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socially the Negro is often, if not generally, worse a slave. Intellectually off than when he was and morally he appears incapable of high development. Vanity, sensuality and improvidence So dark is the picture are of his very nature.

that it loses all its effect. Page after page of sweeping denunciations take the place of facts. The evidence of other witnesses is contradicted. No sufficient basis for the sweeping conclusions appears. Temperateness and a balanced judgment are lacking. A superficiality spoils what ought to have been a very instructive sociological study of the race by a member of it. The picture is true, in places, as a description of existing conditions; but the whole story of the Negro's advancement is left out or minimized, and the sweeping, hopeless conclusions are contradicted by a cloud of veracious witnesses. The condition of the Negroes in many parts of the South is worse than it is generally supposed to be; but that it is bad beyond hope this is the utterly false impression that the book leaves. The most hopeful work ever done for the lifting of a lowly people since man emerged from savagery is the work done at Hampton and Tuskegee, and the results are an absolute demonstration of the capacity of the Negro. Mr. Thomas's discouraging book is wholly false in the effect it produces and in the inferences that it suggests. (Macmillan. $2.00.)

MRS. JENNETTE LEE'S little story is good enough to make one wish heartily that it was

A Pillar of Salt.

better. It is not free from conventionality, staginess, and false pathos. But it has human people in it-New England people. There is an inventor-genius and child of nature who neglects to patent improvements, There is and dies as he finishes his machine. a faded, hard-worked wife who has to carry cares for two and hates the machine, her rival. the wealthy manufacturer who cheats the inventor and leaves his property to the wife-the plot made him. But the triumph of the book is its children. Whatever else may be artificial, they are genuine enough to make any book readable. (Houghton, Mifflin. $1.25.)

Problems of

As for

F. W. HEADLEY, a thorough-going evolutionist of the school of Weissmann, takes up in this book two sets of problems: those which Evolution. concern the evolution of animal species and those which concern the evolution of man. A trained scientific student, he writes with lucidity, abundant illustration, and at the same time in untechnical language. His longest and best chapter is on Natural Selection. In the case of human society he holds that civilization by interfering with the operation of natural selection is bringing physical degeneration, which can be warded off only as morality and religion interfere

to prevent the propagation of weakness and misery. But the earlier part of the book is the best, for in it the author is more at home (Crowell. $3.00.)

MR. WILLIAM A. DUTT furnishes the text for this latest of the "Highways and Byways " series. The illustrations are again by Joseph Highways and Byways Pennell. Occasionally the necessary In East Anglia. reduction of scale has brought an unfortunate result, but the lovers of black and white will find in this volume new cause of gratitude to an old favorite. The itinerary of the author carries him through more than seventy towns of Norfolk, Suffolk and East Anglia. He tells many stories drawn from a full memory of literary associations, historic and legendary events, famous families and all that gives locality flavor. Artist and author have worthily collaborated to make this a welcome addition to the series. (Macmillan. $2.00.)

The Lion's

MR. DUFFIELD OSBORNE has here written an uncommonly good historical romance of the days when Hannibal and his brothers Brood. (the sons of Hamilcar, the Carthaginian "Lion,") were momentarily expected thaginian by the demoralized citizens to be thundering at the gate of Rome itself. The proverb-making campaign of Fabius, the terrible disaster of Cannæ and the life of an Italian city at that time are presented with no little skill, while the usual romantic love story grows naturally enough amid the stirring incidents that form an historical framework for the novel. (Doubleday, Page. $1.50.)

MR. EDWARD GILPIN JOHNSON edits this wellknown work of a remarkable Frenchwoman, and furnishes an excellent introduction. The Private Memoirs of The translation is a revised form of Madame Roland. the one published in London in 1795. Madame Roland was a woman of very extraTo intellectual ability she ordinary powers. joined great sensibility of imagination and a most dauntless spirit. In the face of the guillotine she wrote this autobiography, doubly valuable as a picture of French society and as a significant human document. (McClurg. $1.50.)

