The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-09

ton of the critics general
In the June number of Current Litera-
ture Mr.. f. M. Hopkins continues his
interesting series of articles entitled
American Poets of Today. John B.
Tabb. the Mary land poet, is the su biect
under discussion in this number.
The Century for June has as it's high
lights the subjects of Queen Victoria,
appropos of the celebration of this month,
and the work of the sculptor St. eau
dens, apropos of the dedication of the
Shaw Memorial in Boston. The most
complete pictorial record of the work of
St. Gaudens yet made is here published in
group of papers by Edward Atkinson,
W. A. Coffin and T. W. Higginson. Be-
sides three full-page reproductions OF the
Shaw Memorial, there are twenty nine
pieces of sculpture by St. Gaudens shown
in the articles. There is also sketch of
the life of Colonel Shaw by the editor,
and an editorial on the sculptor The
material relating to Queen Victoria com
pr1ses tribute by the Hon. Thomas 4
Bayard, an article by Florence Hayward
here reproduced by Her Majesty special
permission, and four portraits OF the
Queen at different ages, the frontlsplece
being the Princess Victoria at the age of
four. A third article of special and Curl
Gus interest is an illustrated account by
Eugene P Andrews Of How a Riddle of
the Parthenon was Unraveled.
The June number of ST. Nicholas is
full Of the out.of doors spirit 1t opens
with poem, Laddie's Fishing, by Rev
W. II. Woods, illustrated by Varian.
Steering Without Compass, by Gustav
Kobbe, tells of the various devices that
sailors depend upon in guiding the cours
of their ships, and is filled with quaint
bits of sea lore. The Risks of a Fireman's
Life, is one of a series of articles written
for this magazine by the artist Charles
Thaxter Hill, who probably knows more
about the New York Fire Department.
than any other outsider. He describes
the dangers of suffocating cellar tires, OF
the dreaded fback draft" of falling
walls, and of showers of broken glass and
melted lead-a few of the almost deadly
perils that confront the metropolitan lire
men. Mr.. Hill has drawn number of
spirited pictures to accompany the artl-
Gle.
For significance, variety and interest OF
matter, and beauty of illustration, there
rarely issues a magazine equal to the
June number of McClure's. Professor
Langleys account of his ten years OF hard
study and experience in the construction
of flying machines. crowned at last with
a machine that actually solves the prob
lem and proves mechanical flight" to be
both possible and practicable, is posi-
tive contribution to science; but it is at
the same time a most interesting story OF
heroic patience and effort directed to a
noble end. The paper is illustrated with
pictures of Professor Langley's own ma
chine (the only flying machine that has
ever fiown) made under his direction
Elihu Burritt, ''the Learned Black
smith, was in many respects one of the
most noteworthy characters that New
England has produced during the cen
fury. The extent of his linguistic attain
ments, self trained as he was without the
privileges of the schools. was something
remarkable and almost incredible. But
he was not simply a machine for learning
languages; he was a man of a most while
mind, of great public spirit and of world
wide sympathies. His labors in behalf of
cheap postage and of international arbi-
tration were more fruitful than the Ia
bors of almost any body else in his genera
ton. and in this time when the cause of
international arbitration is peculiarly at
the front. it is worth while to study
Burritt's life again. Miss Ellen Strong
Bartlett's article upon him in the June
number of the New England Magazine
is most opportune, and will be widely
read We do not know of any better pop.
ular account, and it is rendered the more
valuable by the fine portraits of Mr.. Bur-
rift which accompany it, the views of
his various homes and haunts. and the
curious fac-similes of many of his pro-
auctions.
The Arena for June is not perhaps
quite SO varied in its contents as usual.
but it proba bly, more than makes up for
this feature by an unusually full and
topics. The number leads off with pa
per by the Hon. James D. Phelan, May
or Of San Francisco, on Municipal Con-
ditions in California, in which he makes
q strong plea for the exercise of more
rigid control over private corporate mo-
nopolies, such as those which control the
street car service, lighting, water supply,
garbage disposal, etc. This paper con-
cludes the valuable series of articles on
Municipal Reform. written by various
city mayors, which have been appearing
in the Arena during the past few months.
One finds the expected variety in the
contents of the American Monthly Re-
view of Reviews for June. The subjects
of the sugar tariff, sixty years retro
spect of. the British Empire, the recent
visit to the United States of M. Brunei
there, the French critic; the defective
eysight lately developed among American
children, and the movement for the pen
sionlng of school teachers are treated in
special articles. The editorial depart
ment entitled The Progress of the World
covers such topics as American interyen-
ton in Cuba the relation of Hawaii to
the sugar question, the use of money in
politics by corporations, the enlarged
metropolis of New York, the fate of the
arbitration treaty. European alliances
and the Greco-Turkish war, the future
of Greece, etc.
"The ingredients of that composite. but
intangible, thing that Princeton men
worship under the endearing name of
Old Nassau is the theme celebrated in