Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-01
LITERARY NOTES.


A writer in the October Ladies
Home Journal shows how easy it is
to establish and maintain public
libraries even in the small country
towns. Cooperation of effort under
capable, enthusiastic direction, il is
pointed out, will bring the sought-for
results. The article details with eX-
act directness the best way to pro-
coed, even suggesting entertainments
by which money can be raised for the
library fund. At small money cost,
the writer makes it clear that every
small town can enjoy the benefits of a
good library.
The October number of the Partisan
has for its leading article Court Life
in Spain" with numerous illustra-
tions. 1t. also has its usual number
of good stories by well-known writers,
among them, "A Campaign of the Last
De Councy. illustrated; Idiots Fig
tree, story of superstition, finely
illustrated. from the Figaro Illustre;
The Beast of Gevaudan, How
Athens Was Amused,'' illustrated,
etc. A number of attractive illustra-
tions of sculpture of the salon are
given.
The widow of Richard Wagner
some time ago authorized her hus-
bands lifelong friend, Houston Stew
art Chamberlain, to write. with her
assistance, two articles on The Per-
sonal side of Richard Wagner" Mr..
Chamberlain undertook the work, and
The Ladies' Home Journal secured
the material. The articles are sing u
larly valuable in that they give a
complete picture of the man in his
home and daily life. and contain much
new matter. while many of the illus
trations and portraits have never been
printed. There will be two articles,
His Personal Side and How He
Wrote His Operas. and the first one
will appear in the October number of
the magazine.
For the story of the siege of Santi-
ago de Cuba, as it affected the people
directly involved, on either side, in
their personal safety and comfort and
their daily lives, there is no docu-
ment yet published equal to the Octo-
Der number of McClure's Magazine.
Stephen Bonsal, in an article entitled
The Fight for Santiago, describes
the campaign as it affected the Amer
lean soldier, writing from his own
observation and experience; while for
the experiences of the panic-stricken
and half-starving people shut up in
the city of Santiago we have very
remarkable diary kept by the British
consul at Santiago, who was all the
time in the closest relations with the
Spanish authorities, and was expend-
ing-as it later proved-his very life
in relieving the general suffering.
Mr.. Bonsal's article is very fully illus
trated partly from photographs
taken in the field by himself, and
partly from drawings by W. Glack-
ems, the special artist for McClure's
with the army of invasion. There are
number of other notable contribu-
tions in this number.
The complete novel in the October
issue of Lippincott's is Confessions
of an Aide-de-Camp," by Capt. +. A.
Mitchell. 1t is a rafting tale of the
civil war, and the heroine and hero
Especially the heroine) pass through
some surprising adventures. Other
stories are '.Tish's Triumph" and
"Grandma's Diamonds" The latter
is by r. l.. Olbar. Apropos of War
and Trade" Fred Perry Powers main
tains that the two are closely related
and interacting; that 1.-the more COM
merce is extended the more danger
there is of war and that war, while
possibly necessary for the defence of
commerce, tends rather to promote
than check it. Lawrence Irwell
writes of Declarations of War, "
Lizzie NJ. Hadlev of ARTILLERY, An
cient and Modern and George j.
Varney of Military Balloons. "A
Family History" pleasantly recorded
by Adeline Knapp, is that of certain
California grosbeaks. DR.. Charles G.
Abbott discourses, with his usual
and point, lin Defense of
Oklahoma Claims"
are described. vigorously and with
humor, by Helen c. Candee, who
knew the territory in its early days,
and gives instances of the value of
"hustling'' and the inequalities of
justice there. Nina r. Allen discusses
Gray Eyes in Fiction" and incident
ally, some of the heroines to whom
they belonged. The poetry of this
is by Carrie Blake Morgan,
Charles Hanson Towne and Clinton