Id.Cil Public Library
. Should Contain
Fiction oooa iwis
Iy SAM WALTER FOSS
TII1S IDEAL attitude of the public library toward fiction should
bo ono of severity, tempered by toleration. A public library
should buy all tho good novels and buy them in large numbers.
Tho bad novels it should not buy at all. All a public library,
then, lias to do in tho matter, in reference to any novel, is to discover
whether it is good or bad.
This is a very simple thing to state, but a well-nigh impossible thing
to do. Thcro are easy-going readers who think there is somo good in nil
novels, and there are implacable haters of modern fiction Avho stiffly main
tain that, at present, no good novels are written at" all. From a com
mittee made up of the implacables, tho cas3-goer3 and intermediate types
of critics the public librarian should get varied estimates of all tho novels
published, and from these varied estimates draw his own conclusions.
These conclusions will frequently be wrong, but ho will have lived up
to the best light he has. lie will probably find somo good novels. To
deny that good novels are written today is to mako a too sweeping im
peachment of our literary output. Let the librarian do his best to find
these good novels and then duplicate and reduplicate them many times.
It is undoubtedly a misuse of one's timo and a perversion of his intel
lectual faculties to read fiction, even of the best quality, exclusively. No
ono knows better than the librarian that there are a largo number of
readers who never do read anything but fiction. They have lost the power
to wrestle with books that deal with realities. The fiction drunkard has
lost tho intellectual stamina needed to clutch and grip the great thinkers
who write real book-3 science, philosophy, literature. lluch fiction has
made them mentally flabby their mental muscles arc paralyzed by intel
lectual dissipation. They are literary drunkards, and all good librarians
have an interest in their reformation.
Good fiction presupposes a considerable degree of intelligence in its
readers. If it deals with tho eternal verities of human nature it must
make its readers interested in many and varied domains of thought. A
good novel by a real thinker should stimulate its reader to broad investi
gations, and, sometimes, to long-continued research. It is hard for a libra
rian, even with the co-operation of many helpers, to select the small per
centage of good fiction from the large, percentage of tho bad. Ilis actiou,
whatever it may be in the matter, will not bo without vociferous pro
test on the part of the public. But
let him do his best and abide in com-
placeut good nature. 'CCUV- lYoJUfi Ji-A.
to
Compel
Criminals
to Work
By SARAH BLUCMENTIIAL
this purpose needlessly.
Again, there are many instances whero the family of the murdered
man become the charges of the public at large because tho only bread
winner has been taken from them.
"Where the convicted men are executed society is forever placed beyond
the possibility of drawing upon the wrongdoersi for tho support of those
who have suffered most keenly.
The public i3 put at a double expense, the expense of the prosecution
and the support of the sufferers.
There should be indefinite imprisonment, first and foremost for tho
purpose of making good to society, to as high 'a degree as possible, for
the harm done.
The work done by the prisoners should be at a living wage so that
the very source of the privation caused by crime should have an opportu
nity to make restitution.
If once the principle is decided upon the method can easily be discovered.
HP flO I nome
Much
Emphasis
on Mere
Learning
Hyl'rof. John M.TUr.
Atnherat Collede
teachers are working is antiquated. It
must shift its emphasis from mere increase of learning or memory
to increase of physical, mental and moral power and efficiency.
Such a change will forco its way here but slowly against the preju
dices of parents and public, who would have even tho baby de7oto himself
to learning something "useful."
Comforts
for !M!eil I y
Charged
With
Murder
By Alines Hull
and with no sympathy whatever bIiowu him.
A mighty few such convictions would have more effect than dozens
iof convictions under the present system, whero the murderer is followed
(to court by dozens of women.
Aside from all ethical reasons why
capital punishment should be forever abol
ished I beg to mention a more potent one.
I make my appeal now in the name of
economy.
We all know that in most cases the ex
penso in the prosecution is in direct ratio
to tho financial rating of tho accused, but
even where four men are sentenced to bo
hanged within two months of the date of
their crime there is a certain amount of
money spent by the state. It seems hardly
fair that the public should be taxed for
The school should furnish the training
formerly furnished by tho farm and the
or the education of the child will be
ueiueuve m me must iiupuiuuii, iusjilxuj.
It can no longer be merely or chiefly
an institution of learning, as it could con
tent itself to be a century ago. It must
furnish training in skill and ingenuity, in
planning and doing, as well as in learning
and abstract thought. It must educate for
efficiency and power.
