The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-02
Interesting Contest Over the
Geography Contracts.
Estimated to Be Worth One
Hundred Fifty Thousand.
EXPERTS ARESECURED
Have Written the Biographies
of Kansas.
+. ID. COburn Is the Author of
One.

One of the hottest fights now going
on before the state text book commits
sion in the matter of text books for
Kansas school children during the next
i've years is over the selection Of
Biographies.
Four Biographies will be offered to
the board, and possibly more. They
are as foilows:
The Natural geography now in use.
published by the American Book com
pany.
The -McMurray geography.
published by the Macmllans.
The King geography, published by
Charles Scribner's Sons.
& Co
1t is estimated that the geography
contract is worth about S150.0OO in
gross sales to the firm which gets the
contract, and two books are submitted
by each publisher, one elementary
geography and one advanced.
Especial interest attaches to the
geography fight because of the fact
that the Kansas supplement of each
book is written by a Kansas man. The
Kansas supplement consists of about IL
dozen pages at the end of the ad-
vanced book, giving in detail the geo
graphical and economic story of Kan
sas, together with a Kansas map.
The latest supplement to be pre-
pared is the one which appears in the
Scribner book, which is written by F.
d. Coburn, secretary of the state
board Of agriculture OF Kansas. Mr..
Coburn's crop reports have become a
part of Kansas. but this is his first
attempt at geography writing. He
deals of the resources and manufac-
turieS of Kansas it's history, govern
ment, geographical characteristics
and statistical information in a skill
full and entertaining manner. and the
description is illustrated with dozen
fine half tone engravings made from
photographs furnished by Mr.. Co
burn. These pictures show the meth
DDS of cultivating the soil. the results
of the corn. wheat, apple and alfalfa
harvests, the oil fields. the beet sugar
factory, and views of the state capitol.
the manual training high school at
Topeka and the Atchison county high
school at Effingham. In spite of the
fact that nc man is better qualified
! than Mr.. Coburn to write supple
ment of this kind. the illustrations are
one of the best features of his sup
plement.
The supplement to the Natural
Geography submitted by. the Amer
lean Book company appears in the
books now in use to have been writ
ten by o. A. Ellsworth. professor Of
geography at the. state normal school.
But in the latest editions of the Nat
ural Geography. the name of Mr.
Ellsworth is omitted. and it is prob
able that the publishers have revised
Mr. Ellsworths work. The illustra-
tions are similar to those used in the
euiLlOH nOM IN use, Dut nave been re-
engraved, and present a much better
appearance. In the book now in use
they are simply line engravings, but
in the revised editions, they are re-
touched half tones.
There is good deal Of interest in fbe
supplement offered bv the Macmfllans
because it was originally written by
George w. Winans, who is row a mem
Der of the state text book commission
and will have the job Of assisting IN
the decision of whether his Supplement
is as good as that of other Kansas
writers. The supplement-. however. is
now issued in revised form, under the
name of Mr.. Winans partner in the
business college at Hutchineon. Every
one who knows Mr.. Winans is confident
that these rather peculiar circumstances
will not prejudice him in favor of his
own book. He will probably take no
part in deciding the matter. One OF the
members of the commission said:
"Winans is so conscientious about such
things that he will lean backward and
give his own supplement the worst oc
it," Mr.. Winans is an experienced
school man. having been state superin-
tendent at one time His supplement IL
we'll gotten up. and illustrated in a
creditable manner.
The supplement- to the Fry geograp ply.
offered by CHM & Co. was written by
J. n. Wilkinson formerly president of
the Kansas state normal. As might be
expected from a man of Mr.. Wikin-
sons attainments. 1t IL a careful and
scholarly piece of work. but the iilustra-
tions are hardly up to the standard I'm
some of the other books.