The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-06-05
VALUABLE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY
That Recently Issued Is Notable in Both Scope and
Treatment Although There Are Some Chapters
That Show the Hand of the Amateur.
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.
County histories-despite county
histories-are good things.
They are, of course, frankly CONNER
cial
This takes from their value.
But, Notwithstanding, as contribu-
tons to the record of local doings
they have always proved interesting
and more or less authoritative.
The recent history of Wayne County
in two large volumes is more than
usually important because of the fact
of its editorship under the general
supervision of professor of Earlham
College, Mr. Harlow Lindley, of the
chair of history in that institution and
with constantly growing reputation
over the country as a careful and ac-
curate scholar.
While the nominal editor was Judge
Henry c. Fox, Mr.. Lindley had the
matter almost entirely in charge, writ
ing many of the most entertaining por-
tons, notably Pioneer Life a Cen
fury Ago." and "The Making of Indi-
ana" the latter being taken by the
consent of the publishers, from Mr..
Lindley's publication, THE Govern
ment of Indiana"
AS stated by the publishers, this his
tory was not to duplicate but to sup
plement former histories of the Coun-
ty, which were more or less restricted
in both material and treatment, and
which do not cover the events nor in
clude mention of personages who have
been making county history for the
past few decades.
The material included in these vol
umes is more than of purely local sig
nificance, especially that concerning
the Literature of Wayne County" the
latter not only on account of the sub
ject but because of it's preparation by
William Dudley Foulke one of this
country's best known litterateurs and
publicists.
This department is invaluable for
reference especially in consideration
of it's biographical material, gathered
and compiled by Miss Ada Woodland, of
the city schools, which can be referred
to as an authoritative source of infor-
nation concerning writer's whose repu-
tation is, in a number of instances, ma
tional.
A considerable portion of the mater
ial used in the volume was collected
by Earlham seniors in the department
of history for their graduation theses,
and while the array of facts is inter
,,%o nto
the presentation is not always as felici-
tous as might be expected from grad
yates of an educational institution.
The article on Wayne County Jour
nalism," an important one, was pre-
pared from this source and while its
collection of statistical information is
exhaustive, some generalizing on the
conditions which brought about the
changing political compilations of a
number of these publications and the
reasons for their influence or lack of
it, the causes of their rise or decline,
or both, would have given color to the
facts set forth and also been a com
mentary on the political and social
phases OF the communities in which
they were published, and from which
some distant future historian might
register a fair opinion of the life of
their day.
The most interesting part of this
chapter, from this point of view, is,
therefore, the finale which says:
mo one can read this record of
Wayne County journalism without OBJ
serving the immense desire of large
number of people to embark in the
newspaper business, who have no suf-
ficient equipment for the purpose,
either in capital or ability, and whose
enterprises are therefore doomed to
failure from the start.
THE growth of the press, like that
of other institutions and of organic life
itself, has been an evolution, gradual
development from the simple to the
complex, and accompanied by the des-
truction by the great mass of those
who have been unable to survive"
The chapter on the Richmond clubs
was evidently prepared by one-not
known to the writer-whose stock of
facts was inadequate and whose few
conclusions were erroneous.
AS aClSANASCo " eAS IAlSuInOnu
Sketch Club, of which the reviewer
was the secretary, are inaccurate and
fragmentary.
The club is spoken of as though now
in existence when the fact is that it
has not met for half dozen years or
more.
Nor was the secretary at any time
approached for any information rela-
tive to the history and activities of
this organization. all of which were to
be found in the records in her posses
sion.
Further the rather extraordinary
statement is made to the effect that:
THE Sketch Club should be a
branch of the Art Association"
Why
Not alone from the fact that the
Sketch Club had been out of existence
for number of years previous to this
commentary but also from the fact
that this remark" displayed with dis
tinctness the writer of the chapter
knew nothing of the club history and
life of the town, does its inclusion
seem anomalous.
There is no more cogent reason why
the Sketch Club should have been a
branch of the Art Association than of
the Second National Bank, and. if so.