St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-04-06
New Publications.

Cloth, 81 pp. PuDl1Shed Dy harper q
Brothers, New York, at $1.0O.
In the early SOS there was a chance
meeting in the San Francisco mint of
the superintendent, R. D. Swain, Bret
Harte and Vermonter. The group
were joined by Samuel L. Clemens who
had just arrived from Nevada City where
few days before he had witnessed the
most curious jumping contest between
two frogs, under the auspices of their
respective trainers and before an audience
of miners and camp followers. Mark
Twain then and there told the story of
the jumping frog for the first time, and
after Bret Harte had recovered enough
from his laughter to speak, he told Mr..
Clemens that If he would write the
account half as well as he had told it, it
would be the funniest story ever written.
The story soon appeared in the Golden
Era and Mark Twain's reputation as
humorist and story writer was made.
Our readers will be interested to know
that the Vermonter who first heard what
has been pronounced one of the best short
humorous stories extant was Charles
Webb Howard of San Francisco, presi-
dent of the Spring Valley Water Works,
and brother of T. M. Howard of St.
Johnsbury.
The new edition now appears in an
attractive red cover with illustrations
by F. Strothman, and this book may
properly be called the anthology OF the
story OF the jumping frog. Following a
short preface is the story in English,
"then in French, then clawed back into
civilized language once more by patient,
unremunerated toll" followed by the
"private history OF the story.
The translation in French appeared
in the "Reveue des Deux Mondes,"
under date of July Is. 1872. as speci-
men of American humor with nothing
SO very extravagantly funny about it, !"
says the translator. The extravagant
humor appears in Mark Twain's trans
lation back into the Nevada vernacular
in which the Hartford humorist denies
that be ever put together such an obi
Gus mixture of bad grammar and deliri-
um tremens in his life.'' 1.-The Jumping
Frog" and adams Diary" may be
fairly considered Mark Twain's best
stories and the new edition will drive
dull care away whenever it is taken off
the shelf.
The Educational Conquest of the Far
East. By Robert E. Lewis, M A., Cloth +,
24S PIP, 12mo. illustrated. Published at
$1.OO net by Fleming 81. Revell Com
pany New York.
All eyes are now turned to the Orient
and this book as the Outlook well says,
sis an authoritative illumination which
no student of social, educational or reli-
gious problems in the Far East can afford
to be without" The author is no stran-
ger to many of our readers, having been
born in Franklin county, educated at the
University of Vermont, where he was
graduated in the class of 1892, and was
later secretary of the st. Johnsbury
Y. Nd. c. A. In 1898 he went to China
as international secretary Of the Y. M. c.
A. and is now secretary of the Shanghai
association of over 100 members.
Part of the volume was prepared at
the request of our minister to- Japan for the
State department at Washington, and it
has been translated and printed in China
~
Gals. The first 100 pages present govern
ment education in the howery kingdom,
while government education in China
occupies the most of the rest of the book.
1t will doubtless surprise the reader that
there are 5,OOO,OO0 students in Japan
and that there is a famous Confucian
college in China, called the White Deer
College, that is older than Oxford. 1t
was here that one of the party had an
amusing experience which exhibits the
curiosity of the Chinese at anything
foreign. Two importunate students had
beset the New Yorker in the party and
we will let Mr.. Lewis tell the result in
his interesting way:
"They had begun with his shoes, the
laces and metal eye-holes being duly ex-
planned. They took in his stockings, which
| were black, in curious contradistinc-
| ton to a Chinese gentleman's white hose.
They fingered his Duck trousers and coat,
| ANXIOUS to know the cost. The chief
Confucian inquisitor proceeded to ask
| and to prove how many sets ofgarments
foreigner wears on his arms. This COIN
cided with the three coats which the
|
what colder. When they reached the
New Workers. huge pith hat, there was
an outburst Of ill.mannered laughter.
This prince OF Chinese investigators held
the piece of head-gear in his hand and
commented on its lightness in comparison
| to its umbrella dimensions. He made
| this sallv What is your honorable hat
| made OFF, The New Yorker being yet
young in China could not recall the Chi
| nese expression for 'pitb,' and turned to
| another of the party to ask. Then came
an ironical burst of glee. This foreign
! teacher does know what his own hat is
made off,"
The japanese have quickly adopted the
educational methods of Europe and the
United States and the imperial university
at Toxic had 256O students in 1898 and
in equipment and courses would rank
with any university in the United States.