rs were served on
them. They remembered the Broadway trouble, and how three of a former
board of aldermen had been sent to prison, six had had to leave the
country, and four had only saved themselves from punishment by telling
the story of their crimes, and helping the authorities to punish their
fellow-sinners.

The recollection of this worried the aldermen, but they determined to
meet the accusations against them, and asked their lawyer, Mr. Scott, to
go to court, and ask the judge to allow them to grant the franchise.

Mr. Scott, however, refused. He told them that in his opinion they had
not the slightest right to pass that franchise, and he would not go into
court and plead for a thing which he knew to be wrong.

The aldermen, much disturbed at this, decided to let the matter of the
franchise alone, and though there is some talk of looking more closely
into the matter, and finding if any bribery has been attempted by the
railroads, the chances are that now the danger is past the matter will
be allowed to rest.

G.H. ROSENFELD.

BOOK REVIEWS.

WILD NEIGHBORS, OUT-DOOR STUDIES IN THE UNITED STATES, by Ernest
Ingersoll, is a most interesting addition to the new books of the year.
It treats in a charming way of some of the better-known animals of this
country, and will be especially appreciated by those of our boys who
love out-door sport. It will prove instructive, as well. (The publishers
are Macmillan & Co., New York, and the price, $1.50.)

Part of the author's description of the panther reminds your editor of
an interesting experience he had in the Adirondacks. Ingersoll says that
"'the blood-curdling screams' of the puma have furnished forth many a
fine tale for the camp-fire, but evidence of this screaming which will
bear sober cross-examination is scant." In the fall of 1875 we were
camping in a little clearing on the bank of the Racquette River; one of
our guides, an impulsive Frenchman, started out alone one night, without
waking us, and succeeded in shooting a deer. Down the river he came,
shouting and making a terrible racket to express his delight; the whole
party was awake and out of the tent by the time he reached the landing.
Lifting the deer out of the boat, we hung it up on a pole between two
trees, and then, brightening up the fire, sat around telling stories
until old Father Nod began to remind us that it was 3 A.M., and not
breakf