The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-09

Since EooseNelts Winning Of the
West. that thrilling but cAr.l.~siy
written record Of the Westward move
ment. first appeared. the interest IN
TINS phase Or our national history has
steadily expanded and widened k-Spe-
clally should this interest manifest
Itself IN North Carolina, whi h fur
nlshes the leading figures in the move
ment OF expansion and IN the .stab-
lIshrnent Of permanent
along the frontier. There IS no more
interesting or romantic phase II oar
national history than the series of
events clustering about the careers II
Richard Henderson. John Sewer.
James Robertson. and Daniel boone.
recent books on the Westward ex-
pansion are kentucky in the Nations
History. a most interesting but mac
curate account by Professor h. NJ.
NcElroy, of Princeton; Daniel Become
and the Wilderness Road. a bright.
excessively enthusiastic story. with
values and proportion hopelessly DIS
placed, by the efficient journalist. RI.
Addington Rruce-both of them fuliy
reviewed in the North Carolina Re
view. Mention should likewise he
made Of an earlier worh-Iife Of
General John SEWER. the first real
biography of the great North Caro-
llnian. by Professor Francis NJ. Tur-
ner, and published by that patriotic
firm. the Neale Publishing Co, Of
New York.
Two new books, recently out or now
appearing. have unusual merit ~
throwing valuable light on certain
phases Of our history. The first Of
these to appear was The Wilderness
Trail in two volumes, by Charles a.
Hanna. author Of The scotch Irish.
Of this book published by @. +. Put
MANS Sons one fhouC2nS cnntac u-ara
printed from type. and the type de-
strOyed. Perhaps nothing could bet
ter convey a notion OF the contents
than the long and elaborate subtitle:
l The Ventures and Adventures OF the
t Pennsylvania Traders on the Al
t legheny Path, with Some New Annals
t of the Old West. and the Records OF
Some Strong Men and Some Bad
$ Ones" The book is monumental
and the subtitle previsages its useful
. RESPONSIVENESS. Unlike most his
. %torians. Mr.. Hanna has the courage to
I print in full or in part valuable origi-
nal documents, rather than making
facile, Inadequate abstracts there
from. A reprint OF the long abb Of
9 contents would not suffice to give =
: full indication of the rich and varied
interest of the book, which concerns
itself with the earlier history OF the
e West and Northwest. prior to the
d Revolution, and in especial the reia-
a ton Of the Pennsylvania traders and
the early scouts and 4 plorers. with
n the Indians. sue a book, with its
! eighty illustrations and maps, its
a elaborate series Of references. eta
tons. bibliograp hies; and its actual
e transcripts Of original ia
really indispensable to the student OF
the period. Furthermore the author.
though h~aphazard in his arrange
a ment and given to wOrdiness and
repetition. has made a searching and
s, elaborate study Of the period. and has
X brought together in comparatively
e small compass an amazing mass OF
, Information, and in large measure,
tnterpretend that material with skill.
u discrimination and insight.
Al The fashion. nowadays. is to print
happily chosen excerpts from all the
best books covering any certain his
20 ~torical period. bind them together,
N and make OF the result a sort Of
popular history. II is Home path
History-history in broken doses Of
susar-coated pills Sometimes. thu
historical characters in which you
are Interested. do not appear III ne
excerpts at all-depending. Of 81 Irse
on the whim Of the compiler. In
that case, the book is no good. Bu'
il your favorites are praised and
given full space. then the book is ex-
> ceilent' Seriously Xxi fht
method has immense value-as pro
: - jectine a reflection OF the age and
: its spirit. rather than giving any for
NAL rating OF and any
- final evalUation OF events
-, A most interesting series Of book.
4 is that now publishing through tn
al Century Company. entitled Centnr,
tn Readings in American History. Tn.
a six volumes. Of which the second ant
fourth have appeared. Are entitled
. EXPLORERS and Settlers." The Colon.
re lists and tbe Revolution" "A New Ma
er ton THE Westward Movement
The Civil War" and The Progress
TX OF a United People" These its,s
st books. which cost only fifty cents
apiece. fulfil a double purpose-be
ing both for general reading and fol
~cboo nee. Their value in the latteI