EDITORIALANA. |
|
THE ORIGINAL MAN FROM OHIO. Remarks recently made by the Editor of this Quarterly in introduc- ing a gentleman on the occasion of a lecture on Ohio Archaeology before the William Morris Society of Columbus, led to much comment both serious and humorous in the newspapers not only of this state but of papers in various parts of the country. The Editor in his remarks was simply "passing along" some well ventilated possible con- clusions resulting from the explorations and valuable researches of the Jessup expeditions. For the past ten or fifteen years Morris K. Jessup, the millionaire philanthopist and until recently president of the American Museum of Natural History, has been the main promoter of many expeditions and elaborate investigations in various parts of the world in search of possible or probable proof of the location of the cradle or birthplace of the human race. The results of these scientific, archae- ologic, ethnologic and anthropologic researches are being prepared for publication in many large volumes in Leyden, Holland. These reports, it is claimed, "will embody the first systematic and comprehensive treat- ment of the problem of how the red man got here (America) and where he probably came from." A brief resume of the conclusions, arrived at in these reports, appeared sometime since in the Cosmopolitan Maga- zine in an article by Daniel T. Pierce. The result is, says this writer, that the evidence demonstrates "that the first American was not an Asiatic emigrant." The investigations in America were carried on by Doc- tor Franz Boas, Harland D. Smith, Livingston Ferrand, James Teit, George Hunt, Roland B. Dixon, and others. For the work in Siberia Walde- mar Jochelson and Waldemar Begoras, of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, were secured. Dr. Berthold Lanfer was placed in charge of the operations in southeastern Siberia. Says Mr. Pierce, "from the study of both ethnological and archaeological condi- tions in northwestern America and in northeastern Asia, it seems most probable that man did not come from Asia at all but crossed over into Asia by way of northwestern America." We cannot follow the article of Mr. Pierce in detail. He gives a resume of the facts and reasons put forth by the distinguished scholars who for years have given their time and thought to this intensely interesting question. The conclusions are (94) |
Editorialana. 95
a reversal of the theory so universally
accepted that Asia was the birth-
place of the race that later found its
way, somehow and somewhere into
the western continent. Granted that the
original American was "native
and to the manner born" and not an
importation -the logic we may lay
down is as follows: barring the ice man,
who may have or may not have
existed first, the Mound Builder was the
first to put in an appearance,
at least so far as any remaining
evidences testify. It is generally con-
ceded that the Mound Builder, whether
the ancestor of the Indian or a
distinct race, antedated the Indians
so-called. In other words, whoever
he was and whatever his descendants
were, he, the Mound Builder, was
the "oldest inhabitant," and
the one who may be called the original
American. It is well conceded that the
Mound Builders' domain was
chiefly in the valleys of the Upper
Mississippi and Lower Ohio. In the
present bounds of the Buckeye State are
found the most numerous and
clearest evidences of his former
habitation. In some twelve thousand
locations has he left remains of his
sojourn or activity in this state. It
was his most populous region. May it not
then have been his primitive
birthplace? And as the Scioto Valley is
richest in his fortifications,
villages and burial sites, may it not
have been the original center and
starting point? Ergo may not the
original Adam and Eve have found
their Eden along the banks of the Scioto
river rather than on the banks of
the Euphrates. Why not? "Man is
very old in America--perhaps he
has been here fully a hundred thousand
years, if not more," says Mr.
Pierce and Doctor Boas states,
"that the American race has inhabited
our continent for an inconceivable long
time." Vale, Asiatic antiquity
of the race and hail to the Buckeye
beginning of the human family.
Ohio has ever been a wonderful state,
prolific in all that is great and
progressive. No other state can compete
with her in offering proofs
that here was not merely an aboriginal
man but the original man. Upon
these scientific (?) suggestions the
newspapers have reveled in comment
and criticisms. One very prominent daily
went so far as to secure views
of the plains and hills about
Chillicothe and present them as Kodak
pictures of the (New) original Garden of
Eden. It only remains for
some enterprising journalist to discover
in the mounds of Ross county
portraits of the primal pair before the
serpent broke into the family
circle. Plausibility is further added to
the theories above by the fact
that the serpent reclines on the
hilltops overlooking Brush creek in
Adams county. Thither he doubtlessly
crawled and still remains, "grand,
gloomy and peculiar," a gigantic
warning to all happy families.
