Evening star., 1909-05-08

Il BOYS impressions are usually
~ keen and lasting when great
"A events are making. Francis
~ Grierson was in his teens when
the war between the states oc-
Cured and. being of Observant tempera-
ment. he absorbed much Of the spirit of
the day in the Illinois country, where
his father. an. Englishman. had settled.
He remained here until he was about
fifteen and then. preceding his father in
returning to the old country. went back to
study music. for which he possessed
remarkable talent The name of Grier-
son is we'll remembered by the elder
music lovers. He played and sang for
years professionally and made distinct
success. retiring in the midst of MS
greatest triumph to devote himself to lit
erature. He has produced two volumes
of essays and now offers this book OF
recollections bearing upon the civil war
phase of American development. 1t is
not novel, nor is 1t history. In
series of semi i-detached pictures of the
folk life Of the prairie Mr.. Grierson vivid
ly presents the Lincoln land and it's peo-
pie. He introduces the quaint characters
who dominate local thought and lead in
the neiShborhOOd enterprises. the load
bearer" the one called Socrates" be-
cause Of his unfailing flow of philosophy;
Silas Jordan. the stout-hearted pioneer.
who nevertheless collapsed with fear lest
the comet, then filling the heavens with
Its brilliant. unearthy radiance, should
strike TINS planet and put an end to
Things mundane. There are dramatic
chapters bearing upon the operations of
the Underground railway" whereby fugi-
tive slaves were forwarded to Canada
eliminating In description of prairie
fire. insuring the success of large ship
Inent of these .contraband'' human
beings A chapter on the camp meeting.
at which the forces OF good and evil
clashed tragfcally. revives recollections of
an institution which has practically
passed.
The Lincoln thought runs throughout
the volume. One chapter tells of the
debate with Douglas at Alton. In a sub
tie sense the Emancipator filed the boys
thoughts. During the days of the comet.
when tremulous apprehension mastered
the emotions Of even the sturdiest heart
ed. Lincoln was spoken of as the man
to come. the man destined to do the ma
tion's work of publication. Partisan
feeling ran high and embittered the re-
lations of members of the same family.
The boys father enrolled himself upon
the Lincoln side, became a citizen and
voted for the rail splitter. Naturally the
boy himself gained a deep reverence for
the war President.
This volume will contribute nothing of
permanent value to the historian of the
emancipation episode. but ii will afford
an important insight into the ways of
living In those days. and incidentally it is
excellent reading on its own merits. apart
from many relationship. Mr.. Grierson
paints a picture with the touch of the
artist. with rare discrimination and a
fauluess taste
THE STORY OF THE GREAT LAKES.
BY Edward Claiming, professor Of
history in Harvard University, and
Marion Florence Lansing. editor of
the open Road Library. With Maps
and Illustrations. New York: The
Macmillan Company. Washington:
Brentano's.
The early history of this country is in
debted to the great lakes for many
thrilling chapters. Their pages are red
with the blood of Jesuit missionaries. of
intrepid colonists and Of fighters, who
were sent to the wilderness by the greed
of England and France. From de Cham
plain to Chicago stretch three centuries
of years. Mr.. Charming knows every
step of the way that lies between the
two eras. and with the sureness of a
guide leads the reader along the trail of
the Indian. over the raw fields of the
colonist, through sieges Of warfare that
mean ambuscades, burnt stockades and
decades of defeat and more decades OF
victory until that final clash for suprem-
acy when Perry met the enemy and
made them ours. Very forceful glimpses
1abored among the savages only to be
tortured and killed; Of La Sale, the
young French explorer, dashing in his
scarlet cloak bordered with broad gold
lace" who made the first voyage that
history knows about on the great lakes;
of Soldier Cadillac, who founded Detroit.
and of the young British officer. Glad
win. who defended it from the savages
A chapter is given to the conspiracy of
that treacherous sachem. Pontiac, though
had there been tribal. historian he
would doubtless have lauded the great
chief as a defender OF the red mans
home Another chapter is devoted to the
Indian campaign waged by Mad An
sobriquet In the war Of the revolution.
and still another tells of that last stand
made by the Indian. and which goes down
the ages as the Black Hawk war The
third and last part of the book treats OF
the great lakes Of today, of their ship
ping and other tremendous industries
with final tribute to Chicago and her
sister cities. and a last prophecy of q
time to come when the great lakes will
be connected to the oceans by canals. and
30 make ii possible for their ships to go
direct to all the ports of the globe. To the
interest Of the text are added a number
of maps and illustrations. the latter in
Guiding a reproduction of Chief Black
Hawk. and another of Robert Cavelier
de La Sale which forms the frontispiece
The writer's note that they have attempt
ed no minute and exhaustive chronicle,
bu. that important events with the Gus
toms and life of each period have been
brought together and presented The
volume combines the value of history
and the charm of delightful reading
ENGLAND Ann THE, rNcuysu. s-,,,
an American Point of View BY
Price Collier. New York: Charles
Seribners Sons Washington: Wood
ward & Lothrop.
Most OF US know something about Eng
land and the English. but few Ameri-
Gems have had MIR. Golfers opportunity
to study the country and its people from
a viewpoint of thirty years. His opin-
ion. therefore, is to be relied upon not
only because of his knowledge, but for
the reason that he is not critic in
the usual understanding OF the word
No intelligent reader. American or Eng
lish. can consider his statements other
wise than as the observations Of a man
who speaks from judgment-and whose
judgment Is good.
His First Impressions are the i'm
pressions Of other travellers. His chap
ter: Who are the English?' is q matter
of early history and latest official facts.
The rest of the book is Collier.
He makes one see with his eyes the
power of nation that owns one-fifth
the phases of government whose king
lis not a king In any autOcratic sense: