The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-20
NEWS NOTES AND GOSSIP
OF BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

called its birthplace. is one of the fresh and
interesting points made by Professor C. T
Minchestcr in the first of his papers on
John Wesley" which will be printed in
the July Century. The July chapters of
this new life of the great reformer carry
MN from his birth to 100. when the storm
OF persecution against the new sect and its
eloquent leader first began 10 subside
Morgan Robertson. whose new story. 'S,n-
tul Peck" has Just been published nv tho
Harpers has had varied and remarka Bile
| career. Born at Oswego. y. Y, he went
TO sea at the age of Is. and for ten wears
led the life of sailor. Then. by a Curl
Gus change of occupation. he became a dia-
nond setter and for another ten years fol-
lowed that delicate trade, as different a life
from that of sailor as could well be con-
ceiVsd. After this Mr.. Robertson tried
Western life as cowboy easily becoming
an expert at making lariats by reason of
his sailor training. Up to this time he had
done nothing in a literary way except to
write verse for his own amusement He
now determined TO write a story, blocked
out the plot while riding on the elevated
railroad in New York and having written
it, sold it without difficulty. This was seven
or eight years ago. He is now the author
of sixty short stories and seven books, of
which Sinful Peek is the latest.
Few of the autumn books will be awaited
Win more general Interest among Guilt
waited readers throughout the country than
the biography of the late John Fiske The
author of this book has compiled 1t to
some extent from documents and letters
left by Mr.. Fiske. with the object of al
lowing the subject 10 tell the story Of his
life as largely possible in his own words.
Fiske wrote a great many letters himself.
and he preserved everything in the nature
of a letter or a written document of any
sort that came into his possession, SO that
the family have been able to assist the
author materially. The two volumes will
contain a large number OF extremely inter-
esting illustrations. The Macmillan Com
pany announce the book for issue in Octo-
Der.
Mr.. Thomas Nelson Pages new novel,
Gordon KEITH (Scribners), Is already the
great success of the season. The first edi-
ton of 30 600 went so quickly that the second
edition was on the press about the time
the hook was published. The way 1t is
selling is shown by the fact that one big
firm put its second order OF 1000 copies
three days after the novel was published.
The fortleth anniversary of the battle of
Gettysburg occurs this July, and in the
July issue of Scribner's Magazine General
John B. Gordon, one Of the most distin-
guished survivors of the conflict on the
Confederate side, will describe with rare
dramatic ability the great fight. giving his
deliberate conclusions as to the causes of
Lees defeat. General Gordon says that
al, these years have not shaken his belief
that If General Lees orders had all been
carried out with alacrity the victory would
have been his.
1t is now George Horton. D. Lit. At
the closing exercises of the Columbian Uni
versity the degree of doctor Of letters was
conferred on Mr.. Horton, and he was vested
with the white hood. The author Of Like