“Railways Magazine”

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 10, 13 January 1936, Page 10

“Railways Magazine”

BRIGHT JANUARY ISSUE Many New Zealanders will be pleased to see one of the most gifted and most loved countrymen, Elsdon Best (the “White Tohunga of Tuhoc Land”) worthily presented by James Cowan in the January issue of the Railways Magazine. No other writer in the Dominion is better qualified than Mr. Cowan to describe the colourful dramatic career of Elsdon Best, whose adventurous life could form the subject of a very thrilling book. The reappearance of “Robin Hyde” (Iris Wilkinson) will be warmly welcomed in a continuation of her very breezy travelogue “On the Road to Anywhere.” This time the famous young author is mainly concerned with the Wanganui river, Wanganui city and Maoris whose life is very pleasantly portrayed. In “Jauuairy” Ken Alexander, with droll prose and verse and comic sketches, lets himself merrily loose on the New Year. A very good story is “Christopher and the Gods”, by O.N.G.—a new kind of fairy story, colourful and fanciful, R. Marryat Jenkins continues his “Limited Night Entertainments” with another excellent story which moves briskly to a happy climax. In “Our English Heritage in School and University.” 0. N. Gillespie gives remarkable interest to a chronicle of Christ’s College and Canterbury College. A notable article is AV. F. Ingram's masterful .treatment of his own question: “What is the predominant personal factor about the champion athlete?” F. A. Hornibrook (London) tells very amusing little stories in “Some Side Lines on other Railways” (British and Irish). “Helen” again sustains her high reputation in the women’s section, which must now have a. big following. Other features:-—“Pictures ■of New. Zealand Life,” “A Literary Page or Two,” “Wisdom of the Maori,” “Original Verse” and “Variety in Brief”—are well up to standard. There is a wide range of illustrations (about GO).