The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-02
A NEW kEokuk AUTHOR

| a Sal
in the person of Hon. James II. An
derson, who has just made his appear
ance in the world of letters with a
work on the Riddles of Prehistoric
Times. The volume is one of two
hundred and sixty odd pages, hand
somely printed and bound by the
Broadway Publishing Company, New
York, Baltimore and Atlanta. The
frontispiece is lifelike picture of
Mr. Anderson. Numerous illustrations
by Hudson adorn the pages and add
to the attractiveness of the book.
In the foreword Mr.. Anderson ex-
plains how he came to write the work,
which is intended as kind of log or
record such as sailors keen of vow
ages in unknown seas. He modestlv
says that for forty years he was "a
plodding lawyer, but having become
incapacitated by reason of stroke
OF apoDlexy. bordering on the riddle
OF existence, he comriled the book.
which is but a resume of facts CLEAN
ed While he was seeking to know
whence came the world and its PEG
pie. The fact of the matter is that
instead of having been "a plodding
lawyer, Mr.. Anderson was one OF the
brightest lights of the legal profess
sion in Iowa and the west and has to
his credit an exceptionally brilliant
career But great as his brain was.
it never outgrew his heart, and he
will long be honored and loved as well
as admired in the community in which
he did most of his life work All who
Know him personally. and many who
do not, will read with interest what
he says as to his methods in the prep
aratfon OF his book:
In making the Investigation the
course pursued was the same as
would have been taken in examining
a law case, taking notes of facts
found, gathering information from
various sources like bee gathering
material with which to load the hive
from flower to flower"
OF the delights of this occupation
he writes.
More interesting than any tales
that ever have been sung or said are
the cradle songs, the earliest tradi-
tions concerning the evolution of the
world from chaos to existing order.
The following paragraphs from the
same source indicate something OF the
character of the work:
From the beginning, man. power
less to explain the miracle of birth.
the vicissitudes of life, the enigma of
death. realized that there is some in
scrutable power that worketh, now
evil. now good.
AS time went on and he contended
with beasts and his fellows for sub
sistence and supremacy. he became
imbued with the idea that the phenom-
ena that surrounded him, making or
marring his comfort, were but the
manifestations of various powers also
contendiDg. Gods he called them. and
these gods We're oft capricious. now
sending soft showers to cool the
earth, and now beating down the
tender grass with heavy rain, now
fructifying every green thing with
gentle heat, and now parching herb
and flower Terrible were these gods
in anger, and he must appease them
with protestation and sacrifice. Their
affairs now he crowned with fragrant
blossoms. and now drenched with
blood
Then came the great flood. and
populous cities sank beneath The
waves. and there were earthquakes.
and mountains belched forth fire and
smoke. And the survivors fled far
away to other lands, and, as slaves.
perchance. long regretted the splen-
doris OF their fathers. Mayhap their
tales OF the past excited derision in
the halls of their new masters. and
tradition was swallowed up in the
oblivion of enforced silence.
Be that as is may, we of the
twentieth century proud of our civ
liizat1on and enlightenment, even We
would not have solved the picture
writing on the ancient stones. Little
we know OF primitive ideas and vast
empires that had fallen in decay long
ere Solomon builded his temple unto
the Lord. or David sang to soothe
the troubled king
But We know in part and little by
little, fragment here and frae-
ment there. we are evolving the his.
tory of time
ne preparation OF these chapters
has been the means of willing away
the tedium of many an irksome hour.
and should they inspire or accentuate
the readers interest in things an
cient, then. indeed, the author may
rest content
Mr.. Andcrson's work gives evidence
of wide reading and careful research.
Upon the mass material thus ac-
CURED he brought to bear the mind OF
the experienced lawyer and iurist,
trained to analyze critically and weigh
carefully. to separate the true from
the false. The result is a book Of
great interest and real value. It con
tains a large amount of information
not otherwise obtainable by the aver
age reader, and throws needed light
upon MANY of the riddles both of pre-
historic and recorded times. Mr. An.
derson has rendered real service
to his fellow men by his work as an
author.
POI ITICaI pAphnovro