Tombstone weekly epitaph., 1882-10-28
NOTES ON PERIODICALS.

A contemporary oi NaouluStoH, in the California and Overland for Novem- Der. is publication of the memories of Peter Adolph Grotjan. To his descend ants no doubt their perusal will afford pleasure, and possibly the continuation promised in future numbers will prove of more general interest. Herbert Spencer's Political Institutions" by w. w. Crane, is d review of portion of Spencer's latest work in his system of Synthetic Philos- ophy." MT. Crane is, doubtless, student of Spencer, and those who have perused this book will find much to interest them in his attempts to controvert the ideas of the great philosopher,
 "Through Northern Mexico in 1S49," by O. NJ. Nozencroit, is an account of a trip through the upper states of Mexico. Most of the disadvantages and dangers of travel in the land of the manyana which he mentions still exist.
 . "A Big Indian Wedding" by S. A. Beatty, is graphic description of some aboriginal wedding customs.
 Evil Literature,' by c. II. Shinn, is a plea against the great mass of undoubtedly useless and iperncious literature, read by not only the youth but adult population of our country. His figures concerning the amount of novels read are instructive though not new. Concerning evil litera. ture, however individual conscience must not be allowed to speak in the name ot the general moral sense. Literature will take color from its epoch, will bear the impress of its age. Buoks-excepting classical literature, which IS of such per- lection of form as 10 attract universal ad- miration-reflect the period in which they were written, and by the rules of morality each age sets up, its literary productions are to be judged. What is obnoxious to one age or class is not necessarily so to another
 In the line of fiction is the continuation of "Thaloe,' by Kip, and couple ofshort stories; one by Mary Glasscock, Miss Vestas' Prodigal,' and "Ouisa," by Flor ence Wright.
 "The Azores" by w. II. Jaques, an ac- count of visit to these islands, and "Sir Charles Gavan Duffy by John Manning being the biography of distinguished Irish journalist and agitat0r, are the re- maining articles.
 'The Early Quakers in England and Pennsylvania" are at present, in the va rious celebrations in the east commemOr- ate of William Penn, attracting much at tention, and in Harper's for November, the article by Howard Pyle, with the above tnle, will prove an interesting addition to the literature of the subject.
 It is an account of the life and teachings of Geo. Fox, founder of the sect, and William Penn, together with the causes which led to the persecution of the sect in England and the final emigration to America.
 A description is given of the voyage of the first colony in l6S2, from England to their new homes in America, and the hor. TOTS of the trip during which smallpox destroyed thirty of the one hundred orig finally embarked.
 There is also fac smile of the deed conveying New Castle to Penn, with an account of the conveyance of the town by its then governor. Commissioner Mull. "The Home of the Durnes,' by Kate Ililard, is a description of a portion of country on the western coast of North Devon made famons as the theatre of a popular novel, Lorna Doone.'
 How desert land may be improved and become source of wealth by culliv tion under irrigation is the substance of William II. Bishops paper on " Southern California" in this number. His remarks apply equally as well to Arizona as to southern California, and as notable recla. nations of desert land exist here as there, though certainly not 10 the same extent He has descriptions of Fresno, Bakersfield and other points of interest in connection with his subject.
 An account of the evolution of the pas senger elevator cannot fail to interest, and this is what Mir. W. s. Kennedy has very satisfactorily done in his article on |" The Vertical Railway" Lovers of fiction will