Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-06

] tion of Root Excretions," by Howard
1 s. Reed; "Silver," by Theo r. Van
/ Wagenen; Japanese Writing" by DIR.
e. w. Scripture; "The Life and Work
of Herbert Spencer" ''The Financial
Status of the Professor in America and
in Germany"
BOOK WORLD NOTES
| N HE thousand dollar prize offered by
The Bohemian Magazine for the
a best short stories has brought out
| the rather interesting fact that knowl-
edge of short story writing Is surpris-
ingly general The editor of The Bo-
hemian states that though hundreds
of manuscripts have been received in
competition for the prizes remark
| ably small number in comparison with
former contests held by the same
magazine, are downright bad. Indeed
the most of them evidence a good
knowledge Of English grammar and a
fair understanding on the part of their
writer's of how a short story should
be told. Twenty years ago, or even
ten, this was, not SO.
The Century company has four ju-
veniles listed for issue-Palmer Cox's
new 1.-THE Brownie Clown in Brownie
ever popular Ralph Henry Barbour,
"Harry's Island; Gen. o. o. Howard's
Famous Indian Chiefs I Have
Known" and "Three Years Behind the
Guns, the true chronicles Of 'diddy-
box" The last two are true ad-
venture stories and have been lead
ing serial features of st. Nicholas dur
ing 1908.
Edward Peple's serial, "The spitfire,"
will be published In book form by
Moffat, Yard & Co. It will carry
frontispiece in colors by Howard
Chandler Christy, and black and white
Illustrations by J. Y. McFan. :
with the Battle Fleet" by Franklin
Matthews, is to be published in the
early fall by B. w. Huebsch, New York.
1t Is a picturesque record Of the voyage
of the Atlantic fleet from Hampton
roads to Los Angeles, including ac-
counts of the ships visits to various
South American ports. Life on ship
board; the perilous trip through the
Straits of Magellan; tie memorable re-
ceptions to officers and men, are some
of the features that make the volume
noteworthy.
1.-THE Little Brown Hen Hears the
Song of the Nightingale" and THE
Golden Harvest" are twopleasant para
bles by Jasmine Stone Van Dresser, to
be published In dainty Christmas
volume by Paul Elder & Co. Margaret
Beecher White, a granddaughter of
Henry Ward Beecher, supplies fore
word, i-id William T Van Dresser
series of illustrations and decorations to
be reproduced in color. Mrs. Van Dres-
ser is the author of "How to Find
Happyland," successfully published last
year by Putnam's.
The surest known antidote for the
worry germ Is not to fail us this year.
Announcement Is made that the clever
annual Is soon to appear, this time
under the title OF "The Perfectly Good
Cynic's Calendar" The collaborators,
Ethel Watts Mumford Grant, Oliver
Herford and Addison Mizner, have pre-
pared several novel features that will
add spice to the 1909 volume. There Is
to be series of surprising astronomical
charts with accurate descriptions of
the heavens during the different months
(but the heavens don't know itl; a
daily horoscope by the "world-re-
nowned Stella" a gallery of stars"
and an entirely new collection of quips
and perverted proverbs, pictures and
decorations. The binding also will be
departure from the gingham of former
volumes.
According to the present copyright
law, 1t Is impossible to protect the
title of book. The contents are pro-
tected, but the name Is not. A par
ticularly fragrant and familiar case is
1.-THE Man OF the Hour" This ad-
mirable title had been given CONNER
cial value by the success of Octave
Thanet's popular novel. 1t was calmly
appropriated and tackled on to a po-
iltical comedy that was in no sense
dramatization of the book.
And now comes the announcement
that a play entitled 1.-THE Best Man is
being produced in Boston. Harold Mac
Grath might feel, with some justiflca-
tion, that his we'll known story had
secured to him a proprietary interest
in that title. but the courts would not
recognize 1t.
H. Addlington Bruce, whose riddle
of Personality" was one of the few
successes of last spring, will publish
thisa autumn, through Moffat, Yard &
Co., book entitled Historic Ghosts
and Ghost Hunters" 1t Is an exceed
ingly interesting collection of the most
celebrated ghost manifestations in his
tory, and as such would be well worth
while at any time for its historic in
terest and value; but in these days it
acquires an additional Importance In
view of the recent public awakening
in psychical science. and of the new
light which is being thrown upon man
ifestations which, in earlier times, WERE
failing scientific explanation, universal
ly assigned to supernatural causes.
Three promising volumes Of essays
on ethical subjects from well known
writer's are announced by Thomas Y.
Crowell & Co., for publicantion They
are: "Counsels by the Way" by Henry
Van Dyke; "On the Open Road" by
Ralph Waldo Trine, and "The Free
Life" by Woodrow Wilson.
Eugene w. Presbrey, the well known
playwright, is at work on dramatiza-
tion of "The Coast of Chance" the
Chamberlains' popular story Mr.. Pres
brey has established himself as the
most successful adapter of novels for
the stage. He is the author of the stage
versions Of among other books, "Raf-
fes," "A Gentleman of France" and
"The Right of Way"
The Century company win publish
the book which Harvey j. O'Higgins
has made of David Warfield's imper-