Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Reviews.
REVIEWS .
All Books intended for Keview should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C . tetters Sent Home . —Out and Home Again by way of Canada aud the United States ; or , What a Summer ' s Trip told me of tho People and tho Country of the Great West . By William Morris , author of "France and the French , " "Ireland and the Irish , " & c . Swindon : Printed at tho Advertiser Office , 10
Victoriastreet . IN his introductory l-emarks Mr . Morris tells his readers that these letters are reprinted from the columns of the Swindon Advertiser , having appeared therein at regular intervals during the year 1874 . They were sent home during a two months' journey through parts of Canada and the United States . Mr . Morris does not , of course , offer
himself as an authority on American matters . His object was to describe in a genial chatty style what he saw , the people who journeyed with him accross the Atlantic , the incidents that occurred aboard ship , and in his brief visits to sundry Canadian and American cities , as well as the aspect of the country , its resources , and the wonderful advance it has made of late years . We think he has
achieved this object in a manner highly creditable to himself and very entertaining to any one who is content to obtain just a slight and superficial knowledge of these countries . He went out in the Moravian , and , naturally enough , we have sketches of his fellowtravellers . There is , of course , a funny man , curious people , little children , and all tho varieties and types of character we expect to
meet on board a ship journeying with emigrauts and others from Liverpool to New York . Observant men find plenty of matter to interest them during a twelve days' ocean trip . Ludicrous incidents occur from time to time , and help to while away the tedium of the journey . Thus , waking up the first morning after starting , the occupants of the four berths—of whom the writer was one—whioh
filled one cabin , spring simultaneously from between sheets into the confined space allotted them for dressing . Of course , they get so wedged together , that putting on their clothes is out of the question ; so , after a laugh over the sceno , two of the number good naturedly tumble in again , while the others get through their task as well as they can . The singing of young children affords Mr . Morris an
opportunity for a little sentimentalism , and we have a brief dissertation on the Gulf stream . We presume no observant traveller to or from the States would dream of commiting so gross an oversight as to pass unnoticed this most important of ocean-currents . Quebec is tho first Canadian city Mr . Morris makes acquaintance with ; this he describes at some length , noting all such matters of interest that come under
his notice in connection with the buildings , fortifications , customs , markets , tho price of meat , the sale of land in the province , the emigrants' barracks , schools , & c . Next we reach Montreal , and then Ottawa , the capital of the Canadas , aud iudeed of the Dominion . Kingston aud Toronto are also visited , and of them , as of Niagara and its Falls , Detroit , Chicago , St . Louis , Cincinnati , Washington , New
York , and other American cities , we have a general description of all things likely to fix the attention of a traveller . Tho last two letters contain a summarized account of the journey home again , with the inevitable reflections which it is only natural that evory visitor to the States should indulge in . The subject of emigration is , of courso , referred to , and the yet undeveloped resources of Canada have their
fair share of notice . All these topics are treated pleasantly , and if Mr . Morris has been able to tell us but little that an average reader may not getfromhi .-tories and the writings of other travellers , what he does say comes before us in a concise and genial form . Take tho following passage in reference to Chicago , as an example : — " Within a period of from twenty to forty years there had been
growing up , both in Canada and America , cities and towns of so vast a magnitude that we in England can really form no idea of them , either as regards the magnifience of the buildiugs , the area occupied , or the number of inhabitants massed together . The existence of these places is brought to our notice now and again , by some great and startling event . We know of Chicago "—with all due respect to
Mr . Morris , we had heard of it several years before , but doubtless this way of patting it must be taken as a mere figure of speech , and with j ust a grain or two of salt— " by its great fire . Twelve or thirteen years ago the place was not even mentioned on our maps of America . There are now ten separate railways running into , or through the city . I was naturally anxious to see the place . "
The following , which Mr . Morris has extracted from " The Report of the Board of Public Works of the Common Council of tho City of Chicago , for the year ending 31 st March 1872 , " will afford some idea of the disastrous fire which destroyed so large a portion of the City in October 1871 : — " The most notable event which occurred in the past year , or
which has occurred in any year in the history of Chicago , was the destruction of a large portion of the City by lire , ou the 8 th and 9 th of October last . The loss of proporty was greater than has ever occurred before , from the same cause , iu the history of the world , amounting , according to the most reliable estimates , to two hundred millions of dollars . This fire originated on the west side of the
river , in a small stable standing on the north side of Do Kovenstreet , east of Jefferson-street , and in the near part of the east half of Lot 12 , Block 38 , School Section Addition to Chicago , at about nine o ' clock on the evening of Sunday , 8 th October 1871 . This section of the City consisted almost entirely of wooden buildings , which the dry season had made very inflammable . Tho fire was speedily under full headway , and aided by a furious south-west wind
which , was blowing at tho time , spread iu a northerly and easterly direction , with wonderful rapidity , over a territory about four milea in length , by an average of two-thirds of a mile iu breadth , and comprising about 1 , 688 acres ; and finally terminated at midnight of the second day , at the extremo north-east portion of the city , having destroyed , with two or thrci exceptions , every building in its course , It burnt over , on an average , sixty-five acres per hour , and
Reviews.
