those who do go out want 12 dollars a week for imperfect work, and are apt to leave at unawares; consequently many families prefer doing their own work. Many of the women servants are either German, Swiss, or Irish. A farmers wife has to work hard to keep things clean & tidy but they are too often content to drag on from day to day without much concern about these things.18

18 From Iowa, Robert and Sarah Lindsey returned through various eastern States to New York City, whence, on June 20, 1859, they sailed for California by way of Panama. From there they went to the Sandwich Islands and Australia, and it was not until July 24, 1861, that they arrived in England, thus bringing to an end their last voyage to foreign lands. See Travels of Robert and Sarah Lindsey, pp. 134-185.

SOME PUBLICATIONS

Travel and Description 1765-1865. (Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library, Vol. IX.) By SOLON JUSTUS BUCK. Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library. 1914. Pp. xi, 514. Portrait, plates. Writers of the early history of Illinois will find this bibliography of great value. The first two hundred and fifty pages are occupied with a list of books or items containing accounts of travel in Illinois, geographies, guide-books, and gazetteers — six hundred and sixty in all — covering the period from the occupation by the English down to the close of the Civil War. Explanatory annotations accompany the various items, making it possible for the reader to determine in general what the item contains, while the libraries where the items may be found are indicated in all cases. The value of the works here listed for historical purposes needs no comment; and it will be recognized without question that Dr. Buck has rendered an important service in preparing the exhaustive bibliography. Furthermore, the value of the work does not apply solely to Illinois, for many of the books listed deal also with the surrounding States. For instance, at least fifteen guide-books and other items which contain material relating to Iowa are listed.

Following the list of works of travel and description there is a bibliography of county histories, arranged alphabetically by counties and coming down to date. Then comes a list of the volumes of session laws, compilations, codes, and revisions of the State of Illinois. An excellent index completes the volume.

The West in the Diplomacy of the American Revolution. (University of Illinois Studies in the Social Sciences, Vol. II, Nos. 2 and 3.) BY PAUL CHRISLER PHILLIPS, PH. D. Urbana: The University of Illinois. 1913. Pp. 247. This monograph deals definitely with a subject of vital importance in the history of the West which hitherto has been discussed only incidentally or in certain phases.

American, British, French, and Spanish diplomats were engaged in the contest which eventually resulted in placing the western boundary of the United States at the Mississippi River. The twelve chapters of the book deal with the origins of the problem, Vergennes and Spanish diplomacy, the question of the West, the French alliance, Florida Blanca and the convention with France, the development of a Congressional policy toward the West, Vergennes and the allies of France, Luzerne and the pretensions of Spain, the triumph of the anti-Gallican party, the close of the war, Vergennes and the negotiations for peace, and the treaty of peace. A bibliography of sources and an index complete the contents.

Dr. Phillips in this monograph has made a distinct contribution to the history of the West, and throws much new light on the struggle of the nations to gain or retain control of the Mississippi Valley. The work was written with painstaking care largely from original

sources.

Masters of the Wilderness ("Fort Dearborn Series", published by the Chicago Historical Society). By CHARLES BERT REED. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. 1914. Pp. 144. Plates, maps. This attractive little volume contains three papers. The first, bearing the same title as the book and occupying fifty pages, consists of a concise and very readable account of the history of the Hudson's Bay Company from its origin down to modern times. The establishment of the great fur trade monopoly, the secrecy maintained by the company, the enormous profits of the enterprise, the picturesque life and hardships of the traders, the relations with the Indians, struggles with rivals, and the final decline of the company all these are clearly and interestingly set forth. The second paper, headed The Beaver Club, discloses another phase of the same subject, namely, the social aspects of the fur trade as shown in the life of the partners and chief factors at Montreal, Fort William, and other central points.

The third paper, entitled A Dream of Empire, turns from the frozen lands of the north to the region of the lower Mississippi Valley and tells of the heroic adventures of Henry de Tonty — the man with the iron hand - and especially of the period after the

murder of La Salle. A brief bibliography closes the volume, which will serve a useful purpose in giving its readers a good, general idea of the subjects which it covers.

John Brown, Soldier of Fortune: A Critique. By HILL PEEBLES WILSON. Lawrence, Kansas: Published by the author. 1913. Pp. 450. Portraits. John Brown will doubtless long continue to be an attractive subject for the biographer and the historian, although he is a man about whom it is extremely difficult to write dispassionately and without prejudice. The attitude of the writer of the volume under review may be judged from a few quotations. On page 401 he says: "The years of Brown's life were a constant, persistent, strenuous struggle to get money. As to the means which should be employed in the getting of it, he was indifferent. In his philosophy, results were paramount; the means to the end were of no consequence. A stranger to honor, he violated every confidence that should be held sacred among men; and in his avarice trampled upon every law, moral and statute, human and Divine." In his closing estimate the author declares that Brown will live, not as one who has "wrought for humanity and for righteousness", but "as a soldier of fortune, an adventurer. He will take his place in history as such; and will rank among adventurers as Napoleon ranks among marshalls; as Captain Kidd among pirates; and as Jonathan Wild among thieves."

In view of the fact that historical literature is so full of the spirit of hero worship in dealing with John Brown perhaps the cause of history will be served by a book which goes far toward the opposite extreme. At any rate the volume is a contribution of much value. It contains considerable documentary material and numerous references to sources, both primary and secondary. In fact, the author's avowed purpose is to offset the work of such biographers as James Redpath, Frank B. Sanborn, and Oswald G. Villard who, he says, "have misinformed and misled the public concerning the true character of this figure in our national history; and have established instead a fictitious character, which is wholly illogical and inconsistent with the facts and circumstances of Brown's life."

In the April number of the Columbia Law Review there is, among other things, a discussion of States' Rights and the WebbKenyon Liquor Law, by Winfred T. Denison.

Charles Scribner's Sons are the publishers of a volume of Readings in American History, compiled by James Alton James of Northwestern University.

Roland G. Usher of Washington University at St. Louis is the author of a volume on The Rise of the American People, which has been published by The Century Company.

The D. Appleton Company has brought out the first volume of a three-volume Cyclopedia of American Government, edited by Albert Bushnell Hart and Andrew C. McLaughlin. Iowans whose names appear in the list of contributors are Jesse Macy, Irving B. Richman, and Benj. F. Shambaugh. It is expected that the entire set will be off the press by the end of the summer. A more detailed notice is therefore deferred until the complete work appears.

In The American Political Science Review for May there appears a discussion of The Judicial Bulwark of the Constitution, by Frank E. Melvin; Bernard Moses writes on Government in Spanish America. The subject of an article by Louis A. Frothingham is The Removal of Judges by Legislative Address in Massachusetts. Finally, Some Neglected Factors in Law-Making are pointed out by Ernest Bruncken. Among the Legislative Notes and Reviews are notes on legislative investigations, changes in legislative procedure in 1913, bill drafting, the initiative and referendum, the public health council in New York, and constitutional amendments.

The March number of the American Labor Legislation Review contains the proceedings of the seventh annual meeting of the American Association for Labor Legislation. Various phases of administration and industrial relations, sickness insurance, and working hours in continuous industries are discussed in the different papers. The May number of the Review contains the proceedings. of the First National Conference on Unemployment held in New York City on February 27 and 28, 1914.