ISS4.]
��Town and City Histories.
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��Milwaukee, which is herewith presented to the pubhc," he says in his preface, " possesses the merit of originahty. It is based upon the fact that in all older regions, a serious deficiency exists even in the most exhaustive histories which it is possible now to compile through the absence of personal and detailed records of pioneer men and deeds. The primary design of this work is to preserve for future historians as com- plete an encyclopaedia of early events in Milwaukee, and the actors therein, as patient labor and unstinted financial expenditure can procure."
We thank the Western Historical Company, or Mr. Andreas, for this benevolent and philanthropic spirit, but really he must not expect us to believe that pecuniary profit is only a secondary design of this work. But supposing for a moment that the primary design was as philanthropic and unselfish as Mr. Andreas would have us think, let us consider its worth ; for, if we grant this premise, we must admit the truth of the conclusion reached, and then must give unstinted praise to the fruits of such a conclusion, a volume like the one before us. But the premise is specious and false. The deficiency that exists through the absence of personal and detailed records of pioneer men and deeds is not serious : on the contrary, in most cases, we should be devoutly thankful that it exists. Of the generations after that of the pioneers we would know much ; of that of the pioneers them- selves, something. But who is there, or will there be, that cares a picayune whether the third cobbler in Milwaukee (this history would call him the third manufacturer of shoes) was born in April or June, 1806, or whether he came from Tipperary or Heidelberg,
��or whether his wife died of the pneu- monia or the whooping-cough ? To be sure we would be glad to know whether the early settlers of Milwaukee were mainly young or mainly old when they came here, whether they were mainly German or Irish, and what where the prevalent diseases in different localities at an early period, but to ask an intelli- gent being to wade through nearly four thousand " personal histories " in order ascertain these facts is, to say the least, somewhat of an imposition on his good nature.
Later on in his preface the author contradicts himself in this regard, for he shows us how far from philanthropic were the publisher's motives and how little he thought of posterity in insert- ing these biographies, by writing the following well-turned and suggestive sentences: "It may be asked. Why have the biographical sketches of com- paratively obscure men been inserted ? The reasons are obvious to business men and should be to all. None but citizens are represented. Whatever Milwaukee is her citizens have made her. Shall the publisher exercise a power higher than the law, and erect a caste distinction or estimate each man's work from some fictitious standard of his own? Assuredly not. If, in the preparation of this work, a citizen has shown commendable pride, and aided its publisher by his patronage, he is entitled to mention in its pages. Such men and women have received a sketch, but the fact of pecuniary assistance has not biased the character of the book." This is a very specious attempt to throw a glamour of respectability over a very unpleasant and repugnant fact, namely : that a mass of " biographical sketches of comparatively obscure men " has been given to the public
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