The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-22

John S. BIcLain. Author of ALASKA
and the KlOndilze.'
Mr.. McLain accompanied the sen
ate subcommittee on its tour of our
northern possessions and he told what
he saw in letters to his newspaper.
These letters are now made into a
book which certainly furnishes a val
liable aid to the student and seeker
after information. The book is writ
ten in a delightfully."- simple style. The
scope is wide and covers every feature
Of this country. Among the most
Interesting portions of the volume
are those devoted to the Indian
tribes and their manner of Iv-
ing. 1.-THE Agricultural Possible
ties Of Alaska furnishes the title
for one subdivision and there are
half tones of potatoes, oats and other
any one but a Kansas farmer turn
green with envy. The author, however,
says in this connection: II do not care
to be regarded as q believer IN large
agricultural possibilities for Alaska
but am impressed with the probable
ity that in the anterior of that remote
country, where food supplies from the
states must always be expensive, it will
be practicable and profitable to pro-
duce meat and dairy and poultry and
garden products in such quantity ard
at such large prices as to solve the
problem Of development of large areas
OF gold bearing gravel
The book is profusely illustrated
with half tones from photographs.
To those who know him and who
have fallen victim to the rare charm
and originality of his literary manner,
a new book by James Huneker is an
event Of Importance. This does not in
clude, however, that great class Of peo-
pie who read only for relaxation, recre-
alton or because they depend upon fic-
ton to provide the interest and excite
meat which their own dull, idle and IN
eventful lives lack, and who make up,
1t is to be feared that part of the read
ing public which must be taken into
consideration by authors who aspire to
have their books published in the list
of the six best sellers" In this sense
Mr.. Huneker is not a popular writer
and it is to be doubted if his new vol
ume of essays, IcOnoclasts, a Book of
Dramatists, will attain that aforemen-
toned commercial success supposed to
all publishers.
But in a more limited sense, with the
public for which he especially writes
students of music, of literature, and Of
life, too, Mr.. Hunelzer is one of the
most popular as well as one of the most
profitable of contemporary authors. The
Young Person who prides herself on
keeping up with All the new books -
evidently ignorant of the fact thar any
th1ng besides fiction of a certain degree
OF commonplace frOthiness and IN
worthiness is being published, has per
haps never heard of him and certainly
does not stand in line at the public IL
Drary IN order to get his books. All the
same he has large. constantly grow
ing and serious clientele who await his
utterances with attention and respect
One is tempted to divide the reading
world, with respect to Huneker, as he
divided 1t with respect to George Moore,
into three classes: the class that reads
him and could hardly get along without
MIN; larger class that reads him and
loathes him and a still larger class
that never heard of him.
For the benefit Of the latter, if any
should happen to see these lines, it may
be briefly stated that Mr.. Huneker is
a New Yorker, of Irish ancestry. a
muelcal and dramatic critic OF note in
the national metropolis, with reputa-
ton which threatens to become world
Woe. His essay on Richard Strauss,
Drlnant and exhaustive study of the
composer and his works, a subject on
Whlch Mr. Huneker finds it difficult to
restrain from rhapsody, was recently
translated and published in a German
musical magazine of Dreeminent DOsi-
tioE and has attracted much attention
III musical circles abroad. Mr.. Huneker's
equipment as a musical critic is unus-
udl- ne is himself a pianist of con-
slueIdDle attainment and has hpeu a
successful teacher of DianOfor+e Ada
ed to this he is a tireless student a
Vorac1ous reader. an enthusiastic del
fIA 4Alo All SDItS OF musical and liter
airy problems. AS the RacontelIr in fine
New York Musical Courier and after
wards a regular contributor of literary
musical and dramatic critiolIes fr
Town Topics he became we'll to New
York readers. He has published a n71ro-
Der Of books, Overtones. a Book Of
Iemperalnents, MezzOtints in Modern
Music, MelOmaniacs and a life of Cho-
pin, with the exception of the latter
collections Of essays on musical sub
jects.
Iconoclasts, so far as the write,
knows, is Mr.. HunekeT's first book or
other than a musical subject 1t is de-
voted to sketches Of a number of dra.
matists, for the study of whose work,
in the original, a knowledge of Eng.
Ish would be of no avail except in the
case of George Bernard Shaw The
dramatists considered in these brief bl1
brilliant and illuminative sketches ar,
Henrik Ibsen, the Norwegian, Angus
STindberg, the Swede Henry Becoue
Paul Hervieu and Villiers De rIsl
Adams, The F'renchman Gerhar
Hauptmann, the German, Herman
6udermann, the Prussian Maxim
Gorky, the Russian, a translation D
whose Nachtasyl or Night Refuge wa
presented in New York this last win
ter, Gabrielle d'Annunzio the Italiar
Maurice A1aeterlinck the Belgian. ant