St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-08-11
CrOckett'S History of Lake Champ
plain.
Editor CALIFORNIAN:

Editor CALIFORNIAN:
Having in mind your request to say a
word to the CALIFORNIAN readers about
Mr.. Crockett's history of the Champlain
Valley, feel that for layman to under
take anything like just criticism or
| decent review of such a work is a task
beyond my reach. However. to refrain
from saying a word commendatory OF
| this new history would be a shortage OF
duty.
Mr.. Crockett, born on the shores OF
Lake Champlain, reared into prime man.
hood as part and parcel of its neigh
borhood, drinking its beauty, and
through noble and patriotic ancestry
absorbing its glorious history, has writ
ten as it would be logical to suppose he
would do, and as no other Vermonter
could do so well.
Mr.. Crockett has spent years search
ing authorities on Champlain Valley
history, he has tapped every known
source, walked unfrequented avenues,
sub-soiled old fields, and cleared up new
tracts, and the result is a book of 324
pages brought out by Hobart J. Stanley
& Co., Burlington, price rs cents The
scope of this work covers every known
period of Champlain Valley history, and
touches on the prehistoric, embracing
Lake George and the Hudson Valley on
the south, reaching into Canada, EN-
bracing the St. Lawrence Valley, with
Montreal and Quebec as objective points
all auxiliary TO, and inseparable from
the great war dramas of Lake Cham
plain itself.
Selfish and preiudiced history is poor
mental food for an eager mind, no more
fair and impartial work ever saw day
light, and that is saying much when we
know an author to be an intensely pa
trotic Vermonter.
To be convinced one need only to read
his treatment of the ARNOLD Contro-
No one could have gathered
on disputed questions with
more patience, or with better results,
or instance, the language used by Ethan
Allen at the Capture of Ticonderoga.
Is a writer Mr. Crockett is not prosy.
aside from the dry details of history his
'ook is intensely interesting.
While making no pretensions as a nov
list or romancer, or even to historical
story telling, there is not a chapter in
he Crockett history but what one may
cad, and feel that refreshing that comes
rom the best literary pastime
Many single features are we'll worth
he price of the book.
The brief sketches of the settlement of
he towns on the lake shore, make a
chronological gazatteer. In the chapter
IN Lake Navigation there is no end of re-
search, and careful arrangement,of dates
md events, being a summary of all
ecords heretofore published on the sub
ect, with much new matter gathered by
he author.
Not the least interesting chapter is the
asst one, unlike any other history of this
beautiful lake region Mr.. Crockett
makes up the last chapter of his book
rom remarkable incidents in this valley,
lot part of the history in chief
Every lover of history should read this
book.
1t should be in the Vermont schools.
The way to determine whether my
of Mr. Crockett is overdrawn,
S to get acquainted with him, and the
way to tell whether my estimate of his
history is padded, is to buy a copy and
read it. Neither will be expensive, both
will be pleasure.
Respectfully,
HORACE W. BAILEY.
Newbury, Aug. 7, 1909.