LITERARY NOTICES. 



849 



business, but also in the destruction of the 

 plates of nine volumes of the history, and 

 of the whole edition of the first volume of 

 the " Oregon." In rebuilding and reorganiz- 

 ing the concern, it was necessary to dis- 

 pose of a part of the business. Mr. Ban- 

 croft, having determined to devote his life 

 to the history, resolved to sacrifice all to 

 that. Hence the new concern is formed as 

 "The History Company," and its peculiar 

 work till that is done will be to bring out 

 this " History." 



Physical Training in American Colleges 

 and Universities. By Edward Mussey 

 Hartwell. Washington : Government 

 Frinting-Office. Pp. 183, with Plates. 



This is one of the " Circulars of Infor- 

 mation" of the Bureau of Education, and 

 is published at the request of the commis- 

 sioner. Dr. Hartwell makes a comprehen- 

 sive and satisfactory presentation of the 

 subject. He begins with a sketch of the 

 "ideals of manly excellence" and a run- 

 ning history of gymnastic training down 

 to the time of Fellenberg and the Hofwyl 

 schools ; then describes the " Introduction 

 of Gymnastics into America," from the 

 starting of the Fellenberg schools in 1824 

 and 1825; relates the development of the 

 " New Gymnastics," and records the history 

 of the building of gymnasia in colleges. 

 The particular accounts of the principal col 

 lege gymnasia and gymnasia of the Young 

 Men's Christian Associations are illustrated 

 with views and plans of buildings. Tables 

 are given exhibiting the facts that twenty-six 

 colleges in the United States have buildings 

 exclusively devoted to gymnastic purposes, 

 the cost of which, including fittings, is esti- 

 mated at $750,000 ; and twenty other insti- 

 tutions have gymnasium or drill-halls. Nine 

 theological schools also have gymnasia. 

 During the year ending July 1, 1S84, thir- 

 ty-three officers of the army were detailed 

 to duty at colleges, universities, and schools 

 of superior instruction to young men, for 

 giving military drill. College athletics have 

 been most developed in the East, and par- 

 ticularly at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. 

 At most country colleges ample facilities in 

 the way of grounds are furnished for the 

 playing of base-ball, foot-ball, and tennis ; 

 and since track athletics, or walking, jump- 

 ing, sprint and hurdle races, have become 

 vol. xxix. 54 



popular, very considerable sums have been 

 spent on the grading and improvement of 

 athletic fields. " Exhibitions and contests 

 of every description which would not have 

 been licensed or tolerated, much less pe- 

 cuniarily supported, thirty years ago, now 

 yield quick and large returns in popularity 

 and cash to their promoters." On the sub- 

 ject of college athletics, the report draws 

 largely upon the article of Professor Rich- 

 ards in "The Popular Science Monthly" 

 for February and March, 1884, which is 

 pronounced "the fairest and most intelli- 

 gent paper elicited by the recent discus- 

 sion of athleticism which has come under 

 our notice," and one in which " the whole 

 system is so well set forth, its advantages 

 are so cogently argued, and the attacks of 

 its critics so temperately met, that it seems 

 best to quote copiously from it. Its expo- 

 sition of the reciprocal relations of body- 

 work and brain-work should be grasped by 

 every teacher." But professionalism, de- 

 fined as " the purpose to win a game by 

 any means, fair or foul," has come in to 

 bring discredit upon college sports, and 

 make recognition and regulation of them 

 by faculties necessary ; and what has been 

 done and attempted in this direction is re- 

 viewed. "Women's schools and colleges are 

 not, as a class, so well organized on the 

 side of physical training as those for men, 

 but something has been done in a few of 

 them, and the Association of Collegiate 

 Alumnae is laboring to awaken interest in 

 the subject. A sketch of the condition of 

 physical training in Germany forms an ap- 

 pendix to the report. 



Report of a Commission appointed to con- 

 sider a General System of Drainage 

 for the Valleys of Mystic, Black- 

 stone, and Charles Rivers, Massa- 

 chusetts. Boston: Wright and Potter 

 Printing Company. Pp. 243, with Plates 

 and Maps. 



The commission was appointed in 1884 

 to consider and report a general system of 

 drainage for the relief of the valleys of the 

 rivers named, and for the protection of the 

 public water-supplies of the cities and 

 towns situated within their basins; also to 

 examine the various methods of disposal of 

 sewage. And it was further authorized to 

 consider and report upon the need3 of any 



