Evening star., 1925-07-25
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the BookLoUer.

Eden PhilIpotts has chosen the Dart
moor district in Devonshire for the
scene of most of his novels. Here
characteristic masses of granite known
as tors" crown many of the hills
there are many rapid, clear, pool
filed streams, and cattle, sheep ana
semi-wild Dartmoor ponies roam over
the moor. The wild scenery Is made
more romantic by rude stone remains
of a primitive population, as stone
crosses, menhirS, rows and circles.
SO vivid has Phillpotts made this
country that 70 read one of his novels
is like a real journey across Dart
moor. Some of this best novels are
Children of the Mist" Sons Of the
Morning" The Portreeve' and The
Secret Woman" The scene of death
Of Miles Stapledon on Watern Tor
in Sons of the Morning" is thus de-
scribed: His road of the previous
evening he found quite impossible,
and it was nearly 8 o'clock before he
fairly escaped from the labyrinth of
deep waters and greedy bog now
spread about Fur Tor 1t is
unnecessary to describe the many
turnings Of tortuous way followed
at mercy of the unlUosed waters.
Chance ultimately willed the man to
Watern--a craggy faStness familiar
'
out Of the direct course he had
planned. To avoid those mo-
rasses beneath Sittaford he had tended
northerly, and so found himself not
far from the tremendous and strait
fled granite lodges that approach the
magnitude of cliffs on Watern's
crown" In this wild place occurs
what Phillpotts calls the climax of
the record.
X 4 K X
Switzerland, by Frank Fox. beau
tifully illustrated in color, treats the
history and the people. but is more
concerned with scenery and sports.
For many years Switzerland has been
as popular for Winter sports as for
Summer Alpine climbing and travel.
In the year 1913 the Swiss Alpine Club
celebrated it's jubilee. The object of
the club when it was founded was "to
explore the Swiss Alps, TO study them
more accurately from every point Of
view, to make them better known and
to facilitate access to them This
object has been interpreted literally
and has been made to include the
construction, furnishing and mainte-
nance OF huts; the training and insur
ance of guides. the organization of
rescue parties and the publication of
guide books. accurate maps, an an
nual and two periodicals, one in
French and the other in German.
There is a great difference between
the national sports of the Swiss and
the sports Of Switzerland The former
are rifle shooting, gymnastic games,
rustic dancing 10 jodeling and chamois
hunting, now almost a thing Of the
past The sports which attract so
many thousands to the Alps in Winter
are not often Indigenous. They include
tobogganing, hobsleighing, skiing,
skating, ice sailing. hockey and curl
ing. OF all the Winter sports skiing
Is most useful. With ski the eXplora-
tiOn of the Alps in all kinds of weather
IS possible. They enable snow-covered
country to be traversed with safety at
great speed. Down a steep slope an eX-
pert ski runner can reacn q pace of 30
miles an hour and can leap great
heights and great distances with the
aid of the momentum of his speed.
x x
Norwegian Towns and People" by
Robert Medill. is a good hot-weather
book The fascination as well as the
dreariness of the Far North appeals
to Mr. Medill and he writes with some
detail of the scenery at the North
Cape. life at Hammerfest most north
erly inhabited town in the world, and
the life of engineers and miners in
Spitzbergen. When vast quantities of
coal were discovered in Spitzbergen
some years ago, an American syndi-
cate was among the first to undertake
mining operations. The mine was later
taken over by a Norwegian syndicate.
The chief engineer of the mine, ques-
toned by Mr. Medill, seemed to be
unaware Of hardship in his Spitz-
bergen life. but eXpatiated on the eX-
Cellent food made possible throughout
the year by the abundant natural re-
frigeration, the Winter skiing and
hunting parties by the light of the
brilliant Arctic moon and the health
fulnesS of the baCteria-free air. Mr.
Medili recommends the inspiring
view into the Arctic Sea to the east.
west and north from the broad, rocky
plateau Of the North Cape, to be
reached only by scaling the almost
perpendicular walls. more than
thousand feet high. of the gaunt and
precipitous headland.
x x
The motorist who has not already
set off on his Summer camping tour
| may find suggestions for this year or
another one in Motor Campaign on
Western Trails" by Melville f. Fergu-
son. 1t is an account of the experiences
Of a family party who motor-camped
over nearly 10000 miles of Western
territory, including Hawaii. The party
was composed of the author, his pedi-
greed Airedale, his wife, three daugh-
ters, his mother, who was almost so,
and both his wife's parents, who were
well along in the 70s. This eX-
ample and many others that we all
know about show that cid people en-
JOY motoring at least as well as the
young and are often as adventurous.
Mr.. Ferguson's family were not nat
ural gypSieS, but, on the contrary
were city people who "abhorred bugs.
snakes and wet feet Neverth eless
they spent a whole year camping
along the road and enjoyed every bit
of 1t. The caravan consisted of two
cars and two trailers, besides the
wicker house of the AiredaIe strapped
beside one of the engine hoods. The
trailers were equipped so that they
could be turned into bedrooms when
camp was made and We're furnished
with closets and many other con-
venienCes. Mr.. Ferguson gives much
practical information in his book for
the benefit of other motor campers.
He tells which are the best roads.
where good camping places are to be
found and the equipment needed for
such a trip. The story is told with
much picturesquenes and humor.
x X
A card catalogue of candidates be-
fore proposing marriage to any one
of them seems a cold-blooded way of
approaching romance, but that is
practically what Paul Popenoe sug-
gests in his Modern Marriage, a
Handbook" He insists that, although
love should be a condition of mar
riage, a young man should also have
his wits about him. If he would list
all the girls of his acquaintance and
tbaO assign them ora deS for diffarap+
desirable qualities, he would be pre-
cd "a foil in lnIrn