The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-30

/ ming to explore Sahara in an aeroplane,
| it looks # even tom Sawyer
Abroad" might be overtaken. There is
no reason why the aerial explorers
may not see all that Tom and Huck
and Jim saw from their apparently
| impossible point of view; and they
may. if they choose, alight upon the
head of the Sphinx.
''William F1tzhugh Gordon. a Vir-
ginian of tho Old School: His Life,
Times and Contemporaries by Arnis-
tead c. Gordon, has just been pub
lished by the Neale Company. Always
charming and vivacious writer, Ar
instead GordCn's pen is never happier
than when he is employed upon some
phase of Virginia life or history. Him
self native of the state, a lifelong
student of Virginia history and tradi-
ton, the rector of the University of
Virginia, and IN authority on all mat
tiers relating TO the life and customs
of the Old Dominion, no living man is
so we'll fitted to write the life of that
distinguished Virginia statesman, Will
liam Fitzhugh Gordon. AS a biogra-
ply, this work is sympathetic, inteui-
gent and scholarly; a study of the
period in which Gordon lived. 1t is
interesting and informing. The writer
has done his work. so thoroughly that
the book may almost be called a his
tory of Virginia from 1918 to. 1850. He
describes the colonial homes of the
Piedmont region, and gives delight
full roster of we'll known Piedmon-
tese: he depicts the personnel of the
Virginia house of delegates from 1918
to 1929, and of the Southern repre-
sentatives in the house during the
Twenty-first, the Twenty-second and
the Twenty-third congress; he gives
a detailed account of the Southampton
instruction; he tells the important
story of the famous Nashville South
ern convention; and he describes the
manners, dress and habits of the
Southern men in public life during
Gordon's Official service. These and
many side lights make the book a his
tory of an epoch rather than the mere
biography of an individual.
The palm Of versatility, not only
among writer's but in all fields of hu-
man activity must be awarded to DR..
Edward Breck, the author of Wilder
ness Pets" 20 be published next week
by Houghton Miff1in Co. The son of a
inent in Boston in pre-
days, DR.. Brock has been successfully
a student at Oberlin,, Amherst, Cam
bridge in England, and Leipsic (where
years first tenor in grand opera in
Germany; literary adviser of large
American publishing house; foreign
correspondent of the New York Her
aid and the New York Times; vice
consul general at Berlin; assistant to
the U. S. naval attache at Berlin dur
ing the Spanish war; the navy'S most |
daring and successful secret agent in |
Spain itself during that war; the au-
thor of several hundred articles in the |
edition of the "Encyclo- |
pedia Britannica; and a registered /
and licensed guide in the Province of |
Nova Scotia. IN fact, the president of |
the Nova Scotia Guides association. |
AS if this were not enough, DR.. Breck |
has been several times champion fenc- |
er of Germany and New England in |
two weapons, thrice golf champion of |
Germany and Austria, and is an ac-
knowIedged authority on angling and |
moose hunting in Nova Scotia. He
lives near Annapolis Royal, N. s., in
a cabin on the shores of a lake sur
rounded by his wild pets, some account
of which he gives in his new book.
Those who would make pleasing |
transcripts OF nature robed in her best,
will find Photo-Era for May quite in
spring Beautiful wood interiors by
]. Sury, Frederick H. Evans TIL. Hof
meister and Joseph Brown, and land I
scapes by J. b. Whitehead, F. D. Sorn
berger, John H. Jones and w Zenker, Il
will delight tae picture maker. A SUI
perb female head, by Duhrkoop, is the Il
Chester A. Reed, the Il
eminent ornithologist, contributes a
series of rare bird pictures and tells I
how they were made. An article on
the autochronne process by ]. S. Burn
ham is helpful to those interested in II
color photogra ply.