Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-14

pany.
| The world never tires of hearing of the
romance and the tragedy of jewels. Ever
| since records of the activities of mankind
! were written precious stones have played
conspicuous part in the great human
drama, sometimes for good, oftener for ILL.,
/ Much of the glitter of the gems is repro
| duced in this large and exceptionally inter-
esting book by one of the foremost factors
in the modern diamond market, manager
| of the greatest mine in the world. Filling
| nearly 700 pa ges, with scores of illustra-
tons, it tells the story of that vast enter
prise in completest detail. Beginning with
an account of ancient jewels Of note and
| sketch of the traditions of "Ophir," it.
traces the development of South Africa by
| the Beers and the settlement of the regions
where in 1868 children played with pretty
! pebbles" With simple dramatic force it
narrates the remarkable fortune of the men
| who stumbled over vast fortunes in jewels
| and needed them not, and then of the men
| who came and by the exercise OF a sllght-
| ing curiosity obtained specimens and sent
them off for eXamina ton.
| 1t is remarkable that for a time there was
| the most stubborn skepticism regarding the
stories of South African diamonds, and Mr..
| Williams notes the ingenuity of the theories
advanced to account for the presence of this
gems in the Vaal region. Finally, however,
|
| rush to Kimberley" began, one of the
worlds extraordinary movements of men
seeking large fortunes quickly, comparable
| in some respects TO the rush to California
| in 1919, and that to the Klondke in recent
| years. Photographs taken during the early
| Kimberley years graphically illustrate the
gradual development of the mines. the great
| confusion, the rapid concentration of hum
dreds of eager men upon a small
area where the celebrated ''blue ground"
or damond-bearng material, lay. Then
came the digging Of great pit in the face
| of the earth, where for some years was en-
| acted one of the strangeSt scenes in all his
| tory, mnn gathered from the remotest sec
| tons Of The earth, of all grades of society,
working shoulder to shoulder on tiny
claims, sinking steadily downward at vary
! Ing rates, and finally, after some years of
| competition, and of course some wrangling,
obeying the natural law of modern COM
| merce and consolidating their interests.
| Thus were formed the marvelously rich
| corporations which have eXerted such a
powerful influence upon the history of both
| South Africa and England. Naturally after
touching in Instructive detail upon the
methods of mining and the organization of
| the great enterprises, this story of The
| diamond concludes with an account of the
siege of Kimberley, one of the most stub
born attacks and resistances in modern
warfare. Cecil Rhodes pervades the story
in his capacity aIsa as organizer manager and
| does not trend closely upon political lines
! although necessarily the discussion Of the
| development of the diamond mines involves
| frequent references to the activities of
| the Boer states and of the British govern
| ment.
1t is an extraordinary work in many re-
| spects, giving a close insight into one OF
| the richest industries the world knows to-
day. 1t is well worthy the handsome dress
which the publishers have given it.
THE JOURNAL OF ARTHUR STIRLING; ''The
| Valley OF the Shadow" Revised and Condensed,
| Appleton Co.
| Proclaimed as the diary of young poe:
who drowned himself in the Hudson river
last summer after unsuccessfuiy trying
| for months to secure a publisher for his
| one great effort blank verse tragedy this
| journal forms one of the strangest human
documents Imaginable. It's genuinaness
| cannot be questioned. No man could write
in successful stimulation of the soul agony
| suffered by this youth as he rapidly APP
preached the execution of his self imposed
sentence of death. The editor, signing
merely the initial s." tells simply all HAT
he knew of Stirling who was only twenty
two when he died. That was but slight
| acquaintance, however and so Arthur Stiri-
| Ing has passed, leaving only the manuscript
| or his poem, which is to be withheld from
| the world for two years. and this journal,
written during the composition of THE
Captive and the effort to market it. 1t
| is beyond description save in terms of the
| the young man was unbalanced can scarce
| ly be questioned. Nor on the other h md
can 1t be doubted that he was quite sane
! in all other respects than his failure to
| measure the practical needs of life. He
| held to utopian ideals of the state fostering
genius out of public funds, and because h :
CHANGED to live in another period he beat
| his heart out against the cruel needs O.
| life. He could work and earn, but he
| loathed the necessity. He was not lazy,
but a miser of his time. With his whole
| uy.c fin,,
| work instantaneously. 1t remains now fo-
the publication of THE Captive" to p.ove
or to suggest to the world whether it lost
| heavily when this unfortunate young man
| took his life. His journal accomplish IS an
| excellent purpose, whatever may be the
| quality of the poem, in teaching aspi ants
| tor literary PERFECTION the valuable lesson
of tolerance with the commercial aspac of
| publication.
MONT PELEE AND THE TRAGEDY OF MAR
| UNIQUE; a Study Of the Great Catastrophes
of 1902, with Observations and Experiences in
| the Geographical Society Of Philadelphia, etc
ih with photographs largely taken by
Company.
Professor Heiprin visited Martinique i'm
| mediately after the first eruption Of Pelee
in May and studied the scene of the catas-
| trophe as closely as it was possible under
| the discouraging conditions. The reports
of his observations were among those which
| most accurately informed the waiting world
| as to the real nature of the seismic out
| burst. Then in August he returned to the
island and was, fortunately, from a scien-
tific point of view, present when the crater
| again belched forth it's fury, SO that his ac-
| count is vitaliZed by the touch of actual
| experience and participation. His book con-
| sists not alone in the narration of all he
| observed, but contains careful collation.
of the reports of the eruptions from the
| most authentic sources, so that the work
| presents reliable record of that stupen-
| dous upheaval. Professor Heilprin dis
cusses the eruption from the view point of
| the seismologist, comparing it with the de-
| struction of Pompeii. He also treats of the
| general Question of the volcanic relations
| of the Caribbean basin, and describes from
| his notes and readings the precise phenom-
ena of the eruption. The illustrations are
| helpful and add an historical if coca sioaally
| CHASTITY interest to the text.
! THE MASTER OF WARLOCK; a Virginia War
Story. BY George Cary Eggleston, author II
Dorothy SOUTH etc. Illustrated by C. ID. Will
liams- Boston: Lothrop Publishing Company
Mr.. Eggleston has planned group of his
torcal novels, of which the present is the
third. They are not conspicuously histori-
| cal however, and do not belong to the