Tim (is Gilley your surname?) I appreciate your response to my posting about my experience with the book "Welch and Its People." My intent was to express CAUTION to those who use the information from that book and to point out that it contains a number of errors, irregardless of how well intentioned the author and those who worked on collecting the data were. It has been my observation and experience that many people interested in genealogy of their family are interested primarilly in collecting information from any source. Many are too willing to accept at face-value any information purporting to be information about their family. They often are likely to be unwilling or unable to look at the information as a lead requiring further inquiry and verification before the information can be accepted as an accurate representation of their family history. A reasonable presumption is that an author of a book is presenting accurate information that the author can corroborate. If the source of the information is based on the memory of an individual, it is incumbent on the author to tell the reader that a particular piece of information was told by such-and-such a person. I do not have access to the book but I cannot recall that the book contains a explanation of how the information was collected or whether that information was verified in any way. You are to be commended for making information in the book that pertains to inquiries received. knowing the limitations of the book's accuracy, it might be kinder to the recipient of the information to be alerted to these limitations unless you can personally vouch for the accuracy of the data. I am interested in your charicterization of the book I mentioned, "McDowell County History: A Pictorial History of McDowell County West Virginia." I assume from the credits for the book that it was commissioned or was a project of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Does your comment that the book "...prepared by the well known politicians ...." refers to the DAR, to the authors Mrs Samuesl Solins and Mrs. Paul W. Jones or to both of them? I never knew the authors, their families, or their affiliations and while the DAR has a agenda I have not associated them with the "...demise of the County, or for that matter the demise of the entire Southern Counties of West Virginia ...." The book was published in 1959. I don't know history well enough to comment on whether it was appropriate of possible for the authors to make judgements on the actions and policies of either John L. Lewis or Senator Byrd as regards the economic decline of the County. Tim, this message is not intended as a "flame" but as an explanation of my position and beliefs. I agree with you that the reader of any book must make his/her own judgement of that book. However, I believe it is a responsibility of anyone who shares information about a book to make known that person's opinion and/or knowledge about the strength or weakness of the book mentioned. :-) medbank@showme.missouri.edu (male) Gail Bank, Columbia, MO On Sat, 11 Jul 1998 RGilley331@aol.com wrote: > Gail, While some of what you say is true, majority of items appearing in the > "Welch and it's People" are indeed correct. The mayor and 7 people > collaborated on that effort. I can, say however, if there are inaccurracies > it is because of the questioinaires returned with such shown, or those not > providing questionaires, spoke from memory. Having lived in McDowell County > and in particular Welch proper, and my family knowing a good many of those > and their families listed, this type of publication was long overdue. So > far, any information I have provided from the book, to those requesting > information, while some may not be 100% accurate, those family members > receiving the information provided can make the corrections as necessary. > > The book on McDowell History you quoted, while reflective of the county's > history -prepared by the well known politicians doesn't address the demise of > the County, or for that matter the demise of the entire Southern Counties of > West Virginia or why > West Virginia leads the nation with unemployment. Mr. Byrd's political > machinery on the State and National level didn't help W.Va. either. Is John > L. Lewis also listed as a prominent person worthy of praise? Don't get me > started - enough said. > > No doubt, both books are worthy of anyone's review and discernment. Leave it > to the reader to make the judgment of preference. > > Regards, and Peace. Tim :-}}} >