The Washington times., 1930-07-16
NEW 4-VOLUNE
D. c. HISTORY
ISSUED
Proctor Williams Work, Cover
inu All Phases of Capital
Growth; Sells at $3.50

with eagerness born Of National
Capital civic pride, Washington
ians are today making themselves
acquainted with the new four-vol-
ume history. washington Past
and Present. Just issued by the
Lewis Publishing Company Of New
York.
The volumes. produced under
the direction of that excellent re-
search expert, John Claggett Proc
tor. as editor-in-ckief, Edwin Mel
win williams as historian. and
Frank p. Black as biographer, are
weighty, impressive, and copiously
illustrated with a variety OF photo
graphs, tearly and modern; pen
and ink sketches Qmany fine steel
engrayings maps, and architects
drawing of the Washington OF the
future.
WeIl-KnOwn Contributors
Divided into sections, each
treating Of q phase Of city develop
ment, the growth of an industry
or profession, q period of economic
expansion, a. war, a science, q
legal aspect, ETC., the first two
volumes cover the historic fea-
lures of the Capital from Indian
times to the present date; yes,
even into the future. Special con.
tributions have been made to the
work by Messrs. Proctor and Will
liams, Lieut.. Col. u. s.. Grant. III;
j. Harry Cunningham, DIR. Will
liam Tindall, DR.. w. c.. Fowler,
Daniel E. Garges, Justice, Freder.
ick L. SiddonS. William NICK.
Clayton, F. H. Stephens, Selden
Marvin Ely. Col. Leroy Heron,
Mai. Gen. Amos A. Fries, John B.
Larner, Edward S. BrashearS,
Harry o. Hine, Charles F. Carusi,
Leila Mechlin, William L. Corbin,
Dorsey w. Hyde, Mrs. C. c. Cal.
houIl, Washington Topham, DR..
George TulIy Vaughan, Mrs.
Edith Seville Coale, DIR. Sterling
". Mead. Father Bernard M. Nc
Kenna, Edwin B. HeSSe, William
U1Iman, Clifford Lewis, Major
Brehon SomervelI, James F. Du-t
hamel and Allen C. Clark, of the
Columbia Historical Society.
Arrangement Of MaseriaI
Nearly a hundred essays are
devoted to historic aspects of the
city. and though these chapters
do not rival in completeness "A
History of the National Capital
17901878' by Wilhelrns Bogart
Bryan published in 1916 in two
volumeS) interest in the volumes
under discussion is certain to be
great since the classification by
subject provides easy reading,
with the added virtues of COM
pactnesS and popular literary
style. Yet, for the student, the
Bryan work remains the finest
authoritative, chronological his
tory of the National Capital in
print.
OF the last two volumes of the
new work, both are devoted to
biographical and Photographic
portraits of present-day Washing
tonianS of prominence. More
than 1000 men and women, en-
inent in the arts, the sciences,
the professions, the legal world,
and those noted for accomplish1
ment in intricate busineSS-political
life of the city are included in a
grouping that resembles Who's
Who"
Work of 100000 Words
The text of the four books
covers 1854 pages, exceeds the
TOO, ,0OO-word mark and the mar
shalling Of the material in the
order intimated represents years
Of labor on the part of Mr.. Proc
tor and his associate. The Proc.
tor contributions to the massive
work are all too few and one
regrets that many of his intimate
papers on WaSt1in ton were not
reprinted.
Old prints, reproduced through
the courtesy Of the now inactive
Columbia Historical Society, add
charm to the physical appearance
of the books, which, by way Of
conclusion, sell for $37 SO per set.