Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-05-25
LITERARY NOTES.

L
As to other possibilities of the
cannon, there, is that of abolishing
frost. Herbs aud resinous wood are
often burned so as to shelter the
plants under screen, of smoke. but
Just few nights ago the cannon were
tried instead in the Beaujolais. Two
OF them were apportioned to a hec-
tare, about two and one-half acres.
and they were fired horizontally about
two yards over the fields. The ground
was rendered damp and warm, though
the surrounding soil was cold aud
lfrost-laden. But the most astounding
use of this artillery has been found in
Madagascar and Algeria-to fight
grasshoppers. 1t is claimed that the
shot cuts discouraging swath in the
invading swarms. Aud now the ques-
tion is, what might it not do to a
cyclone? There is serious food for
reflection in that same question:
Everybody's Magazine.
The articles on Russia of Today, {"
by Henry Norman, which have been a
feature of Scribner's Magazine (but
have been interrupted for several
numbers) are resumed in the June
mum Der with paper on Finland, :"
which is just now the center of inter-
est on account of the efforts of the
Russian government to suppress the
Finnish language in official business.
Mr.. Norman writes very sympathet-
| ically of this hardy people who have
so long maintained their individuality
while part of the Russian en-
pire. He gives remarkable in
stances of their energy and in
tegrity and shows the pathos of
| their attempt to keep their iden-
tity against heavy odds. By way of
contrast to these people of the north
is John La Farge's account of his
visit to the Samoans-the people
among whom Stevenson found his
adopted home. Mr.. LaFarge describes
and pictures them as an artist with a
rare poetic faculty of narrative.
Many of the illustrations are from
sketches made at the time. Walter
A. Wyckof in this mum Der deals with
happy episode in his career as g
workingman. He tells of the life of a
section-hand on the Union Pacific rail-
road, and gives vivid account of the
manly qualities of the men he labored
with. All of Mr.. Wyckoff's expert
[ ences lead him to be an optimist in
regard to the American laborer
There are numerous other equally en-
pertaining and well selected features
The complete novel in the June
New" Lippincott Magazine is -Four
Leaved Clover" by Maxwell Gray,
author Of that noted book. The 81
lence of Dean Maitland" To keep on
a par with the latter, any succeeding
tale must be exceedingly good, and it
is not claiming too much for -Four
Leaved Clover to assign it equality
with its predecessor. 1t is the nara.
tive of young English girls heart
in con flict with many discourage
ments. AT last she triumphs in the
love of noble gentleman who was
the victim of boyish trick only too
possible in real life.
There is deep pathos in the pic.
ture by w. l.. Taylor, called 1.-The
Passing of the Farm" which appears
in the June issue of the Ladies' Home
Journal. The bowed and sad-faced
| figure of the lonely widow, standing
with one hand on the open door of the
waiting coach while she takes long
last look at her old home, makes a
strong appeal to the feeling. The sad
Novem Der sky, the distant misty hills.
the closed house, the deserted barns.
and above all, the detected figure,
bring lump into ones throat.