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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1897)
YALE ALUMNI WHEEKLY THE BOOK SHELF. [Conducted by ALBERT LEE, '91.] Years ago Americans used to be more sensitive to the criticisms of foreigners than they are now, but I am sure they still retain a lively interest in knowing what visitors to this country think of them. For that reason the Britisher or the Frenchman or the German, who writes his “Impressions of America” af- ter a brief business trip to New York, is pretty sure of making good at least a portion of his travelling expense by the sale of his book. The latest treat- ise upon the manners and peculiarities of our people is unsigned and is titled “America and the Americans’’, (New York; Charles Scribners’ Sons). It is written “from a French point of view’’ and supposedly by a Frenchman, but I have it on very good authority that the author is no Frenchman at all, but a very American American, and there is considerable internal evidence which goes to bear out the assertion. For in- stance, the writer says that men may not be shaved at barber shops in New York, after 10 o’clock on Sundays. This law went into effect last winter only; it has been in force barely a year. In another place he mentions certain incidents that occured during his visit to this country, incidents that took place at least two or three years ago. Therefore it would seem evident that if the author were here at the time of the latter named events, he was in New York when shaving was being performed all of Sunday, and in some shops all night; or, if he were here so recently as since the anti-Sunday shaving law went into effect, he was not in the city at the time of the earlier occurences he writes about. True, the author says he has made two voyages to the United States. Possibly this may account for these discrepancies. If an Englishman were writing about America, he would naturally comment upon American slang,—but a Frenchmen, never. Why should one slang phrase appear more peculiar to a Freschman than any other slang phrase, or than an idiom? American slane may only seem odd to an Angilo- Saxon. But whether the book be the work of a Frenchman or an American, it is that of an observer, of a man of taste and culture, and most of its criticisms are justified. The author does not say much that has not been said before, but it is perhaps well for us Americans to have our attention called to our shortcomings every now and then, even if this has to be done by one of our- selves disguised as a Frenchman. The present writer finds much that is good in our country, and few of the bad things he tells of cannot be remedied. He gives America and the Americans credit for a great deal and blames them more for their long suffering pa- tience, than for anything else. With perfect justice he sneers at our unceas- ing hurry and haste in the pursuit of the dollar, and he cleverly points out the fact that men bolt their breakfasts and rush to town on express trains, and then after reaching their offices, Spend several hours auring the day in talking with men who come in_ to chat with them. This criticism is fully justified. Most men waste considerable time each day, (or allow others to waste it for them) during business hours,—time that might be put to better use at the breakfast table. Our critic anathemizes the New York cable cars, aS every sane man does who is compelled to travel on them, and this is the way he expresses the idea of men going to their offices in them: “In the morning you spend half an hour in a torture chamber, shot along on an endless chain and filled with trembling human beings.” It would be difficult to give a better de- scription of the dreadful conveyance in so few words. COLLEGE ATHLETICS. The book touches lightly on college athletics, and its comment expresses pretty closely, I am convinced, the opinions of more than one alumnus of both Yale and Harvard: “There seems to be a certain feverishness of rivalry even in the way they take their exer- cise. One of the results is an endless series of discussion, quarrels and dis- sensions * * * among the young gen. tlemen of the universities and the ath- letic clubs. * * * * Aq this is, of course, disgraceful, and for it there is no excuse whatever, unless it be that these so-called young gentlemen are not gentlemen at all.” That is what the outsider thinks of us—and to a very great extent he is justified. Let us devoutly thank the gods for the recent “reconciliation” that required so much *“diplomacy.”’ Here is a fine crack at the Harvard Senior: ‘After my visit to Harvard College I received a note about some trifling matter from one of the stu- dents there, who is in the highest class, whose education indeed was Sup-~ posed in a month to be finished. two words were misspelled, the punc- tuation was done evidently by acci- dent, and the phrases and forms of address and closing were such as.a French boy ten years old might well have been ashamed of.”’ : Perhaps it is on account of this in- ability of the Harvard Senior to write the proper kind of a letter that the ‘misunderstanding’ with Yale been so long clearing up, but I am inclined to the opinion that the less Yale men say about “letters’’ for some time to come, the better. On the whole, the author of ‘‘Amer- ica and the Americans” is hopeful for our nation, and although he closes his “reminiscences” in a somewhat patron- izing tone, he makes a very just dis- tinction between conditions and ap-~ pearances. “The men are better than their work. Travellers who meet and know Americans are as a rule confi- dent of the final outcome of Ameri- can institutions. Those who judge of America by American work alone, or by American diplomacy, or by Ameri- cans idling in Europe, are more prone to remission.’’ -=— = a ee Concerning the Triangular Race Course. Representatives of the Yale, Harvard and Cornell Crew managements met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, Saturday, March 27, in order to discuss the choice of a course for the triangular race on June 25. Offers made by the New London Board of Trade for the ac- commodation of the crews were dis- cussed and considered, as well as the inducements offered for the race at Poughkeepsie. The inducements offered by the former were by far the best. No decision was reached and another meeting will be held later. 5 BERET RT Ac The Whist Match With Har- vard. The third annual Yale-Harvard Whist Tournament will be held in Cambridge, April 10. The men who will represent Yale have been chosen and are as fol- lows:. J. S. Cameron, 799; .and O. S. Bryant,.’99; -A..C.. Sherwood,.’97;. and W. G. Cooke, ’97; and. U...B. Beecher = 98; and D. P. Cameron, ’99S. The Har- vard team has not been made up yet, and a tournament is now being held in Cambridge to decide the men who will compose it. Mr. Bouve, of the Ameri- can Whist Team, will probably referee the match, which will consist of three rounds of eight each, twenty four boards and return. The interest in whist at Yale has grown a great deal within the past few years, being stimulated chiefly by the annual tournaments with Harvard. The first match with Harvard was played in 1895, which Harvard won by thirty- two points. Last year, Harvard again defeated Yale, this time by ten points. The Yale club now numbers thirty - men, and while no larger than last year, it is in a more flourishing condi- tion. The Whist Club was first’ made a definite organization at Yale in 1894, although interest in whist was shown earlier than this. Since it was first put on a firm basis, it has been recognized in the University as a worthy insti- tution, and many men have been led to join it and show a live interest in its success and development. > Kin sansa The Protest Against Book Tax. The protest to the House of Repre- sentatives sent by the University Fac- ulty, petitioning that books and philo- sophical apparatus be not taxed in the new Dingley Tariff Bill, was presented to the House by Congressman N. D. Sperry, of this District. His efforts in behalf of Yale have been successful and the Ways and Means Committee have agreed to strike out the paragraph re- ferring to the importation of books. Yale’s petition was followed by protests of the same character from many other colleges and libraries. > -— a Dr. Day to Leave. Dr. Arthur L. Day, Assistant Pro- fessor in Physics, will go to Europe this Summer, as his term expires with the Spring term. He will go to a German University to continue his study of Physics. Dr. Albert Kreider, who was transferred from the Chemical to the Physical Department last Fall, will continue so next year. Edson F. Gal- laudet, ’93, is spoken of as the successor. to Dr. Day’s place. Mr. Gallaudet has recently been pursuing special studies at Johns Hopkins University. In it has THE SCHOOL AT ROME. Announcement ot Fellowships to be Awarded Next Winter. The Managing Committee of the American School of Classical Studies in Rome will offer for the year 1897- 98 three fellowships as follows: A fellowship of $600, established by the Managing Committee. A fellowship of $600 given by the Archaeological Institute of America. A fellowship of $500 for the study of Christian Archaeology, contributed by friends of the School. ‘6 The holder of these fellowships will be enrolled as regular members of the School, and will be required to pur- Sue their studies, under the supervision of the Director of the School, for the full school year of ten months, begin- ning October 15, 1897. They will reside ordinarily in Rome; but a portion of the year may be spent, with the con- sent and under the advice of the Di- rector, in investigations elsewhere in Italy, or