The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-17


accept this statement of Mr.. Magic Us true iron'
his book alone; but having since formed Ills per
sonal acquaintance, we have become fully satis
fled that, though he may be impetuous, and not
ALWAYS wise and judicious, he Is n Thoroughly
honest man.
As To his book its disclosures as to the cor
ruptlon that prevails among our state officials
from the highest TO the lowest, and Of the tricks,
and lodges, and petty as well as gigantic frauds
by which the public treasury Is regularly ana
systematically plundered, are certainly startling
Mr.. Magic no doubt has some personal grieis'
some afironts to avenge, and there may oe u Hood
deal Of temper and vindictiveness III his co'hpo'
siton, but with all due allowance for these, there
ia no getting around the solid facts and figures
he gives by the hundred demonstrating 80 that
none but fool can doubt it, that every depart
ment of our state government is scanned with
corruption. The legislature as body habituaIiy
ndulgcs in shameful peculation; the state print
ing is mine of unreasonable jobbery, the Hi
nos Central Railroad makes no pretence OF hon
estly paying into the treasury what It's charter
requires; and the ways and means OF "promiscu-
Gus robbery" about the state house are rs iniin-
lite as shameful. The little book OF Nj. NJ, in
spite of some faults, should be in the hands OF
every taxpayer.
POPULAR ASTRONOMY. BY Simon Newcomb, Ill.
D., Superintendent American Nautical Al.
manac, formerly Professor at |. ;. Naval
Observatory. With III engrayings Harper
IL Brothers, New York; Jansen, McClurg
Co., Chicago; Osman Il llspeman, Ottawa.
$3.50.
There is no work on Popular Astronomy that
we have any knowledge of which will compare
with that of DR.. Newcomb. Though but com
parativey Il short time in print, 1t has already
reached fourth edition, the last containing i'm.
portant additions relating TO the great telescopes
completed within the last three years, the transit
of Venus in 1882, and the most recent develope-
ments in cometary astronomy The work is not
intended for professionals, but is purely popular
In its aims, intended to present the general
reading public with u condensed view OF the
history, methods and results of astronomical re.
search, from the era Of the shepherds OF Chaldca
to the close of A. u. 1852. Especially valuable
and pleasing to the unprofcssional reader Will
be found the maps Of the stars, given at the end
OF the volume, by which even the school boy, by
a little observation IN cloudess evenings, can
learn to read the heavens as an open page, en-.
abling him not only in whatever situation he
may find himself in the night, to tell the
points of the compass, but approximately the
hour. "rhe heavens" says the Palmist, de
clare the glory of God. and the armament show
eth his handiwork. But it is only by such a
Of astronomy Us this volume imparts
that the mind can begin to form some conception
of the sublmity of the thought.
MONEY MAKING FOR LADIES. BY Ella Rodman
Church Harper Il Brothers, New York; Jan
sen, McClurg IL Co., Chicago; Osman " Hape;
man, Ottawa. 10 cts.
In this world where none are supposed to live
honestly except by the sweat OF the brow, it
would be n solicism to say there is no paying
open to ladies. For working wO
men" OF course there is in this country no lack
of employment. To say nothing of the field, the
dairy, the kitchen, the cotton mill, &c. the
demand Is above rather than below the supply;
but these, you know, are not Of that taper.
fingered, white handed sort that want to be
called par excellence, 'ladics." Yet on the
assumption that there are hundreds Of practical
things undone to-day that even these eau do, the
author OF this interesting little treatise under
takes to point out few simple ways in which
these ladies and what they can do may be
brought together. We commend 1t to the atten.
ton of the hosts OF signing, weary, idle hands Of
which we have no doubt there are plenty IN this
as in every community.
II H
ID. Appleton & Co., New York; Jansen, Nc.
Clurge ~ Co., Chicago; Osman ~ Iiapeman,
Ottawa. Is cts.
This neat little volume appears in in the D. X.
Green series OF History Primers. 1t gives the
outlines of French history from the days Of
"Robert the Strong" down, told in language rs
simple and attractive AS IL story in st. Nicholas,
vet not merely to amuse but with the far better
and higher purpose 80 to discipline the youthful
mind to incline 1t to systematic after studies.
1t is exactly the right kind Of II story book for
bright boys and girls.
PoT BouILLE. BY Emile Zola author Of Mana"
"EAssommoir," &c. r. b. Peterson " Bros,
Philadelphia; Osman n liapcman, Ottawa.
30 cts.
lola ranks, we believe, as the greatest OF
French realistic writer's and of his numerous
novels the present is claimed to be- the most
original and the most Intense, teem-
ing with surprising incidents of the most thrill
ing and dramatic character. 1t is u study of the
home life Of the middle classes Of Paris, and
exhibits the same terrible and uniinching
analysis OF vice as marked its predecessors in
"LAssOmmoir" and Mana" The various fam.
lilies residing In stylish mansion are the
OF the romance. They are considered
by the world but lola tears of
the crust OF respectfully and shows them as
they are, exposing their schemes, their vices,
and the complications in which their wrong
doing involves them. Excitement follows excite.
mcnt In the pages Of "Pot- Bouille," the romance
being an unbroken chain Of fascination from be
to end. The characters are drawn
with a master hand, the author having been
particularly successful in sketching the jesse
rands, the Vabres, the Pichons, and that misery