The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-10

Lincoln Steffens' :boyhood was spent for
the most part on horseback in riding for
days at a time over Sacramento Valley
with gun and fishing-rod across his sad
dle-bow, says The Bookman. rom Sac
ramento, Cal, he went to the military
school at San Mateo, then to the Univer-
sity Of California, where he was gradua ted
in 1885, To pursue further the study of
philosophy. sociology, history, politics, and
political economy he went to the univer
stiles of, Berlin. Heidelberg. Leipzig, and
of France. In Leipzig he fell in love with
a fellow student at the Sorbonne and mar
ried her secretly in London. After quietly
studying at the British Museum, he sailed
for New York. After a while he got a
position on the Evening Post. He says
in The Bookman: ''The first week I
earned $1.75. OF an INDECENT nature, that
experience was the best possible for me.
Scared, with responsibilities on my shout
ders, jostled by men, not theories, I
hustled to beat the band I made good
and was put on rapid transit Then there
was panic in Wall street. and our finan-,
cinaI reporter being in London, the Post.
was caught. i was asked to cover Wall
street. First I went to a few of the prin-
cipal bankers. I told them my predica-
ment and the Posts, and assured them if
they gould give me the information l
would never break their confidence, and
would make up in accuracy and careful
ness what lacked in knowledge of the
street In consequence the Post had many
beats. and, knew things weeks before
they occurred.
Forrest Crissey's The Country Boy is
a realistic portraiture Of the typical Amer
lean country boy from beginning to end.
The author knows his human type by
heart by observation, by his own boy
hood experience probably. And he knows
how 1-irN, 900 10
him playing Robinson Crusoe and smok .
ing mullen leaves; cumming with the
hired man; loving the young school mis-
tress with an ardent sentimental boys
love; going hunting with a real gun and
his own gun; digging for worms behind
the barn to catch fish with; drinking pop
in the tavern and repenting of the crime.
SO thru all the phases Of the country
boys life we follow him in this delight
full book, which will be read by as many
grown as youngsters.
The Michigan pine forests have fur
'nished good reading for the public often.
and here is another installment in HeWers
of Wood, wherein Messrs. Puddefoot and
Rankin tell a story of the lumber camps,
embodying a romance showing how the
determination of a Dunkard preacher that
his niece and ward should marry the man
of his choice and no other, frustrated by
the contrary choice Of the girl for some
years, or until she became a widow with
a group of children, ultimately was real
| lied. A fine description of blizzard is
included.
Mrs. Cotes is always charming writer,
full of shu1nor and originality of expires
sion. In The Fool of the Desert there are
-four of her best short stories. chiefly
|redolent of Mrs. Cotes' fayorite East In
| dian atmosphere. She is altogether in her
best writing vein in 1.-THE Hesitation Of
Miss Anderson. 2 The story begins in
New York and ends in Simla, India. So
ciety life at an East Indian military post,
as shown by Mrs. Cotes, is hardly illus
trative of strict obedience to the dec
alog.
In The Limerick Up to Date Book one
finds the 1hymfng text and the decora-
tons and Illustrations in colors SO inter-
dependent that the text, nnadorned. would
be very cold blooded cipher. In its
4 way, the ensemble is very clever.
! Miss Frances sporhank in her Honor