The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-01-03
SOME RECENT KANSAS WORKS.
PAPER BEAD BKFoRx THE AcADANY OF LAM
GUAGE, LTrERATURE AND ART, TOPEKA,
KANSAS, nov. 80. 1853.

A PAPER Read BEroHx THE AcADANY OF LAS
/ cUAGE, LrrERArURs AND ART, TOPEKA,
KANSAS. nov. 80. 1883.
Kansas has rejoiced in numerous
epithets and applications. BLEEDING
Kansas ;" "Drouihy Kansas, "''Heroit
Kansas" Prohibition Kansas" arr
common titles, but it is only of late
years that she is being recognized al
Literary Kansas" Yet in the be.
ginning of her history war of books
was waged.
Before the long, lean, lank Missouri
ian, from whose pockets protruded
pistols of the genus "Colt," from
whose mouth horrid oaths were pro-
ceding what time he was not ejecting
therefrom spittle arising from the
ceaseless mastication of "Virginia
twist, "-long before this individual
had shouldered bis shotgun, stuck his
Bowie down his bootleg and silently
sauntered Kansasward. Edward Ever
EFT Hale had written his kansas and
Nebraska" and the literary struggle
had begun.
Pass into the rooms of the State
Historical Society and try to gain q
fair conception of the number and con-
tents of the books found there, written
about Kansas. or by Kansans, OF
printed within the State; visit the
various private collections, behold the
books of every variety Of content, ex-
tent and intent. of every style of bind.
ing and illustration, and you will be.
gin to have some idea Of what com.
plete Kansas photography would be-
While no arbitrary limit is fixed by
any subject, I have limited myself to
the discussion of those works which
have been published this year. In
some respects this is unfortunate. II
we were to include last years publica.
tons in this brief review, we might
discuss Mr.. J. P. Campbell's Emerson
ian Elaborations, which have cost him
several thousand dollars to place be.
fore the world, and Mr.. Thomas Bow
er Peacock's Rhunic rhymes and mus
ical meanderings. but limit must be
placed somewhere aud we place il
january /, 1889.
If We were casting about usfor special
reasons for thankfulness in this CHEEKY
Thanksgiving time, We might find
one reason in the fact that Noble L.
Prentis has given US this year another
book. He is so truly son of Kansas
IN his every thought and purpose, his
words flow rythmically, his descriptive
tivepowers SO charm us, his quickwit Sc
enlivens us, that we feel like return.
ing thanks to the Providence that
brought him to Kansas and gave his
hand cunning to place upon paper the
varied results arising from the vibra-
ton of his brain fibre. If Bayard Tay.
lor's shoes are to be found in America
to-day, we must ask their whereabouts
of Noble T.. Prentis. "Kansas Mis-
cellanies." while not so pretentious
volume as the "Kansan Abroad"
possesses all the characteristics which
make that work SO Interesting. 1t
cor sists of nine papers: "Battle Cor
ners," "Kansas Journalists-Men OF
'57," slim Lane" "The House of
Bourbon "a Kansas Has.been,"
"The Mennonites at Home" ga Day
With the Mennonites," "The World
School," and "Books." Battle
Corners is sketch of the region in
which Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and
the Indian Territory corner, and of the
battle Of Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge
and Prairie Grove which were fought
in this region. kansas Journalists"
which was contributed to the Anaeri.
can Journalist, December 1883, and is
valuable for the collection of facts re-
lating to these early knights of the
quill. "a Kansas Has-Been," deals
with Lecompton from an historical
standpoint. "The World SCHOOL, is
a reprint from the Kansan Abroad"
but still looks brightly at us, from it's
clear faced type as if challenging us to
deny its right to new lease of life.
"Kansas Miscellanies" has already
passed out of the first edition into the
second.
Our Boy and Girl" is from the
pen of Mrs. Ellen Patton, of Atchison.
1t is temperance story, and depicts
the bad boy who allows the tobacco
and whisky habits to get control of
him and who succeeds in breaking the
heart and causing the death of his
mother during his wild oats period. 1
once asked prominent literary lady
of this State something about the
standing of a magazine, new to me,
in which some of her verses had ap-
peared. Her reply was: "Oh, it is
perfectly harmless" The same may
safely be said CT this book. While it
is not thrilling in its plot, sensational
in its development, bloOd-curdlipg in
its incidents, or soul-entrancing in its
rhetoric. still il will make good book
to have within reach of our boys and
girls. Mrs. Patton is the author of a
book of poems, "MigDonette," publish
ed i'm 1888, which contains some very
good verses. Her poems, which have
appeared in various State papers since
that time, show marked increase in
poetic power, ara it is this field rather