380 



LITERATURE, AMERICAN, IN 1806. 



same day rules and regulations for the approaching 

 census were issued. 



The new Korean minister, Yi-Pom-Chin, reached 

 Washington Sept. 9. Seven Korean students are in 

 Howard University, and an increasing number in 

 other American schools. 



In the spring of 1896 the Independence Club, 

 composed of 2,000 natives interested in the social 

 and the material development of their country, as 

 well as in her independence, was formed. With 

 financial aid from the Crown Prince, they laid, on 

 Nov. 81, the corner stone of Korea's Independence 

 Arch, to take the place of the old gateway of vas- 

 salage to China, which was torn down in the spring 

 of 180.1. 



Enterprises. The telegraphs, which were made 

 over to the Japanese during the war, are now in 

 Government hands. The wires stretch from Wiju, 

 on the Chinese frontier, to Seoul, with offices also 

 at Ping- Yang and Sung- Do; and from Seoul to 

 FUSIMI, affording communication in Korean, Chi- 

 nese, or English with Europe by way of either 

 China or Japan. Surveys have been made for rail- 

 ways along the same mutes, and from Chemulpo to 

 Seoul. Concessions for building the railways have 

 been given to French, Japanese, and American par- 



ties, respectively. The contract with the Five- Lille 

 Company to build, equip, and work the Seoul-Wiju 

 line was signed July 3. James R. Morse, of the 

 American Trading Company, has the privilege of 

 constructing the Seoul-Chemulpo line. In each 

 case the Korean Government gives the land for the 

 roadbed, but allows no mining concessions, while 

 holding the option of purchase after fifteen years 

 from the running of the first train. In Seoul 

 handsome brick buildings in Western style have 

 been erected. The foreign quarter, with its pave- 

 ments, improved drainage and the removal of gar- 

 bage, and private and legation buildings, is a stimu- 

 lating object lesson. A solid stone French Catholic 

 Cathedral, capable of holding 3,000 worshipers, is 

 in process of erection in Seoul, with subordinate 

 seminaries, nunneries, orphanages, and churches in 

 the capital, suburbs, and ports. Protestant churches, 

 schools, and dispensaries have been erected in the 

 same places, all of which shows the liberality of the 

 Government. There are now 200 foreigners and 

 7,000 Japanese residents in Korea. The American 

 M et hodists report 818 probationists and members. 

 The Tri- Lingual Press, which issues "The Korean 

 Repository," a monthly magazine in English, printed 

 2,634,300 pages in 1896. 



L 



LITERATURE, AMERICAN, IN 1896. Of 



the making of books there is indeed no end. The 

 record of book production in the United States dur- 

 ing the year shows an increase of 234 books over 

 the largest number ever previously sent forth. The 

 total gives 5,703 new books and new editions for 

 1896, against 5,469, in 1895, but of this number only 

 3,300 were by American authors, whereas native 

 talent was responsible for 3,396 the year previous ; 

 5,189 new books appear against 5,101 in 1895, and 

 514 new editions show a marked increase over 368 

 of that year. Of the whole number of books pro- 

 duced in this country, 1,261 were by English or other 

 foreign authors, and 1,142 were imported, either 

 bound or in sheets. Exactly the same number of 

 works of fiction appeared both years (1,114), and of 

 these 270 were from the pen of native Americans. 

 A decided improvement in the character of the 

 work done was noted, for not only is the American 

 novel far beyond the average English production in 

 point of morals and decency, but works in other 

 departments achieved a higher level than usual, ex- 

 cept, it is sad to say, in the case of poetry, which 

 fell below the conceded low level of recent years. 

 The greatest numerical increase was shown in books 

 of literary history and miscellany, of history, of 

 description and travel, of the fine arts, of sports, of 

 law, and of biography, while works on theology and 

 religion, on science, on political and social science, 

 on physical and mathematical science, on mental 

 and moral philosophy, as well as books of humor 

 and satire, of poetry, and juvenile productions show 

 a decided increase. 



Biography. " The True Geoi-ge Washington," 

 by Paul Leicester Ford, presents the Father of his 

 Country more as a man than a historical figure, 

 making him speak, as far as possible, for himself; 

 and from Prof. Woodrow Wilson we had another 

 exhaustive study of George Washington, illustrated 

 by Howard Pyle, Harry Fenn, and others. "The 

 Life, Public Services, Addresses, and Letters of 

 Elias Boudinot, LL. D., President of the Continental 

 Congress," was edited by J. J. Boudinot, and filled 

 two volumes ; a " Life of Major-General James 



Jackson," by Thomas U. P. Charlton, commemorated 

 another revolutionary hero in an edition limited to 

 250 copies ; and " A Typical American, Benjamin 

 Franklin," was the subject of an address by Joseph 

 Medill, delivered before the Old-Time Printers' As- 

 sociation of Chicago, Jan. 17, 1896. Vol. Ill ap : 

 peared of " The Life and Correspondence of Rufus 

 King," edited by his grandson, Charles R. King, 

 M. D., and to an earlier date belong " The Life of 

 Thomas Hutchinson, Royal Governor of the Prov- 

 ince of Massachusetts Bay," by James X. Hosmer, and 

 " The Journal of Captain William Pote, Jr., during 

 his Captivity in the French and Indian War, from 

 May, 1745, to August, 1747," with an account of the 

 journal by its discoverer, John Fletcher Hurst, and 

 a historical introduction and notes by Victor H. 

 Palsits. " Samuel Gorton : A Forgotten Founder 

 of Our Liberties, First Settler of Warwick, R. I.," 

 found a biographer in L. G. James, and " The 

 Life of Roger Sherman " was written byL. H. Bou- 

 tell. Henry E. Legler published "Chevalier Henry 

 de Tonty : His Exploits in the Valley of the Mis- 

 sissippi," enlarged (with illustrations) into "The 

 Man with the Iron Hand," and " Nathaniel Mas- 

 sie : A Pioneer of Ohio," by David Meade Massie, 

 gives much of the early political history of that 

 State. "Pioneers of Science in America" was the 

 title of 50 sketches of their lives and scientfic work 

 edited and revised by William J. Youmans, M. D., 

 and accompanied with portraits, and Isabella Field 

 Judson edited " Cyrus W. Field : His Life and Work 

 (1819-1892)," outlining her father's remarkable ca- 

 reer. Two volumes contained the " Life and Let- 

 ters of Oliver Wendell Holmes," for which we are 

 indebted to John Torrey Morse, Jr., and the same 

 genial poet is again presented to us, with various of 

 his contemporaries, by Mrs. Annie Adams Fields in 

 " Authors and Friends," and in the charming auto- 

 biographic " Chapters from a Life " of Elizabeth 

 Stuart Phelps. "A Few Memories" of Mary An- 

 derson, Countess de Navarro, proved also delightful 

 reading, and " My Reminiscences," by Louis Arditi, 

 were sent out as an American book. Two distin- 

 guished American authors were commemorated, 