96 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
A YOUTHFUL HISTORIAN. Sometime before the holidays (1907) The Daily News of Spring- field, Ohio, offered three prizes for the best three essays on some local historical subject; essays to be written by the pupils of the public schools |
|
|
mittee in such manner that the decision of the judges would be without their knowing the names of the respective writers previous to the award. The successful winners and prizes were as follows: first prize, ($15 in gold) Douglas Hypes, aged 16, Wittenberg Academy; second prize ($10 in gold) Paul F. Trout, aged 18, Springfield High School; third prize ($5 in gold) Clotell Dalie, aged 15, Springfield High School. Master Douglas Hypes, the winner of the first prize is the son of the Hon. Oran F. Hypes, member of the Ohio Senate. The youthful writer adopted the methods of a real historian, for he went straight to the original sources, and obtained his material at first hand, as his addi- tional notes testify. This fact gives especial value and interest to the article and shows the young writer did his work with the true historic interest and painstaking labor. It is, moreover, admirably written, and is as follows: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN CLARK COUNTY.
BY DOUGLAS HYPES. It was on a cold dreary night in the early "fifties." A high gale was blowing, which seemed to drive everything before it with unabating fury. Soon after midnight, a wagon came noiselessly down old Mechanic street in Springfield, Ohio. The driver stopped the horses before a house, half way between Jefferson and Pleasant streets, and, quickly alighting, made his way up the hill to the dwelling. In response to his low knock, the back door was opened. "I have come a night earlier than expected," said the stranger, "for they were in pursuit." |
Editorialana. 97
"All right," was the reply.
"Bring them in."
A black man and woman were now taken
from the wagon to the
house, and after receiving food, the
secret panel from the cupboard was
removed, and they entered the hidden
closet. Leaving the house, quietly,
the stranger drove away, while the whole
scene remained enshrouded in
mystery. This scene was often repeated
in the dark days before the
Civil War.
Perhaps there is nothing in the history
of Clark County about which
so little is known, as her part in the
"Underground Railway." Long
before the war, a Kentuckian, having followed his slave
to Ripley, and
there losing all trace of him remarked,
"He seems to have disappeared
on an underground road." Although
spoken in fun, this incident after-
ward gave a name to those secret
stations stretching from the Ohio river
and elsewhere to Canada.
The "Fugitive Slave Law," of
1850 gave the slave holders the right
to search for their slaves in other states,
at the same time providing
for the laying of a heavy fine on any
one refusing to assist in the search.
This law made even the enemies of
slavery cautious, but they did not
cease giving secret aid and shelter to
fugitives. Thus the history of the
Underground Railroad in Clark County was
never written. Neither
diaries nor records can be found, and
but few are living, who shared in
the exciting events of those days.
Most of the northern states east of the
Mississippi, were crossed by
the trails of fugitive slaves. But of
all these, Ohio was the favorite.
Slaves starting from the Ohio river,
first reached the friendly Quaker
settlements of Clinton County. From
there they went to Wilberforce
either through Xenia or Jamestown. The
route then led to Selma and
South Charleston or Springfield. Another
route entered from Dayton.
On reaching Springfield the fugitives
were taken either to Urbana or
Mechanicsburg.
It will never be known how many citizens
aided in secreting slaves.
In Springfield, John D. Nichols, whose
residence in Mechanic street was
the secret station, probably assisted
more slaves than any other person.
Others who gave support and money were:
Geo. H. Frey, Christopher
Thompson, John Baldwin, Mrs. Ann Warder,
Sampson Mason, Daniel
Morrow, Perry Stuart, Robt. Pyles and
Chas. Stout. In the country were
Joseph Dugdale, James Farr, D. Heiskell,
E. G. Coffin, Samuel Howell,
Jacob Jonathan and Wm. Pierce and
others.