We have fine buildings, good equip
ment, but the system under which our
"Who comforts the wife murderer? Ev
ery day wo read of some brutal murder nnd
the next day wo read of the notes of sym
pathy and tho flowers sent to the murderer
tender - hearted women.
ilis trial drags on and on until ho has
been pitied by women from ono end of
America to the other nnd finally he is either
an acquitted or convicted hero.
Women's influence should ho exercised
to mako a country-wide law that would
execute a woman murderer as nearly in
stanter as would be compatible with just ice
Picturesque
TWO of tho prettiest ot many wide
brimmed hats aro pictured here.
One is a pressed shnpo ot hemp
faced with a changeable silk and
bound with velvet Tho crown is iln
ished with a fold ot velvet at the base.
Two long uncurled single ostrich
plumes repeat tho two colors which
are blended in tho silk. It Is the
management of color that gives char
acter and beauty to this simple and
graceful shape. Tho shape of deep
lavender hemp is or tho right shade
to harmonize with tho facing of silk
which is gray, bluo and rose woven
together. Tho feathers in blue-gray
and rose-gray combinations seam to
have been made expressly for this par
ticular hat. The narrow binding of
velvet Is in deep lavender.
Another hat mado ot a vari-colorcd
MORNING ROBES ARE DAINTY
Elaborate Ornamentation Allowed on
Costumes to Be Worn at
Breakfast.
Breakfast robes are being mado in
most ornato stylo with ilounciiigs and
ruchlngs of laco, adorned with satin
rosebuds. Tho dresses aro completed
by shoes to match and dainty llttlo
caps of laco adorned with flowers.
A charming version of tho break
fast toilet was to bo seen recently In
ono of tho shops. The foundation of
tho dress was whlto satin, veiled with
pink ninon and flounced with whito
laco. A series of flowers caught up
tho laco flounclngs, and tho cap which
went with It had a frill of laco fram
ing tho faco prettily, with clusters of
flowers at tho sides.
Somo of tho cimplo house frocks
are filled in at tho throat with folds
of tulle in V sbapo, whllo others aro
mado with high transparent collars of
tho tulle, edged along the top with a
narrow band of satin. Satin, after taf
fetas, is tho principal material for tho
houso frock this season and there aro
charming llttlo dresses in crepes of
silky weave, trimmed with laco and
satin folds.
In length tho skirt of tho house
frock touchos tho ground all tho way
round and tho sleevos aro long to tho
wrists.
LINGERIE EFFECT
Whito lingerie frock with tlchu nnd
bands on bottom of tuulc of Mot laco,
edged with whito ball trimmings. Hat
ot whlto taffeta with whlto roses.
Baltimore Suit.
An unusual, but extremely smart
color combination was seen on a
Baltimore girl tho other day, says the
Sun of that city. Her suit was a se
tere model of Ink-blue velvet and her
bonnet-shaped hat, also of velvet, was
trammed only with an Immense bow ot
coral satin. With it wa4 worn a sot
uf black furc
Spring Hats
braid (known as nacre) ahowa th
top crown covered with velvet In
green (tho prevailing tono in the
braid) and a piping at tho brim-edge
ot tho samo volvet. This Is a simple
model with much style. There Is a
graceful variation In tho width of the
brim and a clever tilt, theso with the
slight droop convert the shape Into a
background for tho faco. Tho crown
is low and rather small. It is a shape
which can bo worn by almost any
one.
Clusters of small compact roses with
green and bronzo foliage and small
buds aro mounted flat to the brim at
each side. This is one of several
trims which look well with this shape.
One will go far before finding a hat
so elmplo and so good.
JULIA BOTTOM LEY.
PRETTY GIFT FOR TRAVELER
Plncushlon3 of Novel Designs Make
Acceptable Tokens Between
Parting Friends.
Penny dolls mado of china aro tho
foundation of cunning little pin cush
ions, which look Uko ballet-dancers at
fl?st sight, but on second glance It Is
discovered that in lieu of fluffy skirts
they wear balls of brightly colored
satin, silk, Pompadour ribbon or tinsel
cloth. To dress ono of theso cushion
dolls, wind a strip of lnch-wido cotton
about tho trunk, from tho waist over
the left shoulder, back to tho waist
again and over tho right shoulder and
then tack it with stout thread. That
1b tho basis for tho fluffs of cotton
scented with sachet powder which
must bo put on to form a symmetrical
ball that is covered with white, soft
ll'ien and fiDally with tho fancy silken
material. When finished, tho doll's
bunds, feet and head only aro uncov
ered and no matter how many long
pins are stuck Into her, their points
aro scarcely likely to reach her trunk.
