The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-04-01

March Scribner, Yale receives like attention
in the April number The article 10 proiuse
Nv illustrated, and gives pleasant picture %
New Haven and Of the growth Of the iamou:
college to which the city chiefly owes il
prosperity and fame, - .-..
Martin A. Howell jr,, former resident o
Ottawa, discusses the question, Is there &
subterranean outlet to the upper lake region?
and arrives at an affirmative conclusion. Ht
maintains not only that lakes Superior and
Huron discharge vast quantities OF water into
lake Ontario by subterrancan outlets, but that
all the natural springs of the Mississippi val
ley, our artesan wells, &c, are supplied from
that source. Among the illustrations accom-
panying the article are views OF Buffalo and
Starved Rock, in this county
Though the subject is becoming somewhat
worn. George Parsons Lathrop contributes d
more than passably entertaining dissertation
on Poe, Irving and Hawthorne. OF course
there is no attempt TO discover resemblance
between characters 80 widely dissimilar. -
the effort is ra,her to point out the sharp con
trasts they present.
Clarence Cook presents fourth paper on
furniture, the present relating to mantelpie.
ces, corner cupboards, shelves, &c. The wri.
| ter commences by repelling the charge of in.
consistency in preaching economy and at the
same time showing drawings Of the most
costly furniture, by maintaining that he at
least proposes no waste in the way OF carving,
flourish and display. lie then proceeds TO
give us a series of very tempting pictures OF
cupboards, &c. with abundant practical in
formation and advice.
The "History of a Critic" sketches the re.
markable career Of Jules Janin, the great
French critic OF whom we kave this picture
Janin wrote very rapidly, and apparently
never rcread 10 polish or otherwise improve
what he had written. He was always de
lighted with what he had written, and did
not conceive it possible that it could be I'M
proved Years ago 1t was justly said of him (:
"Janin is host who is guilty of cooking in
his guests sight He writes one sentence,
, and then another, and then third-none of
them clearly expresses his idea. He writes
four, five, Ska dozen. He has not hit it
sired, and he serves it up with a triumphant
air 10 his readers; but he then neglects pet.
ty detail, namely, to blot all preceding lines"
His weekly dramatic criticism in the ~ ournal
des Debats" filled twelve columns of thirty.
Eve lines. each line containing thlrty-three
letters. He would I'll these twelve columns
in three hours Writing 80 rapidly, never
reading over what he had written, never paus'
ing to think, you may easily conceive thathc
should have written prefaces, to above one
hundred works, should have been an active
contributor to fifteen newspapers or maya
zines. and 10 all the encyclopedias and die.
tionares published since 1880, besides being
the author of numberless works, some of the
names Of which are given in the article.
HIS career was chequcred one. AT times
apparently the popular IDOL, again be was
plunged in the depths Of despair by the cold
ness and neglect that were shown him. His
funeral, az the close of one Of these seasons,
shows one Of the strange freaks of human ma.
ture rs anexemplifed in the population of
Paris.
Everybody IN Paris went down TO Passy to
his funeral there. Compte de Paris and Due
de Nemours deigned to call at the house and
write their names, but to follow to the church
the faithful friend of their family who had
always fought tor them, who had remained
steadfast In the darkest hours of their history,
was TO much to expect from members of the
house of Orleans. No wonder their adher-
ents now are fewer than they were during the
empire! Victor Hugo, pulled up with his
egregious vanity, refuses to 60 to nybody'sl
funeral. He left his card at the door and went
away! lie "cut' Janin at the grave as heI
had "cut" Alexander Dumas.
A translation of "Dieslrp" by GeR DIX is
notable as a curiosity; and so is letter of
Minister Everett to John Quincy Adams, IN
1924, proposing, soon after the Florida pur-
chase, that the U. S. shall also take mort.
gage on Cuba. or Gabriel Conroy" there
are five chapters, certainly not lacking in in.
cident or interest; and Edward Everett Hale's
philip Nolan's Friends" continues under
the chapter heads of Life on the Brassos,"
and "Rumors Of wars" Revolutionary Let
iers," Springs" by John Burroughs, THE
Astor Family in New York." and poems by
John g. SAKE and others, complete the list of
prose contributions The editorial depart.
''Old Cabinet" Sc.--pre-
sent their usual interesting variety.
So. Nicholas.
The fron,ispiece is copy Of Sir Joshua
Reynolds famous picture of the Strawberry
Girl, followed by an interesting article on
the great artist.
Among the other contributions. the most
prominent perhaps, are Charles l.. Braces
article on "The Poor Boys Astor House"
which gives many amusing and pathetic
scenes from New York newsboy's life, and
is capitally illustrated by NJ. Woelf; and
Frank Il Stockton's paper on the coming
Centennial Exhibition, or Americas Birth
day Party" with pictures OF the principal
Mrs. Rebecca Harding Davis furnishes a
capital biographical sketch of the famed
painter "Gilber, Stuart" with picture of
the stsble-studio, where he painted his por-
trait of Washington; and the Talk with
Girls" is a very sensible one, by ii. H, on
the subject OF "CheerY People"