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_FIVE CENTS._

THE GREAT ROUND WORLD

AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN IT

    SUBSCRIPTION PRICE. MARCH 11, 1897  Vol. 1. NO. 18
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SIMPLE LESSONS IN THE

STUDY OF NATURE

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[Illustration: THE GREAT ROUND WORLD And WHAT IS GOING ON IN IT.]

    VOL. 1   MARCH 11, 1897.   NO. 18

       *       *       *       *       *


There is startling news from Crete.

Greece has openly defied the warning of the Powers, and has declared her
intention of assisting the little island, and freeing her from the Turkish
rule.

All Europe is ringing with the spirited reply sent by Greece to the demand
that she should submit to the wishes of Europe, and give up her warlike
intentions toward Turkey.

This reply was short and to the point. It was simply this:

"Greece accepts full responsibility for all her acts."

Her first act after sending this brave message was to fire on a Turkish
vessel, and thus openly to declare war upon the Turks.

The Turkish vessel was carrying arms to the besieged garrison at Canea. As
she moved from her anchorage in the harbor of Candia, she was hailed by a
Greek warship, and ordered to return to her moorings.

The Turkish vessel, the _Fuad_, paid no attention to the order, and was
continuing on her way, when a shot from the Greek ship brought her to a
stand. Having no guns of her own with which to defend herself, the _Fuad_
decided that the sensible thing was to obey; so she put about, and
returned to her moorings.

The commander of the British fleet sent a formal protest to the Greeks
against this action, and again ordered them to stop attacking the Turks.

No attention was paid to this request.

The Powers are, however, so afraid of war, that they are doing all that is
possible to prevent Greece from taking any action that will make war
inevitable.

Russia, Great Britain, France, and Italy have all sent warships to Crete,
with orders to enforce peace between Greece and Turkey.

The combined fleets of these great nations have formed a cordon around the
harbor of Canea, and have blockaded the port, to prevent the Greek
squadron, under Prince George, from entering the harbor.

A cordon is a line of men, ships, or forts, so stationed as to prevent
people from going into, or coming out of the place.

Having done this, the four great Powers proceeded to take possession of
the island, and intend to try and hold it until some settlement is made
between Greece and Turkey.

One hundred men from each of the four fleets have been landed at Canea,
and, with the consent of the Turkish authorities, have raised their flags
over the fortress of the city, as a sign that Crete is under their
protection.

Greece, in the mean while, has sent word to the Powers that she intends to
occupy Crete. She is sending troops there, and raising volunteers and
filling out her reserve force, to be ready for war, if war comes.

This defiance on the part of Greece is worrying the rest of the Powers.
She is too small and insignificant to attempt to brave the wrath of Europe
alone, and there is an uneasy feeling that some one of the great nations
must be secretly backing her.

As usual, when anything goes wrong in Europe, Russia is blamed. Russia has
so long been the naughty girl of Dame Europa's school, that the moment
mischief is in the air Russia is suspected.

If she is in this new trouble, she will have hard work to escape
punishment. She has been posing as the dear friend and protector of Turkey
for the last few weeks, and has put stumbling-blocks in the way of the
other Powers when they have attempted to force the Sultan of Turkey to do
as they wished.

If she has suddenly veered round, and is now encouraging Greece against
Turkey, her conduct will be hard to explain.

It will be interesting to watch what comes of this, for it seems that the
Bismarck revelations, about which you can read in No. 4 of THE GREAT
ROUND WORLD, have brought many strange things to light in European
politics.

You will remember that it was found that Germany had a secret
understanding with Russia, which quite undid her open agreement with
Austria and Italy--the Triple Alliance, as it was called.

Now it appears that nearly all the European nations have been playing the
same sly game.

It would seem that most of them have secret, underhand agreements to play
false to their best friends, whenever it suits their purpose.

Every one is sure that Greece has some strong country at her back to make
her so bold, and while all the diplomats are wondering which it can be, no
one dares to ask any questions. There is so much treachery and deceit
going on, that each ambassador is afraid that any inquiry on his part may
lead to the discovery of things about his country that would better be
kept in the dark.

This daring attitude of Greece may involve the whole of Europe in a vast
war, and it may be passed quietly over, and Greece be allowed to snatch
her prize from under Turkey's nose, and walk away unharmed with it,
because none of the other nations dare to call "police!" for fear of being
arrested themselves.

All sorts of rumors are flying around. One is that the Powers are not
really angry with Greece, and that if the bold little country can take
possession of Crete and hold it, the Powers will not let her be interfered
with.

It is also said that Turkey does not want Crete very badly, and will let
Greece take it and keep it, if she will only promise not to interfere with
Macedonia, which is another ancient Greek province, inhabited by
Christians, and now under the control of Turkey. Macedonia is on the
borders of modern Greece.

