Evening journal., 1893-10-02
RECENT LITERATURE.

Finland Waterways, Their Relation to
Transportation, is the title Of supple
ment which is sent with the September
Annals OF the American Academy This
valuable addition to the literature of the
transportation question is contributed by
Emory r Johnson, Phi D instructor in
political science at Haverford College. IL
is an earnest plea for the re adoption Of
canals as a means of transportation, both
on account of the cheap rates of freight
which they allow and because they will
help to lower railway rates, also because
they will permit of a great extension of
our inland commerce For the same rea
sons, the author advocates the improve
ment of our natural waterways aud con-
Meeting them together The chapter on the
Nicaragua Canal will be read with much
interest just now. and should do much TO
help along this excellent project. Every
patriotic American ciiizen ought to care
fully read DR. Johnson's excellent mono
graph. -Philsdelphis, Station B.
Many of the thousands of admirers of
| Walter Besant's novels will be surprised
to learn from the character sketch of
him, which appears in The October Review
Of Reviews, that he has found time out
| side of the writing of those charming
novels to be a very decided man of action,
in fact, one of the busiest of them John
Underhill is the thor of this character
sketch and evidently writes with an
affection which one does not wonder al
when he tells us of Mr.. Besants kindness
and gentleness to himself he tells u
that Mr.. Brsant is one of the hardest
worked literary men in the world, &C
complishing an enormous variety anc
amount Of labor This is achieved with
out iuiurng Mr. Besants vitality, be
cause he is a master of method, being es-
sentiallya a mathematician. In this anC
many other ways Mr. Underhill compares
Besaut to Dickens Aside from hi;
! ttenehant effectiveness in several walk
Of life Mr.. Underh II fluids Mr. Besan
pre-eminently calm, cultured polished
gentleman.
The October number of Mcclure
Magazine opens with a paper by Rober
p Porter, on that Incompatible wit
orator and statesman, Thomas Reed
# Maine. Mr. Porter has written Of Mr.
Reed in n straight, English sort of way
that goes right to the spO5. The articl
is profusely illustrated. THE Jonese'
Telephone, by Annie HOwells Ere
chette, is a short story with lots
three ply human nature in 1t, mike
with the most spontaneous and delight
I full humor "The Psychological Lab ra
tory at Harvard" by Herbert Nichols
Ph. d instructor in ychology. Hal
I ward University, will fascinate d IL
b. terest the thoughtful. It is illustrate
by round Oxen first. class illustrationi
And the 81 900 in prizes. offered for to
best short story submitted before No
vember 1. 1898, is drawing splendi
talent from beneath the historic bushe
The October Arena will appeal strongI
TO the Southern heart Il contains as
$ front spiece a fine portrait of Mr.
General Pickett, and a remarkably fiji
negro dialect character sketch by MI
Is Pickett 1t also contains a striking
able paper by Joshua Caldwell entitl'
The South is American Amor
timely questions ably discussed in tn
magazine are "A Ready Financial R
lief, Silver or Fiat oney," and "Ir
! cation The last subject is discuss
- by Richard J. Hinton, and will be re
with interest by thousands who q
preciate the growing Importance Of I'll
great question