The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-20
CURRENT PUBLICATIONS.
New Books,

HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES,
by Jonn Bach McMaster. ID. Appleton q Co..
New YORK. Merrill, Meigs Il Co., Indianapolis
Peculiarly history of the people, show
ing their domestic, social and political hab-
its, the intent and effect of general legisla-
ton upon them. Adeparture from the gem
eral tenor of histories, and certain to find
willing readers everywhere. The author
gives an insight to the inner history of legis-
latlon, giving the outlines of bills that were
up when other bills became laws thus ex-
posing the animus of the Continental Con-
gress and its mode of doing the business of
the new republic. The five volumes OF
which the one at hand is the first, will cover
the period from the revolution TO the civil
war. 1t is valuable particularly for its new
features, dealing, as it does, with the people
as individuals and communities. An ex-
cerpt may not prove uninteresting. Speak
ing of disastrous flood in the Wyoming
Valley,i in the spring of 1884, the author says;
"Ihe winter had been one of unusual severity.
The weather had been bitterly cold. and the
snow lay thick upon the ground until March was
Tar spent. Then, on sudden, change came.
The wind set in from the south, rain fell in tor
rents, melted the snow and turned every stream
and creek that fed the Susquehanna into a roar
ing torrent. In single night the water in the
river rose many feet broke up the ice the
rapids, and, whlrling it down in great masses,
lodged it against the frozen surface of the more
gentle parts Three immense ice dams were
thus formed, which caused such an accumula-
ton that tue river overlooked its banks,
fiat land from sight. Yet even this
afforded no relief to the waters which came
pouring in from the hill country. Every day
the dams grew thicker and higher, and with
the blocks of ice were soon mingled fragments
of barns and houses, rails of fences, .ricks of
hay, many carcasses OF cattle and innumerable
ears of corn. But at last the upper ice-dem, I'M
able longer to sustain the thrust of the water,
gave way, and the flood, rushing upon the lower
dams. broke through them and swept down tho
Susquehanna. Then the river fell as rapidly as
it had risen, leaving its course marked by ruin.
Nowhere over the area covered by the water
was house or fence or shed to be seen. The
farmers ,, could hardly recognize their own
been rich boltom-land was now
bed of gravel. Where had been a
broken saptngs Over the flats and along the
margin of the current lay great heaps of ice
wedged in with roofs of houses and trunks of
trees. One such ice-heap covered the plain
where is the little city of Wilkesbarre, and
so thick was, it that the summer had weli-nigh
gone before the last block disappeared. But to
all these were added other evils still more seri-
The corn and the wheat, the potatoes and
the apples the fruit of the harvest Just passed,
had been washed down the river by the flood.
Such indeed was the scarcity of food that, had il
not been for the immense schools of shad which.
the return of every spring, go up and down
the river starvation would have ensued. AS it
was. the cry of misery that went up from
the valley reached even to the ears
message to the Assembly recommending meas
ures of relief. But the hatred the Peunsylva-
mans felt for the Yankees 1.-THE Wyoming valley
was settled by immigrants from Connections
when the Territory claimed by that State,
not sndden to be turned to pity. Their
sufferings, it said, no greater than
their deserts. What business had they in the
valley? Many devOut persons declared they saw
in the desOlatiOn of Wyoming manifestation of
divine anger, signal instance of the way
which God turns into foolishness the councils of
the wise. No spot had once been more prosper
Gus. No spot now SO f0rlOrn."
Mrs. LoRIMER BY Lucas Malet, d. Appleton
81 Co., New York. Merrill, Meigs & Co.. In
dianapOs.
A smoothly-written story without special
merit either in plot or feeling The conclu-
sion naturally follows the body of the story,
being easily anticipated. The work is tame
and commonplace.