More, E. A., jr. Out of the past. This interesting and instructive book sets forth in the nature of an allegory the unending conflict between good and evil. The story gives in outline the possible life of a Brahmin of the earlier times, and the information given accords with the belief of the orthodox Brahmin The story is full of incident, its descriptions are graphic, and its style is often masterly. Morris, W. Well at the world's end. The nobility and the beauty of his intentions and his aspirations none has ever challenged, and every word he uttered was that of a generous hearted youth who saw life not steadily and whole, but unsteadily and partially and in little pictures. The artistic selfindulgence--the self-pleasing whim-which is the characteristic of youth is the basis of all Morris's work as poet, as artist, and as doctrinaire. --Athenæum. Needell, Mrs. J. H. Passing the love of women. Interesting and naturally developed. -Leypoldt and Iles. Norris, W. E. Marietta's marriage. Well up to the usual level of author's entertaining stories. the Page, T. N. Old gentleman of the black stock. A charming, natural story of Virginia life. A refreshing little book after a course of fin de siècle novels. Pain, Mrs. A. Saint Eva. St. Eva is in most respects a charming creation.--Athenæum. Parker, G. Pomp of the Lavilettes. A very picturesque and rather dramatic story, within a moderate compass, of French life in Lower Canada during the brief and unsuccessful rising against English rule. The little FrenchCanadian town is admirably sketched, and the three or four particular characters in the book are well drawn, especially the central figure, an Englishman without scruple, honesty, or fidelity, who is, at the same time, courageous to the last degree, and capable of a high degree of devotion.-Outlook. Paston, G. Career of Candida. One of the most robust and refreshing stories of the year. It tackles more than one thorny social problem with admirable courage, and challenges Mrs. Grundy to mortal encounter, but there is not the least verbal offence in it, not even to the most priggish and prudish of novel readers.-London Daily Telegraph. Payn, J. Lost Sir Massingberd. Dramatic, but not very original.Leypoldt and Iles. What he cost her. Discusses the sunny and shady side of English society, emphasizing most strongly the latter.-Leypoldt and Iles. Peard, F. M. Country cousin. Her chronicles of English life are fairly amusing, naturally and pleasantly written.-Leypoldt and Iles. Prince, H. C. Transatlantic chatelaine. It is a pleasure to see a second book show a distinct gain over the first, and this pleasure Mrs. Pain has given us in A Transatlantic Chatelaine. The gain is in the direction of concentration and of singleness of purpose.-Atlantic. Raymond, W. Gentleman Upcott's daughter. A story of the yeomanry and landed gentry of Somersetshire.-Leypoldt and Iles. Read, O. Bolanyo. Has too much talk of no particular consequence, and not enough action, humor, and character. Harmless, but dull.--Outlook. Roberts, C. G. D. Earth's enigmas. Strong, unusual stories, on unhackneyed themes, beautifully written. Rodney, G. B. In buff and blue. Purports to be portions of the diary of a Delaware soldier in our Revolutionary War, and pleasantly mingles campaigning and love-making.-Out look. A story of religious doubts and the return of an intellectual woman to orthodox faith.-Leypoldt and Iles. Steel, Mrs. F. A. In the tideway. Mrs. Steel is rapidly taking a dignified and definite stand in the foremost rank of the romancers of the day.-Boston Evening Transcript. Stockton, F. R. Story-teller's pack. It is quite a long time since Mr. Stockton has given us a volume of short stories, and A Story-teller's Pack is, for that reason among others, more than welcome. It contains ten short stories, with a little introduction, and these stories are, for the most part, in Mr. Stockton's characteristic vein.-Outlook. TO BE CONTINUED IN OCTOBER NUMBER. .. The .. Public Library Magazine. VOL. IV. IF A GUIDE TO READERS AND BOOKBUYERS. ST. LOUIS, OCTOBER, 1897. AN AFTERNOON AT THE NEW WATER WORKS. F you were a friend of mine visiting the city, and wanted to inspect our water works, which have a reputation all over the country among those interested in public works, and if you would put yourself under my guidance, I would probably treat you in this wise: First, I would make arrangements for an afternoon off. I would meet you down town when Broadway has no shady side and take you around to call on my friend Luke, who happens to be a member of the Noonday Club. He is always glad He is always glad to meet a thoroughbred and do the honors. In the cozy club dining-room we take a table by the window. As soon as you have extended your freshly creased trousers beneath the fine white linen, and while the waiter is filling the thin cut-glass goblets with cracked ice, you remark upon the advantages of dining on the eighth floor and the splendid view that we are to enjoy between bites and sips. I take the occasion to point out to you the two water towers, which are plainly to be seen on the high ground in the northern part of the city. The taller one is nearly two hundred feet high. Opposite these towers and nearer to the river is the Bissell's Point pumping station. Around the bend to our right and eight miles farther up the river is the Chain of Rocks and the new water works in No. 7. take from which all city water comes. Becoming historical, I tell you about the old, old pumping station near the foot of Cass avenue, where the pumps were built after the fashion of the engines on a Mississippi steamboat; about the old reservoir at 20th and Benton streets, that soon became filled to the top with mud left by the water in passing through. They had no settling basin, or, rather, none that could be called intentional. I tell about James Kirkwood, the eastern engineer. One of our suburban towns now wears his name. I tell how he came here in the later sixties and built the Water Works at Bissell's Point, the old water tower, the one that looks like a Corinthian column, and the reservoir at Compton Hill; and, moreover, how he would have preferred to locate the intake at Chain of Rocks, instead of Bissell's Point, had the money in sight been adequate. From Kirkwood we pass on to one of his disciples, Jeff Whitman, own brother to the famous Walt. Jeff was our first Water Commissioner under the new city charter. Jeff is no more, but his spirit stalks about the Water Works offices, visible at times in broad daylight to those who knew him and are skilled in ghostcraft. Besides these two there are other prominent names that are, one may say, built into The top of the completed arch is seen in the foreground, the end of completed arch in the background, with the wooden center still in position. to the Chain of Rocks. We drive around by the Engineers' Club rooms, on Locust street, as I want fo take you in there for a few minutes. Here you will find a collection of reports and public documents relating to our Water Works. Some of the older reports, which give the doings of Kirkwood's time, have now become quite rare. Any old man or any new woman, who is sufficiently stand pipes ever lie when in good standing. Grand Avenue follows, as it were, the backbone of the Water Works system. Beginning at Bissell's Point, the old intake site, it takes a bee-line for the old water tower, straddles it without stopping, and sweeps around in a long curve to the service reservoir at Compton Hill. We are coming to the water towers |