The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-03-13
Literature.

| Literature.
! The QUESTION OF SHIPS. The Navy and the
Merchant Marine. BY j. D. Jerrold Kelley, Lit.
L. S. Navy. This is valuable and timely pub
lication, inspired bya worthy motive and based
/ upon study ard experience. The book should
be read for itself and to indicate its scope we
| give the chapter headings as follows: |. Our
chances for maritime success. . Rise and fall
of our commerce. 3. The causes of our decav
4. The navigation laws 3. Free ships. 6
| Marine disasters. The importance of thor
| ough training for officers and seamen. !. For
| egn systems of administration. s. The train
| ing of British seamen. 8. The Navy and the
! merchant marine. 10. Union of the NAVY and
merchant marine. IL. The case briefly stated.
| Lieut.. Kelley advocates the following measures
| for the restoration of our merchant marine:
| First, the admission to American register of all
ships over three thousand tons subject to the
| same laws regarding ownership which now
prevail. save in one or two important partictl-
| lars; second. the admission, duty free of all
| materials to be used in the construction and re-
| pair of vessels over three thousand tons third
| the adoption of new tonnage measurements
! based on actual carrying capacity, and eXclud-
ing the space occupied by engines and boilers
and accommodations for officers aud crew:
| fourth, exemption from taxation local and ma
tiona, on all vessels engaged in the foreign
trade for more than eight months in the wear:
| fifth, permission for all American vessels in the
| foreign trade to take their stores and ship chan
dlery out of bond duty free; sixth, a general re-
! vision of the laws relating to seamen and the
consular service: seventh, individual liabiitva as
10 ownership; eighth, "A general and equitable
| postal bill, with fair compensation for carry ing
| the mails. and ninth, a change i'll the pilot laws,
modifying compulsory pilotage and permitting
masters and mates when properly qualified to
| pilot their own vessels. These measures are
all excellent. and well designed to accomplish
the desired object. save the first proposition
| concerning free ships. But us the limit is plac-
| ed at over three thousand tons we should be
willing to concede that and support a bill THAI
would embody the suggestions As a whole. The
author gives an intelligent history of the rise
| and fall of our commerce. He points out that
| the American steamer is no longer on the
| ocean in the transatlantic trade. With refer
ence to the cause of our decay he thinks it is
due to the substitution Of steam for sails to the
use of iron instead OF wood in shipbuilding, to
| the non->ub>ldizing of American lines to the
| navigation laws and to special government and
State restrictions. Another reform which the
author thinks is vital and urge, strongly is the
importance of Il thorough training for officers
| and seamen. To bring this about he is inclined
| to favor the system Of training ships which ex-
| ISIS in England. and he has also warm words of
| praise for the English method of administering
her mercantile marine. The book should be
read by all who are interested in this question:
which is one of vital Importance to the country
| and of special interest to the people of this
State and section. II mo. y. 329. Price 81 %.
| Charles srribner'> Sons, publishers New York
NOTES.
The March number of the Popular Science
News contains portrait and sketch of Nlirha
faraday, and the u,ual quota Of entertaining
and Instructive matter.
The February number Of the American
Aquatic Monthly fully >u>tain> the promise of
the initial issue. 1t is a bright and breezy
chronicler of yachting and canoeing, and should
command the patronage Of all who participate
in or feel an interest in aqua:ics. Charles A.
Peverelly. editor, Iearne X Co., publishers,
lis Broadway, New York.
Il. Worthngton of 10 broadway, New York.
has issued hi, list annual spring catalogue of
English and American books also the pubict-
tion> Of K. Worthingtou. Mr. ". having pur-
chased the entire stock Of books Except paper
Library of the J. W. Lowell n Co.. the cata-
!ogue contains all the standard sets of books
red line poets etc. of that company
Charles Scrbner's Sons, New York, make an
interesting announcement. They will shortly
begin the publication of "Storie> by American
Authors" i'll rs mo. volumes Of 200 pages each,
handsomely bound in cloth. Price per volume
30 cents. The collection will include the most
noteworthy Short stories written in recent
years and they will be published by arrange
ment with the authors.
The American Journalist for February con-
tains an article showing that book publishing
centerS are gravta'ing we>ty ard, with por-
traits of cnterpri,ng western publishers. This
is followed by Sketch of the Chicago Times.
The editorial ana newspaper notes are interest,"
valuable feature Of this publication. American
Journalist CO., St, Louis, Mo.
Those who want good wholesome reading
will find it in Every Oder Saturday, published
fortnightly at A. Devonshre street, Boston.
Price 500 year. Each number contains
sermon, stories, sketches. notes and -ueries,
literary notes. hints about cooking and editor
ial items and articles. The Typography OF the
paper is excellent, and in every respect it com
mend> itself to the reading public.
We have entered says the Boston Advertiser
upon new literary period. and attention is
directed 10 il marked degree to new authors.
They are scattered all over the country. They
stand for training and influences that have
nothing more in common than Il general nation
aity. The best of them. those who begin to
look to literature as Il vocation, are bringing
out characteristic, if not creative, work; not
essay, not short story simply, bur work similar
in kind TO what Dickens did in the 'PickWick
Papers" or 70 What Matthew Arnold did in
his ESSAYS on Criticism" Characteristic
literature is beginning to appear in une Xpected
quarters. The Bread-Winner>' is Il Specimen:
Mr.. Cables "Old Creole Days" is another >peci-
men; Mr.. MacMaster>'> History of the
People of the United States" is another; and
Mr.. Harri>s ''Uncle Remtl>" is still another.
The writings OF our new people of letters are a
distinct enlargement of our native literature,
and are the promise of resource and strength
that have been hoped for, but We're hardly
believed to exist. It would seem As if we We're
nearer to "A truly American literature than we
have ever been before
FISH AND FISHING. United States Fish
Commissioner Baird has informed Fish Com
missioner StillWell that he could have about
100000 more salmon fry from the OTland
Matching house, provided he will place them in
the PenobScot River. Mr.. Stillwell has accord
lngly made arrangements at the State Matching
house al Enfield for their reception, and in the
spring will place 100000 salmon fry in the
PenObscot River....The Fish Commissioners
are making war upon the catchers of the trout,
togue, and-lOcked salmon, black bass and
white perch, Is the close time does not expire
| till next May......A few days since a trout was