New-York tribune., 1886-03-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
CoNnFysED CYCLOPEDIA,

JOUNsONs NEW GENERAL CYCLOPEDlA ana cop
trated. Editors in Chief. FREDERICK A. P. BARSAED
s r. D. President OF Columbia College. ard 5kSoLD wo
fayai GTaYs svo. tp pp. Xii 1,5sS A. j. johnson Co.
This work is a result of the demand for
cheap. handy, practical and comprehehslN'
knowledge which is one OF the markca ,'iarIy snIa"
tcrstics of our time. Science paItloui"l9 paIt'I t
that kind of science which can De turheu W
immediate use is held III great popular lSspceti
but it must be condensed into hand DOORS ,'i niiJ
made easy for everybody. Inc ne" nl"n"n mon i
of reference is produced under the cIiusc VI
the same able men who edited Johnson
large Univc sal Cyciopaedla, ana Is III lIt
man. though not altogether, an apI.us sn.
of that work, with the addluoh vi e.. &
deal of fresh information; the combination
with II of Coppcr-Plate Atlas OF the WoHu
is effected by the insertion OF numerous G9 G9l-
orcd maps in the appropriate places lhJ
book has been arranged upon dehiile ana
wellconsideled plan, differing SGmGWhat a'n ir" ,rl
all other cyclOpacdias with which we alc ac-
ollaintcd and that plan has been adneftd 10
With coinmcndable resolution. / he INST oo-
icct appears to have been TO include thc great
est number Of titles, especial 2ttchlloh pclHS
paid to American subjects and to new SUD
iccts. In American geography the cycl'le-
da NAV almost take the place OF a gaMu'cl'
while the notices Of living persons are sur
rrisinglv abundant The hospitality OF the
editors towards little great men Is HoTtihpf thpt
unnecessarily generous, but they explain IhaI
they wish to include al who ale much talhtu
about. even though their celebrity, may DC
Aeetng and accidental. The next dlsi lncllEe
mark of JOhnsons puDhcatloh Is the 'Vl"o,,n9
large space given to practical science IhcCnaIh-
les and the useful arts. The illustrated arlicleS
on Artcsan Wells, Artillery. Blasting tlec-
tricity. Electric Light, Foundation, Gas l1ght-
ing, Geology, Grinding ana CTusnhg M"'IIin nn-
ery Lighthouse Illumination, Magnet Oic
DCnosits Petroleum. and Steam Engine, lnul-
cate the line of topics most pIOhlilfHt III 'lie
work, although thCle aIe others Whch seem
to us quite as satisfactory to say no more vi
Them The articles on Earth, Man. tVoiu,
tion. and the Stars, ave examples OF the IMll
treatment of subjects i'll natural science. G ne
titles In law and medicine have been handle9
with particular care and completeness anu
some of those in natural history are dlnPIo
although III TINS department 'HClo "iN '"
10 make room for the favored branches of
universal knowledge which we have mentioned
other branches had to suffer; and the pruning
knife seems to have been uScd most NlSoi-
Ously in general biography, history, and lteIacc
turc The biographical articles, outside oI
the "men of the time" are meagic lalhcI
than concise short as they are, many ol
them are veI bose; ana the notices 9l Gnsnn Godn
guished men of letters are especlail& lnaue-
Ollate. History, except so far as IT tails III lilc
condensed biographies, receives the scahleSl
attention In the article France the nara
tive of events is brought down TO 'ne over
throw of the Directory i'll 1893, ana tneh, 10y
an odd freak Of abridgment, 1t leaps without
a word of apology to the FrancO-Gcrm war
of 1870. Yet we believe that several things
worth recording happened im France dTrng
thn emitted seventy wears The history closes
finally m with the peace of Versailles. The
history Of Italy stops short of the accomplish
ment of Italian unity, although an allusion TO
that great event occupies just one line. The
history of Russia is practically, ignored and,
most remarkable lapse of all, there is no ms
tory of the United States! For that subject
we are indeed invited to consult 'the several
States of the Union the Presidents, Decd4na :,
but il is obvious that the story could not be
half told under such a distribution Of heads
and if it could the arrangement would be thc
worst possible for a book of ready reference.
The indication of the proper PRONUNCIATION
of titles is valuable feature of the work. Inc
system of Authorizations is simple and conven- en-
lent the statistics are fresh and luIl ana tIle
text is remarkably clear for its size. Owing
TO the compact type and rigid economy, of
space in the make up, the tw" volumes, while
not at all mweldy. are made to hold an i'm
,,anse amouut of matter.