Pin cushions of fancy ribbon, velvet
or 6llk of oblong shape havo throe
plain plump corners and ono that is
trimmed with two squaro doublo
leaves of silk which fall over both Its
sides and, when their baby ribbon
strings aro untied, roveal several in
side leaves of embroidered flannel for
holding needles of various sizes. At
tho other end of tho cushion and set
directly at tho center of Its shortest
edge, aro ribbon loops by which the
cushion may be suspended. This Is
tho Ideal steamer or traveling pin
cushion and makes a most acceptable
bon voyago gift.
Lace-Edged Dollies.
In making a set of round dollies for
Christmas gifts ono woman mado tho
discovery that by stitching narrow
hems In tho edges with a rather long
machlno stitch sho could very easily
crochet linen thread laco on tho edges,
catching a loop of tho linen thread la
each machlno stitch.
A simple wreath of scattered daisies
and leaves was embroidered on each
linen clrclo, then a two-Inch odgo of
laco, resembling torchon, was cro
cheted about tho edge of each. Tho ef
fect is wonderfully good. Tho work I
easily dono, making a charming bo
for gifts.
Combinations In Shoes.
White suedo or glaco kid uppers ar
familiar on patent leathers by this
time, but somo of tho now combina
tions are not. For Instance, tan up
pers on black, black uppers on tan,
white buckskin on fabric. Somo of
tho low shoes, or tho Ehoe part on
boots with kid uppers, aro ot tan or
black velvet or suede, stitched over
with narrow silk ribbon in a dlaw
anal effect.
IDEA AN AMERICAN 0NElMADE pretty f law
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAIN
DISPATCHING SYSTEM.
Like Most Railroad Improvements, the
Scheme Wag Evolved and Perfect
ed In This Country Its First
Workings.
The train dospatchcr Is an Ameri
can development of railroading. Whllo
Europe finds It
feasible to move
trfilns by "staff"
from station to
station, L'nltcd
States conditions
have Indicated a
totally different
method.
In 1851 two pas
senger trains wero
running toward each other on tho
Erio railroad between Jersey City and
Port Jervis. On tho east-bound train,
says tho Ilailroad Man's Magazine,
rode the general superintendent of the
road. Charles Minot.
A telegraph line had recently been
erected along that stretch of road. It
was conslderpd a great curiosity.
Some people believed that in timo it
would prove to bo of service. Tho
majority wero content to hold tho
opinion that it was a useless freak
contraption.
Tho two trains were scheduled to
meet at Monroe. Trains at that pe
riod traveled by time table and prear
ranged schedule. Imagination had not
progressed to the point of conceiving
a disarrangement of programs.
On this occasion the cast-bound
train found on arriving at Monroe that
tho other was half an hour lato.
There appeared nothing to do but ro
maln there, according to custom, and
await the tardy one.
Nothing else appeared possible to
anybody except General Superinten
dent Minot. Ho refused to be bound
by tradition. He promptly wired to
the west-bound train to wait at Turn
ers, tho next station, until tho east
bound met It. Then he wroto an or
der for the conductor and engineer of
tho latter to proceed to Turners.
The engineer, It is said, refused to
obey tho order. Disobeying the time
table seemed to him to be like frac
turing the Decalogue. He declined to
take the risk. Thereupon tho gen
eral superintendent climbed Into tho
cab and himself drove the engine to
Turners. This is said to have been
the first time the movement of trains
was directed by telegraph In America.
SAVED THE OVERLAND FLYER
Much Courage and Presence of Mind
Shown by Seven-Year-Old Girl
of -California.
But for a seven-year-old girl, the sec
ond section of the eastbound Over
land Limited would have been wreck
ed at Alta, Cal., recently. The hero
ine is Ileen Martin, daughter of Al
fred Martin, a section foreman of the
Southern Pacific. She flagged the
train Just before It reached the brok
en rail. Tho Martin girl and her lit
tle sister have been In the habit of
watching for the block signal, near
their home, which tells them when
trains are approaching. After the
train enters tho block they have ample
time to go to the station and watch
It come in, and later get tho Martin
mall. Ono day the children set out
to watch for tho signal. Beforo
reaching tho block Ileen discovered a
broken rail on the main line near a
switch. Realizing the danger, the clev
er child hurried back to her home.
Her mother and older sisters were out.
With rare presence of mind she tele
phoned the telegraph office at Towle.
Tho telegraph operator replied that
the train had already entered the
block and that he could not stop it.
By this timo Ileen's 14-year-old sister.
Alma, had returned. Tho two girls
then ran to the rnllroad track and suc
ceeded In flagging the Overland flyer
when It was but a short distance away
from tho broken rail.
Easier to HalJ Than Start.
