The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1910-08-05

per NAV constitute reliable source
regardless of the degree of care which
may be exercised, resort to family or
local tradition for historical knowledge
is justified only in the absence of all
documentary sources of information.
/ would like very much to know just
what our early settlers brought with
them-particularly In the way of books
and furniture. An oral statement by
such settler would be valuable, if one
were living-notWithstanding the frail-
ty of human memory. Such a state
ment, even at second or third hand,
when given as family tradition by a
child or grandchild, would have its val
he also But far above any such yer
bal statement or tradition, In histori-
cal sanctity, woul rank a letter from
our settler, say 10 relatives in Ken
lucky, South Carolina or Virginia, an
n0uncing his safe arrival in the new
country and telling of the things which
he brought and of what he lost on the
way
This suggests another function of
this society-namely, to serve as a re-
pository for original historical mater
iaf. In very important sense every
paper, prepared as has been suggested,
becomes source of authoritative in
formation in the custody of the society.
A constant effort should be made to col
lect such documentary material as let
ters, diaries, old newspapers, etc. As
We grow older an occasional volume
should be published, to put into more
accessible form the accommodations of
the association. A library also is with
in the range of future possibilities, and
is a usual and necessary feature of such
work as we have undertaken.
One of the most helpful and stimulat-
ing teachers of history we have had in
America was the late Herbert B. Ad-
ans, of Johns Hopkins To his work
and influence historians are largely in
debted for the numerous monographs
on local history which have been pro-
ducei by advanced students during the
past twenty-five years. One great Sc
ability to arouse interest and enthu
siasm in local subjects, on the part of
those whom he taught. In fact this
seems to me to have been among the
first of his achievements. / am not
sure that / would not place this, for
the present at least, first among the
functions of this society-to arouse an
active and intelligent interest among
cur people in matters of history pecu-
liar to ourselves and our community
This is fundamental. Without such
interest, ana the cooperative effort
which it alone would make possible,
but little substantial progress can be
made. Once having done this, how
ever, we may reasonably hope for per
manently valuable results. In the eff
fort to excite this interest, / am will
ing to hazard a guess that the chief
difficulty will be that of convincing
the public that we really have local
history worth the telling. Along this
line let me make few suggestions. l
am acquainted with many Southern To-
eaities which possess a rare historical
charm for the historically minded man;
such, for example, as the old lowland
parish section of South Carolina, with
its centre in Charleston; the Virginia
- Peninsular'', that wonderfully in
eresting region which lies between the
York and the James; and the country
Ilbout Natchez, inseparably associated
J ith the early history of the South
west, and rich in histofic memories OF
Spanish, English, Indian and pioneer.
intrigue and adventure. These are
older and more important centres of
historical interest than ours. But,
and / make the statement deliberately,
know of no region In the South which
affords better field for definitely. val