is book had to be taken most of
the historical sketch which will be found in the Census Report. Egle's
History of Pennsylvania tells us something about Pittsburgh, and
magazine articles are plenty, though historically of little value.

St. Louis is more plentifully supplied with histories than any other
Western city, and these histories are as much worse as they are more
numerous. One of these deserves notice, from the fact that its
title-page so ridiculously and exasperatingly misrepresents its
contents. This page reads as follows: "Edwards's Great West and her
Commercial Metropolis, embracing a complete History of St. Louis, from
the landing of Ligueste, in 1764, to the present time; with portraits
and biographies of some of the old settlers, and many of the most
prominent business men. By Richard Edwards and M. Hopewell, M.D.
Splendidly illustrated. 1860. $5." This seemed to promise well, but when
we turned the page and read the introduction, our expectations were, to
say the least, somewhat shaken, and our sense of the eternal fitness of
things somewhat shocked, when we found the citizens of St. Louis called
"a powerful Maecenas." Shade of Virgil! What a profanation!

Any book that is preceded by a dedication, a preface, an introduction,
and a full-page portrait of the author (with a big A), must, in the very
nature of things, be a monstrosity. But, leaving these anomalies out of
account, in the present instance, the composition of the book is
sufficient proof that the epithet is not undeserved. "And this is so,
for,"--as Herodotus would say,--in a book called Edwards's Great West,
the "Great West" is summarily and mercilessly disposed of in just five
pages. Then follow eighty-two pages of biographies and portraits,
ingeniously defended by the author as follows: "Biographies of those who
have become identified with the progress of the great city, who have
guarded and directed its business currents year by year, swelling with
the elements of prosperity, and who have left the impress of their
genius and judgment upon the legislative enactments of the State, must
be sought after with avidity, and must be fraught with useful
instruction." There is no question that these biographies are fraught
with useful instruction--all biographies are; but to assert that they
must be sought after with avidity is a little too much to be swallowed.
Such assertions show either deplorable ignorance or unwarrantable
misrepresentation of