The Topeka state journal., 1905-03-11

public, private, or musical IN TINS
country. The publication date or the
autobiography is announced for April
5, and it viii be issued in two volumes
Gone of programmes), edited by Geo
p Upton, Mr. Thomas lifelong friend
An experiment which will be watch
ed with much interest by Librarians is
now being tried by the public library
Of Grand Rapids, Mich. It is an at
tempt to establish in the homes OF its
patrons card catalogues of such classes
OF books as they may be especially tn-
terested in. Each one participating
in the scheme signifies the class OF
books or which he desires such
catalogue, duplicate cards for all of
the works of that class now in the
library are furnished him. and as fast
as new works of this class are added
to the library cards for these sent, so
that his catalogue is always complete
and up to date. The utility of the
sch eme Is apparent, as it will enable
the busy man not only to use the
library without any waste of time,
but to have always at hand an up to
date photography of the subject in
which he is interested. Through the
service is reduced to a minimum, the
charge made being one cent for each
card, whether supplied s1ngly or in
quantities.
An account of the relations of the
United States with the Barbary powers
century or more ago is told by DR..
Gardner w. Allen in a romantic and
remarkably interesting form. The vol
ume has just appeared under the title
of Our Navy and the Barbary Cor
sairs'' from the press of Houghton,
Miff1in & Co, and while the book is
classified under History the pictur-
esque exploits of fPreble and Decatur and
the adventures of our American Seamen
and conSulS with the famous pirates of
the Mediterranean give the entire work
a NaVCT
to realize the extent to which the Mo
hammedan states on the north coast of
Africa levied tribute on the European
nations until thir piracy was checked
by the United States In the first years
of our national existence our govern
ment followed the example of European
powers and tried to protect our ship
ping by making money payments; but
when TripoH demanded larger sums,
our refusal led to war. DR.. Aliens
book tells fully the circumstances of
this episode and of the admir- able rec
ord which our little navy mace in the
Mediterranean during the first years of
the 18th century.
The birthday of Charles Dickens was
celebrated in London. on February Z. by
a dinner of the Boz club, at which the
chairman, Lord James of Hereford,
dwelt upon the novelist's influence as a
social reformer. The Poor Laws, for in
stance, were administered now with far
greater clemency than when oliver
Twist was written. Lord Chancellor
Ha1sbury. while eXtolling Dickens as q
writer, doubted whether his fame was
increased by putting him forward eth
er as a politician or as a social reform
err Mr.. Choate said that the man
who could make the whole world in
dulge in honest laughter was one of the
great benefactors of the world" But
his main theme was the popularity of
Dickens stories in America. illustrating
his point by relating an incident which
n in at
the publication of 'Dombey and Son
QS46-4S). The last number received
here had left it doubtful whether Paul
would live. When the next steamer
arrived at the docks, the passengers
saw with considerable alarm a great
crowd of people on the quays. Their
fearse were dispelled, however, when
they discovered that what the crowd
wanted was to know whether Paul
Dombey died or no.
other trade to the many in which ne is
already known to be an expert and has
day it is Booth Harrington the playwright
who is talked about He recently under
cessfuI book, THE Gentleman from Indf-
ana and the manager to whom it was
submitted declared that he had never had
submitted to him a play so cleverly han
died or so well adapted to the stage. So
Mr.. darlington who was known in coll
ing, then for his verse making, appearing
before the public first as a novelist, is now
on his way to win laurels in the dramatic
arena
The work of Howard Chandler Christy,
the artist far s the periodical press
is concerned. will hereafter appear only
in The Reader Magazine, an arrangement
to this effect having lately been complet-
ed This announcement VIII be received
with delight by the Readers readers. as
will the further announcement that an
early number of the ma agazine will con-
In view of Mr.. Christys popularity and
the demand among publishers for his
work, the fact that the Reader Magazine
has secured the exclusive rights to his
services once more illustrates the enter