TO OUR READERS.

With this number the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society enters upon its fourth volume. Three years ago we issued its first number, in very modest form, as an experiment, and it has since grown so rapidly in public favor, as to convince us that it occupies a place in the literature of our State quite satisfactory to a large class of its people. The demand for it has so increased that an enlarged edition has become necessary, its circulation extending to every county in the State, and to almost every state in the Union.

The object of the Journal, as we have before stated, is to popularize Illinois history-to convey to the people and familiarize them with, the the knowledge of facts and events that contribute to perfect the history of our great State, and to interest them in promoting that purpose by adding thereto such historical material as may be in their possession.

At the recent banquet in this city in commemoration of Mr. Lincoln's birthday anniversary, one of the speakers said, in his address, that the history of Mr. Lincoln has not yet been written. This assertion is, in a certain sense, true, notwithstanding the multitude of Lincoln biographies that have been published. The same is equally true of the history of Illinois. The most prominent events and transactions in the inception, growth, and advancement, of the State, are generally well known; but in every county, district, and neighborhood, are stored the memories of local occurrences, incidents, and personal biographies, yet unpublished, essential to a complete history of the State, as are the distant springs

lication of the biography Mrs. Carriel proposes to publish a portion of the correspondence of Professor Turner.

ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.

Vol. VI of the Historical Collections of the State Historical Library recently published is entitled 'Newspapers and Periodicals of Illinois, 1814-1879," written and compiled by Prof. Franklin W. Scott, of the State University. In his preface, Professor Scott says: "That but a slight amount of this material is preserved at all, and that little of what is extant is accessible, are two deplorable facts to be derived from the following pages. The library lists may prove a convenience to those who have occasion to consult files of early newspapers. If they serve no other purpose, however, they may call attention to the slight amount of such material now in the safe keeping of fire-proof library buildings, and may incidentally help to rescue from attics and storerooms the dwindling legacy that is food for mice and flames."

Considering the late day of beginning to rescue this department of our State history from total oblivion, and the dearth of accessible material, the results produced by Professor Scott are indeed marvelous. Every page of the volume, of 600 pages, is evidence of the prodigious amount of persistent labor necessary to accomplish it. His sources of information, he says, "include practically all of the printed county histories and biographical albums and some in manuscript; the proceedings of State, county and city historical societies, histories of Illinois. and of towns; gazetteers, early books of travel, memoirs, city directories, newspaper directories from 1856; fourteen hundred individuals, either through correspondence, or through interviews, and the files of many publications." His work may not be absolutely complete, or

wholly free from errors, but is, without question, a decided addition to the collections of Illinois history, and highly worthy of a place in that series of the Historical Library's publications.

A very valuable part of this record is the ably written introduction (of 104 pages), in which Professor Scott traces the social and economic conditions of Illinois Territory-its population, means of transportation, education, politics, etc.-when its first newspaper was established, at Kaskaskia, in 1814, and on to a recent period. His review of the history and progress of journalism in the State is divided into five stages; the first including the decade from 1814 to the election of 1824, resulting in the defeat of the pro-slavery convention question; the second, from 1824 to the "coonskin and hard cider" campaign of 1840; the third, from 1841 to 1860; the fourth, comprising the following decade to 1870; and the fifth, to 1879. In each stage were new elements of popular opinion, new political issues, and, latterly, many new mechanical aids to the printing art, improved transportation of mails, and telegraphic facilities of inter-communication, that greatly influenced the newspaper industry.

The records of the different newspapers and periodicals of the State, arranged in alphabetic order, are necessarily brief, stating the place and date of the beginning of each, the name of editor or publisher, the changes of title and publishers, if any, and duration of existence of each. It is an admirable and indispensable book of reference, reliable in its facts, and written with scholarly precision.

THE GEOLOGY OF ILLINOIS.

Bulletin No. 16 of the Geological Survey of Illinois, recently issued, is the Year Book of the Survey, outlining, in 402 pages, the work done for the year 1909, and