Joseph Nathan Kane dies

[Frank Abate]

Many thanks to Barry P for his recent notice of the death of Joseph Nathan
Kane.  I did not know of all of Kane's achievements, though I have used his
books for years.

Similar to Kane, it seems to me, was Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, who gave the
world Brewer's Dict of Phrase and Fable, not to mention 2 other ref works,
on literary and historical matters (can't recall the titles of these, long
out of print).  Brewer collected "factoids" on little bits of paper, and put
each into a particular box.  He did this for years.  Then he would dump all
the stuff out of the box, sort through it, and thus have the basis for a ref
book.  I believe he did each of his books this way.

Frank Abate