the average destruction of property for the same time was about seven and a-half millions of dollai-s , or about 125 , 000 dollars per minute . It reached the Chicago pumping works at three o ' clock on Monday morning . The buildings connected with the works were partially destroyed , and tho machinery so badly da naged as to stop working ; thereby catting off tho supply of water , and leaving the
city without means for checking the progress of the fire . When the extent and fearful progress of the fire are considered , it is a matter for wonder , as well as gratitude , that so few lives were sacrificed . So far as can be ascertained , the whole number will n ot exceed one one hundred and fifty . " Mr . Morris traversed the ruins , and he adds the following , which
he had gleaned no doubt from the civic authorities : — "The fire had no respect for persons or things , it actually melted fifteen thousand water service pipes , and destroyed three hundred and soventy meters . It got down into the seworago works , doing damage to the amonnt of 42 , 000 dollars , aud it burnt bridges and destroyed viaducts , which will require an expenditure of 203 , 210
dollars to replace . 2 , 162 public lamps and lamp-posts were more or less injured by the fire , and the cost of repairing aud replacing them , is estimated at 33 , 000 dollars . Tne fire raged over the wooden block pavement for a distance of twenty-eight and a half miles , doing damage to the extent of 211 , 350 dollars ; and it burned up and destroyed the wooden sidewalks along the streets and roads . ( I have
told you how these sidewalks are made , by baulks of timber , being nailed down transversely across the footways on sleepers ) for a total length of one hundred and twenty-one miles and three quarters . " It is clear that fire ha 3 carefully studied the genius of tho Americans . Our translantic cousins admire bigness , and accordingly
the fire raged at Chicago on the grandest scale ever heard of in tho world ' s history . We must take leave of Mr . Morris ' s Letters Sent Home . However , in doing so , we offer him hearty thanks for having enabled us to pass a few leisure hours most agreeably .
The New Quarterly opens with an article on " Allotment Gardens , " by BIr . Richard Jefferies , in which , having described the different kinds of allotments in different parts of the country , and how far they do or do not prosper , he comes to the conclusion that the extension of the system is desirable and possible , but subject to certain essential conditions . He is , however , strongly against any scheme for dividing land into small plots or allotments , as it " would reduce the
projectors to the condition of savages , or littlo better . " Then follows a disquisition , by tho Bov . T . H . L . Leary , on " The Religious Element in Chaucer ' s Poetry , " and a novelette by Mr . John Dangerfield , entitled " The Fool of tho Family . " The story is short , bub well put together . A Mr . Edward Wynter , the son of a clergyman in the West of England , finds himself , by the death of his father , thrown on tho world almost without resources . Ho reaches Loudon with a
ten pound note in his pocket , clevotes _ hnnsoli to press work , aud one morning wakes up to find himself fatuous . He writes a leader on sotno abstruse point in International Law , which the Editor of the "London Mail" accepts . Ho is afterwards employed as a leader writer on this journal , is received in socioty as a rising young man , and meets Amy Dashwood , whom , in his youthful days , he had fallou in lovo with , but
who discarded him . His lovo is re-awakened , and they are again engaged , when a momentary rovorse of fortune overtakes him , and ho is a socond time cut adrift . A regime of flashy writing is inaugurated under tho new proprietorship of the "London Mail , " and Wynter has to begin his career afresh . All goes well with him , however , but he does not fall in lovo a third time
with Amy Dashwood . On his lirst visit to tho editor of tho " London Mail" he had met , among others , in the waiting-room , a Miss Champemowne , who , with her mother , docs the " public concert critiques . " He meets her often afterwards , and she it is whom ho ultimately marries , in her true name of Lily Fontaine . One passage is rather amusing . Speaking of leader-writers , Mr . Dangerfield says : "Every
one who has tried it knows that writing leading articles is an easy thing enough ; it only requires that a man should understand his subject thoroughly , should not use long sentences , or long words , or pedantic ones ; should have some wit , some sense of humour , a fair share of common sense , and rather more than a fair share of tact . If he writes for gentlemen and men of the world , it is , of course
necessary that he should be acquainted with their sentimeuts , and should express himself with their locutions . Granting all this , it is the very easiest thing in tho world to write a leading article . " No doubt , Mr . Dangerfield , if only a man possesses tho qualifications wo have italicised , ho will find leader-writing easy enough ; but the range of attributes which aro governed by the littlo word only is , to
