Evening star., 1928-05-27
Historic Odds and Ends.

Under the ClTection OF Ut. D. IL Qe n
Hamilton, professor of history at the
University of North Carolina, there is
being assembled a great mass Of his
tor.cal data relating to the South which
will stand, when completed, as unique
collection of Americana, unsurpassed in
the light that il will shed upon the
early days and growth of a section Of
this country that has, historically
speaking, been sadly neglected. N a
recent article on the scope of his work
DR. Hamilton points to the contrast be-
tween the space allotted on the pages
of history to New England and to the
South. And in this respect he believes
that New England looms far ahead in
the race for historical pre-eminence,
the West taking second place. the Mid
Gle States a poor third and the South
almost distanced.
He finds 40 great difficulty in as
signing a cause for this neglect. Puritan
New England put down everything on
paper. wrote profusely, exchanged many
letters. kept diaries and religiously pre-
served Its public records. It founded
libraries and educated its people in
their use. New England migration to
the West carried the good habit there.
while the Middle States. partly in iIni-
tation, preserved public and private
records. But in the South there has
been a marked difference. From the
beginning the Southerners were care
less In the making of public records
and more careless in their preserva-
ton. While creditable work has been
done recently in the assemblage Of rec
ords. these collections are for the most
part widely scattered and fragmentary.
Nowhere is there found a great collec-
tion Of Southern material, gathered In
one place and easily accessible to the
student and investigator.
The University of North Carolina,
which is rapidly taking its place among
the most valued OF American irlstitu-
tions Of learning, has made plans for
remedying the defect. A fine nucleus
for the collection it has in mind, con-
sisting Of some 10000 bound volumes
and pamphlets Of North .caroihaiana,
many Of which touch upon the history
Of Virginia, South Carolina. Georgia
and Tennessee. Is already In the uni
versity library, together with other in
teresting collections. But these are re-
gaTded only as the foundation for what
is to come later. The work has been
going forward for some time now. but
Dr. Hamilton believes the surface has
barely been scratched.
One Of the methods used in aecumu-
Iating this collection Is no less interest
Ing than the collection itself. Or. Ham
ilt0n and his associates have adopted
the procedure Of casually calling on
families In out Of the way places
throughout the South, choosing them
At random, and after complying with
the amenities incident to such informal
visits, asking them bluntly whether
they have any old letters. diaries. rec
ords OF wlatpot. In surprising num-
ber OF cases the request has been fol-
lowed By diIigent search of the attic
ard q general delying into ancient
trunks. which produced valuable side
lights on the early days. In many in
stances such data would have found
their way 70 the trash pile because the
owners thereof never thought they
would interest any one. knowledge
that they would be carefully preserved
has led 70 the surrender of many relics,
and the news that such things are be-
ing collected has brought wide re-
ep0nse from unexpected quarters. In
the course Of this browsing about for
old things several diaries have been
brought 70 light. IT is intimated which
make Of the late Samuel Pepys an en-
eeedingly moral and humdrum sort Of
person.
The collection is not confined u
North Caroiiniana, but includes every
book or pamphlet or letter or anything
written by q EouthernGT or IN the
South which deals In any way With thf
Southern States, their people and their
problems Out of this great collection
there will come, IN time. q true story oi
the South u may not meet the wishes
of those who want IAN unbiased history
of the United States written from the
Eouthern standpoint" bat It vii! bf
Tomsntleaily accurate and fllled viii
fascinating detail.