Selections of Editorial Miscellanies and Letters, Published in the Fredonia Censor at Various Times Between 1842 and 1894, by Willard McKinstry (HC, 1894, $19, condition- see below)
"In my more than fifty years of connection with the publications of the Fredonia Censor, I have of course witnessed many changes. I have lived to see my eightieth year, and a large part of these years have been spent in this village... I came to Fredonia as a young man, and purchased the Censor office at the close of the 21st year of its publication... In undertaking the publication of this volume, I desire to commemorate the friends of my younger days and the few who remain, for whom I have a very warm regard."
The condition of this book is rough. The first two pages are loose. The very top part of the title page and page 9 are missing, but the rest of the pages are in wonderful shape for being over 100 years old. (How is it that old paper can stay so white?) Both front and back bindings are loose but intact.
If you can overlook its condition, this book is a gem, especially if you are interested in the genealogy of the area. As he writes in his preface, "The pages devoted to family genealogy, I inserted for the benefit of near relatives interested in the preservation of the data given." Bless him for his thoughtfulness back in 1894!
This book can still be reprinted. The only listing for an actual copy of Selections asks $84, and it is hardly in any better shape than ours, so $19 is a great price. McKinstry writes of his amazement in the changes in his world during the last half of his century. What would he say to all the changes, both good and bad, that have happened since? Look for this book in the front glass case.
