Evening star., 1901-11-02

edition was kot Better done. rypographi-
bespeak undds haste in publication.
| THE NEW ANffsRIcaNs. By Alfred Holder. New
York: The Macmillan Company. Washington:
.Brentano's.
In sharp contrast with the general run of
novels of the rouHantic school comes this
work, which commands the leisurely atten-
tfon of the reader. It is not to be rushed
through in a couple of hours. unless one is
willing to skip many pages of analytic
character stshy. There is but slight ac-
ton, few episodes interrupting the flow of
the description ofdpersonal appearance and
motive. Thestale is of modern American
HE, centereddn aa semi-rural region on the
banks OF the Ohio near Cincinnati. The
characters are cultured and wealthy The
atmosphere is Of, almost excessive refine
ment. For those who seek relief from the
sWord-play of the costume story this novel
VIII prove decided acquisition.
COLONIAL FIGHTS AND FIGHTERS; Stories Of
Exploration, Adventure and Battle on the
american Continent prior to the War of the
Revolution. By Cyrus Townsend Brady, author
of American Fights and Fighters Illustrated
with original drawings by Gibbs, schoonover
prints, maps diagrams etc. New York: Nc
Clure, Rhillips & Co. Washington: Woodward
iothrop.
Mr.. Brady, after a prolonged study of the
more strenuous phases of the story of the
new world, has undertaken battle his
tory of America which is being presented
in parts. The first number, under the title
American Fights and Fighters" proved
popular. In this second number he tells of
De Soto and the Mississippi, the revenge
of de Gourges, Sir Henry Morgan and his
buccaneers, the voyages of the Jolly
Roger c
campaigns on st. Simon's Island, Pepper
relPs work at Louisbourg, and the chief
events of the French and Indian war. The
telling of these tales has involved much re-
search and comparative study to enable
ooth an interesting rendition which shall
bring out the romance of the period and an
accurate account of the events. The scheme
OF the series contemplates that the third vol
ume will deal of Pioneer Fights and
Fighters
the Exploring Expedition of Lewis and Clark
in 1S03-4-5. By Noah Brooks Illustrated. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons Washington:
Nm Ballantyne & Sons.
Although to De Soto is accredited the dis
covery of the Pacific ocean, to Lewis and
Clark, the agents of President Jefferson's s
great western exploratory enterprise, be-
|. longs the honor of having first opened the
shores of that coast to American civiliza-
face of great difficulties and dangers. They
crossed the continent at practically its
broadest point, and the information they
secured was of prime value in opening the
region to the later settlers who found such
vast wealth and founded a new empire.
The story of this expedition has been often
told, but, as claimed by the present author,
without due attention to exact historical
accuracy. There is at the present time a
dearth of reliable literature on the subject
available to the general reader beyond the
bare official records, and it is an achieve
ment certain to be appreciated by the low
ers of the story of the early expansion of
the United States that this book has now
been prepared, with such painstaking at
tent1on to the truth. 1t corrects certain
misstatements, follows closely the reports
OF the expedition traces many cola teral
references and avails itself to the full of all
the best work on the subject which has
preceded it. 1t establishes the Lewis and
Clark expedition on a firm historical basis.
In the light OF the late wonderful extension
of the American sovereignty into the far
east this early struggle to carry the flag to
the confines of this continent is of particu-
larly timely interest.
SEEN IN GERMANY. By Ray Stannard Baker,
author of Our New Prosperity etc. New
York. Mcclure, Phillips & Co. Washington:
Woodward Il Lothrop.
The usual travel book is filed with de-
scriptions of places and structures with
comparatively little about the people. 1t
carries the reader along beaten paths which
lead into but, few, if any, Of the great es-
Establishments which support the nation.
Mr.. Bakers scheme of travel writing dif-
fers materially. He introduces his reader
to the minutiae of German government, the
kaiser, the policeman, the private soldier,
the student, the workingman, the professor
the shops, the shipbuilding yards, the school
and other such institutions and personages
as make up the Germany of today, as
vital force in the worlds economy. The
description of the kaiser is apparently fair
to that much exploited and perhaps libeled
monarch The text rambles into some OF
the industrial establishments where the
German genius is seen at it's best, and the
author pays high tribute to the workman.
ship which has resulted In the production
OF the fastest passenger vessels in the
world. He describes the student duel with
rather Painful particularly, and humor-
ously notes how the attendants carefully
wipe the swords with antiseptics after each
bout, thus keeping the combat upon a
strictly scientific plane. Sketches by George
Varlan illustrate the text, together with
some interesting photographs
GREAT COMMANDERS SERIES GENERAL Nc.
CLELLAN. By Gen. Peter S. Niche. Illus.
trations and Maps. New York: d. Appleton
and Company
General Niche, who was instructor at
West Point for many years, died while re-
vising the proofs of this work, upon which
he had been long engaged. He is well be-
loved by the army of today, the officers of
which sat under his tutorship in their pre-
paratory days. He served in the field
during the war of the rebellion, and wrote
of Mcclellan out Of personal knowledge
both Of the man and of his military works.
After rendering close and circumstantial
account of McClellan's life and war work,
with references to his unfortunate advent
| into politics, General Niche thus notes the
faults which he finds attributable to his
subject, without prejudice or favor:
But while bis service Of information was wretch
edy inefficient, the surprising thing is that a COM
mander possessing the logical and analytic mind
| of Mcclellan should not have clearly seen how
utterly impossible 1t was for the confederate gov.
ernment to arm and equip armies of the ma gni-
tude he assumed it to have, when the United
States government, with all Of its bouatifu]
sources Of supply, could do no more This unac-
countable weakness in McClelan's mental equip
| ment is always SO conspicuously in evidence that
its influence In the formation of his plans of cam
paign In his dispositions for battle can never be
| ignored. Reacting against the dictates of sound
reason, the emotional and imaginative side of his
nature unduly affected his judgments with yacil-
lating indecision, accentuated his constitutional
| timidity commander. weakened his determine