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DR. R. OSGOOD MASON has for many years employed hypnotism in his medical practice. In this book he enters a plea for its more general recognition as a beneficent agency in therapeutics, education and reform. Then he discusses some of the more obscure phenomena of thought-transference, mesmerism and similar matter, such as have now for some years been receiving scientific investigation by the Society for Psychical Research. Some of the examples given are enough to tax one's credulity. (Holt. $1.50.)

These familiar verses of HARRY B. SMITH, which have been sung and resung by every one who knows Stage "Robin Hood," "Rob Roy," and all Lyrics. the rest of the productions of this nothing if not prolific genius, are brought together in the most attractive way and illustrated with portraits of operatic stars remembered as the creators of many of the parts in the operas. The book contains some of the best of Mr. Smith's creations - which means they are very good - and some of the worst which means they are very bad. (Russell. $2.50.)

THE REV. FRANCIS E. CLARKE and his party hold the record for an all-steam journey around the world from west to east via Siberia. This A New Way around an Öld all-steam route was open to travellers World. only for a few days in May and June of 1900, after the ice broke up in the Amour and before the disturbance in China began. Both on the river-boats of the upper Amour and Shilka rivers and on the lately completed Trans-Baikal section of the Siberian Railway Dr. Clarke found primitive accommodations and abundant discomforts; but he has more to tell us of the bad hotels and emigrant trains, and, though the only information he has to give is that which he picked up on the journey, the new Siberia is so little known a country that most readers will find this an enlightening as well as an entertaining book. (Harper. $1.50.)

Mr. E. F. BENSON has based the entire plot of his Civil War novel on a memory-losing hero who

Who Goes There ?

fights for the North or the South according as his memory is good or bad. There is, indeed, the kindly, strong Doctor, but his only mission in the story is to make the hero's weakness the more prominent. If the theme is taken seriously, as the author intended, with the pitifully heroic young man as its central figure, it is monotonous and tiresome. The reader cannot drag out a half-sincere sympathy through the whole volume. There is an unconscious humor in the idea, the comic-opera humor of unreality.

The adventures of the young spy, his quick wit, incidents in camp life, are all well done, but it does little good to decorate a house that has no foundation. (Macmillan. $1.50.)

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health, movement, and humanity in abundance, and an atmosphere of out-of-doors that is inspiring. Mr. Hornung has the trick of making his scene and his people very real. They live from the first word to the last. (Scribner. $1.50.)

The locating of places where we have seen favorite friends in fiction live and suffer and live New York in happily ever afterward, has always a Fiction. curious interest. Mr. Arthur Bartlett

Maurice, limiting himself to New York, has written a very charming book of literary gossip which has been illustrated completely and well. There is a strange fascination in meddling with other people's affairs, even though the people are fictitious. Mr. Maurice knows his material thoroughly. Particularly does he seem to revel in the vicinity of Washington Square, and he touches casually upon the outlying suburban places. The book is an interesting addition to the literature of inquisitiveness. (Dodd, Mead. $1.50.)

CAPTAIN A. T. MAHAN has written a critical narrative of the Boer War down to the fall of Pretoria,

The War in South Africa.

in July, 1900. There are already

plenty of books about the war by eyewitnesses. But Captain Mahan is a military critic of high authority. Consequently, though it is still, as he himself points out, too soon to write a final history, this carefully reasoned account carries more weight than many personal narratives, and probably in large measure anticipates the judgment of the future.

This sober study of the latest chapter in England's military history sees the light in a curious form. It is printed as text-accompaniment to a veritable picture-book history in album shape. There are eighteen full-page illustrations in color, thirty-five in black-and-white, and innumerable process reproductions of photographs, pen-and-ink drawings, etc. Among the illustrators, Remington, de Thulstrup, and Reuterdahl. (Russell. $5.00 net.)

MR. ARTHUR MEES has written a very concise and satisfactory history of choral music, tracing its early history in the church, on through Bach Choral Music. and Handel to the choral culture of

Choirs and

to-day in England and America. Among the many encouraging developments in interest in this country the growing number of great festivals and conventions and an increasing earnestness in the entire profession - Mr. Mees strikes an important note when he deplores the lack of unaccompanied choral singing. The chapter on "The Chorus and the Chorus Conductor " is perhaps the most generally interesting one in the book, and has added authority in coming from one who has been so thoroughly and well associated with chorus direction. (Scribner. $1.25 net.)

