The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-01-30
0BSERvERSEES
MUCH IN BOOKS
Modern Historians In Particular
Are Supplying
Volumes Of Merit

tnaHkIui lot anu TdtHcI pTouu VI anu
we have recently been told how it be-
gan; how the women's Christian Tenn
pcrancc Union started it, how it was
kept in store room, sort OF closet,
Of Mr.. Moe, jewcler. and "once upon
a time" when il was to be moved
Pres. Boone of the College moved it
in a wheelbarrow; just like the sim
pie, unpretentious things, the begin
nings of big things he has always been
doing
have recently been going over the
historical works, and the selection and
number is excellent; take American
histories alone; there are Hubert Ban
croft's, particularly those relating to
western America and the countries
south of us; he planned them. selected
helpers and edited them. under
stand they are generally acceptable,
but recall how sharply Judge Good
win, then editor OF the Salt Lake Tri-
bune. criticized the Utah volume, BID
cause it gave only the Mormon church
side of the historical facts but that is
the way in which great deal Of his
tory has been written; only one side
Of facts. so Hume gave the Tory side
Of English history and Macaulay gave
the Wing side; it is only in the last
fifty years that the world has pro-
duced the impartial historian; who
seeks for facts. and states them in
their real. naked truth; and in this
as no period we have been having his
tories Of peoples, not simply those of
kings and wars Macaulay began it
with his one. chapter. the celebrated
third chapter of his first volume, in
which he portrays the condition of
the English people. society, daily life,
employments of the various classes of
England at the close of the 18th cen
fury; and Green in his Short History
carried out the idea to perfection.
Most of the American historians be-
long to this latter class of writers.
Some seventy-five years ago there was
Connecticut man, named S. G, Good
rich, who prepared historical books
after Hubert Bancroft's manner. but
he did not tell he had helpers; passed
them off as his own; but he was pop
ular in his day. and his history of
America was a standard in New En-
gland homes at that time, a copy OF
which has come down to me.
Library is Well Equipped.
Among the good histories in our
library are those of Fiske, Hart. Park
man, Rhodes. Roosevelt, Thwait's and
others. Roosevelt's Winning of the
West. is in his attractive, nervous
style, interesting, and as reliable as
his time and access to authorities al
lowed it to be. Thwait's is on the
Colonies, and consists largely of doc
uments, original sources, of great val
ne to those coming after; gathered
sifted and printed,
Parkman is confined mostly to the
French in North America, and is fas-
one may take up any hour and on al
most every page find something of
particular interest, because he has read
the letters Of the monks and nuns who
attempted the exploration and settle
ment of Canada and our Mississippi
valley and wrote intimate letters back
to France, where Parkman found
them.
Harris History Of North America is
collection of volumes written by
Professors of history in various parts
of the country, or special investiga-
tors, and each one allowed his own
style and manner. of varying value,
yet all good, and strong on one chron-
illogical string by Hart the Harvard
Professor of History.
Fiske Among Most Delightful.
John Fishes histories are con-
tinual delight to me. His pages spar
kle with delightful incidents which il
lustrate the time of scenes of which
he is treating. His Beginnings of New
England" takes one back to Henry
VIII. Elizabeth and James and
Charles of England to show the fer
ment which worked till it produce ed
the elments which went into the form
ing of New England, the middle col
onies and OF Virginia. While he is a
loyal New Englander and descend
ent OF the Puritans he is not blind to
their short comings. Then his Rev
olution; He makes the figures of the
period stand out and move across the
stage: we see Charles Lee, Benedict