The San Francisco call., 1913-08-11
BOOK REVIEWS
WHAT rs AN ION.


For long. electricity was supposed TO
be a mysterious fluid, or, rather, two
mysterious fluids, one of which was
called ..positive. the other negative.
IT has now been shown, thanks to the
investigations of Sir J. j. Thomson OF
Cambridge. that what was known as
current Of negative electricity is, in
actual fact. stream of small particles
moving with great velocity. These par
tfcles of electricity, known as cleo
irons. can combine with matter; metals
are such compounds: gases ike oxygen
and nitrogen have also electrons asso-
ciated with them. When an atom OF
oxygen, of iron,- or indeed or any SUB
stance. has been deprived of an cleo
tron or has had an electron added TO
IL It becomes an ion. If the electric
particle has been removed, 1t is said
to be a positive ion III the electron
has been added it is called negative.
The word lion" means going, or
s.traveling'; such atoms are easily at
tracted to or repelled by electrified
bodies. and they move rapidly toward
them, or away from them, as the case
may be: If the electrification of the
body is negative-that is, II there is
an excess of electrons adhering TO It's
surface--it repels particles wnicn nave
also an excess electron; II, on the con-
trary, the electrified body is eiectrined
by having had electrons removed eand
that is called positive electrification).
then IT will attract particles having an
excess eIectron.-Sir William RAMSAY
In Harper's for August.
HAUPTMANN's DRAMAS
The poetic dramas of Hauptmann
present unusual difficulties to the trans
lator and have usually baffied attempts
to render them adequately In English
1t is probably not generally known that
the first translation of The Sunken
Bell was made in prose, the transla-
tor remarking ingenuously that 1t was
Impossible to make an English poetic
version. Later, however, Charles Henry
Meltzer succeeded and his translation Of
the drama has frequently been seen on
the stage. The same writer translated
Hauptmann's dream play, "Hannele
B. w. Huebsch. who is publishing the
collected dramas OF Hauptmann In an
authorized edition and Professor Levi
sohn, who is editing 1t, have arranged
to use Meltzer's version. The volume In
which they are to appaAr-Poetic and
Symbolic Dramas-will be Issued later
In the year. Volumes / and II--Social
Dramas-are ready and Volume HI
Domestic Dramas--is under way for
early publication.
Just before sailing for German East
Africa where he will remain for the
rest of this year hunting big game and
exploring the interior OF the dark con-
tinent, Stewart Edward White delivered
to his publishers, Doubleday, Page &
Co., the completed manuscript of his
latest novel, Cold" which will be pub
|lished early this fall. Gold" is az strik-
ing In form as Its title. 1t is the first of
a series of three novels dealing with
the early history of California, and. as
will be inferred, Cold deals with those
exciting years of 1S49 and 1850. The
other two volumes of the trilogy will
take the series as far as the civil war.
According to the Bookman this first Sc
ries of books is only the first of three
trilogies. The second three volumes are
to deal with the boom days of the
eighties In California, and the last three
to deal with modern political issues and
conditions.