The Republican journal., 1882-03-09
Literature.

ispiece of this volume, the second Of the Ameri-
| can Men of Letters series-a face well known
| in house and school room-that OF the author
| or compiler of Websters Dictionary. The
temptation to pun in this connection is great,
but no one familiar with the life of Noah Web
ster can rightly dispute his claim to place
among American men of letters. He was, it
should be remembered, something more than
a biographer His services in general etiuca-
ton, political journalism, and copyright legisa-
ton, were alike meritorious, and did much for
| the advancement of general literature. Mr.
| Scudder gives us very entertaining and grace
| fully written biographical sketch of Webster;
tells of his early life and struggles, discusses
| his books composing ''The Grammatical lnsti-
tutes,' treats of his career as author and pub
Usher, and of his political writings, and thus
| brings us down to the great work of Webster's
| life the dictionary, which he began to plan in
1910. The account of his labors in this dircc-
ton, and of the obstacles he successfully sur
mounted, are both interesting and instructive.
| The dictionary was published in 1928, and from
that time until his death in 1913, in the S5th
year of his age, Mr.. Webster manifested in
more than ever ambitious to secure standard,
especially in orthography, and he began the ar
rangemcnt of his various textbooks in il series
which should constitute an imposing phaanX,
each supporting its neighbor. The work of pre-
paration, revision and publication occupied the
rest of his life The quartO dictionary in two vol
umes cost twenty dollars. He provided soon an
| all in and sI1ictionarN fo,.
schools, the Counting House. and for Families
in Moderate Circumstances he was constantly
revising his most lucrative work, the Element
AIRY Spelling Book, and he issued new editions,
of his History of the United States, his Teach
err Il supplement to the Elementary his I'M
proved Grammar, and he prepared a Manual OF
| Useful Studies.'" And in the concluding chap
ter Mr.. Scudder says further: Noah Web
sters name abides, connected with the great
work which he initiated, and the monument
will keep his name imperishable." The vol
umes of this series will sell at the uniform
price Of S1.25, and may be obtained at the book
stores, or direct from the publishers Hough-
ton. Mtfln 4 Co., Boston.
| AMERICAN POLTTICS. This is the cOmpre-
hcnsive title of book of about LOO pages, to
be issued March 10Th, by the Firtsi,ia Publish
ing Co., of No. 30 North seventh street, Phila-
delphia. 1t will give Il strictly non-partisan
and complete history, from the beginning OF
the [. ). Government to date of the political
parties, so presented that they face each other
ON every leading issue, with the views of lead
crs, description of the various measures and
party records thereon including all important
test votes. Although the book is sold by sub
scrption, it may be ordered from the publishers
direct for delivery c. O. D.. OF will be sent by
mail.
The Boston journal Of Chemistry for Frbru-
airy has been received. 1t contains much of in
terest to the farmer, the farmers WIFE, tht
chemist. and The general reader.
The March number of Golden Days, publish
in Philadelphia by james Elvcr>on, is out. brin
full Of interesting stories, pleasing sketches, il
Illustrations, etc. An excellent publication fol
boys and girls.
The three ''leaters of the Boston school" OF
novel writers-Adrich, Howells and James
did not receive a college education. James, the
Youngest is thirty nine years old. He first con
tributed to the Atlantic Monthly in 1860.
The March number of Our Little Ones is tille'
with bright poems and sketches and beautiful
pictures. One hardly knows which tn admire
most, the letter press or the engrayngs, and tht
two combined make delightful magazine
Russell Publishing Co., Boston.
y. Lothrop 4 Co., Boston, make the follow
ing announcements for March: The Pettbone
Name. BY Margaret Sidney. The first volume
of the V F series. TENSE Walton's Woman
hood. By Mrs 5. r. Graham Clarke. For
tunate Failure. BY Caroline B. De Row. Pol
ly's Scheme. BY Corydon. Eugene Cooper
BY Pansy. Originality. By Rev. Elias Mason
Horace Greeley. BY VIM. NJ. Cornell. Charlie
Dickens. BY Phebe A. Hannafo rd
SHIPPING ITEMS. The Cunard Steamer ser
via made her recent trip out from New u ork il
seven days and four hours. to Fastnrt Ireland
which is so far the fastest on record Previous
to this trip of the Servia the best time had been
made by the Arizona, who beat her own cham
pion record of seven days, eight hours an'
thirtv-two minutes by one hour and nine min
uteS on September 9th, of last year......Statis
ties of shpbuilding on the Clyde show con
tnued increase. Fourteen vessels, summing
up to 24,SS0 tons, have been launched durin!
the month of January, an output more thai
double that of January, 1881; and it is reported
that Il number Of new contracts have recently
been bookcd....Eight years ago there was onl.
$4,000 invested in steamers on the st. Johns
Florida. Now there are twcnty-cight steamers
| pIx- tbat,. nf ,xb
and to this fleet constant additions are making
THE agitation for abolishng compulsor,
piotage at Boston continues Most Of the
vessels now building in Massachusetts could not
be duplicated at prices of those already con
tracted for, prices having already advance,
from s. to 81 per ton. carpenters measure.
The disabled steamer Sandman. from Portland
via. Halifax, has arrived in the Merscy......T Tht
brig Tally Io, of Machias Me-, which wen
ashore near Batcm;n's Beach, Nov. Goth, ha
sailed from Newport, R. L., for Cardenas, Cuba
having been repaired and fitted. The deten
ton and expense entaed loss of about $1,000
NEWSPAPER NOTES. The newspapers gen
orally. irrespective of politics, advocate the ap
pointment of Editor Pullen of the Press, to The
survPyship at Portland. John Hanscom is tC
start Democratic weekly in Biddeford, callet
'''The Maine Sentinel" about the 1st of March
The Kennebec Journal says: York county
Democrats need paper, and John can do about
as little harm to the Republican party as any
man we know of.....I Last weeks Portland Tran
script was Il Longfellow number, containing
several of his poems relating to Portland Mr.
ElwePs paper on "The Portland of Longfelow' ':
Youth" an account Of the poets ancestry, will
notices of qhe houses in which he was born anC
has lived, and report of the meeting of tht
Maine Historical Society held in celebration OF
his 10Th birthday
Mrs. Elizabeth Treadwell Weston, Of Peter
boro, n. H.. entered the fifth year of her seconc