Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-18

LOOKING UP ANCESTORS
Interesting Work of the Genealogical
indexer of the Congressional Lii
brary.


Mrs katherine Costigan Dorsey,
genealogical indeXer at the Congress
sional library, has for more than 10
years past escaped the vigilance of
the ubiquitous magazine and news
paper writer on the quest of "sto-
ry," She is one of the few picturesque
figures in Washington whom the en-
terprising reporter has failed to dis
cover and to exploit.
Not that the Congressional library
employs Mrs. Dorsey for the sole pur-
pose of loking up ancestors for the
public. Evidently the public labors
under this mishaprehension. for the
number of requests received at the
Congressional library for full informa-
ton concerning the family tree are
so numerous that the secretary has
had printed polite refusal slips These
state that no genealogical bureau is
supported by the library. Mrs Dor
sey, however, has for II years past,
in addition to her services as genealo-
gical iEdeXer, answered for the Con-
gressional library all questions on
heraldry and genealogy which the au-
thorities consider legitimate ques-
tons. And her experiences and re-
markable store of genealogical and
heraldic knowledge have been instru-
mental in furnishing individuals ana
organizations with vast amount of
information along these lines.
And inasmuch as there is some
thing about lineages, crests and coats
of-arms that appeals irresistibiy TO
the egotism of the average mortal
Mrs. Dorsey has had exceptional OPP
portunities to learn the vanity of the
human heart.
1T is the newly rich in America. -
she says, after her Il years expert
ence. who is ancestor mad. He comes
to Washington in large numbers,
thinking that all man has 10 do to
enter society here is to adopt the
coat of arms of some honorable fdmi-
~ and emblaZon it on his automobile.
say he. | really mean She For
as rule men care far less than We
men about these matters. True, many
men visit the Congressional library to
ascertain just what they are entitled
to in the matter of crests and coats
of-arms. If they can establish their
rights to them, good enough. If not.
they accept with eauanimity the me-
diocrity of their forefathers.
~ few years ago a rich western
woman came to Washington, deter
mined to enter society. She told me
she wanted to be descended from
Judith of Argyle and to use the Ar
gyle coat-of-arms.
:. But, madam | told her, YOU are
no more entitled to the Argyle coat
of-arms than | am
ut made no difference TO her what
ever Judith of Argyle appealed to
her as a picturesque and desirable
ancestress, and she calmly appropriate
ed the Argyle eoat-of-arms. 1t APP
pears to-day in all it's glory on her
stationery and her electric runsbout
ITO day" says Mrs. Dorsey 'fhere
is n craze in America over royal de-
scents. 1t is a fad caught from the
English and stimulated in this coun-
try by the international marriages
which have taken place within late
years. Ten of Is years ago Joseph
Foster of England, an authority of
international reputation, issued book
on ROYAL descents, in which he traced
many old English families to royal
sources.
TO be GfSc6Hutu IIoiH Tug ditH th''i
became all the rage in England. In
that country many good plain Eng
list families had no trouble in prov
ing that royal blood flowed in their
veins. This is not particularly dr.
ficult thing to do in England. In the
old days kings married their daugh-
ters to princes, while the daughters OF
princes married earls, and earls
daughters married knights, whose
daughters were in turn welded to
sources
Within Mrs. Dorsey's experience
women have been known to aspire to
ancestors beside whom the first king
of England would be rated as mod
ern A Connecticut woman who re-
Gently came to Washington had but
one ambition along genealogical lines,
That was to be descended from Helen
of Troy.
But some people even doubt II such
a person as Helen Of Troy ever eN-
listed" she was told. And though her
lineage was traced with but single
break to the year s24, she took small
consolation in the fact.-N. \. POST.