One of the noted incidents of the underground days, was the arrest
of five neighboring citizens and an
attempt to take them away for inter-
fering with United States marshals, in
capturing a slave. When the party
reached South Charleston they were
stopped by Sheriff Layton. While
serving papers upon them, the ruffian
marshals struck the sheriff to the
ground, inflicting serious wounds.
Constable Coffin now pursued the
deputies to Green County, where he
overtook them and released the captives,
after arresting the marshals.
Their arrest became a noted event, the
New York Times referring to
it as the "Rebellion in Ohio."
This act, however, aroused South Charles-
ton to an anti-slavery feeling, and at a
public meeting they passed this
resolution:
Resolved, That we will make our town too hot to hold any
informer,
resident or foreign, who may be found
prowling in our midst, endeavor-
ing to involve our citizens in legal
difficulties.
Within two blocks of the Nichols station
of the Underground Rail-
road, now lives Chas. A. Harris. As a
boy he once helped three fugi-
tives escape. One night in 1854, Dr.
Joel Harris, who lived north of
Vol. XVII-7.
98 Ohio Arch. and
Hist. Society Publications.
Springfield, aroused his son Charles,
then but thirteen, telling him to go
to the barn and hitch up. The boy
obeyed, but soon came back, fright-
ened, informing his father that he heard
some one in the haymow. Tak-
ing a lantern, the father went out with
Charles, and called, "Who's
night.
"Is that you, Dr. Harris ?"
called a negro voice.
Soon three fugitive slaves appeared.
They had been secreted by
Peter Bird, having been brought from
Springfield.
"After giving them food," said
Mr. Harris, "my father ordered me
to drive them to Pickrellton, nine miles
away. Arriving, I called Mr.
Pickrell, saying as my father had told
me, "I have brought some people."
Mr. Pickrell then led the fugitives into
an orchard. Removing brush
from a hollow sycamore, the slaves
crawled into a cave, dug out beneath,
where they were provided with food and
blankets. The brush was thrown
carelessly over the entrance, and the
slaves awaited the coming of another
night."
Among the colored freemen of that time,
the most active for the
slaves, was Robert Pyles. His son, James
H. Pyles, recalls the arrival
of seven fugitives one night. Secreting
them at the Buckeye hotel barn,
they were hurried northward without
discovery.
It is nearly fifty years since the time
of the Underground Railway.
"Those were strenuous days,"
said men who are yet living to tell its
secrets. "All the money offered us
by Southern slave masters, could not
silence abolition, for it was
right." During the period more than five
thousand slaves escaped to the north,
and not one was ever known to
be captured in Clark County. With their
faces toward freedom, one
could hear the slave song:
"Dark and thorny is de pathway
Where de pilgrim makes his ways
But beyond dis vale of sorrow
Lies de fields ob endless days."
* *
**
In conclusion with this paper,
additional "notes" were submitted for
publication whenever it should be
printed. This was made necessary, Mr.
Hypes explained, by the fact that he
felt that the matter was important
but that it could not be added to his
paper without running over the
1,000-word limit which was set by the
rules of the contest.
These notes were retained by the contest
editor and were not sub-
mitted to the judges. They are however,
given here.
NOTES.
The introduction of the account, is
based upon an actual event which
took place on Mechanic street across
from my home. The old slave
station contained two secret closets.
The part of the house which con-
tained the original slave cupboard has
been removed, but the part con-
taining the other hiding place still
stands, and is number 307 South
Mechanic street, now Lowry avenue.
Before the former part was re-
moved, however, I frequently visited the
cupboard, and have looked upon
it with much curiosity.
Entrance was gained to the latter by a
trap door, which was cut
through the floor in a closet. Two
joists had been removed between
the floor and lower ceiling, thus giving
more space for the fugitives to
move. The trap door was easily covered over and would
hardly have
been recognized.
Editorialana. 99
A daughter of Mr. Nichols, the
anti-slavery man, is yet living, and
gives in a letter to me interesting
facts. She says:
"My father and mother became
earnest anti-slavery advocates in
1841, and from that time until the war,
the colored people knew my
parents as friends, and our home was a
refuge. When old enough,
probably about the year '48 or '49, I
became greatly interested in the
black people, who came quietly to our
kitchen door after dark and left
before daylight; often we children did
not know who our callers were,
but we soon understood 'the back door
knock,' the look exchanged be-
tween mother and father, and the anxious
mysterious atmosphere that
pervaded the home, until father had word
from the next 'station.' I
remember one morning before light,
hearing a noise down stairs. I
crept to the kitchen to find a big black
man and woman, for whom break-
fast was being prepared. I was quickly
taken back to bed.