in travel and study in Greece under the supervision of the Director of the ‘American School of Class- ical Studies at Athens. In ad- dition to his general studies, each holder of a Fellowship is required to take some definite subject for spe- cial research, and to present a paper embodying the results of his investi- gation. For the prosecution of such special investigation he may obtain leave, under certain conditions, to sup- plement his studies in Rome by re- searches elsewhere than in Italy or Greece. The fellowships here announced are open to Bachelors of Arts of Universi- ties and Colleges in the United States, and to other American students of Similar attainments. Applicants must Submit (on a blank form provided for the purpose) a full and explicit state~ ment of their work as students up to this time, together with testimonials from their teachers, and copies of any papers, written or printed, which they may have prepared in the course of their studies. Blank forms of application may be obtained of the Chairman of the Com- : mittee on Fellowships, Professor C. L. Smith, 64 Sparks Mass., or of-the Director of the Sckool, Street, Cambridge, TIFFANY & CO. Makers of Corporate and Frater= nity Seals and Dies Silver Testi- monials Athletic Prizes Class Pins Society Emblems Engraved Invi- tations and Stationery for the Leading Universities Colleges and other Educational Institutions. Cuts of Watches and Chains sent upon request. UNION SQUARE NEW YORK. Professor Minton Warren, Via Gaeta 2, Rome, Italy. Applications must be sent to the Chairman of the Committee, and must be in his hands by May 1, 1897. After the present year, all appoint- ments to fellowships will be made upon examination. Particulars will be given in the forthcoming Report of the School for the year 1895-96. The Marett Will Case. By a decision of the Supreme Court of Connecticut, the Marett will case, which has been dragging along in the courts for several years past, has just . been definitely decided. By the terms of the will, a certain sum was left to the Lakeville School for Imbeciles, and this sum the State Legislature on behalf of the Institution refused to accept. The money should then have been divided among the other institutions mentioned in the will. But a suit was then instituted, claiming that the State Legislature should be allowed to reconsider its de- cision. It is this claim that the Su- preme Court has finally unanimously refused to grant. Meanwhile the mon- ey had been tied up by the litigation. This will now be distributed. Yale’s share is about $18,000, and a like sum will be given to the New Haven Hos- pital, and to the trustees of the Marett fund for the poor; $9000 each will be re- ceived by the New Haven Orphan Asy- lum, the New Haven City Library, and the St. Francis Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum of New Haven. Yale’s share will be added to the original Marett fund and will be used for a like purpose, namely, the found- ing of scholarships and in aiding de- serving students. A New Novel! Just Out! By CILBERT PARKER. Four Thousand Copies Sold Before Publication. “THE POMP OF THE LAVILETTES.” Price, $1.25. strange fellowship. ‘alive. a long day.—The Bookman. “% poet. TWO NEW BOOKS, By CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS. “THE FORCE IN THE FOREST.” Being the narrative of the Acadian ranger, Jean de Mer, Seigneur de Briart, and how he crossed the Black Abbe, and of his adventures in a “It is a story to shake the torpor from the brain, and to keep the soul It is charged with romance, and works like wine. * * * has written a story that will repeat itself in our dreams for many Price, $1.50. “A HISTORY OF CANADA.” With Chronological Chart and Map of the Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland. ‘‘It is not often that a history gets itself written by a man who com- bines all the rectitude necessary for the work with the imagination of a * * It is therefore highly interesting to learn that Mr. Charles G. D. Roberts is bringing out a history of Canada. * likely to possess just that unusual quality to which we have referred. It will be conscientious, and it will be written out of a sensitive poetic temperament.”—New York Tribune. Price, $2.00 net. Prof. Roberts * His work is — Boston Courier. A Comedy in Romance, by WILLIAM SHARP. “WIVES IN EXILE.” _ This is one of the most delightful comedies in romance of the season. * * * One is drawn into the fascination of the book with its very first chapter, and he enters as vigorously as the characters themselves into the spirit of daring, adventure, and fun, whose results make the two little women of the story real heroines, after all. Exile’ is one that cannot fail to win an immediate and a staying interest.” Price, $1.25. LAMSON, WOLFFE & Co. BOSTON. LONDON. ~ NEW YORK. SS The conception of ‘Wives in
