, listing a family of ten.
adds emphatically: Put that in. I'm
with the President on this race-suicide
question" And at the roots of the
genealogical tree the publishers find
it astonishing how many noteworthy
American families date back to the
CruSades, or even to the Vikings. Some
facts We're particularly hard, even i'm
possible, to obtain from some of the
persons interrogated-the date OF birth
being the question that most sadly dis
turbed soodly number of male as we'll
as female nOtableS. Racks and thumb |
screws could not extort it." answered
one woman whose age will thus for
ever remain mystery to her fellow
citizens. while man, evidently fol- |
lowing the precedent of Adam and |
seeking to shift the responsibility, ex-
planned Il am not married yet. and the
lady would not like to see the date in |
the volume 2.35 per cent. refused even
to mention their first birth |
day: and among the gentler sex 29.46 |
per cent. exhibited a like reticence In |
stating these facts, however the pub
fishers can hardly be accused of be-
traying condolences, for the statements
are nameless congratulations; to find |
the individual deiinquents the reader
must needs peruse the entire 14.443
biographies, from Abraham Abraham
to the very end of the chapter. Abra-
ham Abraham, it may be added is a
dry goods merchant"
In turning to the statistical tables in
which are summed up a mass of bio
graphical data that includes at least
The great majority of such living Amer
cans as have attained prominence inv
science, art, literature, education, pol
tics, army and navy life, or material
and industrial progress one finds the
points for a series of inter-
esting deductions; 1926 men and wo-
men, for example, gave information
their respective educations.
Out of the 1858 men, 1895 have had
tome COLLEGE training aud G1o7 ioolud =