The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-04

The fifth volume in the popular
Young Alaskans' series by Elmer
son Hough CHarper's) will interest
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and westerners. es-
pecially. 1t will also broaden and
deepen the conception of America
for fasteners who will be introduced
TO a section of this country rich in
forgotten history.
Lest we forget" That is the in
which has resulted in The Young
Alaskans on the Missouri" Uncle
Dick takes the young Alaskans-and
his young readers-up the Missouri
river and hen inland to the Rockies
and the Yellowstone i absolutely the
same route taken by Lewis and Clark
when they mad their famous journey
~ 1904 The boys use the quaint
Journal of Lewis and Clark as an his
torical and travel guide. The start
ing point for the trip is St Louis.
because this old town was only a
village and was the gate to the west
in the memorable days of Lewis and
Clark. days before steam came, and
when the river was filled with keel
boat. oar and paddles and pole and
sail and cordelle. Naturally the young
Alaskans were keen to make the trip
As Uncle Dick observes: What boy
wouldn't e. if he were a real boy
and an American. Our own old.
strange. splendid America! What boy
wouldn't!''
And so the party embarks upon its
Journey ia. a quaint little boat, mo-
foring thru the Yellowstone region on
its return trip. hunting. fishing and
making entries in its own Journal
Then to St Paul. and bac,- by train
is a wonderfully eventful trip over
the old Lewis AID Clark trail-by
boat. horse, motor and train. and 1t
is told in the true Emerson Hough
manner.
The Young Alaskans on the Mis-
souri, is an ideal gift for boy or girl.
Tt is full of entertainments and infor-
nation, and represents the sort of
Juvenile literature which is becoming
more and more popular.
During the last two weeks there has
been a brisk increase in the number
of manuscripts which are received
daily for entry in the Harper $4,000
--ounger writer's, who are in the large
.na1ority in this contest, take vaca-
tons like the rest for there was de-
crease in the number of manuscripts
received during July and August The
competition started with the receipt of
a -good-sized pile of manuscripts daily.
The manuscripts read thus far bring
to the front Two or three points which
have an interest not only for writers
and publishers, but for the reading
public as well. The outstanding fea-
ture of the competition so far is the
surprisingly large number of these
novels that are well written. This is
Cue. perhaps. to the effectiveness of
instruction in schools and colleges and
the general interest in English in the
last few years
This Improvement is general rather
than specific. which brings up another
outstanding quality in many of these
competition novels-the theme or
story which has attracted the writer.
Hi nearly all the intelligent manu-
scripts received the stock themes of
English fiction have been abandoned;
there are few villains, revenge is not
a motive in n single one of the novels.
Even such themes as are considered
strictly American. like the story of the
self-made man who rises from poverty
to riches. are scarcely represented 50
far in the competition. There are