The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-30
NEW BOOKS RECEIVED.
FIRST SERIES OF THE HILF-MOOE
PAPERS.
Historic New Notwithstanding Volume
From Meas. Puinam-ycrse for the
ChiidreD-Magazines.

series OF the Half Moon Papers. Edited
by Maud Wilder Goodwin, Alice Car
rington Royce. and Ruth Putnam. q.
=. Putnam's Sons. New York. London.
For sale by George NJ. West.
The CITY History Club. lnaugurated in
1896, by Mrs. Robert Able, has, in a sin
Gle year increased TO the number OF
forty classes. established in all quarters
OF New York, and comprises hundreds Of
pupils. To meet the needs OF this rapidly
grow rs body of students, the editors OF
the Half Moon Papers undertook TO SUI
pcrintcnd the publication of series Of
mon )sraphs which should be easily ac-
cessitle for those who might not find IL
convenient to consult the voluminous
records and documents contained in the
lioi aries. These monographs do not at
tempt to give any connected history OF
tn city, but to present authentic ac-
Goa Is OF localities OF special interest and
10 describe the features peculiar to the
life Of the oldon time in New Amsterdam
and carly New York. They offer in con-
vcnient form for ready reference. care
fully al"anci infoTnatlCl, cnlivsEcd =
hints Of legend and tradition which have
cast their glamour over Manhattan Is
land, and II has been the aim Of the edit
ors TO make the series OF value 10 the
general public as well as to the students
OF the City History Clubs. for whom they
were especially designed The writers.
who. at the request of the editors. pre-
pared the twelve papers which constitute
the publications OF the first year, have
spared no labor in their efoits 10 make
their accounts thoroughly trustworthy.
They have studied no. only the standard
authorities. but have consulted the Dutch
archives. and maze researches In the
records of the historical societies Of the
various cities OF the State.
The result is a volume valuable and In
teresting not TO the resident Of New York
city or State only, but to all who ina
in the phenomenal growth OF the former
a subject worthy of attention. The evolu-
ton Of that great metropolis Is enter
taining-it is so typically American. This
volume has the advantage Of some Of the
very finest Illustrating we have ever seen.
The writer's Of the papers are Miss Maud
Wilder Goodwin. Miss Alice Morse Earle
Mr. oswald GG--T-on Willard. Miss Ruth
Putnam. Mr.. Edwa-e Dana Durand, Mr.
George Everett Hill Mr.. George T.. War
ing, Jr, Miss Elizabeth Bisland Mr.. AL
lItu l1lSNOD MdSDI. MISS MARY MuTuDtk
Mason Mr.. John b. Pine. Mr. Edward
Ringwood Hewitt. Miss Mary Ashley
Hewitt. and Miss Blanche Wilder Bel
lamy. None of these papers are more in
teresting TO the general reader than that
contributed by Mr.. and Miss Hewitt-on
the Bowery. There was a time" so IL
begins. when the 'Bowery' was "A name.
both soberly derlvative and pleasantly APP
prOpriate, but Of those days when the lane
running between the Dutch oouweries or
farms. was inevitably Bouweries Lane.
two material things alone remain 10 these
days. when the BOwery is the highway OF
the confusion Of tongues. or these, one Is
a branch of the patriarch pear tree. which |
survived from the orchard of Peter Stuy-
vesant planted probably about 1864; II
lived TO see its surrounding gardens and |
green fields swallowed up IN brick and |
mortar. and In the course Of the city's |
gro 18th IT became a land mark protected |
by a railing at the corner of Third ave-
nue. and Thirteenth street. But neither |
dignity nor age availed u. for in NOvem- |
Der. 1861 a loaded truck broke 1t down. |
and. aside from individual souv"niro ~'
that speaks for II is the little branch la |
beled and preserved al police headquar- |
te~s. The other still stands. and mutel~ |
speaks Of ancient days II IS the mile |
stone in the Bowery. opposite Rivngton |
street. on which. II il does not happen to |
be covered over with bills, one may still |
read the legend "2 miles TO City Hall" |
This stone has seen the rolling OF the |
old mail coaches, and the measured |
marching Of many feet. From those FIRST
days. when the name was 'both sOberly |
derivative and pleasantly appropriate" 10
this time. when to most. IL lis the half |
humorous half dreaded portion OF the |
city. strange and foreign. quarter TO be
visied but never known. "its historians |
trace the circumstances that have made
one Of the other. and. as we have said,
no chapter in the book is more interest
ing. The editors are to be congratulated
upon the publication OF so valuable
for such We consider H.
IL.
A MINCE PIE DREAM AND OTHER |
VERSES: BY Emily ID. Elton. +. r.
Herrick & Co.. New York. 70 cents. For
sale by George VI. West.
What "Mnce Pie Dreams" are need
not be explained. Most OF US have had |
them. The child public is indebted 10 this
writer of jingles which will please them
for the first poem in the book, wherein
is recited the experience Of n little boy.
who having eaten too much pie has |