"I, one evening overheard father
telling mother 'he had found a half
killed darkey in the cornfield,' who
must get some supper and sleep,
and he would see Mr. - , and get him off before daylight. I did
not see the man."
E. G. Coffin who aided in the arrest of
the United States marshals
for the assault on Sheriff Layton, was a
nephew of Levi Coffin of Cin-
cinnati. At the head of the underground,
he aided hundreds of slaves
on their way north. He was a Quaker. E.
G. Coffin often drove the
underground 'express,' from South
Charleston to Mechanicsburg, and had
secretly taken the slave Addison White
there in 1855. For this and other
service he now states:
"The outbreak of the war itself,
was all that saved me from a term
in the state penitentiary, over which I
afterward presided as warden."
AUTHORITIES.
Geo. H. Frey, Sr., E. G. Coffin, James
H. Pyles, Chas. H. Pierce,
Walter Pierce, Mrs. D. A. Johnson, Mrs.
Belle Nichols Rebuck, Ver-
sailles, Indiana. As to arrests, The
Springfield Nonpareil, issue 1857.
THE CENTRAL OHIO VALLEY HISTORICAL
CONFERENCE.
During the Summer and early Fall of the
past year (1907) a number
of Cincinnati gentlemen interested
directly or indirectly in history in
general and Ohio Valley history in
particular formulated a plan for hold-
ing what was designated as the Central
Ohio Valley Historical Confer-
ence. The purpose of this plan was to
bring together for the opportunity
of discussion and mutual acquaintance and
co-operation all writers, schol-
ars, teachers and others engaged in the
field of history and all societies,
whose object might be, in whole or part,
the promotion of history, gath-
ering of material, presentation and
dissemination of the same. Patriotic
societies were included in the scope of
the project. The chief, if not
original, protagonist of this idea was
Professor Isaac J. Cox, of the de-
partment of history of the University of
Cincinnati. Professor Cox sub-
mitted the plan to the Executive
Committee of the Cincinnati Historical
Teachers' Association, which
organization gave the idea enthusiastic sup-
port. General and special committees
were appointed and many patriotic
100 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
and historical societies lent their aid
to the cause. The main and execu-
tive committee consisted of Mr. Charles
Theodore Greve, author of "The
History of Cincinnati," the
"Bench and Bar of Ohio," and professor of
law in the Cincinnati Law School;
Professor Isaac Joslin Cox, mentioned
above, and Mr. Frank Parker Goodwin,
professor of history in the Wood-
ward (Cincinnati) High School. Great
praise is due this committee for
the energy and tact displayed in their
work and for the more than success-
ful conclusion of their efforts,
culminating in the series of important and
interesting meetings held Friday and
Saturday, November 29th and 30th,
1907.
The first session of the conference was
held in the afternoon of
Friday in McMicken Hall, University of
Cincinnati. Mr. Charles T.
Greve presided and Mayor E. J. Dempsey
of Cincinnati and President
Charles W. Dabney, of University of
Cincinnati, welcomed the delegates
to the conference in short addresses, in
which they expressed their appre-
ciation of the work being done by the
historical and archaeological and
patriotic societies in Ohio, Kentucky,
Indiana and West Virginia. The
main speaker of the occasion was Reuben
Gold Thwaites, L.L. D., Sec-
retary of the Wisconsin Historical
Society and well known author of
many works on western history. His theme
was "The Mission of Local
History." It was a strong plea for
the search for and preservation of
historical data hitherto neglected. Mr.
E. O. Randall briefly presented
the history of the "Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society,"
its purposes, lines of work, relation to
the state and local societies. Mr.
Virgil A. Lewis, Director State
Department of Archives and History,
Charleston, W. Va., spoke of the work of
his state and the great oppor-
tunity yet unimproved of gathering
historical matter pertinent to the Ohio
river; his subject was "State Aid
in Local History." Mr. Charles B.
