The record-union., 1891-10-16
new PUBLICATIONS.

| From the author, Edward Powers, C.
! E., of Delavan Wis, we have a small
volume entitled, "War and the Weather"
| The first edition was issued in 1871. The
| present is a revised and much improved
| issue. The topic is the production OF
rain by human agencies. Mr.. Powers
| has produced a very interesting book.
he has marshaled his proofs quite con-
! ylnclngly, and has certainly added ma
| terialiy to the reasons for believing that
] rain can be produced by artificial means.
| He adduceS evidence that artillery firing
! sets IN operation certain motions and
! forces" that cause condensation oTaqueous
yapor, thus bringing rain. He considers
/ the equatorial and polar currents of the
atmosphere and the ample supplies OF
! Vapor for producing rain. why state OF
! drought neither causes nor indicates an
| lnsufiiciency of vapor, and how nature
/ brings rain. He shows how conclusion
! causes condensation of Vapor, and why
/ the air is moist in the Mississippi Valley
and in the Eastern States, and dry and
! healthful in California and Colorado.
! Errors i'll Espy's theory and mistakes OF
meteorologists in placing effect for
cause and cause for effect are pointed out.
| lie reflects on the partiality Of the Gov
ernment in expenditures for the benefit
| of classes other than the agricultural
! class, ana makes plea for experiments
| TO test and develop plan designed 10
! benefit this class by preventing droUghtS.
! Letters are given from Generals Marshall
! Benham, Heintzelman, Hunt, Hagner,
! Wood, Robinson. SchOtieid and Johnson,
! Of the United States Army; Rear Ad-
miral Goldsborough and Commander
Barrett Of the United States Navy, and
! from the following officers of the late
volunteer army OF the United States, viz:
/ General Chamberlain OF Maine; Generals
| Hamilton and Serrell of New York; Gen.
! erals Mccoy, Campbell, Dana and Os-
/ borne OF Pennsylvania; Generals Gar
! field, Hays, Knapp and Barnett, and
! Captain Manning of Ohio; General Mil
/ roy of Indiana; Generals McNulta, Smith
and White, Colonel Kennicott Of Illinois;
/ Generals Rice, Nandever and Hedricks
! Of Iowa, and Generals Bryant and Stark
/ weather Of Wisconsin, all tending to sup
port his theory-which, however, is not
now seriously disputed. The volume
! sells at 81, and is worth il for the scien-
/ titic testimony it contains.
''The Shadow of 5hameo is a novel by
! Austyn Granville and is from the pres
OF Chas. II. Sergel IL Co, Chicago. The
author is cousin of Rider HaGgard, and
comes of literary family. His grand
| fathers works on the spas of Germany
and England first discovered to the world
| the medicinal virtues of those famous
| waters, and DR.. Granville'S ''St. Peters
| burg is to-day standard work upon
! the great Russian Capital. The authors
aunt, the Countess de Marguerites, whose
name serves for that OF the heroine in the
! present story, was at one time an assist
| ant of the elder Dumas in his literary
labors. This lady subsequently came to
/ America and was for many years one OF
the editors OF the Phit0dejphjd Ledger
Her play, 1.-THE Dukes Motto" still
/ holds the boards, and some of her novels,
notably, 1.-The Match Girl" have been
read by thousands. The silent features
! gathered largely from within the au-
! thor's own personal knowledge.
The heroic behavior of Julie de
| Marguerites before Metz and during the
terrible siege of Strasburg finds its actual
| counterpart in the romantic career of Il
near relative of the author, Miss Paulina
! Granville, a young English lady, who,
during the Austro-Prussia war equipped
and led into battle the first contingent OF
the famous Red Cross Society for the sue
cor of sick andwounded soldiers. At the
battle of Sadowa, in which the Prussians
lost 9,234 and the Austrian forces Is, 235
! killed and wounded, and y, ,6S4 Austrians
were taken prisoners, Miss Granville was
! personally decorated by Prince Frederick
| Charles with the order of the Iron Cross,
an honor which was subsequently con-
/ terrad upon Miss Florence Nightingale.
The novel is one OF marked originality
ana unusual merit. one of the best
( points Of the book is the exposure il
/ makes OF the present status of the French
law of marriage, by which a French citi-
( zen who has been long resident OF this
/. country can marry an American girl in
! France by the religious ceremony only,
! and then diSayoW the union ii he so
/ pleases. The author also boldly attacks
the great American messenger companies,
/ whose custom of sending boys into places
/ of disreputabe character he denounces in
a scathing manner.
The Detroit Free Press" " com
petition tirst-prize story is "The
Captain OF Company X" by Joseph
Kirkland, late Major and Aid-de-Camn
United States volunteers. 1t is from the
press OF Donohue, Henneberry Il Co.,
Chicago. The book is utterly unlike any
thing that has before appeared on this
side of the water. It's realism is like that
of Tolstoi and Maupassant. His dedica-
ton Ito the surviving officers and men
of the frlng line; the men who could see
the enemy in their front with the naked
eye, while they would have needed q
/ tield-glaSs to see the history-nakers be-
hind them," gives the keynote Of the
book. 1t is the marching, lighting, hop
ing, fearing, suffering, dying, triumph
ing common soldier who commands his
>. L
Joy and pain, laughter apd tears of a real
campaign, including DonelSon and Shiloh
and some lesser fights. The men are
Chicago men and the women who came
! to see them and nurse them in the field,
! and who welcome them home, are Chi
cago women; but the haps and mishaps
| will fit into many company in many a
regiment from any State.
Ida Randolph of Virginia" is a his
torical novel in verse by DR.. Caleb Har-
Ian. The volume is from the press OF
Ferris Brothers, Philadelphia, and is ac-
companied by Il fine steel-plate portrait
of the author, which faces the title page.
one half the volume is given up to "l1l-
flora of the SuSquehanna," and other
poems. The plot and story are of inter
est in Ida Randolph" but we cannot
agree with some of his reviewers that the
doctors genius is phenomenal That he
writes narrative in verse well no one can
doubt but that it is upon lofty plane o1
poetic grace and inspiration is not true
His expression is vigorous, his recital
straightforward, his narrative dramatic
But his poetry lacks that grace and charm
that robe the poetic genius born to tune
verses to the pleased ear of man. In
"Eifora" there is far more of poetic
beauty and grace. Indeed, the "heroic
couplet" moves in measure very pleas
ing and at times quickeps the pulse by its
feeling. In some of the fugitive poems.
too, we find that which speaks OF native
Gifts of no ordinary character: at the
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