The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-11

of our country. LII is doubtful whether
the pulpit or the press now surpass,. or
even equal the influence of the public
library and the tremendous power which
is quietly but surely welded by the six
thousand librarians who are helping to
form the minds and guide the energies
of our people. We have one of the finest
systems of reference Libraries in the
world, and the most widely difused and
well arranged system OF pubic clrculat-
ing libraries, thus offering great edu,
cational opportunity to all who will
take advantage of it. State, University
and city libraries of note are described,
and many beautiful illustrations of ex-
teriors and interiors of some OF the most
noted help the reader to appreciate the
facilities afforded by this great educa-
tional system.
The April number of st. Nicholas
rings down the curtain upon Tom Saw
yer, by Mark Twain and Toinettes
Philip, by Mrs. Jamison. In the present
number, without waiting for the few
last words of it's predecessors, we see be-
gun the reign of the new serial, JACK
Ballister's Fortunes, by Howard Pyle,
with his own exquisite illustrating.
illustrated by the author" is becoming
SO usual an announcement that little at
tention is paid to the monopollzlng OF
two professions by one man; the writer's
or artists unions should look to it. We
understand that Mr.. Plye will tell the
absorbingly interesting story of boys
experiences among the pirates of the last
century. The opening chapter seems to
promise the expectation of the young
hero. In the City Series Charles II.
Shinn shows us the good points of San
Francisco, and, aidedsby photographs,
takes his readers through its picturesque
scenes and recalls It's unique history. 1t
is an envy exciting sketch: In the
Natural History Series Mr.. Hornaday
gives the young reader most interesting
sketch of wolves and foxes, where two
skilled artists have lent him their aid
and done yeoman service. The series
seems TO promise permanent value Or.
Eastman continues the autobiography
of his Indian boyhood and this time
takes us upon a hunting expedition. +.
S.Church, whose animal pictures, par
ticularly, delight thousands, writes and
illustrates letter from "Bruin Polar
Bear" of the Hagenbeck show. Text and
pictures are droll and will bring
smiles to thousands of childish faces.
Among the writers of articles in the
Popular Science Monthly for April
are the well known names of Andrew
D.White, Herbert Spencer. Alfred r.
Wallace, James D. Dana and Joseph LIE
Conte. DIR. White contributes another
chapter in the Warfare of Science series,
dealing with Theological Teachings Re-
garding the Animals and Man. The un-
natural and dogmatic character of these
teachings of bygone times is almost past
belief. Under the title Trusts their own
Corrective, Mr.. George A. Rich shows
that ombinations which have sought to
make unreasonable profits have worked
their own destruction. In New Lights
on the Problem of Flying, an illustrated
article, Prof. Joseph lie Conte discusses
some recent experiments by Prof. Lang
ley and, admits that human fight is
not the impossibility that he has de-
clared it to be. The Method of Homing
Pigeons is described with many dia-
grams, by Prof. G. +. Hodge, who shows
that the birds have no such inscrutable
instinct as they have been credited with.
This number contains also the second
portion of Alfred r.. Wallace's paper on
of aerial telegraphy invented by Claude
Chappe is described by Waiter Lodian in
a fully illustrated article entitled A Cen
tury of the Telegraph in France. In
An Illustrative Chapter on Legal De-
velopment some facts concerning the
ownership of land that will surprise the
average real-estate owner are given by
bert Spencer to the Later Professor
Tyndalf is printed in this number. The
Unemployed and Two timely topics.
Why Benefficence Should Not be En-
forced are discussed in the Editors
Table.