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3. Babs, the Impossible-Grand. (Harper.)

4. Monsieur Beaucaire-Tarkington. (McClure, Phillips.) 5. Eleanor-Ward. (Harper.)

6. The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay-Hewlett. (Macmillan.)

(Stokes.)

7. Quincy Adams Sawyer-Pidgin. (Clark.)
8. Rostand's L'Aiglon-Parker. (Russell.)
9. In the Name of a Woman-Marchmont.
10. Stringtown on the Pike-Lloyd. (Dodd, Mead.)
11. A King's Pawn-Drummond. (Doubleday, Page.)
12. The Visits of Elizabeth-Glyn. (Lane.)
13. The Cardinal's Snuff Box-Harland. (Lane).

14. An Englishwoman's Love Letters-Anon. (Double-
day, Page.)

15. Eastover Court House-Boone and Brown. (Harper.)
16. The Mantle of Elijah-Zangwill. (Harper.)
17. That Mainwaring Affair-Barbour. (Lippincott.)
18. Napoleon, the Last Phase-Rosebery. (Harper).
19. Uncle Terry-Munn. (Lee, Shepard.)

20. In the Palace of the King-Crawford.

21. Herod-Phillips. (Lane.)

22. The Turn of the Road-Frothingham. Mifflin.)

(Macmillan.)

(Houghton,

23. Tommy and Grizel-Barrie. (Scribner.)
24. The King of Honey Island.-Thompson. (Dilling-

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POPULAR BOOKS

Hartford, Jersey City, Springfield, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Atlanta, and Minneapolis have been combined into the following composite lists:

LIBRARIANS' REPORTS
(Lothrop.)

1. Eben Holden-Bacheller.

2. Alice of Old Vincennes-Thompson. ( Bowen-Merrill.) 3. Eleanor-Ward. (Harper.)

4. The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay-Hewlett. (Macmillan.)

5. In the Palace of the King-Crawford. (Macmillan.) 6. The Master Christian-Corelli. (Dodd, Mead.)

7. Stringtown on the Pike-Lloyd. (Dodd, Mead.)

8. When Knighthood Was in Flower-Major. (Bowen

Merrill.)

9. Rostand's L'Aiglon-Parker. (Russell.)

10. The Life of Phillips Brooks-Allen. (Dutton.) 11. The Reign of Law-Allen. (Macmillan.)

12. Napoleon, the Last Phase-Rosebery. (Harper.) 13. The Cardinal's Snuff Box-Harland. (Lane.)

14. Elizabeth and Her German Garden-Anon. (Macmillan.)

15. The Life of T H. Huxley-Huxley. (Appleton.) 16. An Englishwoman's Love Letters-Anon. (Doubleday, Page.)

17. Janice Meredith-Ford. (Dodd, Mead.)

18. The Gentleman From Indiana-Tarkington. (Doubleday, Page.)

19. To Have and to Hold-Johnston. (Houghton, Mifflin.) 20. The Redemption of David Corson-Goss. (Bowen

Merrill.)

21. Black Rock.-Connor. (Revell.)

22. Wild Animals I Have Known-Thompson. (Scribner.) 23. A Woman Tenderfoot-Thompson. (Doubleday,Page.) 24. Italian Cities-Blashfield. (Scribner.)

25. Tommy and Grizel-Barrie. (Scribner.)

26. The Riddle of the Universe-Haeckel. (Harper.)
27. Richard Carvel-Churchill. (Macmillan.)
28. Sky Pilot-Connor. (Revell.)

29. Like Another Helen-Horton. (Bowen-Merrill.)
30. Unleavened Bread-Grant. (Scribner.)

in the dealers' reports, ten in the librarians' reports.