Galbreath, Ohio State Librarian,
outlined the work of Ohio Library in
historical departments. "Local
History Work in the Counties of Ken-
tucky," was interestingly and
wittily put forth by W. W. Longmoor,
Curator Kentucky State Historical
Society, Frankfort, Ky. The topic
"Recent Work in Prehistoric
Fields," by Mr. Frederick W. Hinkle, Cin-
cinnati Branch, Archaeological Institute
of America, afforded the speaker
an opportunity to present to the public
for the first time an account of
the recent explorations in the famous
Madisonville Prehistoric Cemetery.
The investigations were conducted in the
summer of 1907, by the archaeo-
logical department of Peabody Museum,
under the direction of Professor
F. W. Putnam. Mr. Hinkle personally
participated in the explorations
which proved to be rich in discoveries
quite new to Ohio archaeology.
In the evening the delegates repaired to
the Queen City Club, where
at the banquet table they met a number
of noted Cincinnatians. Charles
T. Greve acted as toastmaster. He
introduced as the chief speaker of the
evening, William Dudley Foulke, of
Richmond, Ind., a member of the
United State Civil Service Commission.
His subject was "The Autocrat
Editorialana. 101
of Indiana." The curiosity of the
delegates had been aroused regarding
the identity of this personage, but it
was soon allayed, as the speaker in
his introductory remarks mentioned the
name of Oliver P. Morton in
such eulogistic terms as to leave no
doubt that the famous War Gov-
ernor of Indiana was the
"autocrat." The speaker told the story of Mor-
ton's life in such a manner as to keep
the attention of his audience alert
till the last word was spoken. A chapter
from the most exciting fiction
could not have been more interesting.
Prof. William H. Venable, who was
expected to read an original
poem entitled, "The Founders,"
was unable to be present. His son, Prof.
Emerson Venable, recited the poem. This
production is published else-
where in this Quarterly under the title,
"Cincinnati." Short speeches were
then made by Prof. Merrick Whitcomb, R.
G. Thwaites, Archer B. Hul-
bert, W. W. Longmoor, F. P. Goodwin,
Virgil A. Lewis, James Alton
James and E. O. Randall.
The guests were Isaac J. Cox, R. G.
Thwaites, J. A. James, C.
L. Martzolff, F. P. Goodwin, E. Venable,
V. A. Lewis, S. B.
Harding, M. E. Marsh, Frank T. Cole, E.
F. McIntyre, John Uri Lloyd,
C. M. Thompson, Albert S. Hill, Thomas
C. Miller, Thornton M. Hinkle,
Harlow Lindley, Herbert Jenney, Charles
L. Burgoyne, S. K. Bartholo-
mew, A. A. Weerland, M. Whitcomb, C. T.
Greve, A. B. Hulbert, Alex-
ander Hill, E. R. Blaine, G. S. Sykes,
E. W. Coy, D. L. James, C. J.
Livingood, John H. Miller, F. L. Steele,
W. H. Mackoy, F. W. Hinkle,
C. L. Metz, John W. Harper, Ferd Jelke,
Jr., F. R. Dyer, Demarchus C.
Brown, Harry B. Mackoy, John E. Blaine,
P. S. Conner, Alston Ellis,
W. W. Longmoor, W. H. Siebert, W. D.
Foulke, E. O. Randall and J.
A. James.
Saturday morning at McMicken Hall, was
given to the teachers of
history. Mr. Wilbur H. Siebert,
Professor of European History, O. S.
U., Columbus, Ohio, presided and
rendered an appropriate address on the
general subject of history teaching.
Welcome remarks were made by
Professor F. B. Dyer, Superintendent
Cincinnati Public Schools, and
Professor Merrick Whitcomb, University
of Cincinnati. A most scholarly
address was made by Mr. James Alton
James, Professor of American
History, Northwestern University, Evanston,
Ill., on "The Teacher of
Social Sciences." This was followed
by a discussion of the features of
the address by Professor Samuel
Bannister Hardin, University of Indiana,
Bloomington, Ind.; Clement L. Martzolff,
Professor of History, Ohio
University, Athens, Ohio; and Bertram L.
