The Portland daily press., 1899-07-01
CONCERNING BOOKS.

It strikes me as absolutely inscrutable
that Mark Twain's declaration that he
win write q volume of "reminiscences to be
published a century after his death can
be taken au serieux by nearly verybody.
My opinion is that he intended It for a
howiing joke and that he is even now
laughing In his slesve and wondering II
his wide-awake ccuntrymen are growing
dense. That the,matter should be Eravely
and solemnly discussed in the newspapers
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of being.taken as
a travesty upon the present methods of
turning peoples hearts, souls, and lives,
inside out for the benefit of the public,
seems preposterous. And yet II Marx
Twain is really in earnest 1t would be
funnier still.
1.-THE cry Ia still they comel" I think
] have never known time when so many
books were published in the spring and
early summer as this year. AS usual the
Harpers have long list of volumes which
demand more than passing word.
Among; these are "The Breakup Of
China" by Rear-Admiral Lord Charles
Beresford; puerto Rico; Its Conditions
and Possibilities" by William Dinwiddie;
1.-THE Awkward Age" A Novel by Henry
James; A volume of poems by Alice
Archer Sewall; and 1.-THE Dreamers; A
Club" by John Kerdrick Bangs.
In the first mentioned volume Lord
Beresford presents concise and admira-
hla eta 4ax,,aut sof fho Nhiuasa ou.e+io,
He describes the present condition of
trade and commerce, the dangers to be
avoided, and urges that certain things be
done in order to keep the present Chinese
Empirs together. He believes absolutely
in the "Open Door" policy, and shows
how protection may be assured, insisting
that the maintenance of the Chinese EN-
pire 10 essential to the honor as well as to
the interests Of the Anglo-Saxon race. In
his preface. he says: UNLESS definite
settlement of the roblem in the Far
East is thought out and brought into
effect, war Is certain, and the whole civil
lied world may be compelled to share in
an honest endeayor to examine and set
forth the conditions under which war
may be avoided, while at the same time
the trading and commercial interests not
only Of the British, but the whole Anglo
Saxon race. will he secured. The volume
is both Instructive aud valuable. 1t con.
taips portraits and maps, as well a. inter-
esting descriptions of the admiral's visits
TO the various towns, while several chap
tiers are devoted to waterways, railways,
armies and nayies, trade, treaties, tariffs
and currency. He also tells us of his
travels in America and Japan.
Mr.. Dinwiddie's Puerto Rico volume
would be delightful If 1t Ehad nothing in
it but the pictures, which are charming
reproductions of photographs taken on the
spot. OF these there are more than fifty.
1t seems that the author. under the direc-
tion of Messrs Harper g. Brothers spent
the two months following the Spanish
evacuation of the island, constantly in
touch with the leading Spanish citizens
and native Puertoriqusnos, who were
importers, manufacturers, shopkeepers,
.ute.owners, lawyers and politicians,
M he has embodied in this work crys-
aiiization of the most profound and val
able IDEAS which he heard expressed.
He gives us the general characteristics CT
the island, its prevalent diseases and n.y.
girDic precautions; describes its geology,
m litary road, trails. and great caves; its
industrial possibilities, including coffee,
sugar and tobacco culture, Embarrassing,
inarket-gardoning and Horticulture. He
describes the Some-life of the natives,
their principal cities with their schools,
churches, charitable institutions and
amusement; the revenues and taxes,
courts, and political methods. In closing
Mir. Dinwiddie fu finishes short histori.
GAL sketch followed by an appendix of
Ihirty pages which gives vaunble'statistics
Of the agricultural imports of Puerto Rico
In 1s9495. The authors style is piotur-
esque and forcibls, and the reader who
does not care for statistics will find the
sketches of scenery, customs and people
delightfully."- interesting.
Mr.. Bangs's "Club" vote to dine and
wine sumptuously, eating and drinking
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