The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-26
OUR BOOK TABLE,

OuR NEXT Doom NEraHBoR; A Winter in Mexico.
BY Gilbert Haven. New York Harper Bro.
New Orleans: Geo. Ellis Co. illustrated
PIP. 467.
The greatest marvel about this work lies in thA
wonder that the reputable firm Of Harper n
Brother could have been induced to issue 1t IN
such sumptuons and attractive style. Heretofore
competency has been considered indispensable 70
the publication, il not the preparation OF book
but in this case Messrs. Harper Il Brother and
Mr.. Gilbert Haven enjoy the rare honor OF set
ting all such old prejudices at open defiance.
The reader cannot dip very far in it's pages
without discovering that The author is an exceed
ingiy bgoted Protestant clergyman, to the mau-
ner and New England born. That his self-cOn-
that his education and reading have been super
fical unto barrenness; that his experiences OF
life outside his native hills have been both mes
ger and Ruthless; that he is incapable OF writing
good English, and, worst OF all, that ne cann0s
Be relied upon as entirely truthful: In the very
first chapter he presents q religious and silly
homilv. with the example OF very pr0fane man
he met upon the steamer Yazoo.-I" type OIL
vanishing class. Havana planter, who Lad coma
to New Orleans to sell his crop ana WAS ieturn-
needless to say that this individual could only
have been born Of the authors brain. who ct once
betrays his woful lack Of business knowledge and
q corresponding want OF reliability.
style and diction. Hence our readers must agreo
that the man who can deliberately write and pub
lish the following (culled ct rsndOm) would %
guilty Of any and all linguistic crimes in the
Queens calendar. speaking OF the Falls OK
Atoyac, he says:
body says he has seen them. They say that they
have retreated away from the railroad, sad re-
Election upon Darwin's theory.
And in this disreputable style, the bOok runs
on with an infinitely detailed and gossipy accoont
Of the writer's personal experiences IN fucatsns
Vera Cruz, thence to Mexico, San LUIS, monterey
Matsmoros etc., with supplemental chapter On
"Christian Work in Mexico" embodyiDg feeble
but bitter TRADE against Catholicism.
Apsrt from these objectionable literary Of
fenses the book has it's merit, which the writer's
yery ignorance brings into prominence. care
ful observer Of small things and petty expert
ences he affords to oil readers patient enough to
wade through the book . more thorough picture
OF the condition Of the country described than
vet afforded by travellers in the same region, and
il was probably this consideration which induced
the publishers to take the desperate risk they
have taken. At the present time whom Mexico
hitherto the American Interchangeable, attracting
universal attention which must soon make it tho
prey OF new civilization, all such scraps OF m
formation are valuable % aid In forming
proper opinion OF the resources OF the country.
In this light We have no hesitation in commend
ing the book. and would do so somewhat more
heartily il the writer was less subject to that New
England craze which makes it incumbent upon
the !" Pilgrim Son to measuIe and weigh every
item gathered abroad with bus own little yardsnc,A
| and scales, bearing the stamp OF his own little
corner on the earths surface. The results
achieved by the authors eyes are possessed O!
aoma value those Of his brain are worthless, ana
A to those OF his hands, why the less said, UNI
questionaby, the better.