Jones, Instructor in the Manual
Training High School, Louisville, Ky.;
Archer Butler Hulbert, Professor
of American History, Marietta College,
Marietta, Ohio, and author of
many works on American history, spoke on
"The Use of Local Records
in History Teaching," explaining
his method of directing his pupils in
conducting original work among material
accessible to their use.
At the close of the Saturday morning
session the attendants upon
102 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
the conference were tendered a luncheon,
served in one of the halls of
the University of Cincinnati. In the
afternoon a reception was held by
the Hereditary Patriotic Societies, in
the quarters of the Patriotic Soci-
eties, Mercantile Library Building. The
social features of the reception
were preceded by an exceedingly
entertaining program of addresses by
representatives of the Patriotic Societies.
General Benjamin R. Cowen
presided and an introductory address was
made by Mr. Henry B. Mackoy,
Covington, Ky., Sons of the Revolution
and Chairman Reception Com-
mittee. Succeeding speeches were
delivered by: Mrs. Herman Groesbeck,
Society of Colonial Dames; Rev. Henry M.
Curtis, D. D., Society of
Colonial Wars; Mrs. John A. Murphy,
ex-State Regent Daughters of the
American Revolution; Mr. John A. Blaine,
Sons of the Revolution and
Mrs. Joseph C. Hosea, Daughters of the
Confederacy. It was a brilliant
and fitting close to the two days of
historical revelry and feasting. The
papers read and addresses made
throughout the conference were of a
high order of merit and interest. The
audiences were large and enthusi-
astic. Nothing could have exceeded the
perfect arrangements of the
various committees in charge or the
courtesy and hospitality of the
authorities of the University of
Cincinnati and the people of the city.
The purpose of the conference to
concentrate, direct and awaken new in-
terest in Ohio Valley History was more
than accomplished. In connec-
tion with the meeting there was an
exhibit of maps, manuscripts, and rare
volumes, in the library rooms of the
Historical and Philosophical Society
of Ohio, in the Van Wormer Library
Building. This exhibit was under
the direction of Miss L. Belle Hamlin,
Librarian of the Society. A
special exhibit of books and maps,
applicable to the nature of the con-
ference, was also made by Mr. N. D. C.
Hodges, Librarian, in the rooms
of the Cincinnati Public Library.
At the Friday afternoon meeting a
provisional committee of fifteen
on permanent organization was selected.
This committee met after the
evening banquet and again on Saturday
morning before the Teachers'
Session. At the close of the latter the
committee of fifteen submitted
the report which follows and which was
unanimously adopted by the con-
ference.
The Committee to whom was referred the
task of drafting resolu-
tions on the subject of a permanent
co-operation of the history workers
of the Ohio Valley beg leave to submit
the following resolutions:
1st. Resolved, That there be
formed an organization to be called the
Ohio Valley History Conference.
2d. Resolved, That membership in
this organization be composed of
the following classes:
(a) Individual members.
(b) Organizations whose object it is to cherish all forms of patriotic
work, to stimulate a greater interest in
history teaching in general and in
the subject of the local history of the
Ohio Valley in particular, and to
Editorialana. 103
aid in the collection, preservation, and
publication of its records and of
original work based thereon.
(c) Persons not residing in the Ohio
Valley but whose published
work or regular occupation naturally
identifies them with our purpose.
3d. Resolved, That a second
meeting of this conference be held one
year from date, at some place to be
determined upon later, and that a
committee consisting of nine persons be
empowered to prepare a program
and make other necessary preparations
for this meeting; and in addition
to draft a permanent constitution to be
acted upon at that meeting.
4th. Resolved, That the
membership of this committee consist of the
following persons:
Isaac Joslin Cox, University of
Cincinnati; Samuel Bannister Hard-
ing, University of Indiana; E. O.
Randall, Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society; Virgil A. Lewis,
State Department of Archives and
History, West Virginia; W. W. Longmoor,
Kentucky State Historical
Society; Harry B. Mackoy, Filson Club
and hereditary patriotic societies;
Frank Parker Goodwin, Cincinnati History
Teachers' Association; Archer
B. Hulbert, Marietta College and Ohio
Valley Historical Society, and
Clement L. Martzolff, Secretary, Ohio
University, Athens.
