BOOK NOTICES. 



EXPLORING OLD GROUND. 

 In the spring of 1899 an expedition of 126 

 people sailed from Seattle, Wash., on a voyage 

 of discovery along the coast and inland waters of 

 Alaska. This expedition, the result of a plan on 

 the part of Mr. E. H. Harriman, of New York, 

 to take his family on a summer cruise in those 

 waters, included, in addition to Mr. Harriman's 

 immediate family, 25 men of science, represent- 

 ing various branches of research, including well- 

 known professors in universities on both sides 

 of the continent and leaders in several branches 

 of government scientific work; 3 artists; 2 physi- 

 cians; 2 taxidermists; 2 photographers; a chap- 

 lain, stenographers, and a full crew. 



The above is an extract from a circu- 

 lar issued by Doubleday, Page & Co., of 

 this city. The book mentioned therein has 

 been in preparation ever since the return 

 of this great "expedition of discovery," and 

 is now offered to a patiently waiting and 

 expectant public. 



The idea of calling such an outfit 

 an exploring expedition, a discovering 

 expedition, or a scientific expedition is 

 amusing to anyone who has really ex- 

 plored or discovered any of the wild coun- 

 try of the North. Here was a party of 

 126 people, snugly quartered on an ocean 

 steamer and provided with all the luxuries 

 possible to carry on such a craft. The 

 steamer cruised among the islands and 

 through the sounds and bays of Alaska 

 "discovering" certain glaciers, bays, val- 

 leys and mountains that had been famil- 

 iar to hundreds of fur traders, trappers, 

 revenue officers and real explorers for 50 

 years past. Small parties went ashore 

 from the steamer here and there and made 

 short trips up the mountain sides or over 

 the islands, accompanied by the official 

 photographers, and had themselves photo- 

 graphed in various poses, with back- 

 grounds of glaciers, or mountain peaks, 

 or island forests, and the public is now 

 given a chan;e to see just how these "scien- 

 tific explorers and discoverers" look, when 

 they stand up against these natural for- 

 mations. The price of these pictures of 

 these great explorers, and such text as 

 the authors have seen fit to prepare, is $15 

 a copy. Three sample photographs are 

 sent out with the circular announcing this 

 book. These so-called discoverers, Pro- 

 fessors Colville, Brewer, John Bur- 

 roughs. John Muir, Mr. Emerson, and 

 Dr. Gilbert are standing in what they 

 evidently consider their most captivat- 

 ing poses and the pictures seem to say 

 to the observer, "this style, $15." It would 

 be interesting to know just how many 

 people will pay $15 for copies of this 

 book. Of course, Mr. Harriman will pre- 

 sent each of his 126 guests with a copy, 

 anc} these people will value it as a sou- 



venir of a great junket; but it would be 

 strange if any large number of other peo- 

 ple should put up their good money to 

 see pictures of these people, and pictures 

 of glaciers and islands that have been 

 illustrated hundreds of times in magazines 

 and books, and to read of rivers and moun- 

 tains and glaciers that everybody has read 

 of hundreds of times and several of which 

 this great "exploring" party rechristened 

 in honor of themselves or their friends. 

 We shall see what we shall see. 



The shameless copying of borrowed ideas 

 is one of the most amazing phases of book 

 producing to-day. It can not be called 

 literature. It is a mad rush to put between 

 covers whatever can be made, on any pre- 

 text, to sell. Woe the day when Elizabeth 

 wrote of her German garden ! Follows a 

 host of unimportant women who rush into 

 print with volumes of what Emory Pottle 

 calls "garden truck." They think they see 

 a chance to prate, before the public, of 

 themselves, their husbands, their servants, 

 and their children. "The Garden of a 

 Commuter's Wife" is one of these efforts. 

 It purports to be by the gardener and is 

 published by The Macmillan Company, 

 New York. 



It seems a pity that a writer who can 

 produce such charming literature as "A 

 Journey to Nature" should give his time 

 to putting forth such a machine-made book 

 as "The Making of a Country Home." 

 However, Mr. Mowbray is a newspaper 

 man and accustomed to writing whatever 

 will turn a penny. "The Making of a 

 Country Home" is not to be considered as 

 literature, but it may be an honest attempt 

 to give information. It is published by 

 Doubleday, Page & Co., New York, and 

 will be sent on approval if desired; price, 

 $1.50. 



"A Year in a Yawl," by Russell Double- 

 day, is the third tale of an adventure se- 

 ries, especially interesting to boys. The 

 trip described in this latest book was made 

 by 4 boys, in a boat of their own construc- 

 tion, over 7,000 miles of water. 



On request this book will be sent, post- 

 paid, on aporoval, to be paid for if wanted 

 or returned if not. Published by Double- 

 day, Page & Co., New York; price, $1.50. 



fa 



If you wish to make several of your 

 friends happy give each of them a year's 

 subscription to Recreation. At least once 

 every month they will think kindlv of vou, 