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Twelve books are mentioned in both lists. Five, "Eben Holden," "Alice of Old Vincennes," "Eleanor," "Richard Yea-and-Nay," New books which have taken high place in the "Stringtown on the Pike" dealers' list are are among the first Babs, the Impossible," "A twelve in both lists, and are, therefore, probably King's Pawn," "Eastover Court House," and the most widely read books of the month. "Up From Slavery." "Quincy Adams Sawyer Three of the five most popular books noted and "That Mainwaring Affair" have risen above are of American, two of English authorship. rapidly, while "In the Palace of the King," " An "Eben Holden " and " Alice of Old Vincennes Englishwoman's Love Letters," "Stringtown on are mentioned at the top of nearly every separate the Pike," "The Master Christian," "Uncle report and are easily the leaders in popularity. Terry," and Terry," and "The Redemption of "David Some of the formerly popular books like "To Corson " have all taken a lower position. In the Have and to Hold," " Janice Meredith," "Richard librarians' reports "Richard Yea-and-Nay," "The Carvel" and others are still mentioned, particu- Life of Phillips Brooks" and "When Knightlarly in the librarians' list, Dramatizations are hood Was in Flower," have risen, while "The helping, doubtless, to keep these stories before Cardinal's Snuff Box" and "Unleavened Bread " the public. There are six books, not fiction, have dropped.

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O

Our Unprecedented Ship Building.

BVIOUSLY the American ship builders are not waiting for a ship-subsidy bill for all the ship yards both on the sea-board and the lakes are crowded with orders. Two new yards have lately been built, and a third soon will be. One of these newer ones is the Trigg Company's Yard at Richmond, Va., situated within a half a mile of an unfailing source of electrical power, and with a water front equal to the launching of the largest types of war ships. Several torpedo boats have already been turned out by this company, and it is now building the protected cruiser Galveston.

The Fore River Engine Company, of East Baintree, Mass., has equipped a large plant at Quincy Point, and it has secured contracts for two battleships. Mr. Thomas A. Watson, the head of the Fore River Company was for a long time superintendent of the Bell Telephone Company. Then he organized a company for the manufacture of engines to be used in electric lighting plants, and it is this company that has now turned to ship building.

A number of men of wealth propose to establish one of the largest dry docks and ship yards in the world on the New Jersey flats, a short distance west of the immigration station on Ellis Island, in New York harbor. The dry docks to be built will accommodate the largest ocean steamers, and any ship entering the port of New York will be able to run into them for overhauling or repairs. The necessity for such an establishment has been apparent for many years, but the high price demanded for the most. desirable land and the difficulty of securing the co-operation of the general government have hitherto discouraged private corporations.

All of the older yards are crowded with work. The American Ship Building Company, for instance, has under construction at its various yards on the lakes twenty-five vessels, while other lake builders have contracts aggregating $9,000,000. The great ship-yard at Newport News, Va., has under construction or contract a larger tonnage than any American Yard has ever had up to this time, including six cruisers and battleships for the

government, and an equal number of merchant steamers of unusual size. The Union Works of San Francisco has in hand five vessels for the navy, and two large merchant steamers for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. Three battleships are building by the Cramps who have also in hand two twelve-thousand ton ships for the Red Star Line, and two fine ships for the Ward Line.

The New York Ship Building Company, at its recently opened yard on the Jersey shore of the Delaware, has four great ships under way, and it has closed contracts with the Atlantic Transport Line for four twin screw steamers, each of twelve thousand tons burden. The same line is having two other vessels, each of eighteen thousand tons displacement, built by the Maryland Steel Company at Sparrow's Point, Md., where are also under construction two immense freighters for the Boston Steamship Company. The Eastern Ship Building Company is building at Groton two ships for the Northern Steamship Company, which are to be the largest ships afloat. The Bath, Me., Iron Works, besides a large naval tonnage, is building a 385-foot steamer for the Mallory Line.

Other work in progress could be cited to show the wonderful revival in American ship building. Not only is there a greater tonnage under contract than at any previous period in our history, but the ships will be better. In the old days we built the best wooden ships, and now we build, and seem likely to build, the best iron and steel

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pride as closely as anything can. Within a few years the Germans have set out in a spirit of momentous enthusiasm to largely influence the trade of the ocean; and they have done so in a somewhat spectacular way, which has gained renewed fame for them as a nation.

