Page
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MONDAY, MARCH 6,′ 1933.
EARLY AUSTRALIAN
JOURNALISM.
Western Centenary Approaching.
K
PERTH'S FIRST PAPER.
Within a few months of the founding of Perth
Swan on the River, in August, 1829, there ap peared a newspaper in the form of
a handwritten sheet, nailed to a gum tree in the middle of the town
Within of tents.
another two months a more regular journal was appearing at Fremantle, the port of the colony. It was conducted by a certain James A. Gardner from an
hole. The news was written by hand on doable foolscap costing 38. 6d. Thus journalism in the colony was born.
Books To Set The Gossips Talking.
Author's Anonymous
Annoying Novel.
J. S. FLETCHER AGAIN
(By HOWARD SPRING.)
There is
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THE CHINA MAIL.
43
LARGEST LIBRARY | AN OLD
IN WORLD,
Washington Claims
Distinction.
Washington.
DRILL
BOOK
The Library of Congress was The 18 Manoeuvres Of
halled on December 18 as the
largest in the world in the annual report of Mr. Herbert Putnam, Librarian.
ap-
Dundas.
"I have recently had the oppor-
Noting that the book collec.itunity of studying an old drill book tions now number 4,477,431, exclu- bearing the title Rules and Regu- sive of millions of maps,
manu- lations for the Formations, Field scripta, musical compositions and Exercise, and Movements of His engravings, Mr. Putnam said, "A Majesty's Forces' - known col- study of the most recent figures' loquially B.S the. *Eighteen leads clearly to the belief that the Manoeuvres of Dundas," writes a "The Gold Falcon." Anonymous. is all it comes to in the long run. Library of Congress now heads the Times correspondent.
As Sir John Fortescue tells us (Faber and Faber, 78, 6d.}.] In this case Mr. Fletcher does not list" of the world's libraries. Mr.
tell us.
to his in his "History of the British Putnam Any one of four personS
also referred I am distrustful of the books may have been the murderer. We institution as one whose business Army" It was the first official drill slackened because of book and was authorized in 1792. which reach me from time to time have at least tile consolation that has now
This particular copy, printed in A clearer figure is William Ker-with a note saying that the author the four succeed in wiping one economic conditions.
"Depression has not decreased 1803, was the property of Charles not Shenton, whose newspaper is already a distinguished novelist, another out before the hunt is
the work of the Library of Con- Napier and bears his signature in which he founded in February. trying a new fashion of writing over. 1831, has developed into the West under a nom de plume.
gress," he said. "On the contrary, various places as well as marginal notes. The authenticity of these Australian of to-day.
rarely intrinsic evidence that he is["The Jovial Ghosts." By Thorne there have been decided increases, in the demands upon it. And Smith. (Barker, 7a. 6d.).]
is undoubted, but analysis shows Shenton, a young engineer. of anything of the sort.
there seems to have been no
that some must have been added Winchester, arrived at the Swan Now comes "The Gold Falcon," River in October, 1829, and esta-with the publishers' assurance! This is an American novel, and preciable slackening of the institu. at a later time-possibly as
growth. The
form of record-with some atten- incoming- blished carly in 1831 a horse-'that even they do not know who it tells of the misadventures of 'tion's driven four mill at Fremantle, and wrote it. "They have it on thejstaid middle-aged man named Top-books and pamphlets reached the dant loss of accuracy. The first Five hundred signature "Chas. Napier, 1st Lieut. under the same roof began to bring authority of the distinguished man per. George and Marion Kerby, total of 185,143. out a weekly manuscript newspaper, who submitted the manuscript," "the fastest young couple in town," and five books were added to the 95th (Rifle) Regt, 1805," is
inaccurate well 48 written on both sides of a double that the author is already a very crashed their mowicar into a tree, collections every 24 hours through. tainly sheet of foolscap and sold at 38. a well-known novelist."
wrecked it, and killed themselves. out the year. At the estimated posthumous. The "Corps of Rifle- 1800, copy. He had the promise of the
The car was re-conditioned and average rate of 10 books to the men," as it was known in In this case there is plenty off
balf miles of does not appear as the 95th Government advertisements and evidence that the claim is well-Topper bought it, not knowing that foot, three and a formal notices, and the Government founded. "The Gold Falcon" is at was haunted by George and shelving are required for the Regiment of Foot until 1804, by
ever. offices bought three copies of the provocative, annoying book, and Marlon, as fast as The orderly arrangement of this mere which time Napier was a captain in paper weekly. Here was an initial guessing at the authorship will be trouble with these ghosts was that annual increment to the colled the Royal Staff Corps-a fact. which he attests by another signa- revenue of £25 A quarter; but a favourite occupation of literary they could talk out loud and do tion."
