The Project Gutenberg EBook of Western Worthies, by J. Stephen Jeans

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Title: Western Worthies
A Gallery of Biographical and Critical Sketches of West
of Scotland Celebrities

Author: J. Stephen Jeans

Release Date: October 2, 2006 [EBook #19434]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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WESTERN WORTHIES:

_A GALLERY_

of

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SKETCHES

_of_

WEST OF SCOTLAND CELEBRITIES.

_By J. STEPHEN JEANS_,

EDITOR OF THE "EVENING STAR."

* * * * *

Glasgow:

PUBLISHED AT _THE STAR_ OFFICE, ARGYLE STREET.

MDCCCLXXII.

_PREFACE._

The author does not consider that the following pages require any
apology for their appearance. They are given to the world with a
two-fold object--the first being that of gratifying an increasing and
perfectly legitimate anxiety on the part of the public to know more of
the antecedents--the struggles, and the triumphs--of the men whom they
recognize as leaders; and the other, that of reminding a younger
generation, from a contemplation of the lives of great men, that they
too, may leave behind them

"Footprints on the sands of Time."

The scope of the present work renders it impossible to do full justice
to any one of the men who have been selected; and on this account the
author has made his Sketches more biographical than critical, leaving
the reader to reflect on facts rather than on opinions.

To become food for biographers and worms was the two-fold evil of which
Rachel spoke shortly before her death. So far as the former terror is
concerned, the men who are pourtrayed in these pages have little to
fear. Every care has been taken to secure accuracy of detail, most of
the Sketches having been revised by those whom they more directly
concern; and the author's aim has been to be just without severity, and
truthful without personality. Humanity