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AMONG THE MAGAZINES
THE LITERARY DIGEST.
The Literary Digest, which recently combined
with Public Opinion, comes out in the number of
the last week of September in a new and beautifully
colored cover, in keeping with the enlarged and
somewhat improved subject matter of its contents.
“Two Sides of the Cuban Question”; “The Ty
phoon at Hong Kong,” and “Mr. Bryan’s Trust
Test,” are the leading articles in the Topics of the
Day department. “The Mystery of Rubber,” and
“The Inefficiency of Night Work,” are among the
Science and Invention articles. A review of the
verse of Mr. Alfred Noyes, and extracts from Mr.
William Winter’s recent article in The Tribune
on “Tainted Plays,” constitute the chief interest
of the literary features. An editorial from the
Atlanta Georgian on the subject of “Royalty With
out Parade,” is copied and favorably commented
upon.
In A Guide to the New Books, A Political his
tory of the State of New York and Susan Clegg and
her Neighbors’ Affairs are given most prominence
and commendation among the fifty or more books
mentioned. Somehow we are not pleased with
the book review department. The Literary Digest
should, of right, be the last word on such matters,
but the type the criticisms are printed in, or some
thing or other, makes us feel that it is not so
much after all. If it were to praise a book of ours
we would be much puffed up, and if it condemned
it we really wouldn’t care a hang. The Digest
promises to please its old friends better than ever
before, and to largely increase the list of its new
ones.
McCLURE’S.
McClure’s, following the example set by The
Golden Age some months ago, has, as its leader,
the first instalment of “Ben B. Lindsey, the Just
Judge,” by Lincoln Steffens. Mr. Steffens must
find it most agreeable to find a subject which will
enable him to lay down his griddle and turn off
the gas range. He has been roasting men and
cities so long that to find a man so amply worthy
of praise, surely gives him a needed change of
activity. The article is the beginning of a com
plete history of the work undertaken, and being
accomplished by Judge Lindsey in his Juvenile
Court in Denver. The purpose of the court is to
turn youthful criminals from crime, and put them
in a position to avoid it, rather than to put them
forever beyond reach of redemption, by throwing
them among more hardened criminals in rhe jails
and gangs. Galveston; a Business Corporation;
the third instalment of the history of the Clark-
Daly fight for the political supremacy of Montana,
and the sixth instalment of The Story of Life In
surance, constitute the solid reading matter of this
number. In fiction, Kipling’s Robin Goodfellow,
is a little better than the preceding parts. Perce
val Gibbon is to be cangratulai ?i on his “The
Second-Class Passenger.” We are forced to regard
Herminie Templeton and James Hopper partly in
sorrow, but more in anger for their stories. They
might, could and should have been belter. If
they come with any more as bad we are going to
say some dreadful things about them next time.
If we were not so busy we wouldn’t let them off
so light this time.
It is editorially announced that the secund part
of the Memoirs of Carl Schurz will begin in the
November number.
HARPER’S
“The Weavers,” by Gilbert Parker, illustrated
by Andre Castaigne, begins in this number, and is
probably one of the notable pieces of fiction of
the year. Charles Henry White has an attractive
article on “Boston Town,” illustrated with etch
ings by the author. Profess -r Duncan’s fifth in
stalment of his series on die “Chemistry of Com
merce” is “High Temperature and Modem In
dustry.” An instructive article on the University
of London is contributed oy Dr. Chas. F. Thwjng,
By A. E. RAMSAUR.
It is long since a more on py able and unique arti
cle of interest to bird-lovers has been printed than
is Henry Oldy’s “Music of Bird Sungs.” He gives
the notes of the calls and songs of various wood
land birds, and the entire artifie is full of richness
to such as combine some ;<ni.VnMge of musical tec
nique with a love of bird Site. Henry Van Dyke
contributes an article on “The Americanisms of
Washington,” which throws new light on many
of the characteristics and up m the personal char
acter of the great American. Tne travel feature
consists in “The St range st Corner of England,”
by Robert Shackleton, being views and desciiptions
of characteristic bits of the Scilly Isles. The short
story fiction is attractive mure by reason of some
wonderfully fine illustration in color than by rea
son of the reading matter. The humorous depart
ment is better than usual- -this pen cannot trace
stronger praise. The limerick, the children, the
animal pictures, and the Irish are ail represented.
Our choice falls upon the Irish joke this month:
Patrick, lately over, was working in the yards
of a railroad. One day lie happened, to be m the
yard office when the force was out. The telephone
rang very vigorously several times, and at last
he decided it ought to be answered He walked
over to the instrument, took down the receiver,
and put his mouth to the transmitter, just as he
had seen others do.
“Hillo!” he called.
“Hello!” answered the voice at the other end
of the line. “Is this eight-six-one-five-nine?”
“Aw, g’wan! Phat d’ye think oi am—a box
car?”
WATSON’S MAGAZINE.