Outwardly, the Powers are very fierce over the whole matter, and have
warned Greece that if she does not withdraw her army from Crete in two
days, they will make war upon her.

Greece is, however, taking her own way very quietly and decidedly.

While the four combined fleets of Europe are keeping Prince George at bay
at Canea, fifteen hundred Greek soldiers under Colonel Vassos have been
safely landed in Crete, at Platania about sixty miles from Canea.

This battalion, which is made up of artillery, engineers, and infantry, is
called the "Corps of Occupation," and Greece went wild with joy when the
report of its safe arrival reached Athens.

The commander of the corps, Colonel Vassos, is reported to have issued a
proclamation to the Cretans, in which he says that the troubles in Crete
have been deeply felt by their brother Greeks. The Cretans are but one
nation with the Greeks, despite the fact that they are under a foreign
rule, and Greece can no longer allow a people of her race and religion to
be under the Turkish rule; she has therefore decided to occupy the island,
and add it to the country ruled by the King of Greece.

The proclamation goes on to say that Colonel Vassos, in the name of the
King of Greece, promises to protect the lives, honor, and property of the
inhabitants, and to bring peace and law to them.

He then demanded of the Turks that they surrender, and give up the island.

While this was going on, the combined Powers, through their ambassadors in
Greece, demanded that the Greek warships be withdrawn from Crete under
pain of Europe's displeasure.

They promised that the Turkish reforms should be properly enforced in
Crete, and that, in the conference which will follow as soon as the fear
of war is passed, the Powers will consider the question of reuniting
Greece and Crete.

There is a rumor that the Powers will get home rule for Crete, and that
the Emperor William of Germany is trying his best to bring this last
scheme about.

Matters are very far from settlement. Volunteers are rallying to the Greek
flag in great numbers, and all Greece is echoing to the cries of excited
patriotism.

The Greeks have won their first victory in Crete. They attacked a fort
called Fort Aghia, captured it, and took four hundred prisoners. One
hundred of these were Turkish soldiers, the rest were Moslems, who had
taken refuge in the fort.

The details of this affair have not yet arrived, but it is supposed that
the fort surrendered on the demand of Colonel Vassos.

Greece is also reported to have landed four thousand more troops in Crete.

Turkey is strengthening her forts along the Greek frontier, and has sent
word to the Powers that they must restrain Greece, or she will be obliged
to follow her own course.

       *       *       *       *       *

No progress has been made toward the passage of the Treaty with Great
Britain.

Their eyes once opened to the dangers that may underlie the fair words of
the Treaty, the Senators are putting it under the microscope of
discussion, and are anxious that it shall not leave their hands until it
can be considered to be truly beneficial to the country.

It is certain that it will not be brought to any conclusion during this
session of Congress.

Senator Sherman, who as Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations has
charge of the bill, says that he will present it at the extra session of
the Senate, which will be called on March 5th by the new President.

It is said that the Nicaragua Canal Bill has been the real means of
preventing the Senate from arriving at any conclusion about the Treaty
this session.

Senator Morgan has been working very hard to convince the Senate of the
importance of settling the Canal question before the Treaty is ratified,
and has at last succeeded.

He has been very clever about it. He announced to the Senate, some days
ago, that in consequence of the amount of business that must be got
through before the end of the session, he was willing to let his bill
stand over till the extra session. He warned the Senate, at the same time,
that when the extra session came, he should fight for his bill with all
his strength, and do his best to have it made into a law.

This looked as though the Senator had made way for the Treaty, and did not
really care so much about his bill being passed before the Treaty was
ratified.

But that was not Mr. Morgan's idea at all.

He withdrew his bill because he did not want to have it hurried through,
and voted on carelessly, and perhaps lost. He withdrew it the more
willingly because he had a nice little scheme in his head, which would
easily prevent the Treaty being passed before the extra session, when he
would again be on hand with his bill.

His plan was this:

He would unearth the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, confront the Senate with that,
and as it deals very directly with matters that concern both arbitration
and the canal, Senator Morgan was sure that it would give the Senate
enough food for discussion to last it through this session of Congress,
without touching the Treaty again.

The Clayton-Bulwer treaty was made between Great Britain and the United
States in 1850.

One part of the treaty stipulates that neither Great Britain nor the
United States shall ever control the Nicaragua Canal, nor build forts
along it.

When this treaty was made, Nicaragua had given the right to build the
canal to an American company. This company did not belong to the
government; it was a mere business undertaking by a business firm.

The company did not build the canal; the work required too much money, and
the affair fell through.

At the present time it is the American Government that proposes to build
the canal, and if the Government is to put in the enormous sums of money
that will be needed, it is only right that the Government shall control
it. Nicaragua is not wealthy enough to build the canal herself, and if we
do not undertake it, some other country will, and it will certainly expect
the control of the canal in return for the money invested.