Įture. Again, one note contains a though he managed to maintain his parties for some time to come. things just as handily as though;
reference to the Battle of Busaco. weekly issue without fail from Fe- There are clues lying all over the they were incarnate; and Mr. Top bruary to April, 1831, Shenton had pages, but sometimes the trails per naturally began to find life! reason to complain that "from the cross in a bafting way. Still, I dificult when people heard him tediousness and expense of a manu- have narrowed the circle down to conversing with occupants who
ROMANCE OF THE CHINA SEAS.
script publication" he had not three well-known writers, one of were not to be seen in the car and "Taffrail's" New Novel. Empress's Poem
found "even lion."
Butcher Helps.
la April relief came in the hands
(d.)]
cer-
a modest remunera- whom, I dare swear, is the author, when his jovial ghosts helpfully!
The book is about "Manfred," a but invisibly carried visible buc-["The Scarlet Stripe." By Taffrail. wartime airman, who became one kets for him or rushed cheerfully (Hodder and Stoughton 78. Until recently Queen Marie of of the poets of the war, and later in when he found himself in a
Rumania, who once wrote novels wrote a famous war-book. He 4ght. It is a broadly farcical and A new novel by Taffrail is al- under the signature of "Carmen of an immigrant butcher, one John, marries, doesn't get on with his amusing mixture of Wells's "In-ways welcomed by a large circle of Sylva," was the world's only, liter- Weavell, who brought with big wife, and goes to New York "invisible Man" and "The Man Who admirers, and The Scarlet Stripe ry Queen. Now the Rumanian from Hobert Town, Van Diemen's search of freedom and personal, Could Work Miracles" with a dash is fully up to the author's standard. Royal novelist must share that dis-: Land, a little Ruthven hand press sunrise." He falls in love with a of "Valentine Vox."
It is an exciting yarn of life at tinction with the Empress of da One account says that this press girl who wants him but won't have Mr. Thorne Smith wrings out all sea, told by a Naval Surgeon. The pan. a tiny thing less than 2 ft. high him; he learns that his wife is ill, the humour that there is in arst part deals with some thrilling old and is, like many high-born Empress Nagako, who is 29 years which is on view to-day at the Pu- buys an airplane, and starts to fly happy idea.
War experiences, which, as CX- blic Library, Perth-had already home. He is drowned in tho
plained in the Foreword, are based Japanese women, accomplished in printed the rat newspapera at Ho-
the arts of poetry and painting, has on actual incidents. Atlantic. bart and Launceston. Shenton
To make such an outline is to
his
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{"Passion." By Robert Neumann.
(Hutchinson, 7s. 6d.).]
"made an arrangement" with Wen- give the pot without its contents. vell, and on April 25, 1831, the The strength of the book is the
"Six Literary Marriages" is the first printed newspaper the vividness with which innumerable sub-title of this translation from
the work of a Viennese novelist.
Shelley, Strindberg, Dostoievsky,
colony was turned out in the shed
at Fremantle. At the other ead of
The
Beenes
are
The
is the last: "The Auction at Balzac's." ne-act
!
V
The larger portion of the book just composed an ode delicated to is concerned with life on a const», the lepers of Japan. ing-steamer and a Warship in the The Imperial poem, by command China Seas, where the Chinese Pir of the Emperor Trohito, is to be recited in all the leper hospitals ates are still to be reckoned with.
All art is said to be the elimina in the country.
and personalities
Ite weakneES brought before us. the building the plodding horse, is its lack of "binding" (it is Goethe, Byron and Balzac are the tion of the superfluous, and the art trumping in endless roundabout, diffuse and sprawls), ita tendency half-dozen whose love affairs are of writing, in particular to consist was grinding to fleur the first
la chatter, and the failure to work best piece out of the six
put rather shrilly on view.
in knowing what to omit. Taffrail wheat harvested in the colony. the allegory of the gold falcon into
is a man of action, and his style Fremantle Observer, the
any revealing relation with the It is cast in the form of
brisk and cheery; he tells his tale Perth Gazette, and the West Ans- human comedy. tralian Journal, as the title ran,
Much of the chatter is about play and it would go well on the in simple, straightforward man- was also slurt lived. In June
stage. men of letters, thinly disguised butį Shenton transferred the editorship unmistakable: Lawrence of Arabia
Perhaps that is why school-boys | and management to Charles Mac and Lawrence of the ganglions and "The Loser Paya." By Harold
There are faull, although himself continuing complexes, Wells, Bennett, Aldous
Bindlogs. (Ward, Lock, 78. rejoice in his books,
flashes of shrewd humour in the da. to perform "an active duty gratis." Huxley, Walpole and many an-
Bd.).] In August came a break. Before other. Kind things are sald of
Canada und Cumberland make scription of the doctor's fellow- then, according to Edmund Stirl
Charlton and Scott, Passengers on board a P. and 0. some: cruel things of others. up the scene.
gold-miners, shared hardships, and Boat, East of Suez, which will cause many chuckles. Love and
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ner, with no sentimentality, and no appeal to the emotions.
ing, a local historian, there was a. There will be some heartburning. when Charlton arrived home with adventure go hand in hand, and disagreement among the pru The novelist who la called "thei prictors and Macfaull carried off iterary
the money of both he thought he the doctor meets his fate in a fas- pug - dog of London; the press to a tent in the bush at society" will not like it.
had left Scott dead behind him. leinating Russian refugee at Hong Hamilton Hill, three miles out of,
But Scott turned up in Cumber "Manfred" has evidently hadi the town. The owner of the press, something on his chest for a longland and rough Justice was done, i however, soon seized it for non- time, but he hasn't had the courage finesse. He has a hefty, forthright payment of the reat on the to be sick in public.
machine. A few more issues were brought out and then the Gazette, in the old humility of manuscript. started on a year of irregular and intermittent publication according to the opportunities and Industry of Macfaull.
{"Mr.
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Daddy Detective." Collin Brooks.
78. €d.).]
Mr. Bindloss is never troubled by
Kong.
pen that is at its best in dealing! Comedian-Poet
with simple people and primitive By conditionE,
Many will find re- (Hutchinson, freshing his vigour and avoidance
of vapoure.
There seems to be no end to the twists which you can give to the
Then, at the end of 1882, the mystery novel. Mr. Collin Brooks Government brought out its own gets his peculiar effect by whim- printing press from England, and
sicality.
KEATS'
LUCIDITY
John Tilley, Kenneth Blain, and Gue Chevalier, the three comedians of Revudeville at the Windmill theatre, form a contrast of differ- ing styles. Yet they have one thing common each invents and
in
writes everything he does.
It is now revealed that the broad.
y comical Chevalier writes serious
But indeed nothing is more re-poetry, especially poetry for chil
in January. 1833, the Gazelle ap- Mr. Daddy, who is suspect hut! peared in the glory of type, and does much to clear up the crime, | Macfaull, with a very satisfactory is Dickensian. He lived above his markable in Keats than his clear-dren; some of his efforts have sp- arrangement for the use of the business premises overlooking Lon-sightedness, his lucidity; and luci-beared anonymously in the theatre press and the printing of Governdon River. He looked like a Toby-dity is in itself, akin to character programme. ment notices, set up in the capital. jug, and somehow he managed to and to high and severe work... From the Gazette of 1833 there is talk like one, Then there was Even in his pursuit of "the plea- an unbroken succession to the Inspector Debenham, known asures of song," however, there is West Australian of to-day, as there Doleful Deby who could quote Hen- that stamp of high work which is is also from the Inquirer of 1841 ley and knew the very house which akin to character, which is charac- to the Daily News.
had been Lewis Dodd's "silver aty" ter passing into intellectual pro- in the "Constant Nymph.". There duction.....
are plenty of other quser charac- No one else in English poetry, HUMOROUS DETECTIVE TALE. ters, and some tough ones, too save Shakespeare, bas in expres
and the problem they are all mixed aloh quite the fascinating of Keats, Dr. Maynard Smith's "Inspector up with is grim and complicated. his perfection of loveliness. Frost in Crevenue Cove" belongs to Mr. Brooks is well worth know- For the second great half of pos« the humorous-realistic-solid profes-ing if you like a little pleasant tic interpretation, for that faculty sional species of detective tale, sentimentality stirred
Its weakness is that the narrative blood-tub.
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Into the of moral interpretation which is in Shakespeare, and is informed by: does not move forward briskly on-l
kim with the same power of beau- ough. It is rather slow and pon-]["Who Killed Alfred Snowe?" ty as his naturalistic intérpreta- derous, like stout Inspector Frost! By J. B. Fletcher. (Harray, tions, Keats was'not ripe. For the himself. At one or two points you| 7a. 6d.).1
arthitectonics of poetry, the facul- begin to feel you will be hanging).
ty, which prasides at the evolution about Cravenna Cove for ever,
Mr. Fletcher stands by the old of works "Uke" the" Agamēmpon or Its strength is in its admirable tried methods: the regular police, Lear, he was not ripe. But in character drawing, which is much in friendly rivalry with the pri-shorter things, where the matured better than that in the ordinary my-vate investigator, the murder on power of moral Interpretation, and stery story. The two police officers the first page, and a hell-for- the high architectonies which go are the real thing, and the other leather breathless chase' till the with complete poetic development, people in the tals could walk into quarry is ran to sarth
| are not required. He is perfect...
an ordinary novel of mannors and His very title admits no quib- Mathew Arnold, in "Esanyaṇin: Cri- not be ashamed "of themselves." bling. After all, who killed whom ticiam."
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