Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-30
QUE BOOK TIBLE.

QUE BOOK TISLE.
sCRIBNER's MAGAzINE-January. Charles
Scribner's Sons, New York. Yearly subscrip-
ton, So.
1t is hardly possible to refrain from
writing enthusiastically when an article
so beautifully illustrated is the first TO
greet the eye on opening a magazine. The
article spoken of is, ''Castle Life in the
Middle Ages, - the joint work of L. II
and E w Blashfield. The reader by
pen and pencil is enabled to enter the
castles of medieval ages aud witness for
himself the grand ceremonials and
gorgeous pageants OF that period.
The railway series for this month gives
an insight into railway management from
an official standpoint, showing on whose
shoulders each duty and responsibility
rests, and explaining further how rates
are made and earnings calculated. Gen.
eral E. P. Alexander has this to say
about the law and the railroads:
Not only is railroad corporation, being itself
a creation of the law, peculiarly bound to con-
form all its actions to legal forms and tenets but
it is also a favorite target for litigation. The
popular prejudice against corporations. it may
be said in passing, is utterly illogical. The cor
poration is the poor mans opportunity. With
out it he could never share III the gains and ad-
vantages open to capital in large sums. With it
q
each, compete on equal terms with the million
aire. But for all that, instead of possessing
the unbounded power usually ascribed
to it, creature of God or man is so
helpless as q corporation before the so-called
great tribunal of justice, the American jury. IL
may not be literally true that Texas jury gave
damages to a tramp against a certain railroad be-
cause section masters wife gave him q meal
which disagreed with him, but the story can be
nearly paralleled from the experience OF many
railroads. Hence settlements outside of the law
are always preferred where they are at all posi-
BILE, and an essential part of an efficient legal or
ganization is a suitable man always ready to re-
pair promptly to the scene of any loss or acct
dent to examine the circumstances, and if li2bil
ity exists to make prompt settlement.
An excellent home lesson is found in
''The Invalid IS World by a. B Ward
who discourses most sensibly on the doc
tor, the nurse and the visitor.
The Ethics of Controversy by George
P. Fisher, is timely IN that so few con-
troversialists are inclined to remember
that in this as in other things pertaining
to social existence there must be law and
a proper observance of 1t and social
amenities.
THE POPULAR SCIENCE MoNTHLY-Jan-
uary. w. J. Youmans, Editor. Published by
D. Appleton & Co., Bond street, New York.
Yearly subscription, s..
The frontisplece is well-executed por-
trait of the Rev. Moses Ashley Curtis,
the pioneer botanist of the United States;
one who devoted his explorations i'll
botanical fields TO the fora of North
Carolina. He has given to the world
eleven exhaustive treatises on this sub
ject: beginning his work in 1884 and ex-
tending it over a period of thirty-four
years, only terminating with his death in
1879.
The first article, by T. A. Lyons, U.
s. N, is lucid explanation of the ne
cessary arrangements and precautions
used to secure certainty in the move
ments of the guiding needle aboard iron
ships. This end has only been attained by
the most careful study and exact
philosophic and mathematical skill and
the diagrams with accompanying eXpla-
nations cannot fail to interest those whose
minds have a scientific bias.
Eminently practical is the article on
House Drainage by DR.. Billings, L. S.
4. and should be studied by architects
and plumbers into whose hands are conf
United the lives of jewellers in towns.
The naturalist will find pleasure i'll the
perusal of an article-on those most INTEL
ligent of amphibious animals, the seals
of the extreme northern and southern
waters of the earth. Few have any idea
OIL IHc NdIItu SPECIFIES VI
these nor of their curious and interesting
habits.
The present number abounds in so much
which is worthy of thoughtful perusal
that the present month will scarce be suf-
ficient if the reader remembers that like
food, it is not what one reads, but what
is digested that sustains mental life.
BATTLES AND LEADERS OF THE CIVIL
WAR-Published by the Century Company,
Union Square, New York. Price per annum,
so cents.
This work is unuuestionably one of the
most valuable contributions to the history
of the most important era in the life of
the republic, and these are supplied by
eminent men many of whom were per-
sonally engaged in the great struggle
that shook this country 10 its very CEN
Ter, and are now prepared at distance
of time sufficient to enable those of oppos-
ing views TO write dispassionately. The
issue has reached the twenty eighth num-
Der, and this number is occupied by an
account of rhe Atlanta and OF the Red
river campaign. OF the mechanical exc
cution of the work it is unnecessary
10 speak the imprint of the Century Com
pany attests its excellence, the illustia-