The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-11-03
November Magazines

, Harper's.
The November number completes the Doth
volume of this standard magazine, a new vol
ume commencing with December. For the
coming wear new serial novels are promised
by Miss Thackcray, Miss Mulock and Thomas
Hardy.
The present number opens with II richly il
lnstratcd and remarkably picturesque article
on Secretary Stewards hard bargain, Alaska,
As the writer truthiully observes:
We took Alaska ten years ago, just as a big
boy takes strange toytull Of great satisfaction,
and fired with an intense desire to investigate
its inner workings, and like the boy, we have
made the examination, and we have laid the
TOW aside How we pitied the ignorance of our
Russian friends who declared, IN response to
our call for information regarding its natural
resources, that they had been SO engrossed in
the one idea of getting fur that they really
did not know af anything else and after ten
seasons OF careful inquiry, we find, that we to-
dav don't know of anything else
However, though we have lost the wild ap-
pies at Sitka, and have failed to see the SHIN
mer of golden fields Of corn at Kodiak yet we
have much to please and far more to interest
us in Alaska 1t is Il paradise for the natural
list, happy hunting ground for the rthnologist,
n new and boundlcss field for the geologist, and
the physical phenomena Of its climate are
something wonderful to contemplate. 1t is,
and will be for years to come, perfect treas
lure.trove for these gentlemen; but, alas! it
bids fair from what we now know, never to be
a treaSurc-troye for the miner or the agriCul-
turist
The writer therefore proceeds to turn to ac-
count the geological and chronological wonders
of that wild region and gives us IN article of
Surprising interest
Olive Logan gives a fascinating narrative Of
IIoudin's remarkable career as prestidigita-
teur, explaining end illustrating many Of his
most wonderful tricks As an instance, take
his magic portfolios
1t is an axiom in natural philosophy that the
contents of any given receptacle must be small
Ter than the receptacle No juggler ever seem
ed To defy this physical law more amazingly
lilo" has never been surpassed, though its prin-
lciplcs are well known now 10 every mounte
bank. Houdin's quickncss of hand was so
wonderful, his flow of smalltalk so unccasing
that he could force your attention in any dircc-
Iton he chose and in this way make you look
at one thing although YOU had made up your
mind that. this time, you would certainly keep
your eyes fixed on another. He came upon
his little stage carrying under his arm what
seemed To be the usual large fiat portfolio in
which sketches and cngravings are kept He
placed this portfolio on a sort of camp-stool by
the foot-lights, and out of this fiat portfolio,
barely an inch thick he took the following OBJ
jects, closing the portfolio together with a
Ia, a b.t tInI
Withdrawal of each article. TO enumcrate
first, several engravings second two beautiful
bcnnctS, one made of black velvet and trim
med with long white feather, the other pink
satin, with "A wreath of flowers on ii. ln Hou.
ldn's time ladies bOnnCts were worn extremely
large, with capcs, long strings, and volumin-
Gus face trimming, which, of course added to
the wonder of the trick Thirdly, he took out
four live doves fourthly, three large brass
saucepans, one full of water, the second Of
beans, the third of fire and flames; filthy, IA
brdcagc, in which canaries were jumping
about on pcrchcs ,iNthly, boy about six
years old:
Now that such Hood of emigration is set
ting towards Texas the admirably constructed
and illustrated paper of Mrs. Spoiiord on
Western Texas, and especially san Antonio
ger and satisfied interest Equally conSonant
| with the times i the sketch of social life
among the miners of Scranton, by Phoebe +.
lGibbinS, and Mrs. General Fremont enters up
on a theme Of equal if not kindred interest in
her narrative OF experiences in California
twenty year ago.
In fiction. Ercma Is concluded in the present
number. Edward IIac> story of Back To
Back i, 10 he completed in the December
number. Madalcna is a beautiful short story
by Mr.. Y. G. Hamilton, and My Mother, oh
.jcctions J, "a bright little story, by lIcnrict
Ia lIoldrich There is the usual installmeu,
of original poetry The Editorial Depart
'mcnt>, with their social gossip, scientific and
Literary intelligence, historical summary, and
humorous ancclote, are ~ varied and COM
lprehensivc as usual, including very amusing
7" Drawer;' from which we hasten Ia transfer
the following while fresh a, all the paper, in
The country will have II in week
Hrs TITLE st CoURT-Robcrt Heller, in
one of his recent bcwildcring performances,
alluded Ia the "darkiiy and backity" of Ger.
tain prOceclingS of the Ring men of this
city II reminds u Of the general urpitudc
That prevails In some OF the frontier towns OF
Texas. and the hilarious character of the local
taller therealouts-lct US say AT san Antonio,
whence comes the following sketch:
Not long since a young man with blonde
hair, a ffcckled noSe, and other marks of per