say tho least , a pretty wide one . Only , forsooth , a thorough knowledge of one ' s subject , combined with " some wit , some sense ol humour , a fair share of common tense , and rather more than a fair share of tact ! " How many , may wo ask , arc there who possess only all theso important qualifications ? And as to hcutinns , is it . not one of those pedantic words which , according to ih : DanxurliM ,
a leader writer should not use . The rest of the number includes an article on "Trout Fishing , " by Mr . Archibald Banks , "The Moral Aspect of Vivisection , " and •' Thomas Love Peacock •' A Personal Reminiscence , " by Robert Buchanan . Thus the renders of the New Quarterly will have a very varied and , it may bo added , a very excellent range of matter to occupy them during their leisure hours ,
United Ever . —Nov , - Masonic Song . Worckt by Bro . T . B . Whitefoot , 573 . Music by Bro . John Tolkien S . VV . 573 . Ptiblisnc . l b y J . B . Tolkien , Music Warehouse , 87 New Street , Birmiugh v . Tins song , which is sot in the key of G Major , is respectful ' , .
edicated to the M . W . Provincial Grand Masters of Warwick-hire and Worcestershire and we think oar . respected brethren have every reason to be proud of the honour done them . The song is very happily and very gracefully written , while the music does equal credit to the merits of tho composer .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Reviews.
REVIEWS .
All Books intended for Keview should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C . tetters Sent Home . —Out and Home Again by way of Canada aud the United States ; or , What a Summer ' s Trip told me of tho People and tho Country of the Great West . By William Morris , author of "France and the French , " "Ireland and the Irish , " & c . Swindon : Printed at tho Advertiser Office , 10
Victoriastreet . IN his introductory l-emarks Mr . Morris tells his readers that these letters are reprinted from the columns of the Swindon Advertiser , having appeared therein at regular intervals during the year 1874 . They were sent home during a two months' journey through parts of Canada and the United States . Mr . Morris does not , of course , offer
himself as an authority on American matters . His object was to describe in a genial chatty style what he saw , the people who journeyed with him accross the Atlantic , the incidents that occurred aboard ship , and in his brief visits to sundry Canadian and American cities , as well as the aspect of the country , its resources , and the wonderful advance it has made of late years . We think he has
achieved this object in a manner highly creditable to himself and very entertaining to any one who is content to obtain just a slight and superficial knowledge of these countries . He went out in the Moravian , and , naturally enough , we have sketches of his fellowtravellers . There is , of course , a funny man , curious people , little children , and all tho varieties and types of character we expect to
meet on board a ship journeying with emigrauts and others from Liverpool to New York . Observant men find plenty of matter to interest them during a twelve days' ocean trip . Ludicrous incidents occur from time to time , and help to while away the tedium of the journey . Thus , waking up the first morning after starting , the occupants of the four berths—of whom the writer was one—whioh
filled one cabin , spring simultaneously from between sheets into the confined space allotted them for dressing . Of course , they get so wedged together , that putting on their clothes is out of the question ; so , after a laugh over the sceno , two of the number good naturedly tumble in again , while the others get through their task as well as they can . The singing of young children affords Mr . Morris an
opportunity for a little sentimentalism , and we have a brief dissertation on the Gulf stream . We presume no observant traveller to or from the States would dream of commiting so gross an oversight as to pass unnoticed this most important of ocean-currents . Quebec is tho first Canadian city Mr . Morris makes acquaintance with ; this he describes at some length , noting all such matters of interest that come under
his notice in connection with the buildings , fortifications , customs , markets , tho price of meat , the sale of land in the province , the emigrants' barracks , schools , & c . Next we reach Montreal , and then Ottawa , the capital of the Canadas , aud iudeed of the Dominion . Kingston aud Toronto are also visited , and of them , as of Niagara and its Falls , Detroit , Chicago , St . Louis , Cincinnati , Washington , New
York , and other American cities , we have a general description of all things likely to fix the attention of a traveller . Tho last two letters contain a summarized account of the journey home again , with the inevitable reflections which it is only natural that evory visitor to the States should indulge in . The subject of emigration is , of courso , referred to , and the yet undeveloped resources of Canada have their
