Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12

| NOW G1l Vi IEcSC NlI1p 4AtO AlALEil0N
activity over the prospect of some
business project that will boom the
town. In Carthage 1t is a great dam
for holding the water of the
! Mississippi and turning it into electric
power. ProSpectors and promoters
and experts swarm into the place
Native ambitions soar and native
activities grow in variety and scope
Against this background, nowadays
such a widespread background, Mr.
Hughes sketches the types belonging
to every small town and sets them I'd
the business of making his romance
of 1.-THE Old Home Town." A sturdy
story of town booming follows, a
laughab1e matter of human nature
behaving. and misbehaving itself
a plausible and engaging love story
| The whole takes it's place with that
stripe of realistic fiction which stands
as q good reflection Of the historic
development of the country at a
crucial point in that development.
Some time ago one learned that this
novelist never makes up things as
he goes along and never writes about
trivial and inconsiderable matters.
The theme is always a big one. It's
| projection rests upon q full seizure
| Of the facts in their prime implica-
tons. Upon such foundation the artist
builds firmly and Interestingly this or
that important phase of modern
American life.
X 4 So
SECRET HARBOR. BY Stewart Ed.
ward White, author of THE Glory
Hole" etc. New York: Double
day, Page & Co.
IF the thing hadn't happened that
l. hnoy,
either no story at all, or one about a
man with more money than it is good
for any one to have. A dull recital,
such, for the self-coddling of over
rich young men offers little variety
and no interest in either the special
ways OF amusing themselves or in the
preOrdained outcome of such course.
But, this is another sort of story, for,
suddenly, the man comes to life. In
stead of sailing round and round the
world in a beautiful yacht, as he had
already done more than once, he.
under the impulse Of something real
to do heads his craft northward and
into a hidden harbor, where the real
business of this adventure begins and
ends. 1t is, in substance, the romance
Of mine whose owner, a woman, ig-
norant of its value, gave it up and
went back to her home when the
young husband was killed by ruin
Gus cave-in. The adventure Is that Of
rescuing the mine. first from the hands
of a band of sharpers who had dis
covered it, and next to such produc-
tiVity as modern treatment might Se-
cure. The first cause Of this expedi
ton is a man with double purpose
in mind. He wants to set this kins-
man of his on a more manly way than
hn% <,f Il
he wants to restore to the mine owner
that which belongs to her. The au.
thor uses this substantial material to
excellent advantage, to the end that
really exciting and plausible matter
opens out to the reader. A point,
minor In the development of this par
ticular romance, but very generally
useful In stories of the open is the att
thor's clear infatuation with the ways
Of the world around him. Plenty OF
people love nature. One does not at
the moment. however. recall another
with the personal and friendly and
original association with it that Mr..
White evtnces so casually and natu-
rally here. A little thing, perhaps,
but it serves to vitalize the entire ad-
venture with an atmosphere that gives
both reality and charm to the action
throughout.
* X X \,
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NEW
YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD; A
History. BY Frank Walker Ste
vens. New York: G.. +. Putnam's
Sons.
THE New York Central Railroad is
now hundred years old. In
commemoration of this goodly age
as age counts III a new World-and
OF its highly successful achievement,
Frank Walker Stevens has compiled a
history of the early days OF this road.
In the beginning there was more than
one road between New York. Albany
and Buffalo. This is the story of
those roads and of their consolidation
into the New York Central itself The
various steps in this contamination
are set down here. reminding one that
even a century ago had there begun
that process of industrial combina
ton that has today reached such enor-
nous proportions. The book Is rich
in illustrations showing the growth
of means of transportation within the
period under consideration. There are
maps and tables and other illustra-
tive material calculated to make the
study an objective and truly instruc-
tive one. Construction expense pro-
vfdes valuable means of contrast
with the present in this respect. There
is also discussion of freight trans
portation and rates. Railroad legis-
lation furnishes another means of
making studies contrasted with the
present legislation bearing upon the
railway systems. This is a big, care
fully prepared history Of each Of the
component parts of the New York
Central, and of other matters pertain
ing to the early years of this great
system. Its office is to provide a true
history and an accurate basis for GER
tain comparisons and contrasts be-
tween the old days Of the railroad and
these later days of enormous expan-
sion and highly complicated opera
tions A valuable history of an i'm
portant stage in American life
4
WHAT Is CIVILIZATIONS" BY Maui
rice Maeterlinck and other writer's.
Introduction by Hendrix Van Loon.
New York: Duffield & Co.
NATURALLY. there are as many
answers to this query as there are
civilizations that exist at the present
time or tlrlt have existed in times
past. The question, propounded not
so long ago by a current magazine,
published many of the answers that
are Included within this volume. An
Introduction to the series by Hendrix
Van Loon starts out with gesture
of definition, as II it were going to
settle the question for good and ALL
But. after a page or so of delightful
moving about. such as Mr.. Van Loon
is capable of commanding. he throws
up his hands and turns the matter
over 10 the essayistS who. in turn,
present In summary form that which
different places, different eras, and
different circumstances declare TO he
civilization. India. Africa. China. old
Egypt and ancient America step to the
front here in most interesting and in
forming comparisons and contrasts of
the material of these various civiliZa-