The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-14


of great merit are enriching our literature.
Out fiction output is large and increasing
and much Of it is slovenly and crude, but
we can boast Of more new creditable
authors than England can. '.,.~
.'#.. * NEW BOOKS.
THREE YEARS WAR. By Christian Rudolf
De Wet. Portrait by John IS. Sargent, r. S.
New York: Charles scribner's Sons, 15s-157
Fifth avenue. Minneapolis: N. Mccarthy
Price, $3.50 net.
The narrative of. the war in South Africa
from the standpoint of one of the lbravest
and most daring and successful Of the
Boer generals, De Wet, is written in a
plain, blunt, graphic style which is far
more impressive than 1ine-spun rhetoric
and torrential verbiage... De Wet gave the
British army more trouble than any other
of the Boer generals gave. He Jumps
right into his personal narrative, begin
ming with the communicating of himself
and his three sons for the service of the
Orange Free State as privates. He was
speedily given important commands, and
on the day martial law was proclaimed in.
the Orange Free State and the TfanSvaal,
Oct: II, $685., the burghers occupied the
passes Of the Drakensberg mountains west
Of Natal. From that time De Wet was
conspicuous figure, striking hard blows at
the enemy, destroying communications,
capturing supplies and active In many
important battles, until the closing and
decisive conference at Vereeniging, where
the peace negotiations ended three
years war characterized by one Of the
| most heroic struggles on record, Of fight
ing people against subsection to a power
they detested. In this book one gets a
better idea OF the burgher military organ
ization and fighting spirit. than is found
in other books on the war; De Wet con-
Ina hi,ooco elf tn tic ND
activities and what he tells of the loot
ing proceedings Of the British is related
from his own personal observation. The
first battle described is Nicholson's Mex.
and, from that to the end of the war the
| reader will find De Wet most interesting
and able raconteur. He mercilessly criti-
cizes General Cronje for incapacity which
brought about the Boer surrender at Paar-
debery. De Wet, In describing the nego-
| tiations at Vereeniging writes bitterly of
the acceptance of the English proposals
| which ended the war, but he says: What
| were we to do? To continue the struggle
meant determination. Already our women
| and children were dying by the thousand,
| and starvat ton was knocking at the door
and knocking loudly!' De Wet, in &C
cepting the inevitable, at once began to
labor for the relief of his: people He has
| left England, where he met with hearty
| reception, and has gone to South Africa
! to aid Colonial Secretary Chamberlain to
devise measures for the advantage Of the
Beers. The volume is written with ad-
| mirable self-restraint. De Wet even pays
a tribute to General Butler. who has been
| so holly abused by his country1nen in
| England, saying that he had to Operate
against stronger position than any other
| English general in South Africa The
appendix contains reports Of the confer
I ences at Pretoria and Vereeniging. -
NATURE AND THE CAMERA. By A.. Rad
| clyffe Dugmore, author of Bird Homes Illus
| trated from photographs BY the author. New
| York: Doubleday, Page & Co. Minneapolis:
| N Mccarthy. Price $780, -
| The author Of this book has attained
much distinction for his artistic skill in
handling the camera and plates. He tells
how to photograph birds and their nests
and animals, reptiles, insects, fish, flow
ers, trees and fungi and demonstrates
the great service Of photography to the
student of nature in its revelations of
be little noticed. The book is intended
as a help to beginners in photography
and technical terms have been largely
avoided. There are over fifty fllustra-
lions showing animals, fish and reptiles
in their own haunts. An excellent speci-
men of good Photographic work Is a
photo Of two swapping turtles engaged
!
Of flowers are Of a very fine quality.
LITERARY NOTES.. ->.~
| G. T. Putnam's Sons, New York. have
published "Can Telepathy Explain?" en-
bodying the results of phychical research
by Rev. Minot J. Savage, who relates his
personal experience and conclusions as to
certain facts which he has accepted as
fully proven The facts stated are
certainly interesting. Mr.. Savage thinks
mind-reading power does not explain
them and he has arrived at the conclu-
Il sion that invisible intelligences" are
4 active all ABOUND us. -:
! Little; Brown & Co. have issued a new
edition of Colonel W.: L.. Scruggs' The
Colombian and Venezuelan Republics
The colonel was for some years United
!, States minister to these interesting coun-
tries.
"Fjrst-Hand Bits of Stable Lore" is
a new book by F. w. Moore, manager OF
the New York Horse Exchange, and for
i, mer]y one OF the editors Of the Harvard
Ian1poon.
Little, Brown & Co. promise this year
Il inc edition Of Daniel Webster's, COM
!, tp1ete works in eighteen volumes A
special edition de luxe will be printed,
, en,bodying fifty sets at $50 volume. 1t
will be. Illustrated in costly manner
!,
entitled "Zuleika Dobson," a. story OF
oxford life with a love episode.
) VI. E. Henley says American slang Is
INEXPENSIVE, decivilized and horribly
: vulgar Yet Henley knows that Eng
) |1sh slang, even that recorded In fash-
: ionable English novels. is perfectly
beastly.
The Lothrop Publishing company, Bos
) ton. announce & volume Of essays by
Charles Warren Stoddard, entitled Exits
and Entrances embodying persona
t "reminiscences Of well-known literary peo-
Z. c. Page &. Co., Boston, have pub
8 Hshed "Milton's England" by Lucia Ames
, Mead. author Of Great Thoughts fol-
IittIa Thfnkers,'' illustrated; price, 81. 60
,The author describes chiefly the London
of Milton's day, with many Illustrations
. from old pictures. Few structures OF that
q pariod remain now! Milton's life en-
braced a great historic period of English
history. in which Milton played con-
spicuous part in literature and politics
The authors sketch OF Milton's life is ex-
cellent and embodies many interesting
features Of the life OF Englishmen gem
orally at that period.
THE MAGAZINES.
Current Literature Ga w Twenty
!. sixth. street, New York; contains bright
Editorial comment upon various subjects