A locomotive with 10 cars must trav
el 5 miles beforo It can attain a speed
of a miio a minuto. But at this speed
it can be halted by air brakes in 700
feet.
New Russian Time System.
Itussta Is about to adopt tho 24-hour
system on all her railroads the nu
merals on tho clocks running from
one to twenty-four.
FLEXIBLE LOCOMOTIVE
I
b- . iii
This locomotivo has been built by
tested but a few days ago. Its pecularlty consists In tho boiler which on ac
count of Its loiiKth had to bo Jointed
theXeurves of the road. Conservatively estimated this locomotivo with the
ton iter together Is about 70 feet loug.. This Is the first and uo far tho only
tod luotlve of this kind.
Astute Lawyer Secured Verdict From
Railroad Company by His Con
vincing Argument.
The etory Is told that In the early
days of the railroad In the west there
was a farmer who owned two well
bred and useful dogs, named Major
and Tlge. Tho dogs one morning
chased a stray hog down the road and
stopped to play at tho railroad cross
Ing, with tho result that Tlgo was
struck by an engine and killed. The
owiter promptly brought suit for dam.
ages against tho road.
Damago suits were a new thing at
that time, and there were many neigh
bors and sympathizers present at tho
hearing. Tho Ingincer swore that ho
gave a sharp blast of the whistle as
ho approached tho crossing, It looked
as If the railroad company was "to
go scotfreo," but tho attorney for the
farmer knew his Justice.
"Your honor," he said, "It is re
quired by the statutes In such cases
made and provided that when any per
son or domestic animal Is up a railroad
and Is seen by tho engineer, he must
sound his whistle. In this instance,
your honor, thero wero two domestic
animals Innocently playing on tho
track, and the whlstlo was sounded
only once, when It Is a positive legal
requirement that It should havo been
blown twlco, once for each dog."
So convincing was this argument
that tho country Justlco would not
even give the railroad attorney a hear
ing, and awarded the plaintiff the full
amount of damages sued for. The
Green Hag.
DINING CAR IS THE HEAVIEST
Some Interesting Comparisons Be
tween Its Weight and That of
the Other Coaches.
The heaviest of all the cars In a
"limited" train Is the dining car,
which Is, ordinarily, of a weight In
excess of tho other cars by 10.000 or
15,000 pounds. Between tho car con
struction and tho necessary kitchen
equipment and icebox contents, a full
size standard dining car tips tho scales
at 110,000 pounds when leady to mako
Its customary division nin There
fore, on the principle that in case ot
collision a passenger is safer in tho
strong, heavy coach In the center of a
vestibuled train, the dining car is a
good place to remain. A slxteen-sec-tlon
sleeping car may weigh from
110,000 to 125,000 pounds, while tho
buffet-library car of the transcon
tinental type comes next In weight at
107,000 pounds. Tho baggago car,
weighing 85,000 pounds, may be tho
lightest in a train, but the postal car
next to It weighs on an average
103,000 pounds, a reclining chair car
is full weight at 87.000 pounds, whllo
the ordinary passenger coach weighs
93.000 pounds. With a locomotive and
tender weighing 200.000 pounds, one
may estimate, by theso figures, tho
enormous weight of some of tho
through railway trains of seven cars
Signs of Carelessness.
She had Just returned from a ship
ping tour, tired and radiant
He had Just returned from the of
fice, tired, butwell, tired.
Quivering with delight at the array
or samples snipped from rolls of dress
goods she emptied the conrenta ot her
purse into her lap. Thero was a me
tallic sound. A look of dismay crossed
her face.
"There!" she exclaimed. "I Just
knew thero was something I had for
gotten to buy!"
"What was it, dear." he asked, with
an assumption of interest
"I'm sure I don't know. ' she replied,
petulantly, "but I flud I have a half
dollar left!"
Pig's Journey on Cowcatcher.
Tho engineer of a Panhandle pas
senger train, on arrival at Logausport.
lnd.. recently, found a curious passen
ger on the cowcatcher of his locomo
tive, in tho shapo ot a live pig He
said the animal had probably been try-
. .i 1 Y.n.l
ing to una a warm ihulo uuu
climbed on the cowcatcher at some ofl
tho stations along the route vvnen
found tho pig was half frozen, but re
covered when put In a warm pen.
Extremes Meeting.
"Jack did rather a paradoxical lit.
erary feat the other day
What was it?"
"Landed a sea talo "
Heavy Burden.
...i..., i. nti Incubus?"
"Half the timo theso days, my eoa
It's an automomie.
an American railroad company and
In the middle, to euablo It to take all