The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-01
Some of the Recent Accessions to
the Shelves.
REVIEWS AND CRITICISMS
Some New Works on History, Travel
and Observation-Disclosures Colon
ial Tracts - The Foreign
Statesmen Series.

Noi. L oi american colonial Tracts is
the beginning of the republication of a
series OF early documents of considerable
note, but now to be found only in a few
of the older libraries.
THE Genealogy of the Descendants of
Nathaniel Clarke of Newbury. Mass" is
a book that will be of interest to a very
limited number of our readers.
Sydney G.. Fisher has already done good
work in writing histories of the colonial
period in Pennsylvania. A book of wider
scope and of much interest to students
of American history is Men, Women
and n of Colonial Times"
Two notable additions to THE Foreign
Statesmen Series are william the ST.
lent" by Frederick Harrison. and "Philip
III. of SPAIN" by Martin A. S. Hume. Tn
series consists of very short books writ
ten by competent writer's and specially
adapted to the busy life of our times.
a few books on Alaska will be appre-
ciated by those whose attention has been
called to the extreme Northwest by the
Klondike interest. These are Reports on
the Introduction of Domestic Reindeer
into Alaska, 1s96-1S97." by Sheldon Jack
son; "Alaska; Its History. Climate and
Natural Resources" by A. =. Swineford;
Through the Gold Fields of Alaska to
Boring Straits" by Harry de Windt. Each
of these books possesses a peculiar inter
% VI us pNh. IL JdthSOn y WOTk WAS
compiled and published by the United
States Bureau of Education. Mr.. Swine
ford was for some time governor of the
territory of Alaska, and hence may be
considered specially fitted to treat of its
resources and possibilities. While Mr.. de
Windt, though treating only of the valley
of the Yukon and the Klondike, has so
infused his book with his own spirit of
adventure as to make IL very readable
apart from the information it contains.
Allied to these books in subject is the
excellent treatise of J. w. Tyrrell.
Across the Sub-Arctics of Canada"
Across the Country of the Little King;
a Trip Through SPAIN by William Be
ment Lunt. is a WELL written book about
a nation of ill-starred prominence at pres
ent. One learns from this work that IL
comfort is "A desideratum Spain is a poor
country to travel In.
Facts and Fakes About Cuba: a Re-
view of the Various Stories Circulated in
the United States Concerning the Pres
ent lnsurrection,' by Geo. Bronson Rea,
is a treatise entirely from the Spanish
standpoint, and is worth reading to find
what a strong case may be made. Another
book about the scene of the present war is
THE Island of Cuba; a Descriptive and
Historical Account of the Great Antilla."
by Andrew Summers Rowan and Mara
thon Montrose Ramsey The official RE
port of the Naval Court of Inquiry Upon
the Destruction of the United States
Cruiser Maine in Havana Harbor. Feb.
1885, has been issued by the United
States government and will be an impor-
tant authority for consultation when
terms of peace are under consideration.
These books containing matters of so
much present interest suggest the impor-
lance of the naval force of the United
States. The present war. being a naval
war. has already created a popular inter-
est i'm naval history. Tn complete ''Offi-
cial Records of the Union and Confederate
Navies in the War of the Rebellion of
which six volumes have already been is
sued by the United States government.
constitute a mine of Information concern
ing this particular period, but not being
systematically arranged and placed in a
literary form are not very fascinating
reading.
The latest complete history of the Uni
ted States navy is by John r. Spears.
His work, in four volumes. covers the
history of the navy from 1775 to 1897. IL
is written in an interesting style ami Is
profusely illustrated. The various co1.ests
of the American sailors are not only mar
rated in an attractive manner bu: ere
discussed in a way to excite patriotic
pride. The illustrations are both numeIou
and well selected. While the book claims
to be a complete history. we greet to note
one important omission. This is the gal
liant contest maintained by the United
States cruiser Wyoming in the Straits of
Shimonoseki, Japan, in 1863. where for
more than an hour a contest was main
tanned with six japanese batteries and
three vessels, i'm all amounting to six
times it's armament. This was an action
of successful daring hardly inferior to the
destruction of the Philadelphia in the har-
Dor of Tripoli. and had a great influence
on the development of Japan. Yet. tram
as 1t may seem. the incident has never
hppn mpptinpp0 in a nOnuIar history of the
navy. and so far as we know. the only
regular history of the United States
which mentions IT is 'The Official Rec
ords'' above mentioned.
"Bismarck's Table Talk" edited by
Charles Lowe. is a book of the home life
of a statesman unexcelled among his con-
temporaries for his insight into the polit-
zeal conditions and in the success which
attended his plans.
The crowding of historical events near
or home has made us lose sight of the ca
lamities among the natives of East India,
but these are brought to our mind by r.
III. S. Merewether's Tour Through the
Famine Districts of India"
The eighth volume of the Collections
of the Minnesota Historical Society con-
tains some Of their most important papers.
That of most general interest is Russell
Blakeley's monograph on the History of
the Discovery Of the Mississippi River and
the Advent Of Commerce i'm Minnesota"
Tis is also issued in separate form.
Charles Morris has compiled two series
of books which should interest busy peo-
pie who desire information on historical
and geographical subjects. His Half
Hours of Travel at Home and Abroad
consists of four volumes devoted To Amer
lea. Europe. Asia and to Africa and Aus
tralasia. OF his Historical Tales: the
Romano OF Reality there are six vol
umes, covering the history Of France.
Germany, Rome. England. Greece and
America.
Vols. : and 8 of the National Geo
graphic Magazine" contain a greater va
riety Of articles Of merit on regions Of in
terest by reason Of recent events than any
other publication we know.
A finely gotten up book and one whose
contents are worthy of their dress. IS
william Agnew Paton's picturesque Sic
ily." II is by all odds the best treatise
concerning the Mediterranean isle.
Nearly ~ep-quarte of a century ago