The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-13
LITERARY NOTES.

William Allen White did not after all
get the position of state accountant OF
Kansas which he offered to take with
out pay, through his inability to give
the office his personal attention. Mr..
White is apparently too much occupied
with editorial and literary work just now
for any side lines. A striking review
from his pen of Lincoln Steffens' book,
THE Shame of the Cities" in the June
McClure's, reflects his attitude towards
politics and the public service in an inter-
esting manner.
Politicians are figuring on what effect
Grover Cleveland's article on 1.-The Gov
eminent in the Chicago Strike of 1894,
to be published in the July McClure's
will have on the democratic national con-
vention. Judging from advance notices
II will probably only serve to make his
friends more loyal and his enemies more
bitter. The ex-Presidents article is said
to be full and frank statement of his
views on the great questions of federal
authority involved in the strike, as well
as strong defense of his policy.
A prominent Philadelphia editor, who
has lived in the oil region and knows its
problems, writes Ida M. Tarbel. con-
Standard Oil company, which has been
running in McClure's. He says: "rhe
accuracy of your history is marvellous:
It's thoroughness astounding"
1.-THE Ark of 1903; A Story of Louisiana
Purchase Times" by C. A. Stephens,
which A. S. Barnes & Co. are bringing
out in their East and West series is a
book for boys and girls. and deals with
the adventures of the pioneers of Ohio
at a time when Spain had closed the
mouth of the Mississippi to Americans.
1t is entirely different from George Cary
Eggleston's recent boys story, Running
the River" which treats OF fiat-boating
on the Mississippi at the time of the
steamboats,.
The man who wrote "Bruvver Fin S
Baby" Philip Verrill Mighels. has had
varied career among ranchmen and
Western miners. He has not only ranch
ed with white men. but with Cinnamon
and Indians Speaking of the Indian as
ranchman, Mr.. Mighels said the other
day that he was more or less uncertain.
you can't enslave an Indian he said.
when you need him most, If he takes a
notion to go, he'll go, even If he leaves
his dinner, his wages, everything" Mr..
Mighels has an interesting theory to ex-
plain the wide prevalence Of Indian ar
row-heads in some regions. He thinks
they were left by the Indians during
their rabbit hunts. which were peculiar
in method and covered vast areas of
land. Such a hunt is described In
"Bruvver Fins Baby"
The adventures man may have in the
mysterious quarters of New York city
are exemplified in Van Tassel Sutphen's
novel, 'The Gates of Chance" To gather
material for this modern Arabian Nights
entertainment. the author prowled about
all sorts of queer corners and byways
of the great city, and saw and heard
many things that would be unbeleved In
print He found parts of the greatest
American city in which English was
an unknown tongue. He tells of one
incident in which he asked boy SIM
pie question of locality. The urchin
stared at him affrightedly from behind
long, frowzy black locks, and ran away
from him as from a foreign devil" He
was a Yiddsh boy. and the only person
in the neighborhood who knew English
was the policeman on that beat. Mr..
Sutphen soon decided that he would find
all the nueerness and local color. nAAdAd