In the good old times of our fathers there was
never a gathering at muster-ground or elsewhere
but was signalized by the trying-out of the phy
sical prowess of two champions. The imagination
can grasp the disappointment of said fathers if
they went to a muster without seeing a single
fight. In like case are we disappointed in not see
ing anything in this issue of Tom Watson’s that
remotely looks like a scrap. The two distinguished
gentlemen whose duel we referred to in our last
review: the Editor of Watson’s and the Editor of
the Macon Telegraph, seem to have adjusted their
differences and retired from the lists, each to his
own tent. We are glad. We have enjoyed this
number in a different way. We endorse this maga
zine. It contains a lot of plain food for plain
thinkers. The editorials are always good. Some
times they express an opinion contrary to ours,
but we have amazing difficulty in getting around
them. This time we have the conclusion of “The
Currency Trust,” “The Railway Mail Service,”
by David A. Gates, and the first instalment of a
sketch of Alexander 11. Stephens, to be concluded
in the November number, by Z. I. Fitzpatrick.
The fiction is fair, and the Letters from the People
department is good.
PEARSON’S.
“A Boss-Tamer in Ermine,” by James Creel
man, is a stirring story of the career of William
J. Gaynor, Justice of the Appellate Division of the
Supreme Court of New York. It gives, in a well -
prepared form, an outline of the work of Judge
Gaynor on the bench i.i his efforts to strenuously
enforce the law and prevent rhe domination of
rings and bosses. It is illustrated with views of
Judge Gaynor, his family, his faim-wagor, bis
chickens and his hogs. The pictures indicate, it
a way that makes it unnecessary to say more, that
this is a good American write-up of a good and
wholesome American citizen. William R. Stewart,
in “Protecting rhe World’s Richest Man,” tells
of the life led by John D. Rockel.‘He l , ami the
precautions he takes to have himself guarded so
that he can lead any kind of life at all. Alfred
Henry Lewis’ “Romance of Aaron Burr,” goes
bravely on, but beyond a certain charm c.f phrase
and manner of polish, is not yet very interesting.
The Golden Age for October 4, 1906.
David Graham Phillips has a story that is pretty
bad. Some people may enjoy it, though. Our old
friend, “Don Q,” is here again, and we always en
joy the wonderful escapes he achieves from death
which seems absolutely certain. “The Kaiser’s
Escapade” is the subject of the current story
anent the doings and miraculous perfoimances of
“Monsieur A. V.,” an alleged detective who has
been moving and having his being iu Pearson’s
for quite a while. He is only an alleged detective
—it could not be proven—for if he could detect
anything it would be that he is a most insufferable
donkey. The story this time is an unhappy selec
tion from a degenerate lot. If all French detec
tives are of the “A. V.” type, there is no hope
of the youth of that poor land amounting to much.
The English lad has Sherlock Holmes as his in
spiration; in America the shining name of Old
Sleuth beckons on to fame and glory; why can’t
Pearson’s get wise and publish an autobiography
of Nick Carter instead of this nonsense?
The Equinox.
Again is our country swept by a devastating evi
dence of Nature’s destroying power, and the fair
gulf coast, with its homes and hamlets, its his
toric towns and picturesque cities lies waste before
the great Equinoxial storm which marked the week
just ended. Daily the reports come of loss of life,
of property destroyed and the tale of ruin and
desolation grows with the passing hours. While
our hearts are filled with sympathy for the home
less hundreds, we find ourselves almost unconscious
ly asking why such things are permitted. This
recurring question will come unbidden in times of
storm and pestilence and famine and the answer
varies with the temperament of those who would
seek the solution of Divine decrees or the expla
nation of Divine mysteries.
During the days following the San Francisco
earthquake the same thoughts were aroused as those
which crowd upon us of the South today, and al
though we are powerless to give more than a
physical explanation of these climatic and cosmic
phenomena, yet we feel that in each recurring ca
lamity there is a great divine lesson taught. We
dare not and do not assign motives of “punish
ment” nor of divine anger to such manifestations
of divine power, for we are told that the “Lord
rides abroad on the wings of the storm,” but we do
feel that it is one method of teaching man his own
insignificance and his own personal powerlessness*
when compared to the all-powerful will of the
Creator! Before this will all the garnered strength
of man’s inventions, all the hoarded force of his
mind and the cunning of his hand lies powerless
and impotent. The great railroad systems are
stopped, the myriad lines of telegraph and tele
phone are so much tangled thread before the wind’s
keen blast, and we feel anew the truth of the
poet’s words, that
“Our little systems have their day;
They have their day and cease to be,
They are but broken lights of thee,
And Thou, 0, Lord, art more than they.”
A Bryan Anecdote.
“We don’t need the tariff as it stands today,”
Mr. Bryan said in his speech at Bridgeport, “and
it can’t be justified by any argument made previous
to ten years ago. When a Republican talks about
the possibility of reforming the tariff by the friends
of the tariff it reminds me of a story I heard years
ago.”
Mr. Bryan told the story of the merchant who
chased the thief out of his store after the man
had donned a new coat from a pile on the counter.
He called, “Stop thief!” and a policeman joined
in the chase and called, “Stop thief!” and finally
the policeman shouted, “Stop, or I’ll shoot!” The
merchant seized the officer and begged, “If you
shoot him, officer, shoot him in the pants; the
coat belongs to me.”—N. Y. World.
“If you would succeed, learn how to know what
you can’t do.”
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