The record., 1914-03-26
kcntucky'S Writer'S.


, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In these two excellent volumes,
but recently issued, Mr.. John vii
son Townsend, of Lexington, gath
crs together the history of Kentucky
letters, beginning with lohn Fllsop,
the States first historian, in I7Sl,
and coming down 10 the year
Iglc.
In perusing this work, especially
the second volume, one is struck
with the number of names appear
ing therein with which most of us
, are familiar-names OF men and
women of the present school of
writers whose work may be found
/ in various novels issued within the
past lew wears. or seen between the
covers of The current magazines,
and he Is surprised 10 learn that
many of these writer's of note are
natives of Kentucky.
, N!. l,wnseDd Is admirably
: sqaippsd for the work which he has
6"re. having spent number oi
wears in gathering data from many
sources for his book. 10 Ihr
student and general re lder alike will
this work appeal, for herein Eistor-
ian, novelist, poet and playwright
who are natives of Kentucky find
their places OF each Mr., Town
send gives a biographical sketch,
followed By an cxract from The
subjects work, thus preserving for
future generations many interesting
biographies and excellent specimens
of writing that doubtless would
otherwise have been lost.
In the early days of the Common
wealth, before printing became the
simple process II is at present, the
naEiaC cj . book involved much
isDor ana expense, and for this
Feason few books we're printed and,
rs :. rule, the editions were soon
exhausted. OF this we have an cX-
ample in the books written b,
lanes Weir, who was born in
Greenyiilc IN 1891 and died in
Ogcnsboro in 1900 His oLonz
Powers" published in 1880, soon
became exhausted, and nov prob
ably less than half dozen copies
are in existence. And so with many
other good books For that reason
the material preserved in these two
volumes will ever increase in value
Among other well known men and
women who are represented in the
first volume are: John Filson, the
States FIRST historical writer, Gilbert
Inlay, the first Kentucky novelist,
Rev. Adam Rankin, author of "a
Process" the first book every print
ed IN the State, Thomas Johnson,
Jr, keniucky's first poet, Henry
Clay, most famous Kentucky states.
man, John tmes .Audibon, the great
orni,holIgist, Lewis Collins, Ken
tucky's historian, Theodore O'Hars,
author of the uThe Bivouac of the
Dead,r James Weir, author OF
uLonz Powers" George ID. Prentice,
poet and VIII, and first editor of what
has since become the Courier Journ-
al, Mary Holmes, novelist, and
Henry Watterson, Amenca's great
est journalist.
Ia the second volume appear the
Kentucky writer's Of more recent
time, among them: ames Lane Al
len, Nancy Huston Banks, Robert
Burns Wilson, Young l.. Allison,
Ingram Crockett, Eliza Calvert
| Hall) Obenchsin, author OF "Aun,
Jane of Kentucky" Mary Raymond
Shipman Andrews, Mrs. Annie
Fellows Johnston, author of the
uLittle Colonel" stores, John Fox,
Jr., maker of Kentucky mountain
stories, Madison Cawein, named by
English critics the greatest living
American poet, Mrs. George Mad
den Martin, author of Jimmy Lou"
Critteudcn Marriott, James Tandy
Ellis, George Horace Lorimer,
editor of The Saturday Evening
Post, AlIce Heean Rice, of uMrs.
Wigs fame, Maria Thompson
Da,iess. author of THE Melung OF
Molly" Gale Young Rice, Halle
Ernine Rives, Irwin S. Cobb,
AmcrIca's greatest living humoris,
aud the man of the hour in literary
circles, Edwin Carlisle Litsey, Leigh
Gordon Giltner, viii Levingstcn
Comfort, Charles Neville Buck, and
many others.
Mr.. Townsend's work is a worthy