Senator Morgan asked the Senate to consider the matter of the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty, and decide whether or no we are still bound by it,
before the Arbitration Treaty be signed. He insists that if the Senate
decides that the Clayton-Bulwer treaty is still binding, England must
agree to release us from it before we can discuss another treaty, as it is
too absurd to suppose that we will put our money into the canal and have
no right to control it.

In the time that must be taken up in the consideration of this very
important point. Senator Morgan will have time to get his bill properly
considered, and with the new light that he has thrown on canal affairs
through the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, he is more likely to get his bill
passed.

       *       *       *       *       *

There is news of a great victory for the Cubans, which is called one of
the most brilliant successes of the war.

It was won by General Gomez.

He set out to lay siege to the town of Arroyo Blanco.

When he arrived before the town, he sent word to the mayor that he was
about to open fire with his dynamite-gun, and he requested that all the
women, children, and non-fighting men should be sent out of the city.

In accordance with the rules of civilized warfare, he sent a permit for
these people to pass out of the town in safety.

He waited several hours for a reply. None being sent, he ordered his
gunners to send one shot over the city.

This having been done, and still no answer coming from the Spanish
commander, General Gomez sent a fresh messenger, asking the mayor, for the
sake of humanity, to send the women and children out of the town as
quickly as possible.

To this the officer in command sent the reply that Gomez could begin to
fire as quickly as he pleased, for not a soul in Arroyo Blanco should be
allowed to leave the town; he intended to keep the women and children
within the walls, to suffer whatever fate was in store for him.

The women and children pleaded to be allowed to leave, but the Spanish
officer was determined to keep them, and they were obliged to stay.

On receiving this cruel answer, Gomez opened fire, using his dreadful
dynamite-gun. For several days he laid siege to the town, without gaining
any advantage.

The Spaniards tried to get help from the main army by signalling with the
heliograph. This is an instrument by which rays of light are thrown from a
mirror, and flashed from one point to another. It is much used in war.

The Cubans, however, prevented the heliograph from being used, and hoped
that they had the Spaniards cut off from their friends.

By some means the news of the siege reached the main army, and three
thousand troops were sent to the relief of Arroyo Blanco.

No sooner did Gomez see the first of the Spanish soldiers appearing over
the hills, than he laid a plan to win a brilliant victory.

Pretending to be alarmed at the arrival of the Spanish troops, he withdrew
his men from the siege of the town, and appeared to be retreating.

Delighted with their success, the Spanish pursued the Cubans, who led them
into a valley between two hills.

This was the trap into which Gomez had planned to lure his enemy.

When the Spaniards had reached a place that seemed favorable to his
wishes, Gomez gave the signal--Cubans poured down the hillsides, from
behind every rock and bush, surrounded the Spaniards, and completely
defeated them, the Spaniards suffering a severe loss, many of them being
killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.

It is said that this victory has so alarmed Weyler that he has sent to
Havana for more troops, and declares that he cannot stand against Gomez
without more soldiers to help him.

The people of Havana do not like this. Weyler has many more soldiers than
Gomez, and the citizens do not want to be left at the mercy of the
insurgent bands that are in the neighborhood of the city.

       *       *       *       *       *

A great deal of interest is being taken in the investigation, by the New
York Legislature, into the subject of Trusts.

A Trust is the combination of a number of persons who are interested in
the manufacture of a certain article.

These persons join together, and agree to pay certain prices for making
the goods they deal in, and to ask a certain price for the article when
they sell it again.

They put all their money together, and become one company. Each member of
the Trust has to bind himself to do what the members think best, and
though there may be several hundred factories in one Trust, all obey the
one set of rules, just as if they were but one body.

In this way the Trust has a great deal of money at its command, and can
buy the finest machinery to make its goods, and, because of the enormous
quantities needed to supply all the members of the Trust, can obtain the
material needed for the manufacture at the lowest possible price.

Through the means a Trust has for producing goods, it can make and
manufacture at a much smaller cost than a single manufacturer, and can
control the amount of the output of the goods, so that too great a supply
shall not be made at one time, and the markets be so flooded that the
price falls and it no longer pays to make them.

The idea of a number of persons clubbing together and helping each other
with their money and brains, and working together to produce an article at
the least possible cost, is of course a very excellent one.

It would seem as though these methods would help to make the articles that
we daily need much cheaper to us, and that the cost of living would be
less.

But unfortunately it is not always so.

While Trusts could and should work for the benefit of the people, they are
too often used as a means to harm them.

When Trusts get so large that they include nearly all the manufacturers of
a special article, they are not only able to produce the article at the
least possible cost, but to say for how much it shall be sold.

