v PREFACE. 



been done in the world of authorship. For an art that claims a wide popular 

 interest, the reader is referred to the illustrated article "Portraits, Crayon," in 

 wliich one of the most successful of its followers explains minutely how it may 

 be learned and how it is practiced. Besides the mechanical achievements that 

 are set forth in "Engineering," the volume contains a special article on the 

 " Phonograph " and one on " Type-Writers," in which the history of that inven- 

 tion i> traced from its earliest conception to the present day, when it has devel- 



i into a great industry and the machines are considered among the necessa- 

 ries of business life. Both of these articles are fully illustrated. There is also 

 an illustrated article showing the improvements in shot-guns. And the article 



. -amors, Ocean," shows how the traffic across the Atlantic has continually in- 

 creased its speed, and has gone from comparatively small vessels to those of ten 

 tlmii.-and t>n>. 



The organizations of which we give a history in the present volume include 

 tlu- Fanners' Alliance, the National League for Protection of American Institu- 

 tions, the Military Order of America, the Patriotic League, the Patriotic Order 

 of Sons of America, and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. 



Last year's interesting article on " Soldiers' Homes " is properly supplemented 

 this year by one on " Girls' Co-operative Boarding-Homes," from the pen of 

 Robert Stein, of Washington, who has made a special study of that most worthy 

 charity. The other special articles include " Fungi, Edible," " Forefathers' Day," 

 "Famines in Ireland," "Hurling," "Horsemanship," "Indian Messiah," and 

 " Naval Apparatus, New," by Lieut. Nazro, U. S. N. The article " Original- 

 Package Decision " gives the result of important legislation and legal decisions, 

 and similar information on other topics is to be found in many of the articles on 

 the States. 



The colored illustrations of this volume have been mentioned above. The 

 three steel portraits represent the three most famous men, in different profes- 

 >i<>ns, that died during the year Gen. John C. Fremont, George Bancroft, the 

 historian, and Cardinal Newman, each being accompanied by a very full bio- 

 graphical sketch. The necrology for 1890 also includes Gens. George Crook 

 and Alfred II. Terry; ex-Speaker Samuel J. Eandall; Dion Boucicault, the actor 

 and dramatist ; Eichard F. Burton, the traveler and author ; Amadeo, Duke of 

 Aosta; Count' Andrassy; Chatrian, the novelist; Schliemann, the explorer; 

 r>i>ln>I> IWkwith, George H. Boker and B. P. Shillaber, authors; Charles L. 

 Brace and George H. Stuart, philanthropists ; John H. C. Coffin, the mathema- 

 tician ; Martin B. Anderson and Frederick II. Hedge, educators ; Thomas Hicks, 

 the artist; Justice Samuel F. Miller; Prof. C. H. F. Peters, the astronomer; 

 I :>ir- Admiral Stephen C. Eowan; Sitting Bull, the Sioux medicine man; Ignaz 

 Ddffinger, the theologian; Octave Feuillet, the novelist; Lord Napier of Mag- 

 lala ; Canon Liddon ; Willem III, King of the Netherlands ; and J. E. Thorold 

 -. the political economist. Of many of these we present portraits as well 

 as biographical sketches. 



NEW YORK, April 8, 1891. 



