The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-18
AMONG THE BOOKS
John Burroughs, Veteran Natur-
alist, Writes a History.
Describes Wildly the Hartman
Alaskan Expedition.
NORTH LAND WONDERS.
Also Contains a Botanical Story
Of the Trip.
There Are Five Volumes in the
Work.
NORTH LAND WONDERS.

When Edward H. Hartman invited
John Burroughs to write the history of
the Alaskan expedition of 1899 he took
a certain means of securing readers for
the story outside of the circle of scien-
fists and travellers who have read the
narrative of the trip solely for the in
formation given, and with no care for
the authorship beyond the care taken to
see that it was prepared by some one
who knew what he was writing about,
says q. writer in the Chicago Post.
John Burroughs has made the story
of the Hartman Alaskan expedition
one of literary interest. With him the
reader goes into the Alaskan bypatns
and sees not only the towering noun
tains and glittering glaciers but the
modest arctic flower and the tawny
northern thrush.
In the early spring of 1889 Edward IL
Hartman of New York, in co-opera-
ton with the Washington Academy OF
Sciences, but entirely at his own ex-
pense. organized an expedition to Alas
ka- DR.. c. Hart Merriam, chief of the
United States biological survey, who
has edited the books of the expedition,
conferred with Mr.. Hartman as to the
personnel of the party. AS it was form
ed finally the travelling and exploring
party consisted of Mr.. Hartman and
his family a few personal friends, three
artists and twenty-five well known
scientists representing various branches
Of research.
May 30 and was gone two months. DR..
Merriam in his introduction to the first
volume of the history of the expedition
gives the itinerary. The route, with the
places touched, is too long to be given
here in detail, but the vessel carrying
the Americans threaded in and out
among the islands of the north touched
the mainland at many places, and be
Oh
voyage gave its passengers g. chance to
peer poleward through Boring Strait.
The Hartman Alaska expedition has
given the world a new knowledge or
Alaska. The scientists of the party OBJ
served, photographed and collected
The books Of the expedition thus far
published are filed with informant
about the Alaskan land, its men, It's
rocks, it's minerals, its mountains, It's
glaciers, it's plants, its birds and Its
mammals Many of the pictures of
the books are as fine as anything that
has been done recently in the line OF
Illustrations. The hand of the artist
and the instrument of the photographer
did their work well.
The first volume Of the history Of the
party's journeyings contain the MARIA
tive of the trip by John Burroughs, to-
Eether with the stories Of the glaciers
and of the natives by John Muir and
George Bird Grinnell. The second vol
urne treats of Alaskan history, its geo
graphy and resources. One part of this
volume, however, is given over TO a
charming article by Charles Keeler on
Alaskan birds The otherl contributors
to the second book are William H. Dali.
b. F. Fernow, Henry Cannett, William
H Brewer. c. Hart Merriam, George
Bird Grfnnell and NJ. L. Washburn.
While the first book contains John
AIuir's descriptive story of the glaciers,
the entire third volume is given over 10
the scientific side Of the glaciers and
glaciation. 1t is the work Of Grove
Karl Gilbert. Volume 4 treats of the
Alaskan geology and pa1eontology, ana
the contributors are B. K Emerson
Charles Palache. William H. Dali, L.
A q. ITIrich and F. H. KnowltOn.
In the fifth volume is contained the
botanical story of the trip. 1t is an
exhaustive plant work, and it is to be
followed by two more volumes, con-
tanning papers relative to the flower
ing plants of the Alaskan country. The
contributors to the botany book are }.
Cardot. Clara E. Cummings, Alexander
W. Evans. c. H. Peck, p. A. Saccardo'
De Alton Saunders, L Therot and Will
lam Thelease.
1t nothing exaggerates to say that
these books of the Hartman exped1-
ton comprise one of the finest scienttf-
ic and travel libraries which has ever
seen the press. The books are beauu-
fully bound and more than finely illus
trated, while the names of the writer's
bear sufficient evidence to the value OF
the subject matter.
The set of books is called simply
Hartman Alaska expedition" and
is published by Doubleday, Page & CO.
of New York