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
