Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-12-01

MIS-. kirkpatrick Is MOVING tdiS
that brings tears to the eyes, the story
of a country girl that goes to New
York to cultivate her voice and is lit
orally 'guyed' to death by her super
cilious fellow boarders. The tragedy
lies in trying to keep the truth from
the poor mother who comes to get
her dead daughter.
Big Contributions
Wisconsin has to her credit a num-
Der OF historians who have made dis
tinct contribution to our knowledge,
especially of western history. Among
these Frederick j. Turner deserves
high place, as 1t was Prof Turner who
taught us the significance Of the west
ward tide of immigration in American
history. With him history no longer
stopped with Massachusetts and New
York but took national sweep across
5000 miles of empire.
prof Frederick Jackson Turner
was born in Portage in 1861, which is
also the birthplace of Zona Gale. He
graduated from our state university
in 1884. He taught rhetoric and ora
tory for a while at the university,
history from 1902 to 1910, when Har
ward captured him, to our great loss.
Another interesting historian is
Rasmus b. Anderson, who was born at.
Albion, Wisconsin, in 1916, and is
still living and writing at Madison.
His chief contribution to history is
his book America Not Discovered by
Columbus in which he holds that
America was discovered by Bjarne
Herjulfson in 9S6, and that it was the
report of this exploit that inspired
al Itar LAB Mr. An
derson has done much translation
from the Scandinavian languages into
English and is the editor of hundreds
of articles on historical, linguistic, lit
erary and philosophical subjects.
1.-THE historian that did most to make
the history of our own state known
to us was Reuben Gold Thwaites, who
was secretary and superintendent of
the State Historical society of Wis
consin from 1886 to the time of his
death in 1913. He was not only a re-
markable man in gathering a mine of
historical material consisting of news
paper clippings, pamphlets, letters by
all sorts of people, legal and official |
documents pregnant with meaning, and
other priceless sources of knowledge |
about our own state, but he was also |
an interesting and informative writer. |
His Stories OF the Badger State
should be read by every citizen of
Wisconsin.
Consul Wiltshire Butterfeld came |
to Madison i'm 1875 and while connect |
ed with the university, wrote "A His !
tory of Wisconsin and The History of |
the Discovery of the Northwest, books |
which ably supplemented the writing |
of Thwaites.
Our state had one historian, born |
in Massachusetts in $780, but citizen |
OF Madison from S67 until his DEATH |
who did a great deal of writing on
classical subjects. This was Prof |
William Francis Allen, whose influ-
ence was felt throughout the nation on
the side of exact scholarship.
Economic Writers
mot only brilliant historians but inter
nationally famous writer's on social sci |
ences and public affairs have been pro-
duced by Wisconsin, The most widely |
known among this group Of writer's is I
John X. Commons. whose writings are
chiefly concerned with labor problems
While his tendency formerly was so
cialistic his most recent book. Indus
trial Government written after he
and his associates had visited some
thirty manufacturing establishments
from Wisconsin to Maine, quite dis
tinctly turns its back on socialism as
a cure for industrial ills II Is book
well worth close reading and was
the result of investigation made at the
request and expense OF four leading
paper manufacturers of Wisconsin.
When first hand knowledge of facts
fail he nj. sT ,.s....
the truth is brought closer to mems
minds, Only thus can America solve
her problems and not by following
the apostles of hate who will soon be
stirring Up our gullible voter
Perhaps | should have mentioned
In the order of time President John
Bascom, that spiritual leader and
scholarly prophet who presided over
our state university from 1874 to 1887.
He was a most prolific writer having
produced some thirty or forty books,
covering the wide range of sociology
He belonged To that group of great |
Puritan scholars that served our uni
versities generation ago, Since then |
we have had at our state university |
great organizers, great biologists, and |
biologists but none like the grand |
old man who seemed to have stepped |
out of the pages of the New Testament |
10 bring his message of sweetness and |
light TO hungry youth,
DIR, Richard T, Ely should also be
mentioned in this connection. AL !
though born in New York. he has been
connected with the state university
since 1892. which should make him
Wisconsin man surely One OF the most
influential of DR.. Ely's books was So
cialism-lts Strength aud Its Weak
ness. Ii North Dakota and Russia
had had this book for their guidance
they would not today be In such dire
straits. DR.. Ely is the author of
many learned works, the latest of
which is The Need of Leadership in
Democracy His text books on eco
Monies and industrial society are wide
ly used He was the founder of the
American Economic Association and at
once time its president His style is
most attractive, clear. forceful. dis