The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-01-14
NOTES OF BOOKS
AND MAGAZINES
REVIEW OF REVIEWS

A most interesting, if n rather wor
shipful, article is the appreciatiye of
Elihu Root by Walter Wellman in the
January Review of Reviews. Mr.. Well
man. in a way, warns the reader of
what is coming by remarks tending to
disparage the very thing that is coming
He says referring to tht story Of Mr.
Roots work, 'In the writing of it only
one difficulty appears; the pen will con
stantly be tempted to words and phrases
of praise, which in the aggregate might
seem fulsome. And fulsomeness of
Eihu Root would be i'll -fittin,-rihbons
in the lions name" With this warning
we are drawn plump into the midst of a
most fascinating eulogy of the Secreta
ry of War fascinating in that it makes
it so easy for us TO believe that the sub
jet is i'll that is claimed for it and that
Mr. Root is indeed lust abont perfect If
we are to occept Mr.. Wellman's view,
Mr. Roots fitness for MS job leaves
nothing to be desired.
Somehow, the tendency NOWADAYS,
when a man has done good, honest, able
work, and especially when he has shown
any particular aptitude for his task, is
to place him on "a pedestal and in writ
ing about him, to treat him us n sort of
demigod. Ia this number is another
appreciation, very nearly in the same
vein. 1t is of Fourth Assistants Post
master General Joseph l.. Bristow, by
Clarence Matson, aud is oyropos of Mr..
Bristow's thorough work in the investi-
CATION of the Post Office Department.
Mr. Matson calls Mr. Bristow 1.-THE ar.
gus of the Post Office Department.
| 1t is almost II relief, in some respects,
to turn to Prof. Woodboidges article on
Herbert Spencer. This, while an appre-
citation, is not by any means paeon,
Prof Woodbridge criticizes Spencer's
methods quite severely, although inclin-
ed to give him great credit for being the
foremost one of his age to prOmulgate
and make popular. and understandable
by the masses, the theory of evolution.
He says: "Much Of his Spencer 81
work was outlined in principle before
the evidence for the result was on hand.
This led to u collection of evidence and
consequent inalequacy. We speak of
the patient Darwin, but we can hardly
speak of the patient Spencer. Darwin's
rejection of hypothesis after hypothesis,
until gradually from an immense col
lection of facts his truth appeared finds
no parallel in the work of Spencer
The number contains besides the usual
review of current events and the car
ICONS, on article on the Texas cattle
fever by Prof, Charles Shirley Potts an
article on the status of the southwestern
oil industry, and three articles on The
New Year Prosperity or Depression
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
THE manufacture of nutomobils il in
tererestly treated both rs regards les
crptive matter and illustrations in the
current number of the Scientific Ameri
can. The front page is given over to
photographs Of shops and tests etc
There is also good photograph of the
oldest working locomotive in the world
which WAS built by George Stephenson
In 1922. 1t was only lately retired from
active service The number contains a
timely editorial on the subject Can the
theater fire be prevented2' The need
Of II curtain so stiff rs to preclude the
possibility of its bellying ont of its
groove is emphasized. Another timely
illustrated article il that on Electricity
on the Mama and Erie Canal This i
the canal which the State of New York
has just appropriated Si0l 900 900 to
improve.
Other illustrated articles are on "A
Floating Theatcr' "A New Chlorofor
ming Apparatus How u Python Eats
and Deep Sea Suniish