The Pacific Monthly/Volume 1/The Magazines (number 1)

THE MAGAZINES.

The Cosmopolitan for October contains an account of the Indian congress at the trans-Mississippi exposition, with the portrait of a painted brave in feathered war bonnet for a frontispiece. Harold Fredric's "Gloria Mundi" strikes the reader as being rather aimless, almost as if Mr. Fredric had not quite made up his mind about his characters, and particularly about his hero, and was experimenting with them in a half indifferent fashion is disappointing. There is a short story by Frank Stockton, "The Governor-General," that is very clever. "Our boys" on their way to Manila furnished him material for his tale. "The New American Aristocracy," by Harry Thurston Peck, is perhaps the best thing in this number. In it he delineates the trait which he calls national — the "calm confidence in the ready-made." "If anything is wanted," says Mr. Peck, "it can be had if men are able to lay down the price." For instance, "Mr. Rockefeller and Mr. Stanford turn their minds to education, and immediately they secure two admirable ready-made universities with as little fuss as they would have experienced in erecting a new oil plant or in placing a contract for a lot of railway ties."

Frank Munsey, not content with having bought and absorbed Peterson's Magazine, has just purchased Godey's, and combined it with the Puritan. Where is this energetic young publisher going to stop? In Munsey's Magazine for October Rider Haggard's story of South Africa goes on more interestingly than ever. "The Castle Inn," by Stanley J. Weyman, ends as all good novels should, in a marriage, and the prospect of continued happiness.

The Century has this month an article on the Philippine problem by Professor Dean C. Worcester, of the University of Michigan. Among other things, he says: "Has not every crime against civilization in Cuba been duplicated in the Philippines a hundred times? ... Is it an answer to say that Cuba is near and the Philippines are distant? How many degrees of latitude and longitude measure the difference between right and wrong?" There is also an article concerning the sugar estates in Cuba, by Jonathan S. Jenkins, an American who lived in Havana during the middle of the century. Virginia Woodward Cloud has a poem, "Care," that is above the average.

Scribner's Cuban stories are at present the leading feature of the magazine. Mr. Richard Harding Davis gives a vivid description of the battle of San Juan, and a careful and complete analysis of the conduct of the whole Santiago campaign. He does not hesitate to lay the blame where he thinks it belongs, and to give due credit to the men who did the real work. His criticism of General Shafter is severe. "San Juan," he declares, "was taken, not by Shafter, but in spite of him." Speak- ing of the situation when the American troops lay wedged in the trail before San Juan, exposed to the merciless fire of the Spanish, brought into this "chute of death" by "a series of military blunders enamating from one source," he says: "The generals of divisions and brigades stepped back and relinquished their command to the regimental officers and enlisted men." It may interest the members of the Oregon Emergency Corps to know that the "polka-dot" handkerchiefs with which they became so intimately acquainted during the summer were the badge of the famous Rough Riders, and that, according to Mr. Davis, Roosevelt wore one in his sombrero at the charge of San Juan.

Harper's continues the semi-mystical story by Julian Ralph, entitled "An Angel in a Web." It is saying a great deal for the romance to admit that it is nearly if not quite as interesting as its title. In the October number appear the opening chapters of a serial written by William McLennan and J. N. Mcllwraith, and called "The Span o' Life." On the principle that "two heads are better than one," it ought to prove unusually entertaining. Margaret Deland's "Old Chester Tales" grow more delightful every month. Dr. Lavender is a rare and altogether loveable character, and the reader experiences a feeling of gratitude to the author for the privilege of making the acquaintance of the unpretentious clergy- man.

McClure's for this month contains among other interesting matter Kipling's great poem, "The Recessional," reprinted by request, which is something unusual in a magazine. There is the full quota of war papers, and a number of very de- lightful short stories, and an account of mountain climbing in South America, that rivals some of the adventures of the Mazamas.