The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-27

trated by Ernest Pelxotto in his best vein.
lSan Francisco; william DoXey. ".
.
A new series of books. to be known as
the Home Reading series, and intended to
he educational in the broad sense with
out being forbiddlngly technical, has been
planned by the enterprising firm of u. APP
pleton & Co., and of this series the first
volume is now offered to the public un-
der the title, THE story or the Birds"
The series is to be edited by DR., william
T. Harris, United States commissioner Of
education, and is to have for it's primary
object the stimulation of the habit of
self culture, or in other words the widen
ing of the circle of education beyond the
limits ordinarily reached by the schools.
1t Is intended to enter each general de-
partment of human knowledge with an
eye for its inviting side, so that when a
book shall be written on Il given subject
it will not appear stiff, like the average
text book, but will instead be fresh un-
usual and therefore fascinating. The prep
aration of the first book of this valua bic
series, that on birds and bird life, was en-
trusted to James Newton Basket and
the volume now before us shows that he
knew how to perform the work accept
ably. He has touched lightly on the tech
nical side or ornithology but he has gone
far enough into its details to equip the
reader with as much knowledge of that
science as Is necessary In nine cases out
of ten. Moreover he mas pictured the at
tractlve phases of the subject so well that
the book has all the interest of novel.
The mechanical workmanship on the Sc
ries is to be first class. il this ntroduC-
tory volume may be taken as criterion /:
and the price is within every ones reaGn--
only about 50 cents per volume.
.
The standard reference authority for
and speculation, has been the Manual OF
Statistics, published annually by Charles
II. Nicoll at 1879 Broadway, New York. In
its pages are found the exact material
which those who habtually consult it re-
quire in their business. the contents com
prising carefully summarized but ample
statements of physical features. capital
ization earnings and management of
railroads street railways and Industrial
corporations, and the range OF prices IN
all of the country's stock exchanges, to-
gether with the statistics that have a
value in connection with grain and pro
duCe, cotton, petroleum and the mining
markets. The issue for 1897, which is now
for sale at So per volume. brings every
tabulation of statistics down to January
| and is practically u BIRDS eye review of
the entire financial and commercial aC-
tivitles of the world during the year 1886
.
Ten short stories of unequal merit by
Emma Frances Dawson, of San Fran
cisco. are published in handsome vol
ume by William DoXey, of the same city,
under the title AN ltinerant House. .
The stories run largely to the weird, and
reach their best I'm the narrative which
supplies to the collection its curious title
Here we have a manipulation of the
uncanny which Poe himself might
have envied or Guy de Maupassant
prohted by. One cannot well explain n
cold type its peculiar gripping of human
interest nor would it be of any use to try
to skeletonize the story, for the whole
merit of ii is in the telling-a narration
which demonstrates the responsiveness
of mankind to influences beyond the ken
of science and almost outside the pale OF
| sober belief. If ali the other sketches II
| the book had been subtracted, this one
would have established Miss Dawson
| claim to notice. We are not sure that she
would rot have Jared better had they be II
! subtracted, for the most of the land 9TH
ers' are Indifferent stuff.