I always love reading that sort of history and at times I can transport myself in my imagination back to those early years and try to observe what was going on in those days... I personally find it fascinating myself!
Here's another link from the same online library that has a bunch of books, articles and papers regarding "Electric Welding" and it is a good starting point for anyone who wants to start a comprehensive reference folder in their bookmarks/favorites section of your web browser... There's a bunch of some interesting knowledge and information there...