A Trust is formed that the manufacturers may make a better article at a
lower cost--at least, that is what the Trusts say; but the danger is that
they may obtain entire control of the market, create a monopoly, and
having the public at their mercy, make the prices as high as they please.

A monopoly is the sole power of dealing in any class of goods.

If there were no Trusts controlling the market, no one manufacturer would
dare to put his price too high, because another one would instantly step
in with lower prices, and take his trade away from him.

This would create what is called competition, because the first
manufacturer would not want to lose his trade, and would lower his prices
below the second manufacturer. Others would join in, and would continue to
cut prices, until the selling price of the article would be brought down
to the lowest possible rate at which it can be put on the market.

The public would get the benefit of this competition, and would find the
cost of living less.

This competition is the soul of business, because it obliges manufacturers
to better the quality of their goods and machinery in order to sell at
all; but Trusts do not care to do this, and therefore desire to put a stop
to it entirely.

Each Trust has its system of controlling the store-keepers who deal
directly with the public, and it makes them agree to sell at such prices
as it thinks best.

In this way the prices are kept up, no matter how much they ought to have
been lowered through cheap manufacture, or plentiful supply of the
material needed to be manufactured.

The money that is made by the cheaper conditions goes into the pockets of
the members of the Trust, and they often become enormously rich, through
the higher price which they thus force the people to pay.

All the necessary articles of food in daily use are controlled by Trusts.

There is a Sugar Trust, which dictates the exact number of cents a pound
you must pay for your sugar. A Coffee Trust, which fixes the price of
coffee. It is the Coal Trust which keeps the price of coal so high in
winter. There is a Gas Trust, a Salt Trust, a Wall-Paper Trust, and indeed
a Trust for almost every necessary and useful article.

You notice probably that the most of the Trusts are producers of articles
that we are obliged to use.

If the Coal Barons, as they are called, asked ten dollars a ton for coal,
we would still be obliged to use it. We could not go without fires.

If a Meat Trust said our meat was to cost a dollar a pound, we would still
have to buy it. Our sugar is another article which we cannot do without,
and for which we are obliged to pay whatever price the dealers choose to
ask.

Do you see now wherein Trusts are dangerous to us?

The Democrats last fall declared that if their candidate was elected
President of the United States, they would make laws whereby the
Government should be able to control and regulate Trusts.

The Legislature in Albany, wishing to prevent these combinations from
gaining so much power that they become a menace to the public, has
appointed a committee to investigate the workings of Trusts.

State Senator Lexow was made Chairman of the committee. He is that Mr.
Clarence Lexow, who was chairman of the committee which looked into the
way the police were doing their duty a short while ago.

Senator Lexow has come down to New York City with full power to call the
officers of the Trusts before him, and make them tell him how they manage
their business, how much money it costs them to produce the articles they
manufacture, and how much profit they make.

When the inquiry is finished, the committee will report to the Legislature
at Albany, which will then decide what action shall be taken.

The Trust Investigating Committee has found out from the Sugar Trust, that
the price of sugar has been lowered since the Trust was formed. But it has
also been learned that sugar has not been allowed to fall in price as much
as it ought to have, and that while sugar is cheaper than it used to be,
it could be much cheaper yet, and still pay well for the making.

With all the Trusts the story is the same. They have slightly cheapened
the price of the goods they handle, and have then controlled the market
and prevented any further reduction.

Each Trust declares that it is a positive benefit to trade, and while it
is true that they do employ a vast number of men, and make the best
quality of goods at _apparently_ the lowest possible price, it must not be
forgotten that the public does not benefit as much as it ought by the low
cost of production, and that all small manufacturers are driven out of the
business by the enormous power of the Trust.

A man who wishes to succeed to-day dare not try to compete with the Trust;
he must join it or be boycotted by it; that is to say, if he attempts to
undersell the Trust, all retail dealers will be forbidden to buy from him,
and he will have no market for his goods.

There has been a great outcry against this investigation, and the Trusts
are very indignant. They declare that such investigations ruin trade, and
make prices higher. To prove this argument, the Sugar Trust has put the
price of sugar up an eighth of a cent a pound, or about forty cents a
barrel.

This is, however, an argument that works both ways. If the Sugar Trust is
so powerful that it can revenge itself for the investigation by putting
the price of sugar up, it is then too powerful for the welfare of the
people, and it shows clearly that it is high time that the government
makes an attempt to restrict the power of the Trusts.

       *       *       *       *       *

Admiral Bunce and his fleet of warships have been engaged in some very
interesting naval practice off Charleston.

The especial object of the visit was to see if they could effectually
blockade the port.

In making their trip down the coast, the fleet ran into a heavy gale off
Cape Hatteras, and Admiral Bunce was able to see how the vessels under his
command behave in a storm.

