Genuine biography must always be a contribution to scientific history. The past errors of ill-prepared and unauthentic biographers are no more to be charged up against the modern scientific writers of historical biography, than are the sins of Hume, in the treatment of English history, to be remembered against Stubbs. The popular predilection in favor of sensational biography can hardly be more deplorable than an occasional scientific prejudice against sensible biography.

Among the numerous American authors of the present day who are co-operating to redeem biographical writing in our country from any ill-repute which it may have borne in the past is Reuben Gold Thwaites of Wisconsin. There has just come from his pen a brief biographical work which is all that modern criticism demands. In more than one respect Mr. Thwaites' little volume on Daniel Boone is a model of what a brief modern biography should be.

In this volume the general historical setting of Boone's time is never for a moment lost sight of. It is not the sketch of some Robinson Crusoe in an ideal insular isolation. Mr. Thwaites does not represent Boone as a hero to be worshipped, does not even call him a great man, and makes no claim for him as the first or the greatest pioneer in Kentucky. In the author's judgment Boone is simply a man whose interesting life makes a convenient point of view in treating the early history of one of the important sections of the middle The book is admirably proportioned, the narrative never lacks interest, while every page gives evidence of the most careful research. A constant distinction is made between ascertained fact and plausible conjecture. The illustrations are excellent and the volume has a good index, a feature which is conspicuously absent in many brief biographical sketches. The absence of any maps to illustrate the journeys of Boone and his friends is the one serious defect in the work. The ease with which such maps could be prepared makes their absence all the more a matter of surprise.

west.

The author is to be congratulated upon his good terminal facilities. When the story is told the book closes. There are no supernumerary chapters at the close as there is no padding in the body of

the work. It is a terse, concise, clear, accurate account of a man and a period which have a permanent and positive historical value. WILLIAM CRAIG WILCOX

THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

IOWA CITY

Father Marquette. By REUBEN GOLD THWAITES. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Pp. xv, 224.

Since the days of Francis Parkman interest in the history of the Middle West has scarcely abated. The rapid accession of interest in the subject manifest in recent years, however, impresses one who has not closely followed its development as being of the nature of a revival rather than a sound and permanent growth. As a matter of fact the West is beginning to recognize that it has a history of its own, apart from that of the New England pioneers whose grandsons finally came to occupy the valleys of the Ohio and the Mississippi and the fertile prairies beyond. One tangible result of thus coming to their full inheritance is that the people of the Middle West have in prospect the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, to be held in the city which, of all cities, is perhaps richest in historic associations of the truly western type.

This biography of Father Marquette is thus timely in its appearance, the more so as it is more than a mere biography. No more central figure could have been chosen about which to group the rugged features which form the background of the history of the Mississippi Valley than the person of Marquette. He, more than any other man of his time, was in touch with all the springs of action which urged the white man past the remotest shores of our inland seas and on to "the Great Water of the West." The author has made good use of this unique position of his hero-for no biographer could treat Marquette as other than a hero—and has given us a picture of his surroundings, both as to place and time, which has not been surpassed. This has been done, too, without the least straining for literary effect. On the contrary, much of the narrative and many of the

descriptions are given in the simple and artless language of Marquette or of his contemporaries, as recorded in the Jesuit Relations and other original documents. Yet, despite the faithful freedom with which the quotation marks are used, there is no lack of continuity in the text.

In point of general accuracy the work is, as the name of the author would lead one to expect, quite above suspicion. Few disputed points are touched upon, as for example, the questions as to the location of the Mission of St. Ignace and that of the village of the Mascoutins. Marquette's presence, at any time, upon the site of Chicago is also doubted. While these questions are all dealt with gently, the "author's own views are sometimes easily apparent. The statement regarding La Salle's exploration of the Ohio to the falls of Louisville (p. 129), however, might have been made a little less positively; though any discussion of the question would certainly have been irrelative.

The illustrations are good and well selected. Mac Neil's fine bronze reliefs from the Marquette Building (Chicago) are appropriately included. Trentanove's "idealized" statue of Marquette should have no place here-nor in the national capitol for that matter. The reader's natural curiosity as to the grounds upon which the frontispiece is "reputed" to be a portrait of Marquette is quite unsatisfied Marquette's MS. map would be even more interesting if accompanied by a table identifying, as far as possible, the various localities and other proper names recorded thereon. One would rather see the junction of the Wisconsin with the Mississippi from the point of view occupied by Marquette and Joliet, than from the bluff below McGregor. But these are trivial matters which do not in any way mar the real excellence of the work.

THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

IOWA CITY

LAENAS GIFFORD WELD

NOTES AND COMMENT

An eight page pamphlet on "Publications in Iowa History," issued by the State Historical Society of Iowa, contains this announcement: "The Board of Curators has provided for the compilation and publication of the Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa. The entire compilation will be issued in four large octavo volumes which will contain all of the Inaugural Addresses, Biennial Messages, Veto Messages, Special Messages, and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa from 1836 to 1902. The complete set of four volumes will be issued before December, 1903. The subscription price has been fixed at six dollars."

Frontier Land Clubs or Claim Associations, a paper published in the Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1900, is based largely upon materials taken from the sources of Iowa history.

The State Historical Society of Iowa has recently issued a pamphlet which contains a list of all its regular and special publications in Iowa history.

In June, 1902, a chair of American History was established at the State University of Iowa. Professor William Craig Wilcox, who for eight years occupied the chair of History in this University, has been elected to the newly established professorship.

To the October, 1902, number of the Annals of Iowa, Mr. W. H. Ingham of Algona, Iowa, contributes the leading article which is on "The Iowa Northern Border Brigade of 1862-3." Mr. Ingham's article is a valuable contribution to what may be called the Indian history of Iowa.

The Iowa Monument Commission has decided to locate the second of the monuments, which are to be erected on the Chattanooga battle grounds, on the extreme end of Missionary Ridge. At this place. the Sixth Iowa Regiment was stationed during the battle of Missionary Ridge. The third monument will probably be located near the site of Bragg's headquarters.

After having served as instructor for four years and as assistant professor for two years at the State University of Iowa, Harry Grant Plum, A. M., has been promoted to the position of Professor of European History. Mr. Plum was born in Iowa and educated at the State University. He pursued graduate study at Columbia University, where in 1899 he held a fellowship in History.

At last the books and pamphlets in the Library of the State Historical Society of Iowa are to be completely accessioned, arranged, classified, and catalogued. Miss Margaret Budington, who was recently elected to the position of Acting Librarian and Cataloguer, will superintend the work. The Historical Society is fortunate in securing the services of one so efficient in library administration. Miss Budington is an alumna of Vassar, having graduated in 1900. She received her special training for library work at the Illinois State Library School of the University of Illinois. From June, 1901, to March, 1902, Miss Budington served as assistant cataloguer in the library of the University of Cincinnati. Then she came to Iowa, where she occupied the position of assistant cataloguer in the library of the State University until August, 1902. Miss Budington entered the library of the State Historical Society on October 1, 1902.

Frank E. Horack, A. M., Ph. D., has recently been appointed to the position of Instructor in Political Science in the State University of Iowa. Dr. Horack is a native born Iowan and a graduate of the State University of Iowa, from which he also holds the degree of Master of Arts. His degree of Doctor of Philosophy was conferred by the University of Pennsylvania. The Board of Curators of the