With the Makers of Texas: A Source Reader in Texas History . By Herbert Eugene Bolton , Ph. D., and Eugene C. Barker , M. A., Instructors in History in The University of Texas. With an Introduction by George P. Garrison, Ph. D., Professor of History in The University of Texas. Illustrated. (Gammel-Statesman Publishing Co., Austin, Texas. 1904. 12mo., cloth. p. XVI+316. Price 60 cents.)

It is impossible to point out the numerous excellences of this book. It exhibits the result of years of painstaking labor and careful discrimination of judgment in the selection of materials. Over seventy writers are permitted to tell of their experiences in Texas. This fact in itself will be a revelation to those who have been accustomed to think that all the history of Texas was contained in So-and-So's book. The extensiveness and variety of our history is further emphasized by the fact that the selections are made from Spanish, French, German, and English writings. There are between sixty and seventy illustrations, including a facsimile of Travis's heroic letter, written from the Alamo, Feb. 24, 1836, and a colored plate of the Texas flag.

The book is very readable. The illustrations are well executed. It is a book on Texas by Texas teachers for Texas teachers printed by a Texas house, and with abundant intrinsic worth to merit a very generous patronage.

After this very brief preface on the excellences of the book, it may not be amiss to point out more at length some minor defects. The book the compilers state “may serve either as a reader or to supplement the history text.” In this review it will be examined with reference to the latter use exclusively; the writer believes that its real mission lies in this direction. The value of the criticisms, if they possess any, is predicated on this view. (1) The indicated pronunciation of Spanish proper names is not complete enough to make the dictionary superfluous: (See Cabeza de Vaca, p. 1, Alvarado, p. 14, Coahuila, p 35, and Maria, p. 53.) (2) The book contains no list of its illustrations. The sources from which the illustrations are taken are not indicated, which gives rise to confusion; for instance, is the pueblo shown on p. 14 a picture of Cicuye? and is the illustration, entitled the “Death of La Salle,” p. 32, taken from Joutel? The portraits, with one exception, p. 234, are not dated. It would be helpful, too, if the illustrations of buildings, ruins, statues, and monuments showed both date and place. (3) In Nos. 16 and 17 Bean's name is incorrectly written as is shown by the following extract from a letter written July 27, 1856, by I. T. Bean to Henderson Yoakum: “I see you have goten my Father's name wrong[.] You have it Ellis P. Bean when it should have bin P. E. Bean[.] I think that should be Rectifyed.” (4) The most serious error is the placing of the dates, that should follow the titles of the selections, after the names of the writers. For instance, selection No. 16 would better have been entitled “Hunting Wild Horses in Texas (1801);” if any date is placed after the name of the writer, in this instance it should be 1816, when, according to the introductory note, Bean wrote the selection.

The following extract apparently supplies the name of the writer of selection No. 30, p. 112: “It was during this year [1829] that the Baptists had the honor of establishing the first Sunday-school in Texas. It was organized at San Felipe, under the guidance of T. J. Pilgrim.” (Yoakum, II 221.)

In selection No. 46, the writer would prefer to see the term “general council” used in place of “permanent council;” it is in keeping with the usage of the council itself after its first few sessions, and is more descriptive of the character of that body.

E. W. Winkler .

How to cite:
Winkler, E. W., "With the Makers of Texas: A Source Reader in Texas History", Volume 008, Number 2, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 193 - 195. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v008/n2/review_64.html
[Accessed Tue Dec 2 0:24:00 CST 2008]