For a century the English have carried the best trans-Atlantic passenger traffic, the fastest and best ships were England's, and the traveler was made to feel that her vessels were divinely appointed institutions; and certainly no one will gainsay the splendid advance in comfort and speed which was achieved by the English. The Germans and the French entered the field far behind in prestige, in size, in number, and in the speed of their ships. The Frenchmen have caused England no alarm. The chief transAtlantic line which carries the American flag sends its irregular and varied company of vessels often limping from one side of the Atlantic to the other, and keeps for months one or two of its ships in the marine hospital; and the American finds no cause for patriotic pride in these records. But the German tells quite a different story and the last year or two has seen his greatest successes. The German "Deutschland" holds the record for speed; the German "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse holds the second place; and the English "Lucania" comes third; while the American ships trail along far after. A single record is saved to England by the "Oceanic," which still exceeds in size, though by no means in speed, the world's vessels. The German ships have managed to draw their trade from the three great countries, by landing passengers on French, English and German soil, thus vastly increasing their earning power. More than this, it is the Germans who have developed the "tourist-ship," including such a range of excursions as to the North Cape in the Arctic and Palestine in the Tropics. They have also established a fast and profitable Mediterranean service, while England has stood idly by. Added to all this, the German steamship lines pay greater dividends than the English, and each year sees their hold on the trade grow stronger and stronger.

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England, meanwhile, is barely holding its own in ship construction. At the opening of 1899 the total tonnage of vessels being built in England was 1,385,000 tons; at the beginning of this year it was 1,260,000 tons; and Germany has taken what England has lost. These figures show what Germany is doing in ship-building: 1870 Number of Ship Yards....

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7

18

25

37

In 1870, 2,800 workmen were employed in these yards and in 1901 the number was 37,850.

A

The Outlook for Bicycles

FEW weeks ago at the very beginning of the bicycle season it was reported from Philadelphia that a much larger number of wheels were sold during the week than in the same week last year. "Nothing but a little sunshine and spring weather is needed," it was said, "to set more wheels than ever spinning over the roads and pavements." And this is the story the country over. Consequently the American Bicycle Company has material made up, and parts ready to put together, for by far the largest output of bicycles in the history of the trade. Take the wheel trade as a whole, the initial orders of this season are in a ratio of five to three to those of last year. Bicycling may be something of a fad, but it is much more of a convenience, a means of exercise and of recreation. Improvements in roads, made by towns, cities and states co-operating with wheel clubs, manufacturers and dealers, the low price at which a thoroughly good wheel can be bought, the general prosperity of the people all these are increasing the output. In the Eastern States where cycling was a "craze for a time, and where, for the past two or three years, there has been a considerable diminishment in the demand, there is promise of an advance in sales, and in the Middle West and along the coast the wheel trade is growing in large percentages, year by year. In the South, too, though bad roads and the traditional saddle horse have blocked the way, sales of bicycles are increasing rapidly.

The day of radical changes in the making of the bicycle seems to be past. The process is rather one of gradual perfection along the lines already laid out. The "trust," as the American Bicycle Company, which controls many wellknown machines, is known, was looked upon with great suspicion at the start, but by consolidation of plants, such as the Spalding with the Columbia and the Barnes with the Monarch, by placing large orders for material and by settling thousands of agencies throughout the country, it has been able to improve the workmanship on its product and to maintain a more regular and a lower net price. It is employing more men, both in the shops and on the road than the separate concerns employed, and is dealing fairly and impartially with its agents, making the same price to them all. It has undoubtedly greatly increased the wheel business of the country, and steadied the entire cycling trade. It is not in any sense a monopoly, for many high-grade wheels are selling widely.

Almost one-fifth of the wheels made this year will be a cheap twenty-five dollar grade, a fact that shows that the wheel is carrying the factory hand to the shop, as well as the professional man to his office. What is more, it often

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