fair share of notice . All these topics are treated pleasantly , and if Mr . Morris has been able to tell us but little that an average reader may not getfromhi .-tories and the writings of other travellers , what he does say comes before us in a concise and genial form . Take tho following passage in reference to Chicago , as an example : — " Within a period of from twenty to forty years there had been
growing up , both in Canada and America , cities and towns of so vast a magnitude that we in England can really form no idea of them , either as regards the magnifience of the buildiugs , the area occupied , or the number of inhabitants massed together . The existence of these places is brought to our notice now and again , by some great and startling event . We know of Chicago "—with all due respect to
Mr . Morris , we had heard of it several years before , but doubtless this way of patting it must be taken as a mere figure of speech , and with j ust a grain or two of salt— " by its great fire . Twelve or thirteen years ago the place was not even mentioned on our maps of America . There are now ten separate railways running into , or through the city . I was naturally anxious to see the place . "
The following , which Mr . Morris has extracted from " The Report of the Board of Public Works of the Common Council of tho City of Chicago , for the year ending 31 st March 1872 , " will afford some idea of the disastrous fire which destroyed so large a portion of the City in October 1871 : — " The most notable event which occurred in the past year , or
which has occurred in any year in the history of Chicago , was the destruction of a large portion of the City by lire , ou the 8 th and 9 th of October last . The loss of proporty was greater than has ever occurred before , from the same cause , iu the history of the world , amounting , according to the most reliable estimates , to two hundred millions of dollars . This fire originated on the west side of the
river , in a small stable standing on the north side of Do Kovenstreet , east of Jefferson-street , and in the near part of the east half of Lot 12 , Block 38 , School Section Addition to Chicago , at about nine o ' clock on the evening of Sunday , 8 th October 1871 . This section of the City consisted almost entirely of wooden buildings , which the dry season had made very inflammable . Tho fire was speedily under full headway , and aided by a furious south-west wind
which , was blowing at tho time , spread iu a northerly and easterly direction , with wonderful rapidity , over a territory about four milea in length , by an average of two-thirds of a mile iu breadth , and comprising about 1 , 688 acres ; and finally terminated at midnight of the second day , at the extremo north-east portion of the city , having destroyed , with two or thrci exceptions , every building in its course , It burnt over , on an average , sixty-five acres per hour , and
Reviews.
the average destruction of property for the same time was about seven and a-half millions of dollai-s , or about 125 , 000 dollars per minute . It reached the Chicago pumping works at three o ' clock on Monday morning . The buildings connected with the works were partially destroyed , and tho machinery so badly da naged as to stop working ; thereby catting off tho supply of water , and leaving the
city without means for checking the progress of the fire . When the extent and fearful progress of the fire are considered , it is a matter for wonder , as well as gratitude , that so few lives were sacrificed . So far as can be ascertained , the whole number will n ot exceed one one hundred and fifty . " Mr . Morris traversed the ruins , and he adds the following , which
he had gleaned no doubt from the civic authorities : — "The fire had no respect for persons or things , it actually melted fifteen thousand water service pipes , and destroyed three hundred and soventy meters . It got down into the seworago works , doing damage to the amonnt of 42 , 000 dollars , aud it burnt bridges and destroyed viaducts , which will require an expenditure of 203 , 210
dollars to replace . 2 , 162 public lamps and lamp-posts were more or less injured by the fire , and the cost of repairing aud replacing them , is estimated at 33 , 000 dollars . Tne fire raged over the wooden block pavement for a distance of twenty-eight and a half miles , doing damage to the extent of 211 , 350 dollars ; and it burned up and destroyed the wooden sidewalks along the streets and roads . ( I have
told you how these sidewalks are made , by baulks of timber , being nailed down transversely across the footways on sleepers ) for a total length of one hundred and twenty-one miles and three quarters . " It is clear that fire ha 3 carefully studied the genius of tho Americans . Our translantic cousins admire bigness , and accordingly
the fire raged at Chicago on the grandest scale ever heard of in tho world ' s history . We must take leave of Mr . Morris ' s Letters Sent Home . However , in doing so , we offer him hearty thanks for having enabled us to pass a few leisure hours most agreeably .