Arrived off Charleston, the Admiral arranged the fleet in a cordon across
the mouth of Charleston harbor, and when night came, ordered the little
cruiser _Vesuvius_ to steam out to sea, and then try to steal back into
port without being discovered by the big warships that were guarding the
harbor.

In other words, the _Vesuvius_ was ordered to "run the blockade."

In times of war, an enemy will often blockade a port by stationing big
ships in such positions that they may prevent any vessels from entering or
leaving the port, just as the combined fleets of Europe are preventing the
Greek fleet, under Prince George, from entering the harbor of Canea.

In our late war the harbor of Charleston was actually blockaded, and
vessels were regularly employed as blockade runners, many of them getting
through without difficulty, and many having hair-breadth escapes.

The steamers selected to run the blockade in war times were light, swift,
and built so that they lay very low in the water. They were painted a dull
gray color, so that they could not be seen at a distance; their funnels
were made like telescopes, so that they could be shut up, and be little
higher than the deck, when the moment for actually running the blockade
arrived. They burned smokeless coal, and could blow their steam off under
water, so that it was very hard to discover them, and on dark nights they
could often slip by the watching vessels without being observed.

Admiral Bunce thought that the search-light system which is in use on all
our war-vessels would make it extremely difficult for a blockade runner to
pass a modern blockade, and it was to test this that the game of blockade
running was tried off Charleston.

When all was in readiness for the game to begin, the _New York_, which was
the flagship, sent up a rocket, warning the other vessels to be on the
lookout for the blockade runner.

The flagship of a fleet is always the one which has the admiral on board.
The ships in a fleet are like a regiment of soldiers, and act under the
orders of the admiral in command; and as the orders are always sent from
ship to ship by means of flags or signals, the ship from which the orders
are issued is called the flagship.

All the search-lights were in play, and there was the greatest excitement
on board the various vessels as the little cruiser steamed out to sea to
begin the game.

Back and forth the search-light flashed along the whole line of the
blockade. Here and there, in every direction, the waters were searched for
a sign of the little _Vesuvius_, which was surely steaming toward them to
try and run the blockade.

No sign of the cruiser could be seen, and anxiety was felt lest she should
have escaped all the searchers, when the signal came from the _Maine_ that
she had been discovered, and all the search-lights from the various
vessels were turned toward the _Maine's_ light, and there was the
_Vesuvius_, defeated.

She showed her lights, which till then had been concealed, and steamed
back to sea again for another trial.

This time she so nearly succeeded that there was consternation in the
whole fleet; but still she was detected in time.

Five times she made the attempt, but defeat succeeded defeat; and at last
Admiral Bunce declared the game over for the night, and the _Vesuvius_
returned to anchor, with the rest of the fleet.

Admiral Bunce declared himself highly pleased at the success of his
blockade.

The next night the game was played again. This time the _Vesuvius_ won
easily, for it was a foggy night, and the search-lights were not able to
pierce the fog.

Admiral Bunce would not allow that this was a fair test, but as, in real
war, blockade runners would be pretty sure to wait for a cloudy night, or
for one that was dark or foggy, it would seem that the test was fairer
than that of the night before, which was clear and moonlit.

Before the manoeuvres were over, the admiral ordered a practice with the
big guns.

From all accounts it was a very fine sight, and our navy proved itself a
great credit to us.

The guns were fired at targets, and the shooting seems to have been
particularly fine, the targets being hit every time.

       *       *       *       *       *

At last beyond any further question Major William McKinley has been
elected President of the United States.

The last formality was complied with when, on February 11th, at one
o'clock, the Senate of the United States, headed by the Vice-President,
filed into the House of Representatives to count the vote of the Electoral
College, cast in the manner described in THE GREAT ROUND WORLD,
No. 13.

As the Senators entered the House of Representatives, all the Congressmen
rose, and remained standing while their visitors filed in, two by two.

The little procession was preceded by the officers of the Senate, who
carried the ballot-boxes.

The work of counting was then commenced by the tellers, and ere long it
was officially announced that William McKinley was the choice of the
people for President of the United States.

                                         GENIE H. ROSENFELD.




CRETE AND GREECE.



Well, well, well! So little Greece has really done it! While the Great
Powers have been worrying each other, have been forming alliances and
triple alliances, have been threatening Turkey and shaking their fists at
each other, have been trembling in their boots and calling conferences,
little Greece has fired upon one of Turkey's ships, and "accepts full
responsibility for all her acts."

The first shots came from Crete, that long, beautiful island south of
Greece, called in the time of Homer the "Isle of One Hundred Cities." It
has a most heroic history, remaining free long after Greece herself had
become subject to Rome. Only in the year 68 B.C., after a long and
determined effort upon the part of Rome, did Crete surrender.

