Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1912-11-28
TRUE HISTORY Of SOUIn'S
PART IkAn60ICA WRITTEN

! NM uHsh Nun WIT IJI
1t has heretofore beena matter
OF common reproach 70 all of us
who live IN the South or who
were born in the South, that we
have had no true history of the
Southland. We have been de-
pendent upon Northern histo-
rians, who. begin American his
tory from Plymouth Rock, when
as a matter of fact the settle
ment at Jamestown, Virginia,
antedated that by thirteen years;
who forget that Columbus first
touched at Southern shores; and
who belittle the fact that the first
seventy years of national history
we're largely moulded and infiu-
enced by Southern men.
We have been so busy about
other affairs that we have let
othors tell our story for us-and
as a result we have been misun.
derstood. A few years ago
Thomas Nelson Page, the famous
Virginia novelist, said: There
is no true history of the South.
In few years there will be no
South to demand history.
What of our history is known by
the world today? What is our
position in history How are we
regarded? Nothing or next to
nothing is known of our true
history by the world at large,
At the time that DR.. Page at
tered these words his statement
was true, but happily that time
is past, and today we have true
history of the South. 1t is the
result of a magnificent project
worked out in a big and satisfy
ing way. The Southern Publ
cation Society was organized for
this purpose, and large sum of
money subscribed. The ablest
writer's and specialists in every
southern state were enlisted, and
one and all responed gladly-no
less than three hundred being
finally represented by special ar
ticles and departments. For
many months the editors and
writer's labored, until their Ia
bors were crowned with success
and complete, rounded and
satisfying historical library was
given to the world, known as
THE SOUTH IN THE BUILD
ING OF THE NATION.
This title is peculiarly apt be-
cause it is not merely a history
Of the South for Southerners,
but a great patriotic endeavor to
place the South in the proper
historical light with the country
at large, and in the eyes of the
world. And it is not only a his
tOrical survey, but also study
of the South from every angle,
such as politics, economies,
literature, education, trades and
professions, and every other
field of progress and endeyor.
Such a work is monumental and
epoch making. AS President
Houston, of the University Of
Texas, says: There has been no
history of the South which is
really worth while. The general
histories, relatively speaking.
ignore the Southern states. And
there has been not ouly no APP
proach to an economic history of
the South, but no economic his
tory of any part of the United
States"
THE SOUTH IN THE BUILD
ING OF THE NATION is com
plete in twelve generous vol
umes, beautifully printed and
finely illustrated. The first three
volumes are devoted to general
history. Each state is traced
from it's earliest days Of explora-
ton and settlement down to the
present time. Suggestive chap
ters and sub, heads carry the
reader on with quickening in
tereSt from settlement tocolOny,
from colony to state, from Fed
eral Constitution to the Confed.
eracy, and through the bitter
days Of reconstruction to the
dawn and full day of a new and
greater national era. 1t is all as
fascinating as a romance, yet
every word is true,
The story Of Texas-only one
among fifteen-is certainly among
the most wondrful. We confess
TO q renewed feeling of amaze
ment when reading here the first
complete, satisfying story of the
Lone Star State. How many of
US, indeed, could pass a salts
factory examination on the most
salient points of our history?
We know a few leading facts, in
general way, but in this splen.
did library we are taken back for
three hundred years to the time
when the first French and Span
iSh explorers wendell their pain
full way over these immense