The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-04

uNnb oLCopt W hCCluont. |
This 10 the time when people are eager to
know about Klondikc, and the chance is theirs
In the book entitled "Klondike," written by l..
A. Coolidge, with q chapter by John +. Pratt,
chief Of the Alaskan boundary expedition OF
1894, and published IN paper covers by Henry
Altemus. Philadelphia. Tho note OF interest 10
sounded In the remark that "the richest gold
strike tho world has ever known WAS made in
the Klondiko region last August and Septem-
ber," and specific interest attaches to such In
formation as that "the largest nugget yet
found was picked out by Burt Hudson
on Claim Six of tho Bonanza, and Is
worth a little over $780," and "the
last four pans Clements took out ran
@ $1,000. and ono Of them went $775." About
81, 500, 900 has been taken from the British
side within the past year., and about 81 ,oo0, 900
| from the American sido. Mr.. Coolidge's book
tells OF life in camp. Of placer mining and by.
draulics. of quartz mining In southeastern
| Alaska, OF the Yukon country, of the laws of
claims. and of much else pertinent, useful. and
interesting. 1t has maps and Photographic
Illustrations. 1t is timely and very well done.
A dip into the pages OF Captain Fracasse"
Il. G. Page & Coz, an English version, by Ellen
Murray Beanie. OF Theophile Gautier's celebrat-
cd story, carries tho reader back to the bravo
days of romanticism and Hugolatry. when art
for arts sake" was the chosen motto Of those
splendid gentlemen who wore long hair and
startling waistcoats and wrote always in the
grand manner. In the opening pages de-
s~criptivo of the bleak and dosolate Gas.
tie Misery with its decayod rafters, dank
red tiles dishgurcd with yellow leprous-
looking spots. and worm-eaton doors that
oreak d~olefully upon their rusty hinges,
we plunge into the atmosphere Of old.time
romance. and tho palo, melancholy. and poverty
stricken De Sigognac, with his shabby doublct
and his collar Of fadedlace. the black cat Beelze-
Dub, and the ancient henchman. with snow
white hair and threadbare livery. all 60 to com.
plete the picture. Then, presently. the jovial
band OF ~strolling players arrives, and Blazius.
with the Jolly red nose and face Of q Silenus.
thus introduces himself In tho true noble styles:
Hospitality, most n bio ~soignior; hospitality
for myself and my comrados-princes and prin.
cessos, heroes and beauties. men OF letters and
great captains, pretty waiting maids and honest
Wallets. who travel through the provinces from
town to town in tho chariot OF Thcspis, drawn
by oxen, as in the ancient times. The chariot is
now hopelessly stuck in the mud only o stones
throw from your castle, my noble lord"
1t is all brave stuff and most excellent fooling.
after the manner of Scarron and the writer's OF
the Roman ~comiQue, and though we know that
when Leander, 10 beau LGandre, sends a love
letter to the MarQuise. that letter will fall into
the husbands hands, and though we can foresee
the complications that are coming, they are not.
on that account, the less amusing. The hero
and the heroine are somewhat too long .winded
In their wooing to suit the modern taste. and
their language Is always stilted and theatrical,
but the pages are SO full Of light and color and
movement that tho very unreality of 1t all
10 not unpleasing. Never was hero more heroic
than tho pale. raven.haired Sigognac. nor could
there DO virtue more perfectly and almost
painfully %virtuous tn IN that OF modest Isabelle.
who would have died of shame II 30 much as q
single one Of the pins that held her bodice wero
indiscreetly drawn out Blazius. Scapin. and
Matamore, Zerbina and the Duke de vallom-
breuse, Chiquita. the gypsy. and Agostino. the
brigand. with his deadly ndrajd and his white
teeth. long and pointed like tho fangs Of
q gray wolf-all the band have had their
day and are now we'll nigh forgotten.
Doubtless they were ridiculous enough.
though possibly not more so than tho fash
ionable modern hero OF fiction, who armor
plates himself with a set OF dishcovers, sticks
Q feather In his hat. and masquerades as q six
teenth century freebooter. or than those dearly
beloved Scottish meenisters and dominies who
discuss uninteresting topics with a persistence
that Is little less than heroic. We laugh at
Theophile Gauticr's waving locks and bright
red waistcoat, but we read with becoming gray
ity Of the MacHaggie's method Of mauufactur-
ing fiction on the typewriter. nor do We even
smile when the photographers gravely tell us at
the rate of how many words per minute Mr..
Flim-Flam dashes of his masterpieces.
OF the Songs and Sonnets.' by Mr.. George
Hurlbut Barbour OF Pittsburg. Pa. Davis s
wardel, it may. in all honesty, be said that the
poet invariably means well. but he sometimes
has bad luck. Many Of his verses have been
inspired by a patriotism that is. In every way.
commendable, and the fact that they do not
always produce an effect upon the reader that ID
equally inspiring must DO set down to accident
rather than design. Thus In tho poem "Gettys
burg" after this opening stanza,
The waters arc gliding in willoughby Run,
The turtle basks drowsily there in the sun
AnaSh and . craShl and the battles begun;
The waters still glide. but tho turtle IL gone
0 we find these lines:
. Tho eagle on Round Top has dreams Of his reign
Der mountain and valley and streamlet and plain
l. A roarl and he wakes and nies screaming in pain
Here tho poet did not, we think, deliberately
intend to picture the noble Bird OF Freedom
soaring into space ballasted with an ounce O.
buckshot and with his tail feathers badly dis
hevelled. That he has done 30 but proves thu
truth Of our assertion that he means well-bu
he sometimes has bad luck. Nor Is ho altogethe
0 happy in the lighter and more airy forms o
y verso. To every poet we may gladly grant hi
. license. but when q singer In an invocation Il
his Cynthia makes q mellow eve In autumn
rhyme with the river bottom, we feel tina
license has here degenerated into undue liberty
Nor can such verse as this BIO easily forgiven:
She sat upon . gnarled root.
With Phabus smiling at her.
n A.skimming with her dainty foot
Tho surface OF the water.
y In 1.-THE Monroe Doctrine" tho sinRer ono
- moro sounds the patriotic note. and with no un
certain sound, either:
We warn you. Lords and Doas.