The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-06
CURRENT PERIODICALS.

CURRENT PERIODICALS.
The Pocket Magazine. published by the
Frederick A. Stokes Company. for Janu-
airy contains stories by Clinton Ross. s.
Baring-Gould, Charles Kelsey Gaines, duff
| field Osborne and Willis Emery.
A picture of Mrs. Mckinley appears on
the cover of the Ladies' Home Journal for
January. One of the features of the mag
/ aZne for the year is a serial story by Ham,
! lin Garland, called THE Doctor Several
very good short stories are in the number.
| In the current Cosmopolis l. Zangwill
projects himself into the personality of the
poet Heine and relates an episode in his
| life setting forth at the same time what
! he assumes to be Heine's views on certain
| matters of life and death. 1t is rather a
| daring venture.
! In Municipal Affairs, the quarterly pub
| lished by the New York Reform Club, is
a discussion of municipalization of electric
lighting and power. by Mr.. r. r. Bowker
and Prof J. r. Commons. Other contribu-
| lions to the number relate TO Municipal
Art Greater New York Century
| Hence" Municipal Gas in Philadelphia"
| and improved Tenement Houses lot
| American Cities.
The Metropolitan Magazine for January
has a biographical sketch of Chauncey De-
pew, one of Maud Come, lrelands Joan OF
Arc; a paper on the American game OF
/
! lords, a description of the training or "a
great prima donna, as exempllhed IN
Madame Sebrlch; an article on the chain-
| less wheel and q sketch of Richard Mans
field The magazine is embellished by num-
erous illustrations, consisting mainly OF por-
| traits of stage people.
w. A. Rogers, we'll known through his
work in Harper's Weekly and other periodi-
calls, tells the readers of the Art Amateur
about wash drawing and the color tones
/ nd xxyoif Sfn1iPS
''Sketching from Nature is the subject OF
an instructive paper by c.. A. Vanderhoof.
Both articles are illustrated by the WRITER'S.
Other features of the number are a paper
on artistic photography and an account OF
the work of E. A. Burbank, of Chicago, an
artist who has mad reputation as
painter of Indian portraits.
II any there be who care to know what
Maurice Maeterlinck thinks of Emerson
they can find his opinions set forth in the
current number of Poet-Lore, having been
translated for that magazine by the editors.
Other papers suited only to the elect who
dwell in a sublimated literary atmosphere
treat of "Ibsen and the Ethical Drama OF
the Nineteenth Century" Renaissance
Pictures in Robert Brownings Poetry,
"Kindliness as an Element OF rain Illus
trated in Literature, together with SeVeral
poems and bits of fiction. Study pro-
grammes in Shakespeare and Browning, book
reviews and literary note ana COMMENT
make UP the number.
In the January number of the Review of
Reviews Charles A. Conant, secretary of
the Monetary Commission, compares the
several plans for currency reform before
| Congress, namely, President McKinley's,
Secretary Cages and that of the Monetary
Commission. A paper by William Howe
Tolman reviews New York cltys progress
under Mayor Strong. Lord BraSSey writes
of the position of the British navy, ana
Hon Theodore Roosevelt has a letter COM
menting on his article, this letter being
fOII TpnOrt
the navy on the present condition, needs
and prospects of our navy. An Austrian
writes of 1.-THE Future of AuStria-Hun-
gary He thinks that the country is
doomed to division and only needs the
spark in the powder barrel to bring ABOUT
the partition.
The current number of the International
Studio has for it's frontispiece color plate
of weird design called nocturne. 1t is a
light green lady standing against vivid
blue background and clothed only in yell
ow-green hair Behind some unwholesome
| looking green weeds is a yellow object
which may be pumpkin, but is possibly
intended for the moon. The woman, natur-
ally enough seems in distress. This draw
ing which is labeled decorative, is
doubtless artistic, but only the elect can
appreciate it's merits. Another plate in the
number after a French water color Is
more within the ordinary comprehension
and is quite pleasing, both in drawing and
color effects The black and white illus
trations in this beautiful periodical are of
great variety and we'll executed. The Amer
lean supplement to the Studio is unlmpor-
tant.
The January Arena contains an article
by Mr. Augustus Lynch Mason, ex-president
of the Citizens Street-railroad Company of
Indianapolis, on the subject of municipal
ownership. He presents the arguments for
and against such ownership of semi-public
institutions, but does not express himself
IN fouo of
another saying that the question of control
of such business by any city is local in
character THE great advantages to the
people, particularly to those of small in
come likely to accrue from the municipal
operation Of street railways, gas, electric
light and water works at cost" he says,
depend at last upon efficiency and honesty
of administration. Many friends of this re-
form fear that municipal administration
would break down at this point. Every sue
CeSSful business man knows that there must
be a constant study of the expense account,
rigid economy and scrupulouS honesty IN the
management of these large enterprises. Use
less employees must not be tolerated upon
the pay roll; able-bodied men must do
full days work for q full day pay. Rigor-
Gus discipline, prompt discharge for serious
onenses, urelesS vigilance IN preventing
waste, sloth. and dishonesty are essential
to a successful conduct of the business. If
it is not so managed. the cost of operation
will Immediately increase. Conservative
persons. having the public interest at heart,
often believe that if city undertakes these
enterprises they will be conducted so ex-
pensively that the people will pay as much
for these public services as they do now.
To this may be answered, that if such
thing took place the people would be no
worse off than they are now. Yet 1t is in
conceivable that public administration could
be so wasteful and dishonest as to absorb
in expense the large profits which accrue
to private owners" In conclusion he says:
1.-The chief danger of failure in such ex-
periments lies in undertaking them without
carefully framed laws for their government.
Unless there are requisite legal safeguards,
municipal proprietorship would likely prove
an economic failure and would thus dis
credit the peoples cause"
RUSSIA'S PRISON HORRORS.
Using Prisoners in Chains rs Beasts