The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-07

| BILE will Bret Harte had the trick Of
| that kind Of man. So has Mr.. Wister
and his treatment is hardly less delicate
| The atmosphere and setting of the story
are admirable, and the dialogue brisk
and human. We feel that these cow
punchers have been observed; they are
nicely differentiated, and each has habits
and manners of his own. Another strong
point in favor of The Virginian is that
| the sentiment, and there is a good deal
/ of it, generally rings true Also, there
! is nothing silly in the story, nor is pro-
! liability grossly outraged. On the whole
The Virginian is an importation from
! America, which we can welcome without
eservation.-New York Commercial Ad
! vertiser.
/ 1t may still be too soon to look for the
great American novel which is bound one
/ day to startle the reading world but one
| of the big publishing houses is about to
issue book which in subject and manner
! of treatment will perhaps come nearest
yet to the goal. Needless to say it, is
not the old familiar type of Colonial or
| Civil War romance. Those mines of ma
| t2rial for the novelist, rich though they
be, have been too much worked The
great American novel can never be built
on so weakened a framework; it must be
blasted out of the virgin rock and reared
of the sturdy timber of the region just
! beginning to be known for its romantic
possibili+ies-the West. And it is with
| the West that this new book is concerned
and with The most wonderful event in
! all it's wonderful history-the expedition
| and exploration of Lewis and Clark The
| book is TO appear in November, and
will be awaited with interest. Neither
title nor author is yet announced, but
it is understood to be from the pen of
well -known and successful writer.
| In response to an increasing demand
: for the later poems of Fred Emerson
| Brooks, Forbes G Company (Boston) will
publish in October a large collection to
| be entitled "Pickett's Charge and Other
| Poems" The poem that gives the book
it's name, mastery epic on the famous
| Confederate charge at Gettysburg, is one
! of the best known of Mr.. Brooks excel
| lent Civil War poems. Henry Watterson
has said that it is the greatest war poem
| he ever heard Besides martial poems
, there will be much pleasing dialect verse
! in Brooks racteristic style, as well
as some charming child verse showing
him in new vein. AS might be ex-
pected there will he an abundance of
/, humor in the volume. 1t will be well
| coined by the admirers of Fred Emerson
| Brooks. who are many; for he is the most
popular entertainer of the American hu-
morist poets now on the platform, and
| his success has been won entirely by the
recital CT his own verse His earlier
volume, "Old Ace and Other Poems, is
still in steady demand; new edition
about to be issued completes the tenth
! thousand
! 1t is not generally known that the
country owes to Mr. Thomas Z. Watson
! of Georgia, the introduction in the House
! of Representatives of he-irst resolution
to appropriate money for Free Delivery
! of mails outside of cities, towns and viii
lagos Mr. Watson's successful essay in
tconstructive craftsmanship is in line with
his admiration for Napoleon Bonaparte,
J whose life he wrote a short while ago.
/ It is not very far cry from one kind
of despotism to another. and the bril-
liant writing of Mr.. Watson would lead
us TO expcct that a man may tax his
fellow citizens so long as he is reason
ably sure that the taxation is for the
public good. ~ dangerous doctrine TINS,
but apparently beneficial in the matter Oh
Rural Postal Delivery.
It will be remembered that among the
scientific men who went to the west
! Indies on the Dixie relief expedition
for the purpose of studying the phe-
nomena of the eruptions of May rs, were
Professor Robert 7. Hill, Geologist Uni
ted States Geological Survey, and Israel
c. Russell. Professor of Geology in the
University of Michigan. The results of
the Investigations of these two gentle
men are 10 be published in the September
I Century, with a considerable number or
photographs including several of unique
and rare interest. The August Century
! contained the human side" of the
catastrophe in both islands, set forth by
eye witnesses, and it will be interesting
to see what these two biologists have TO
say on the scientific side, particularly
as it is understood that they differ in
the deductions which they make from
their personal observations.
The September number of Ainslee's
Magazine contains many interesting ar
ticles and Stories but the most striking
feature of the issue is a special an
nouncement page, printed in colors, in
forming the public that beginning with
the October number Ainslee's will be
enlarged to $50 pages, and will cost fif-
/ teen cents the copy. Each number will
contain a complete novel by an author
of reputation. In addition, the maya
zine will be made up of a host of short
stories, dialogues, verses and essays
from the best known writer's In break
ing away from the field of the all too
numerous ten cent magazine, Ainslee's
blazes a new path. The departure is of
the most attractive interest to the
American public, the greatest magazine
readers in the world.
The Literary Outlook.