Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-17

volume of PiscataQus Historical So
ciety Collections, as well as the VOL
umes of York Deeds so far as issued,
containing public records of land titles
and estates For readers interested in
Names activity in Colonial, Revolu-
tionary and Civil War periods, there
are the monographs. Maine at Louis
| burg" Maine at Valley Forge" and
the commissioners reports on the
| Gettysburg, Andersonville and Sails
! bury Monuments erected in honor of
! Maine participants. Two other special
/ documents of historical interest should
be mentioned, the Names of Soldiers
Of the American Revolution who APP
piled for state bounty under Re-
solves of 1888 and 1885, compiled by
Major Charles ]. House. and the
Sketch of the Aroostook War, 1889.
To encourage the compiling of town
histories, the State purchased for dis
tribution through the State Library
the histories of Garland and Buckfield.
For the genealogist there is invaluable
help in such publications as the Vital
Records, of which five volumes have
already been issued, Farmingdale,
Gardiner Parts l and 2. Pittston and
Randolph. The provision by law is
that whenever the record of the births
marriages and deaths. previous to 1892.
| beginning at the very earliest date of
any town in this State shall be COL
lected from church records, church
registers, records of clergymen, family
bibles, public records and other avail
able sources and duly verified and
printed sufficient number of copies
of such record shall be purchased by
the State for distribution to public Ii
hraries. The object is, through such
publications to make available in print
the vital statistics of all towns record
ed previous to the date of the cstab-
lishment of the Office of Registrar of
Vital Statistics In 1892.
The documents mentioned are some
of those which the State has provided
in more recent years for the public Ii
hraries, but there are certain docu-
ments published previous to the law Of
1893 which every public library of the
state should ende;vor to procure
Chief among such are the Survey of
Maine by Moses Greenleaf, the earliest
public document which related to
| Maine and which has become of the
utmost importance with its account of
the ancient land grants and the history
Of our institutions. The Debates on the
Constitution of Maine, in the conven-
ton of 1919, is another invaluable
document for every library either in
its original form. or the special edi-
ton published by Capt. Charles f..
Nash. There should also be pro-
cured the geological survey Of Maine
by DIR. Charles t. Jackson in his report
for 1897 to 1899: another survey BY
Prof. Hitchcock, Packard. Goodale and
Holmes which appeared in the Agricul-
tural Reports of 1861 60 and the
Water Power Of Maine, by Walter
Wells published in 1869 at the expense
Of the State. When Williamson's
photography Of Maine was published
in 1896, the Legislature purchased a
certain number of copies which were
distributed to public libraries. thus
providing the librarians with a notable
hand book of our native authors and
men Of letters. The distribution of the
Maine Register has been a help to Ii
brarians which has been greatly ap-
preciated as reference work for facts
relating to our State government.
1t is one Of the most important
functions of the Maine public libra
rams to become educators in matters
pertaining to the State, and it is en-
couraging to find growing interest in
the documents which the State places
IN their care and keeping. Every eff
fort to make their contents accessible
for reference is an incentive to State
officials to prepare publications which
shall meet the intelligent demand of
1.-THE citizens Of our State for the best.