And her islanders have the same heroic blood in their veins to-day. The
trouble now is that Turkish misrule, since she was made over to the Turks
in 1840 by the Great Powers, has fanned the old desire for freedom into
flame.

The Greeks were most probably unwise in firing upon the Turkish transport
_Fuad_ as she was bearing munitions to the Turkish garrison at Canea; but
we can hardly blame them.

There comes a time when patience almost ceases to be a virtue. The Cretans
are human. They have waited long, though impatiently, and their very
impatience has shown us how hard the waiting has been for men of such
fiery character. They feel now that they would rather die in the struggle
for freedom than submit longer to the injustice of their Turkish rulers.

I was in Athens when the coming of age of Crown Prince George, the brave,
handsome young Greek of whom we hear so much, was celebrated.

The streets, from the palace to the church where the ceremonies were to
take place, were most beautiful with triumphal arches. Rich tapestries
floated from the windows all along the way, and the flags of all
nations--among them our own dear Stars and Stripes--swung merrily to the
breeze.

The city was full of soldiers. Among them were the Greek mountaineers in
their picturesque costume of white linen, consisting of tunics with long,
flowing sleeves, and kilted skirts so full and so starched that they stood
out like the skirts of a circus rider.

Their long, pointed shoes, which turned up at the toes like a toboggan,
had large red rosettes on the very points. Their caps were gayly colored,
and a long tassel fell from the crown to their shoulders.

Not a very good fighting costume, you will probably think; but if you had
looked into their keen eyes and determined faces, you would have forgotten
the costume--especially if they had come to fight you.

They are hardy fellows, and although their enemies outnumber them four to
one, we may depend upon it that, if battle comes, there will be as brave
and heroic fighting upon the side of the Greeks, as when their forefathers
fought the Trojans in the days of long ago.

But they will have need of all their courage, for the enemy is not only
fierce, but cruel. The Turks are fatalists, who believe that whatever _is_
to be _will_ be, and that if they are fated to die in battle, nothing can
save them.

If they die fighting bravely they believe that they are sure to go to
Paradise.

With this belief you can readily see how little they are likely to run
away.

Unless the Great Powers interfere, the conflict will be a terrible one.
How much better it would be to settle the difficulty by arbitration, and
prevent such a cruel war.

                                               IZORA C. CHANDLER




INVENTION AND DISCOVERY.


Many new and interesting patents were shown at the Cycle Show at the Grand
Central Palace, New York City.

One of the most ingenious was a new tire. It is called the Hose-Pipe Tire,
and seems to be a very sensible and useful kind.

The feature of this tire is that it has a second tube laid flat inside the
first one.

This second tube is not inflated, but kept as an emergency tube.

Should the outer one be punctured, the pipe inside can be inflated by
means of a separate valve connected with it, and the rider can go on his
way with little delay.

Should the second tube also become punctured, it is so arranged that it
can be taken out, mended, and replaced without much trouble.

New saddles of all descriptions were shown. The Schlesinger Anatomical
Saddle, with its spring cushion which does away with the jolts and shocks
that the rider receives with an ordinary saddle, was voted the best shown.

There is a new foot-pump from which great things are expected. It is small
enough to be packed in the tool-bag, and strong enough for all purposes.

Among other things, a bicycle cleaner made by the Ætna Company, of Newark,
N.J., was particularly recommended to prevent rust, and to polish the
steel and enamel parts.

The aluminum cyclometers made by the Trenton Watch Company made a very
handsome display. They will register from 1 to 10,000 miles.

The League of American Wheelmen are preparing a set of road books which
give the best roads and routes to various points of interest.

The New York _Times_ published in their supplement for February 7th four
of these route maps.

They are most excellent. The hills, the character of the roads, the
railroad crossings, the trolley lines, are all marked with the greatest
accuracy. Even the awkward corners where trolleys are to be met are
marked, and the various rules and regulations of the villages which must
be passed are also given.

These four maps give trips to Mt. Vernon, to Bronx Park, and to New
Rochelle, over roads and byways with which the present writer is
thoroughly familiar, and the accuracy of these charts cannot be too highly
commended.

With such guides as these in hand, a wheelman can make delightful, safe,
and speedy trips.

Our young readers would do well to secure copies of _The Times_
supplement, and obtain these excellent maps.

The League of American Wheelmen has very generously decided to let the
general public have the benefit of its road books, and they will put them
on the market, we understand, as soon as they are published.

    G.H.R.




LETTERS FROM OUR YOUNG FRIENDS.


The Editor takes pleasure in acknowledging the pleasant letters received
from Laura Van C. and Theodore S.

THE GREAT ROUND WORLD is always delighted to hear of any good
books, and thanks Theodore for his recommendation of "In Mythland" and
"Hans Brinker."

