The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-06-28
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

II. H. Bancroft, the San Francisco
historian. has the largest private Ii.
,rary in the country. 1t consists Of
$1,000 volumes and il valued at $780,
100.
Mr.. Gladstone has accepted the
dedication OF the English edition of
Prof villari's Life Of Savonarola.
This work ii now being translated into
English by Nine. Villari.
1t IL calculated by appleton )
Literary Bulletin that the increased
price of books. If any. consequent upon
The passage of the International Copy
right bill, .would fall solely on new
books OF popular character almost
exclusively. in fact, upon reprints Of
English fiction.
-Ex-Sccretary Boutwcll's reminis-
cences of Rufus Choatc. Daniel Web
ster. Abraham Lincoln and Z. ). Grant.
entitled THE Lawyer. the Statesman
and the Soldier is a valuable book,
because of its authoritativeness. Mr..
Boutwell, reproduces what he person
ally saw Of these distinguished men.
Charles Egbert Craddock Miss
Murfree), the gifted Tennessee writer
Of fiction. is thus pen-pictured: A
small woman: SO lame she can scarcely
cross the floor unaidcd. Slight yet
square in figure. A small, white face.
with the withered whiteness OF one
whose health had always been delicate.
Pale. neutral brown hair and eyes, and
a formal primness of manner like that
Of Il shy, clever woman who has lived
much in retirement.
Mrs. Harriet Beechcr Stowe
wishes it distinctly understood that no
one but her son is in possession Of let
ters and papers to serve as basis for
an authorized version OF her life.
Mrs. Stowe has no interest in the biog-
raphy now being written by Florine
Thayer McCray, of Hartford. Conn.
Mrs. Stowe. in fact. has never met
Mrs. McCray. in spite OF contrary
statements which have been mystcri-
Ously spread abroad.
Seth Green. the wcll-known fisher
man and naturalist, is out with Il letter
in defense of the English sparrow. In
stead of being "A nuisance, Il destroyer
Of song birds. and deserving of ex-
termination. the English sparrow, ac-
cording TO Mr.. Green, is most useful
member Of the feathered creation. Its
presence here. he says. has no more
connection with the disappearance OF
other birds than il has with the search
ty of eats.
Colonel Elliott F. Shepard. the new
proprietor of the New York Mil and
Express, prints at the head OF the edi-
torial page. daily. a verse of Scripture,
giving MS his reason that men who are
necessarily much absorbed in business
should be reminded OF the words of the
Heavenly Father" He is undaunted
by sneers, and says: 1T is God they
ridicule, not me- and declares that he
shall continnc the practice as long as
he owns the paper.
The Garden of Eden, Il is now
claimed. was located in Central Amer-
lea. Nine. Alice lie Plongeon, wife Of
IN eminent man of science, is the
prophet of the new belief, and she is
also believer i'm the submerged CONT
nent Of Atlantis. She says that among
the manuscripts of the Mayas, the pre-
historic inhabitants of Yucatan. is in
account OF the sinking of Atlantis,
which once joined America to the west
ern coast of Africa and Europe. Other
Maya writings give us, she asserts. the
whole history of the intellectual devel.
opmcnt of the human family.