The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-03
BOOK NOTES.

Richard Croker by Alfred Henry
Lewis. s72 pages. illustrated; bound IN
green and gold. New York: Life Pub
fishing company. Price is 80. No more
picturesque character than Richard
Croker is to be found in American life.
His career and personality are vividly
portrayed by Alfred Henry Lewis in
the biography just issued by the Life
Publishing company. 1t not only fol-
lows the man from the beginning of
his life through all the VtcissltudeS
which have attended him as a poll
tician, but gives a close study of the
sensational events of his private life.
including the story of the murder OF
which he was accused Besides this
his personal and political associates are
wildly described and a thorough in
sight is given into the organization and
methods of Tammany Hail. Mr.. Lewis
has an original and powerful style, and
the story loses nothing in his way of
telling it. He will be remembered as
the author of 1-Wolfville" and sand
burrs," two books which have had
large sale, and more lately as the
editor Of The Verdict, the illustrated
weekly on which Mr.. Oliver Belmont
rode into congress in the last cam
paign. Mr.. Lewis has had the adVanl-
age of close personal association with
Mr. Croker and the other leaders Of
Tammany and writes as one having
authority The coming municipal
of Richard Croker's life, and MI
Lewis book viii enable its reader to
follow the contest with full UNDER
standing.
An interesting book on the position
of cOlored people in the United States
is 1.-THE American Negro: What lie
Was, What He Is. and What He MAY
Become" by William Hannibal
Thomas, which the Macmillan company
has published. Mr.. Thomas is now
lawyer of Everett, Mass; he served
with distinction in the civil war, and
afterward was a member of the South
Carolina legislature during the recon-
struction period. Trained in theology
and law, he became a. successful prac-
titioner in the South Carolina courts,
and afterward established himself In
Massachusetts. Mr.. Thomas frankly
comedies the negroes inferiority and
convincingly controverts the adequacy
of the reformatory agencies already
instituted. but also forcibly indicates
how the mental. moral, social, indus
trial and political elevation OF the
negro may nationally be achieved.
Two very popular books have just
been issued for schools and colleges by
Nessrs. Houhton, Miffiin & Co Botn
were published on August %, 1900, ana
of one of them, Webster'S EnSilsn-
Composition and Literature, four edi-
lions We're prepared within six weeks
and it received more than sixty adop-
lions within fourteen weeks. The other
book, Larned's History of England for
Schools and Colleges, within fourteen
weeks of publication, received over
eighty adoptions, and two editions We're
needed within a month of its appear
ance. This is a remarkable record for
two new books.
Japanese Plays and Playfellows''
is the title of a little book by Osman
Edwards published by the Macmillan
company. It will contain twelve col
Ored plates by Japanese artists. To
quote the authors own words he says
in the preface that he has burned
good deal of incense in honor of the
Musume" who, as he says, still sum-
marizes in her dainty little person
much of her country's magic, its pic
turesqueness. its kindness, its polite
ness" The Illustrations are quite a new
feature in bOOkma king There are chap
ters on Religious Plays, Popular Plays,
The Geisha and Cherry Blossom, Vul-
gar Songs, Taking the Waters, Playing
with Fire, Afternoon Calls, and The
Scarlet Lady. The latter chapter is
treated in extremely interesting way.
Perhaps no novel by the author of
s'The Ironmaster'' more surely marks
the wide reach of his odd genius than
In Deep Abyss just published by
Funk & Wagnalls. 1t is a story of love
and intrigue, and while it interests the
reader by it's novel characters, and
their rescue from perilOuS conditions, 1t
does not fail to be charming romance.
The unhappy hero of the story reminds
one of the real story of Dreyfus, who
upon forgery and uDon circumstantial
evidence was made to suffer more than
death before the truth gave him a par
tia1 release The scenes are laid in
Paris, San Francisco, London and else
where. Most of the characters are
typical of French life, gay and grave.
A principle is enunciated at the begin
ming of the book: the fa1libility of hui
man Judgment even in those whose
professor it is to pass sentence and
who are consequently in a position to
boast of special experience the
possibility of legal error. The plot of
the story reveals a sensational instance
of such legal error, and the reader is
taken through many stirring events,
and made to share in many strong
emotions.
Every one who is interested in adj
vanced studies win find interest in Mrs
Bars story Souls of Passage and yet
it is lacking in the finer quantities of her
previous romances. It is a story writ
ten doubtless for a purpose. and that
is to teach the doctrine Of 'sReincarna-
ton" which has forever been the bane
of peoples and nations which have be-
lieVed earth born teachings The story
ran as a serial and is published in book
form by Dodd. Mead & Co
Mrs. Barr writes with the enthusiasm
of a believer, and throws glamour
about her hero and heroine She does