The Editor also wishes to thank Mr. Davis, of Bayonne, for his kind
letter, and to tell him that if he will look at No. 3 of THE GREAT
ROUND WORLD, page 46, he will find a fuller account of terminal buds,
and the rings formed on trees.

It was hoped that the readers of THE GREAT ROUND WORLD would have
remembered the previous article on the subject, and therefore the later
one was not so explanatory.

Mr. Davis has very kindly sent us an account of the kite represented in
our No. 9. We take great pleasure in publishing his statement. He says:

"I will tell you about Mr. William A. Eddy's kite, or rather about Mr.
Hargrave's, whose invention was the kite represented in your late issue.

"Mr. Lawrence Hargrave, of Australia, began in 1892 some experiments in
kite flying. His first attempt was with cylindrical surfaces. Not
succeeding as well as he had expected, he changed his plans, and in 1893
perfected the kite as represented in your issue. He sent photographs to
the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, where Mr. Eddy saw them. On
his return to Bayonne, Mr. Eddy made several kites from the photographic
pattern, and flew them a few days afterward. These undoubtedly were the
first Hargrave kites flown outside of Australia. This is a powerful kite,
but it requires a very strong wind to raise it.

"Mr. Eddy's kites are of a nearly plane surface, slightly convex in front,
and without tails. His experiments with them are revealing wonderful facts
regarding atmospheric electricity."


    DEAR MR. EDITOR:

    THE GREAT ROUND WORLD is very interesting, I think,
    when you commence it. I think as another little girl thinks,
    that the inventions made nowadays are wonderful; indeed, if I
    could I would like to talk to the people up in Mars, if there
    are any to talk to. My teacher's name is Miss Davis, and she
    reads THE GREAT ROUND WORLD to us.

                                   Yours truly,
                                                  LAURA VAN C.
    TROY, OHIO, February 13, 1897.


    DEAR MR. EDITOR:

    I have a book by the name of "In Mythland." I like it so much
    that I thought I would write and tell you about it, so as other
    children seven years old like me would know of it, and could
    read it. Mother reads THE GREAT ROUND WORLD to me every
    week, and I like it very much. Mother is reading me a book
    called "Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates." A story of life in
    Holland. By Mary Mapes Dodge. My book has many pictures of
    Holland in it.

                                Yours truly,
                                             THEODORE S.K.
    321 WEST 82d STREET, February 15, 1897.




BOOK REVIEWS.


A new book has been sent us, entitled "Three of Us." The title is
explained by the cover, which gives the bright faces of three fine
dogs--Barney, a bull-dog, Cossack, a wolf-hound, and Rex, a St. Bernard.

The book has 327 pages, and tells the stories of the three dogs--the last
one, Rex, telling his own "autobow-wow-ography."

It is written and also illustrated with many drawings by Izora C.
Chandler, and published by Eaton & Mains, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

The other day a number of letters were shown us which had been written
about this book by some bright little people of Hanover, N.H.

The book was given to the school, and one of the teachers read it aloud to
the scholars.

This pleased them so much that they each wrote a letter to the lady who
had made the gift. We publish one of these letters:

    "My Dear Mrs. Richardson:

    "It was very kind of you to give the book, "Three of Us," to the
    school.

    "I enjoyed Barney and Cossack very much. I was interested in Rex
    also.

    "Barney was very interesting because he did so many brave deeds.

    "I liked Cossack because the little boy's kindness to the dog
    saved the life of his own father.

    "If I were to have a dog I think I would like Barney.

    "I thank you very much for the book.

                                             "Yours sincerely,
                                                 "EMMA M. HALL."


THE GREAT ROUND WORLD prize has been won by Miss Harriet W.
Mygatt, age eleven years, No. 32 Sidney Place, Brooklyn, N.Y., who will
please send the name of the book she wants.

Her selection of the important articles of commerce is very good, and the
simple way in which they are marked on the map is also worthy of praise;
for while perfectly distinct, the topographical features of the map have
not been obscured. The map will be exhibited in the office of THE
GREAT ROUND WORLD.

       *       *       *       *       *

=School Books Wanted=


The following school books will be taken in exchange for subscriptions for
"Great Round World" at prices named.

Send books by express prepaid. Send none which are much soiled or worn;
pages must not be torn nor missing. Mark package--"GREAT ROUND
WORLD, 3 and 5 West 18th Street, New York City, care William Beverley
Harison."

Put your name on package and send a list by mail with your subscription
order.

=We can use Standard School Books of all kinds, send List of any you may
wish to dispose of.=

=READERS=

    Barnes'          First, 20c.   Second, 30c.   Third, 40c.
    Appleton's           "  15c.       "   25c.      "   30c.
    Cyr's                "  20c.       "   25c.      "   30c.
    New Franklin         "  20c.       "   30c.      "   35c.
    McGuffey's Revised   "  15c.       "   25c.      "   30c.
    Stickney's           "  10c.       "   15c.      "   20c.
    Swinton's            "  20c.       "   30c.      "   40c.
    Information          "  30c.       "   30c.      "   30c.

