The Arkansas News item about Abraham Block and Old Washington, Arkansas, in 
an earlier e-mail today is charming because it's make believe.  Arkansas 
News was a 'school newspaper' Sponsored by the Old State House Museum in 
Little Rock, AR and written/edited by a team of historians and 
archeologists.  Our mission was to make stories about real events in 
Arkansas History lively and interesting for middle school students to 
read.  We learned over the years that many parents read the articles too 
after the children took the newspapers home.

Although the articles were clearly identified as fiction, they've taken on 
an aura of authenticity. I found one story that I wrote several years ago 
on a family genealogy website, cited as an authentic news item.  Beware the 
unintended consequences of good deeds


Ann M. Early
Fayetteville, AR