The New Quarterly opens with an article on " Allotment Gardens , " by BIr . Richard Jefferies , in which , having described the different kinds of allotments in different parts of the country , and how far they do or do not prosper , he comes to the conclusion that the extension of the system is desirable and possible , but subject to certain essential conditions . He is , however , strongly against any scheme for dividing land into small plots or allotments , as it " would reduce the
projectors to the condition of savages , or littlo better . " Then follows a disquisition , by tho Bov . T . H . L . Leary , on " The Religious Element in Chaucer ' s Poetry , " and a novelette by Mr . John Dangerfield , entitled " The Fool of tho Family . " The story is short , bub well put together . A Mr . Edward Wynter , the son of a clergyman in the West of England , finds himself , by the death of his father , thrown on tho world almost without resources . Ho reaches Loudon with a
ten pound note in his pocket , clevotes _ hnnsoli to press work , aud one morning wakes up to find himself fatuous . He writes a leader on sotno abstruse point in International Law , which the Editor of the "London Mail" accepts . Ho is afterwards employed as a leader writer on this journal , is received in socioty as a rising young man , and meets Amy Dashwood , whom , in his youthful days , he had fallou in lovo with , but
who discarded him . His lovo is re-awakened , and they are again engaged , when a momentary rovorse of fortune overtakes him , and ho is a socond time cut adrift . A regime of flashy writing is inaugurated under tho new proprietorship of the "London Mail , " and Wynter has to begin his career afresh . All goes well with him , however , but he does not fall in lovo a third time
with Amy Dashwood . On his lirst visit to tho editor of tho " London Mail" he had met , among others , in the waiting-room , a Miss Champemowne , who , with her mother , docs the " public concert critiques . " He meets her often afterwards , and she it is whom ho ultimately marries , in her true name of Lily Fontaine . One passage is rather amusing . Speaking of leader-writers , Mr . Dangerfield says : "Every
one who has tried it knows that writing leading articles is an easy thing enough ; it only requires that a man should understand his subject thoroughly , should not use long sentences , or long words , or pedantic ones ; should have some wit , some sense of humour , a fair share of common sense , and rather more than a fair share of tact . If he writes for gentlemen and men of the world , it is , of course
necessary that he should be acquainted with their sentimeuts , and should express himself with their locutions . Granting all this , it is the very easiest thing in tho world to write a leading article . " No doubt , Mr . Dangerfield , if only a man possesses tho qualifications wo have italicised , ho will find leader-writing easy enough ; but the range of attributes which aro governed by the littlo word only is , to
say tho least , a pretty wide one . Only , forsooth , a thorough knowledge of one ' s subject , combined with " some wit , some sense ol humour , a fair share of common tense , and rather more than a fair share of tact ! " How many , may wo ask , arc there who possess only all theso important qualifications ? And as to hcutinns , is it . not one of those pedantic words which , according to ih : DanxurliM ,
a leader writer should not use . The rest of the number includes an article on "Trout Fishing , " by Mr . Archibald Banks , "The Moral Aspect of Vivisection , " and •' Thomas Love Peacock •' A Personal Reminiscence , " by Robert Buchanan . Thus the renders of the New Quarterly will have a very varied and , it may bo added , a very excellent range of matter to occupy them during their leisure hours ,
United Ever . —Nov , - Masonic Song . Worckt by Bro . T . B . Whitefoot , 573 . Music by Bro . John Tolkien S . VV . 573 . Ptiblisnc . l b y J . B . Tolkien , Music Warehouse , 87 New Street , Birmiugh v . Tins song , which is sot in the key of G Major , is respectful ' , .
edicated to the M . W . Provincial Grand Masters of Warwick-hire and Worcestershire and we think oar . respected brethren have every reason to be proud of the honour done them . The song is very happily and very gracefully written , while the music does equal credit to the merits of tho composer .