The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-10-21
LITERATURE.


THE NLENERDAlE Mlslfhh W. WV t''
chine and Its Wheels. a Story OF Amer,
lean Lite. BY W. A. Wilkins, editor OF
the Whitehall On. y Times, New
York; Fords, Howard y HulOnrt,
Price cloth, 81.
The author Of the story Is the editor OF
the Whitehall (N, " 2W,eS, and having
had considerable experience us loca! polI
.,cian has no doubt been able ahundaniiy
to famillarize himself with the workings
Of the political "marhlnr,' which he
and tluthfully depicts, and Ia.
borS with undeniablc success To present IN
a very odious light. The machine implies
a boss" and to personstc this character
the author selects worthy gentleman, al
ready a state senator, a bank president and
large manufacturer, but lmpregnateG with
the virus Of political ambition. To run
his machine successfully he is obliged 10
hire number OF INSCRIPTIONS herlchmen,
who IN turn must subsldlze minor but no
less unscrupulou. and greedy workers, "
all of which involves vast OUTLAWS OF
money, endless political as well as tlnsn,
cial complications, and ultimate bankrupt
CIV in fortune and character. The story IN,
terwoven to sustain the readers interest
through some 800 pages involves the
daughter of the boss" rs heroine and a
young bank official as hero, and to height.
en- the interest various blood and thunder
incidents are worked in, more illustrative
of the proverbial cruelty of authors" than
contrlbutive 10 the interest of the nara
tive; as. for instance, the career OF poor
sweet Willie, who is twice rescued from
drowning only to be finally finished by a
thunderbolt. The style is rather rustic
s,ralning after the sensational with lndit
tereny success The chief merit of the book
lies of course in It's exposure of the tricks
and devices of the machine politicians, and
the generally coIruphng and demoralizing
tendency of the system, in which regard
is merits are undenlsble and conspicuous
STEAM HEATING FOR BUILDINGS, OF
Hints to Steam Filters BY William |
Baldwin, Steam Heating Engineer. New
York John Wiley Il Sons; Chicago
Jansen, McClurg & Co. Price 81 80.
Steam heating, properly appli d, is now
admitted, next to the open fireplace, to b'
the most healthful, as well as most conven
lent and economical mode of heating build
ings, ii properly managed and constructed
But the system being comparatively new
there is no department in house construct
ION that has been more prolific of blunder'
and failures. A practical treatise like tht
one under notice must be of the hlghes
value to the building trade. The volume
IS the author explains, makes no scientific
pretensions beyond what are ACTUALLY neces
sary to explain few laws which affect thu
action of steam, water and air within pipes
but is intended as cdde mec1tm of practi
cal results to the filter which the trade la,
adopted as the result of practical success
after repeated failures. The work is mad,
especially practical by numerous table
and diagrams, prepared especially for thu
volume.
OUTLINES OF ANCIENT HIsToRY. From
the Earliest Times to the Fall ot the
Western Roman Empire, \. d. 41G Bl
P.V. n. Myers, President OF Farmer ,
College, Ono New York: Harper 4
Brothers; Chicago: Jansen, McClurg X
Co. Price $1.75,
THIS is ! handsomely printed and bound
volume of 4S4 pages, and is designed A.
well for private reading as maaua. 81 10
struction. The work has bcea much need
ed. Most Of the "standard' anc!rl't ms
tories hitherto have become superanudJec
by archaeological Investigations and dis
coveries within the last % years and ar,
proved TO be little else than collections o.
legends and fables. The work before u;
places ancient history on higher plane o.
settled truth. Considering the long perioC
over which It extends, the number and i'm
portanCe of The nations that come uudel
review, and the immense labor on the par
of the author involved III tamIliarlzinG
himself with modern research in the tielC
he traverses, his book Is really wonder
full achievement and indisputably the bes
outline history extant both as text boob
for schools and for those whose time doe
not permit delving among the more elab-
crate works on ancient history OF which
this is such an admirable summary.
BEAUTY IN THE HOUSEHOLD. BY Mrs. /
w Deming, author of Beauty in Dress.
New York: Harper IL Brothers; Chica
caco: Jansen, McClurg u Go. Price
800.
The success of the authors lltlle hOol
on Beauty in Dress" is the only apology
offered for the appearance of the presen
volume, the merits of which are certainly
none sehind those of Its predecessor. Their
is nothing in which there are SO many iaIl
ures-,o much exhibition of tawdrines!
and bad taste-so much useless and vulga
waste of labor and money-as in attempts
at household decoration. a simple man
ual like this, by lady OF vast experlenc,
aud exquisite taste, must prove Of inesti