Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-28

1ONlttg VI lhcg lIduEilltIS vi LIE
American Revolution was organized
is for the collecting and preserving
| of the fast disappearing records OF
our country that the historians of
the future may be enabled to write
more truly of its making.
This is very important work and
one which should hold the attention
of every ID. A. K. chapter of this en-
tire country for there is much local
history in each county which needs
to be gathered together and pre-
served
Any suggestions as to how this
can best be done is of great interest
to tire members of this society, and
so the state editor prints below a
splendid article from the pen of Mr.,
Burton Allbee, associate editor of
The Journal of American History.
member of the New Jersey Histori-
cal Society and the National Geo
graphical Society. This article APP
pears in the current issue ofW The
Journal of American History. In an
editors note the editor of this fine
periodical says:
I'VE wish to call particular atten-
ton to the following article by Mr..
Allbee. IT every child in commune
ty could be enthused with determi-
naticn to seek out it's History and to
learn ;tH he could of the men and
women who made that history, not
only would the wonderful chronicle
of our country's settlement and de-
Yelopment TO nationhood become a
vivid reality to the children who are
the American citizens of tomorrow,
but u vast storehouse of historical
knowledge would accrue to every COM
munity.
There is no stronger incentive for
developing the Unborn love of the land
of our birth into the vivifying and
| benefieent flame of patriotism than
the study of our country's history.
Let child know that his great
grandfather carried a musket in the
revolution, or be shown the faint,
faded signature of still earlier an
cestor in the family Bible, or the
carefully preserved discharge of q
soldier of the war of 1912, and he will
bring to his history lesson a fresh
and enthusiastic point of view Cen
ealogy is but history brought down
to the individual, and study of the
great events and crises through
which America has passed is illumined
by the knowledge that we are part of
that splendid history through our an
cestors."
MIR. Ailbee's Article.
Passing years and the loss of much
valuable historical material through
failure to collect and preserve 1t be-
IL Il
strated the necessity of inaugurating
some plan which will insure its safe
ty. Historical societies know how
difficult it is to obtain the data they
want.
| Aged people are dead and their dia-
ries, letters and documents are scat
tered to the winds, or destroyed, The
facts and traditions with which they
are familiar have died with them,
1 and only fragments are now obtain
| able. Much of the information of the
past is irrevocably lost.
/ Historical societies of various sorts
! have been organized throughout the
country. and most of them are COM
posed of enthusiastic individuals, de-
ternined to do what they can to pre-
serve the records of the past, beliey-
ing they are performing important
public service in 50 doing. But they
are seriously handicapped In these
I laudable efforts by the conditions
| which surround historical work
They are probably unable for one rea-
son or another to employ trained
workers to collect and compile the
material. Few, perhaps, realize what
is valuable in work of this character.
Many have much valuable material
and do not know it. And so, in one
way and another, even those most
earnest in their efforts. are prevented
from going into the detailed work SO
essential in historical research.
! The problem presented is difficult
1t has been carefully considered by
| a great many earnest workers, often
without result. Others have obtained
encouraging results as a reward for
their efforts and can point to much
effective work already done.
Work In Bergen County, N. Y.
The Bergen County Historical! So
ciety. an organization founded nine
| years ago in Bergen county, New
| Jersey, encountered the same problem
as the others in its efforts to gather
up the eounty's go years of history
l The records are lost, or incomplete
| Old people had died rendering extinct
| families which had been important
| factors in the progress of the county
| since its foundation. There seemed
no way to get at the facts of family
history. excepting to accept the more
or less desultory records which have
escaped the ravages of time.
An experiment was tried by the ex
ecutive committee which demonstrated
that every community is equipped
with a body of workers and searcher
incompatible in their earnestness ant
efficiency. To DIR. It. N. Glover, nov
of Brooklyn, y. Y, an enthusiast Il
historical work, is due the inspiration
/ for something very practical AM
( very efficient in historical research
/ He set the children to work. Tha
! was all, but the experiment under
! taken under his guidance demon
strated that here was a body o
/ searchers. enthusiastic. determined
and thorough. a-t-
His plan was to interest the chill
! dren i'm the high schools and in the
| eighth grades of the grammar schools
I AS the system Is constituted in New