Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-13

canal commission: the Coast Artillery
Press. published bimonthly at Fortress
Monroe: the quarterly statement OF re-
cruiting for the army-a mere reference
to these must suffice as an indication of
the comprehensiveness of the editorial
activities Of government employees along
the line of periodical publications alone.
One periodical has not been mention
ed in the above list, and that is a
monthly magazine which may be said
to mark new era in the history OF
government publications. without mis-
applying that overworked phrase. 1t
is the Monthly Bulletin. issued by the
bureau of American republics. and it
is in class by itself. not because the
artistic manner in which it Is illus
trated is exceptional. There are many
government publications which utilize
the finest products of the photograph
ers', the illustrators and the engravers
respective arts, though 1t may be said
of the Monthly Bulletin that 1T perhaps
surpasses anything else that the gov
eminent has issued in the splendor OF
it's illustrations. What makes the Bull
letin unique is that 1t is sold. and sub
scribers are glad to pay the price to
get it. There are many other govern
ment publications sold. but there has
to buy them.
AS the head of the bureau of Ameri-
can republic. John Barrett, is a former
editor and war correspondent, 1t is
quite natural that one of the features
of his administration should be an aim
to bring the publications of the bureau
up to the highest modern standards.
and that is what has been done. 1t
has been achieved partly through the
employment of newspaper man.
trained in the most modern methods OF
Journalism. AS the editor of the bureau.
Franklin Adams is the man behind the
managing editors desk of the maya
zine, and he has only been ION the JOB
several months. Mr.. Adams is also the
chief clerk of the bureau pro tenn. put
Ship is incidental to the editorial mis-
sion he has undertaken. There Is prob
ably no literary person in America that
knows more about South America tnan
Mr.. Adams. not even excepting Rlcnaro
Harding Davis. Thereby hangs a tale.
his newspaper training in fierce competi-
ton with other 'live-wire' writer's in
San Francisco. making good" there. and
descending upon New York to repeat the
performance. With head fun OF bright
ideas he was an indefatigable contributor
to newspapers and magazines. Two of
Mr. Adams brightest Ideas were to get
married and to make a specially OF south
American affairs. So it was that MIR.
and Mrs. Adams in the summer of 1903
left for the continent. of which many
Americans have only a vague knowledge.
taking along several cameras. making a
complete circuit of the continent and
iourneying into the interior to visit many
unfamiliar places, spending three years
on the trip, travelling 10000 miles. and
coming back with 1900 pictures and In
formation enough to fill q good-sized
library.
The assembled the Amazon. Orinoco.
Magdalena and Paraguay rivers. using al
most every kind Of vehicle, from first
class passenger coach to q cattle boat.
They canoed frequently. rode on horse
back to many places cut of from other
means of communication. and did not a
little walking. They assembled the Andes
TO a point 1900 feet above the sea. poet
icalIy described as the roof OF the world
"a place where no white woman had
ever been beforehand took pictures there.
Despite the fact that a mule loaded with
Photographic material fell over a cliff,
and some fine pictures went overheard
from a lighter Mr.. and Mrs. Adams had
1900 left when they rejoined their Park
Row acquaintance in New York city to
sell their literary wares. Mrs. Adams
she is best known as Harriet Chalmers
Adams-is now lecturing concerning her
travels and explorations. and Mr.. Adams
has come to Washington to fill a place