Ninety-six cities in the United States own their water-supply, among the exceptions being Indianapo lis, New Haven, New Orleans and San Francisco. Four have municipal gas-works — Duluth, Richmond. Toledo, and Wheeling — and thirteen own and oper ate electric-light plants. A COMPANY in London insures umbrellas. It you can prove that your umbrella has been stolen, the company pays you what it was worth. ALL the countries of Europe are spending on their armies and navies at the rate of $50 a second, or the almost incredible sum of $4,000,000 a day.
LITERARY NOTES.
THE December NEW LIPPINCOTT breathes the Christmas spirit throughout. The complete novel by Ernest Rhys under the striking title of •• The Whis tling Maid,'1 is a romance of rushing interest and weird beauty. Of almost equal importance with the longer novel is a brief one by William D. Howells, cajled '•The Magic of a Voice," a bright and amusing tale of upper New York State. An attractively subtle story -The Perfume of the Rose," by Flora Annie Steel; a Christmas paper on " The Real Star of Bethlehem," by Julia MacNair Wright; " The Return of William Penn." in December, 1699, by William Perrine; -Washington's Death and the Doctors," by the au thoritative pen of Solomon Solis Cohen, M.D.; and a delightful talk about " Alphonse Daudet and his Intimates," written by Jean François Reffaëlli, com prise a contents most interesting and seasonable. THE Christmas number of SCRIBNER'S contains several striking novelties in illustration. Maarten Maartens, the distinguished Dutch author, tells in "An Author's Story," a love episode in the life of a suc cessful novelist; Octave Thanet writes a story in what is for her an absolutely new vein; liliss Perry has a tale of two rival churches in a New England' village; a story of ' 'The Jewish quarter in New York " is another feature, by A. Cahan. The author of •' The Peach " contributes « The Senior Reader," a character out of the British Museum. Dr. F. A. Cook, who recently returned with the " Bélgica " Antartic expedition, writes of the possibilities of future ex peditions, and Albert White Vorse reviews America's past achievements in Antarctic exploration.
ALLEYNE IRELAND opens the December ATLANTIC with "Briton and Boer in South Africa, a clear, strong, and comprehensive statement of the events
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vaal, and causes stated leading from the up English to the present standpoint war in; the Hamilton TransW. Mabie contributes a brilliant and searching reviewofEdgarA. Poe's" Place in American Literature" : Henry D. Lloyd pays an enthusiastic tribute to New Zealand, its paradoxical attractions and its solid ad vantages. Under the curiosity-provoking title of •' Wanted, a Chair of Tent-Making," Alfred Brown, Layman, discusses the causes of the modern decline of the ministry. Harriet Monroe pictures the glories and wonders of the Grand Canon of the Colorado; Lucy Martin Donnelly contributes an adroit and sym pathetic essay, " In Praise of Old Ladies." The fic tion and poetry of the number are unusually brilliant and original. THE first place in AFPLETON'S POPUUAK SCIENCE MONTHLY for December is given to a carefully writ ten article on " Exact Methods in Sociology," by Franklin H. Giddings. President David Starr Jor dan presents in <• The Education of the Neminist." an admirable and very amusing satire upon the pre tensions of •• The Christian Scientists." A history of the "Development of the American Newspaper." during the past one hundred years is contributed by Walter L. Hawley. In " How Standard Time is Ob tained," Mr. T. B. Willson explains the delicate methods by which the hour is verified from day to clay. " In Agricultural Education in Foreign Coun tries," Mr. W. E. De Riemer gives brief accounts of what is being done in the European states, Great Britain and its colonies, Japan, Mexico, and South America. IN the December number of the AMERICAN MONTH LY REVIEW OF REVIEWS there is an editorial sum mary of the results of the elections, with a discussion of their import as an indorsement of the administra tion's policy. The editor also describes the pro gress of the Philippine campaign, the war in South Africa, and many other matters of international inter est. THE cover of the December Century is suggestive of the approaching Christmas season, the central figure of the design being a kneeling angel, with outspread wings. " The Christmas Dancers," apoem embodying a Saxon legend, is accompanied by sev eral full-page pictures in color. The holiday spirit breathes as well in Jacob A. Riis's story of New York's East Side, "The Kid Hangs up His Stock ing," Dr. Weir Mitchell's poem, " King Christmas and Master New Year," the reproduction of Alden Weir's "A Christmas Tree," and Thomas A. Jan vier's " A 'Provencal Christmas Postscript," being further legendary lore of Provence. In this number
