Johnson's New Universal Encylopedia

In our isBue of two weeks ago, we mentioned the fact that Mr. Watson, General Agent for thia work, was in town for the purpose of finishing the canvass begun by the last agent, Mr. Martin, who was obliged to leave on account of ill healtli. Since our mention of this work in our issue of Oct. 16th, 1874, we have given it a more areful and thorough examination, and feel as hough we are in duty bound to say to our latrons and the public generally that what we lave heretofore said in favor of this work is oo meager and tarae compared with its inrinsic worth. We, therefore, take this opporunity of revivifying what we formerly said nd add that as a hand book of universal nowledge it is without a superior ; that as a iographical, goographical, historica!, and lathological compendium, it it unsurpassed ; esides the articles on chemistry, physics, and ther scientific subjects are all treated in a ear, concise, and masterly mauner by the most eminent men of the day. The Biographical Department is superior to nything of the kind we have ever before met with. Among its contributors, we find the ames of Pres. Baraard, Prof. Hitchcock, Pres. .nderson, and many others of equal merit. 'his fact of itself is sufiicient evidence of reiability, and renders this part of the work free from auy j ust imputation of prejudice or partiality. The Ueographical Department is under the mmediate upervision of Prof. Guyot. We eel that anything we might say further of lis department, after mentioning the name of tia eminent gentleman in connection therewith would be useless. The department of Pathology and Medicine ias been carefully prepared by Drs. Parker, Plint, and Jawtic. Special attention has been given to diseases of children, and whiU we do ot favor the inaxim of ' every man his own octor," we can assure our readers that a nowledge of what this work contains on the ubiects above mentioned will. in manv cases. nable persons of ordinary intelligeuce to idenfy a disease, and give them a sufficient uowledge of therapeutics to arrest it in its inïpient atage. The department of Law, by Judge Dwight, treated so fully, and yet so condensed and mple, that any citizen can,easily, by perusing few pages, become fully informed of the uties he owes to his fellow citizen, and his overnment. Not only is municipal law reated of, but international law, clearly pointng out the duties and obligations of natious, las received careful attention by Prof. Wooley, who is uudoubted authority on interational law. It is impossible for us to particularizo each epartmeut of thia work, and beatovv on it the ominendation it deserves. No oue who exmines it can doubt that the claim of the ediora, to have obtained the most competent asstance in the preparation of its articles, is ully sustained. In its list of contributora are ie names of many men - American and oreign -eminent in letters and scieuce, and ie most important articles are the work of ecialists who have devoted a life of labor and arnest research to the subjects of which they eat, with such distingnished ability. Thus, ie article on Electricity is by Pres. Henry [orton, the article on Comparative Anatomy is y Prof. E. D. Cope, Prof. Guyot treats of the arth, Prot. Henry Hartshorn clearly exemifys and elucidates the subject of Evolution, hat eminent scholar, Richard Grant White, ireats of English Literature with his well ;nown ability. The above examples should erve as illustrations of the great care that has een taken to make the book worthy of its riginator, Horace Greeley, and of the times n which we live. Indeed, the work covers as early as it is possible to do, the entire range human knowledga. To accompiish the best lection and most thorough condensation, the asters of these great subjects have been aught, and the skill they have exhibited shows t once that the selection was well made, and ie originality in a great many of the subjects ïows that they are the creation of master inds. We may add that this cyclopedia is a comete gazetteer of the United States, and also a liographical dictionary. Distiuguished and otorious living characters find mention ; wns and villages are mentioned in their phabetical order. Every town containing a ewspaper is treated, commonly, by residents, ving a condensed report of its manufactures, ïurches, schools, number of inhabitants, and eneral business. Upon the whole, we do not heaitate to say lat as a great thesaurus of knowledge, in conse, clear, intelligible form, this cyclopedia las no equal in books known to us, and that as book of reference for busy, practical men, nd for the family, it filis a place heretotore acant, and supplies a want long feit. For, n the preparation of this work, every cycloedia, general or special, and every dictionary r conpendium of art, science, law. theology, ïblical literature, technology, geography, atural history, biography, known to have teen published in thia country, in England, or n the continent of Europe withiu the last wenty years have been caref uil ysearched. To íese have been added the reports of journals evoted to these sciences, and public documents relating to population, agriculture, coinmerce, manufactures, coinage, currency, &c. n fact it seems as though the world hos been made to contribute, thus rendering it a comete hand book of general knowledge, and ofering to the man of limited means an opporunity ol purchasing at a really nominal pnce, he combined librarles of the world. If necesary we could add the teetimony of many tromiuent gentlemen of this country in verifttion of what we have said, as we are not one in our opinión of this great work.