IV

The Review begins its new volume hopefully but with ever-increasing awe of Messrs. Gutenberg, Fust end Schoeffer, the Germanic gentlemen who, 500 years ago, brought to practical perfection the art of duplicating mechanically on paper the great supply of words which man has devised in his endless business of talking and writing.

As this bulletin looks backward statistically at its 18 previous numbers, it is roundly chastened at the discovery that it has produced 577 pages of material --- some quarter-million words. It hopes earnestly that a reasonable proportion of that prodigal number may be worthy of the permanent record, but it wishes above all that the syllables which it transforms into black and white and distributes with due humility in the future may offer some reward for the patience and good faith of the reader.

As it has done on many other occasions, The Review, in launching Volume IV upon the uncertain waters of informal journalism, invites the suggestions of all critics and promises to do its modest best always to flee as smartly as possible before that ancient condemnation: "Great worker, little doer."

HERBERT EVISON

Back in its infancy The Review determined that, in view of its objectives and distribution, it would contain a minimum amount of personalities. For that reason, to the disappointment of some readers, there have been no notices of births, marriages, or the more ordinary comings and goings. We now commit a self-infringement of our policy by recording, with deeply felt regret, the imminent departure of Herbert Evison, Associate Regional Director, who will enter up on new duties in the Washington office after three and a half years in Richmond. He has served long, faithfully and effectively on the unofficial editorial board of The Review. As the resourceful French so neatly say it: He will be greatly lacking to us.

OPPORTUNITY

Grave and numerous are the responsibilities which devolve upon the Service. It puts out fires, tends babies and writes term papers for college sophomores. Yet, surely, one fragile straw may be added to the burden now balanced so adroitly on its bruised shoulders.

The project would concern that complex field of communications which is entirely independent of the post office, the telegraph and radio. The job, which, if success fully executed, would earn the plaudits of millions now perplexed, is the problem of determining the velocity attained by the average limerick or Confucianism after it is sent on its lightning travels, and the mysterious method by which it propels itself.

A friend of The Review recently brought in a limerick he had just picked up in Washington. Two days later the mail brought the same one from two different cities, both of them more then 600 miles away.

If telepathic transmission of kitchen doggerel is a scientific fact, then the world has a right to know it. It's up to the Service.

H. R. A.

ORIGINAL WALL PAPER ORIGINAL

The reference [Vol. III, No. 6, December, 1939, pp. 15-20] to the last Vicksburg wall-paper edition of July 2 end 4 [1863] reminded me of an interview I had with Colonel A. B. Crampton, then Commander of the Indiana Department G. A. R., more than twenty years ago. It might interest you to know that Mr. Crampton was the printer in Grant's Army selected by Grant to prepare certain proclamations, etc., upon his entry into Vicksburg. It was Mr. Crampton with one assistant who found The Daily Citizen offices, noted the July 2 edition form still intact and added the note on July 4 referring to the capture of the rabbit. The first print of the edition was retained by Mr. Crampton and was in his possession at the time of my interview. I believe that he later deeded it to the State Library for the museum. Exact details can be obtained regarding this from Colonel Crampton's daughter at Delphi, Indiana, or from the State Department. Also the State Historical Bureau end the Indianapolis News can verify the information.

PAUL V. BROWN,
Associate Regional Director,
Region Two.

Omaha.

[Mr. Brown, whose father, Hilton U. Brown, formerly was editor and general manager of The Indianapolis News, served for a number of years as a staff member of that newspaper. His productive feat of memory has reference to a reportorial interview.]

ORIGINALS AND FACSIMILES

I was very much pleased with the last issue of your Regional Review, because of its important historical articles, with their excellent and interesting illustrations. Naturally I am particularly interested in [the] article on Wall-Paper Newspapers end appreciate the kind reference to my article on the subject, printed in 1924. Since that time I have ascribed the location of a considerable number of additional copies of wall-paper issues.

. . . Few original issues of the Vicksburg Citizen have turned up in recent years, although in common with other libraries, we have received scores of letters regarding facsimile issues. Only today, how ever, we received a letter from Mr. J. H. Edwards, of Huntington, West Virginia, who claims that he has an original issue, and that it has been authenticated by the Library of Congress. I have given him your name and told him to write to you.

CLARENCE S . BRIGHAM,
Director,
American Antiquarian Society.

Worcester,
Massachusetts.

[Dr. Brigham, formerly librarian and for the last ten years the director of the Society, is a distinguished bibliographer and historian of the American press. His "Wall-paper Newspapers of the Civil War" appears in Bibliographical Essays, A Tribute to Wilberforce Eames (Harvard Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1924), 203-209.]