New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-09
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

NEW BOOhSANDNEW ELL OA"
"prh,;c Libraries in America" Roberts Brothers.
nv w l. Fletcher. librarian OF Amherst Cohese
IN the title OF the second volume OF the NANNY
"columb,a knowledge Series edited by PROFESSOR
n p Todd The author reviews breny the his'oi!
~ the nubc library movement In America anu
emphasizes Its significance. He describes the
growth of library laws. showing how legislation mas
followed the growth of libraries rather thah ~
coded their origin. The way to start library 10
10 start It," and then State aid will come. IN 1871
the author thought the ideal library law "ou'u NC
ono that made the duty OF maintaining hprary
obligatory on towns and within little more 'ha'i
n wear afterward New Hampshire ehac'eu I
such a law Most Of the important de'aiis Vi "O''
work are discussed in succession, then Few repi'
sentative libraries certain great special libraries
and the public libraries of Canada are uesoiioeN'
ord sore contectures are hazarded as 10 the future
~ a movement which has already attained such eA-
traordinary magnitude and Importance iaoie' "
the appendix give the names OF the p'in0p' "
dividual benefactors of libraries IN the O"''eu
States the statistics Of the one hunoreu ia'se''
libraries and the relative distribution OF
in the various States. The Illustrations incude 'ne
nest among the library buildings Of the country as
we'll as portraits Of well-known Librarians
Many ~ the papers in T f. Thorpes Essays in
1I,s,or,cal Chemistry" (Afacmillan & Coz are
bographcal in character, and most or theih haNe
Neen published separately. One OF the most sls"'i'
amt articles Is trenchant criticism OF LaVoisei .
claims TO precedence over Cavendsh in the experi-
ments with water and its component gases "hie"
revolutionzed the theories OF modern chemistry
Mr.. Thorpe comedies that Lsvoisier overtime" '"e
old.fashioned hypothesis of 'phlogston' but not
that he discovered oxygen or the COMPOUND nature
of water Another significant paper descrioes ''.
"Rise and Development of Synthetical chemistry
IN which the author ventures on the preul0''o'' .
the flood tide of chemical research mas only just
90, In and that the ebb is still far in the future
The biographical papers relate to Robert noyle'
Iosenh Priestley Carl Wilhelm Scheeie, henry
Cavendsh Antoine-Laure LavosieT Mlchaei
Faraday Thomas Graham, Friedrich Nohier 'e"',
Baptiste Andre Dumas, Hermann happ anu Dni'''
Ivanowitsh Mendeleef. 1t will thus De seen ma
the volume presents a working history VI "'0u''
chemistry in a personal FORM
Captain John Bigelow. jr. has revised ana en-,
1areed The Principles of Strategy llius.iateu
Mainly from American Campaigns" o. b. Lppln-
cot, Con,nanv) by abrdging the chapter on The
Essential Elements Of Strategy, rather te0n-
n,cal discussion and by adding descriptions
Of the campaign OF Shiloh. the campaign vi
Chancellorsville Grants overland campaign anu
other matter He leaves no DOUBT OH 'ne
no,nt that the Union Army surprised at Pitts
burg Landing and he summarizes the failure OF
the Union movement against Lee at Chanceiiors-
willie by saying that 1t due to Hooker lai-
lacous idea OF concentrating offensive stia'esS
with defensive tactics. He might have achieVeu
a Auccess that would have placed him among 'he
great commanders of the age but he was TOO APP
nrshens,ve Of defeat" The book is highly interest
ing even TO those who know nothing about war De-
cause of the clear method of statement and because
the battles and campaigns selected are those ol
which every American has some knowledge
In his predatory note to 1.-The Humour of America
Imported by Charles Scribners sons James barr
remarks that he is not TO be tempted h'o any
theories deductions speculations prophecies warm
ings or representations as to any species OF huiho
He has learned by experience the futility ana Ia
taI,,v ~ that sort of criticism. He leaves the
authors to speak for themselves. He has ADDED 70
the long list Of selections biographical index OF
American and Canadian humorous authors the
volume covers the century and more OF America"
life with occasional piece from colohla' 'iieS
American readers will be apt TO find many ola
friends The book is illustrated with many full
mage pictures and smaller ones in the text by G. e.
Brock.
The late Lord Bowen not long ago made an ad-
dress on literature in which he uttered a few SEN
fences we'll worth quoting. THE highways ana by
ways" he said. 'are given up so to speak, to the
literary bicyciist He travels in costume pc
culiar TO himself and he considers the landscape all
his own. Expressions Of violence are employed TO
describe commonplace emotions. Toward individ-
uals we practise the ndistinctness or judg-
ment the same indifference to proportion. We pur-
sue successful men and women TO their down-su-
ting and uprising. enjoy the descriptions OF ther
household furniture. Memorials erected to
everyone who will only die the odor of respecta-
bility. We write long biographies of Nobody and
we celebrate the centenares of Nothing.
There are many phy sayings in the works OF
Herbert Spencer. though he is far from having the
terseness Of style that fits brevy Of words to great
~ Of he wi m
from the Writings of Herbert Spencer Selected ana
Arranged by Julia Raymond GIngell" ID. Appleton &
Coz, Is comprised In paragraphs rather than SEN
fences. But 1t is wisdom; and tn volume may well
De used as an introduction the study Of Mr..
,pencers works In detail The frontlspiece is por-
trait of the author Of the Synthetic Philosophy.
The Phi Delta Theta College fraternity has Just
issued It's sixth Catalogue under the editorship
Of Eugene Henry Lewis Randolph and Frank Dugan
Swope. A few years ago the Greek letter societies
were content to publish modest lists containing the
names and residences Of their members ana such
secret Information concerning their society standing
as could be conveyed by means of few mysterious
symbols. Now the society catalogue covers much
wider range. 1t aims TO present under each name
such personal Information will enable the reader
10 know the outlines of the owners life A few
steps further would lead TO biographical diction-
ary The Phi Delta Theta has has had eighty
three chapters and 2s6 members. 6.slS Of whom
now living The present catalogue mas been nve
years and nine months in preparation and SC
thorough has the work been that out OF 1886 names
only twenty-one are untraced. The data given by
the catalogue include the full name Of every menu
ber his degrees. residence occupation. literary
work. army record. offices held In Church or State.
college ard fraternity honors and relationship in
the society.
There is such thing saying with positive
ness what is the best way OF arranging a catalogue
or what system has absolutely the fewest defects.
Every editor adopts his own system, and all that
may fairly be asked Is that he follow 1t inteligenty
and consistently. This the Phi Delta Theta editors
have done. They have chosen to compress their
work almost to the limit. BY having two columns to
a page and by much abbrevaton. they have made
the volume less bulky than many of the recent
fraternity catalogues. 1t is not handsome
aahi haak far this h,tth cr