=HISTORIES. UNITED STATES=

    Barnes'          Primary, 40c.   Large 1890 or later, 75c.
    Eggleston's   First Book, 40c.     "                  75c.
    Fiske's                            "                  75c.
    Johnston's       Shorter, 40c.     "                  75c.
    Montgomery's  Beginner's, 30c.     "                  75c.
    Sheldon's                          "                  50c.
    Thomas'                            "                  50c.


=ARITHMETICS=

    Bailey's       Mental, 15c.
    Brooks'     New  "     15c.                New Written, 30c.
    Atwood's       Part 1, 20c.                     Part 2, 35c.
    Milne's      Elements, 25c.                   Standard, 40c.
    Prince's   No. 1 to 7, 15c. each
    Sanford's     Primary, 20c.              Common School, 35c.
    Robinson's     New  "  10c.                  Rudiments, 25c.


=GEOGRAPHIES--(These must have North and South Dakota)=

    Appleton's, Barnes', Maury's, or Eclectic Elementary, 35c.
    Monteith's First, 20c. Introduction 30c. Manual, 50c.


=GRAMMARS=

    Reed & Kellogg's Elementary, 20c.         Higher, 40c.
    Whitney & Lockwood's,        35c.
    Hyde's        First Lessons, 20c.    Second Book, 40c.
    Tarbell's        First Book, 25c.       "      "  40c.


=PRIMERS--10 Cents Each=

Appleton's, Cyr's, Interstate, McGuffey's Revised, Riverside, Swinton's,
Monroe's.


=SPELLERS--10 Cents Each=

McGuffey's Revised, Gilbert's School Studies, Modern, Harrington's (2
parts in one), Babcock's, Patterson's Common School, Reed's, Sheldon's
Word Studies, Swinton's.


We can use, in addition to the ones named in this list, all kinds of
dictionaries, late editions of French and German books, Algebras, Latin
and Greek books, and in fact all kinds of late text-books. If you send a
list, prices will be given.

       *       *       *       *       *

Do you Cover your Books?

    THE "ONE PIECE"
    ADJUSTABLE BOOK COVERS

are made of the strongest and best book-cover paper obtainable. This paper
is made in large quantities especially for these book covers and will
protect books perfectly. The book covers themselves are a marvel of
ingenuity, and, although they are in one piece and can be adjusted to fit
perfectly any sized book without cutting the paper, they are also so
simple that any boy or girl can use them; as they are already gummed they
are always ready for use.

A sample dozen will be mailed to any address for 20 cents (or ten two-cent
stamps) if you write

    WILLIAM BEVERLEY HARISON

    3 and 5 West 18th Street, New York City

       *       *       *       *       *

=KLEMMS'=

=RELIEF PRACTICE MAPS.=

       *       *       *       *       *

=LIST OF MAPS.=

    Small size, 9-1/2 x 11 { Plain,                       5 cents each.
                           { With Waterproofed surface   10   "    "

    Europe, Asia, Africa; North America, South America, East Central
    States, New England, Middle Atlantic States, South Atlantic
    States, Palestine, Australia.


    Large size, 10 x 15 { Plain,                     10 cents each.
                        { With Waterproofed Surface, 15   "     "

    United States, British Isles, Roman Empire, Western Europe,
    North America, South America, Asia.

    (POSTAGE ON SINGLE MAPS, 5 CENTS.)

       *       *       *       *       *

"I would advise =Sunday-school teachers= to use, in connection with the
lessons of 1897, =Klemm's Relief Map of the Roman Empire=. Every scholar
who can draw should have a copy of it. Being blank, it can be beautifully
colored: waters, blue; mountains, brown; valleys, green; deserts, yellow;
cities marked with pin-holes; and the journeys of Paul can be traced upon
it."--MRS. WILBUR F. CRAFTS, _President International Union of
Primary Sabbath-School Teachers of the United States_.

       *       *       *       *       *

=DESCRIPTION OF THE MAPS.=

These maps are made in two forms, both with beautifully executed relief
(embossed)--the cheaper ones of plain stiff paper similar to drawing paper
(these are to be substituted for and used as outline map blanks), the
others covered with a durable waterproof surface, that can be quickly
cleaned with a damp sponge, adapted to receive a succession of markings
and cleansings. Oceans, lakes, and rivers, as well as land, appear in the
same color, white, so as to facilitate the use of the map as a
=_geographical slate_=.

       *       *       *       *       *

    WILLIAM BEVERLEY HARISON
    _3 & 5 W. 18th St. ··· New York City_