The Committee of nine thus chosen
decided to meet in Cincinnati on
January 17 and 18, 1908, at which time
it will formulate definite plans
for the future scope and work of the
conference.
KERR'S LIFE OF JOHN SHERMAN.
John Sherman in his will provided for
the writing of an impartial
biography and in connection therewith
his will says: "This provision
is not made to secure a eulogy, for I am
conscious of many faults, but
I claim that in my duty to the public, I
have been honest, faithful and
true." His biographer as well as
his executor is Hon. W. S. Kerr, of
Mansfield, Ohio, in his duty enjoined
upon him by Mr. Sherman in his
lifetime Mr. Kerr has written "John
Sherman; His Life and Public
Services," in two handsome volumes
making together nearly nine hundred
pages. Although Mr. Kerr approached his
labor without literary train-
ing or experience, it can be truthfully
stated no better written political
biography can be found in American
bibliography. It is not only John
Sherman's life but it is an admirable
contemporary history of events
surrounding the great Senator's career.
It is not our purpose to dwell
upon the details of the work. It is
sufficient to note that the work before
us is in complete harmony with the
dignified character which is its sub-
ject. From Mr. Sherman's entrance into
the House of Representatives
in 1855, to the day he laid down the
port folio of Secretary of State in
President McKinley's Cabinet, it is a
complete mirror of his public life
and a splendid review of all
contemporary legislative politics in which he
104 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
was a commanding figure. As congressman, senator and cabinet officer John Sherman reflected great honor on himself and his state. As secre- tary of treasury he is one of the great triumverate that history has selected from that office to live during our national life. There have been many great men who have been finance ministers of our country, but the his- torians have placed but three in the Hall of Fame- Alexander Hamil- ton, Salmon P. Chase and John Sherman. We congratulate Mr. Kerr and his readers on having produced one of the best biographies in many a year, and he who will study it will not only gain full knowledge of a great life, but will acquire full information concerning a momentous period of American history from 1855 to 1900. D. J. R. |
|
EDITORIALANA. |
|
THE ORIGINAL MAN FROM OHIO. Remarks recently made by the Editor of this Quarterly in introduc- ing a gentleman on the occasion of a lecture on Ohio Archaeology before the William Morris Society of Columbus, led to much comment both serious and humorous in the newspapers not only of this state but of papers in various parts of the country. The Editor in his remarks was simply "passing along" some well ventilated possible con- clusions resulting from the explorations and valuable researches of the Jessup expeditions. For the past ten or fifteen years Morris K. Jessup, the millionaire philanthopist and until recently president of the American Museum of Natural History, has been the main promoter of many expeditions and elaborate investigations in various parts of the world in search of possible or probable proof of the location of the cradle or birthplace of the human race. The results of these scientific, archae- ologic, ethnologic and anthropologic researches are being prepared for publication in many large volumes in Leyden, Holland. These reports, it is claimed, "will embody the first systematic and comprehensive treat- ment of the problem of how the red man got here (America) and where he probably came from." A brief resume of the conclusions, arrived at in these reports, appeared sometime since in the Cosmopolitan Maga- zine in an article by Daniel T. Pierce. The result is, says this writer, that the evidence demonstrates "that the first American was not an Asiatic emigrant." The investigations in America were carried on by Doc- tor Franz Boas, Harland D. Smith, Livingston Ferrand, James Teit, George Hunt, Roland B. Dixon, and others. For the work in Siberia Walde- mar Jochelson and Waldemar Begoras, of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, were secured. Dr. Berthold Lanfer was placed in charge of the operations in southeastern Siberia. Says Mr. Pierce, "from the study of both ethnological and archaeological condi- tions in northwestern America and in northeastern Asia, it seems most probable that man did not come from Asia at all but crossed over into Asia by way of northwestern America." We cannot follow the article of Mr. Pierce in detail. He gives a resume of the facts and reasons put forth by the distinguished scholars who for years have given their time and thought to this intensely interesting question. The conclusions are (94) |