The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-09-01

first and greatest of class of
novels now to be numbered by thou
sands. IOlE 10 & lxfEIftY
AS in the case of nearly every other
gerry successful book the author had
great difficulties in getting it before
the public. No publisher could be
found who would undertake it, and it
was finally, after three years. delay,
published at the authors cost. 1t is
said that Mr. Cooper, Wis the only
proof-reader of this work, and that he
sometimes actually assisted in setting
it in type. With very great difficulty
the first volume was put in type; and
when that was done, the author was SO
| thoroughly sickened of the enterprise,
| that he would have been more than
willing to give the novel away to atty
one who would have brought it out
But there was not a printer in the city,
who had both courage and capital
enough to accept the authors urgent
and repeated offers.
In 1922, three years after the ap-,,
pearance of "Precaution,"' 'sThe Spy"
was published. Its success was inn
mediate and immense It had every
kind of success which novel can have
universal circulation in the authors
own country, the intense admiration
of all classes of readers, prompt repub-
lication in England. a brilliant popu-
larity there, translation into every cul-
tivated language, even into Arabic
and Persian, countless limitations, and
the acquisition of permanent place
i'm universal literature.
The Pioneers followed, in wificffss
the author turned to excellent account
his early experience of life in the will
derness, and his recollections of tho
lordly state of his fathers establish
ment. In due time the "Pilot' APP
peared, and afterwards the "Red Ro-
ver,n sed novels, in which Mr.. Cooper
availed himself of his six years ,expe-
rience as an officer of the navy.
For thirty-one years he was \ pop
ular writer, producing a long series Of
successful novels, and a valuable COM
tribution to the history of his country
"a ''Hlstory of the Navy of the Uni;
ted States" He took a great deal of
pains to make this work strictly corr
rect, which was high merit in a man
so Imaginative and so patriotic as
Fenimore Cooper, who could easily,
and with impunity-nay, with tive xps
plause of nine tenths Of his renders
have heightened the effect of narratives
fiattering to the national pride by CIV
ing a little play to his imagination. q.
Toward the close. of his life, he wrote
some works designed to cure his coun-
trymen of some of their alleged hab.
| its, which called forth from the press
great number of humorous and sa-
tirical paragraphs, as well as some
which were abusive. Mr.. Cooper was
weak enough to resent this, and to
bring a great number of libel suits
against the offending editers. His fa-.
nous suit against the New York Tst5E
ane was founded upon the, following
words, which occurred in letter giv-
ing m account of trial in which the
novelist obtained verdict of four
, hundred dollars: er f9s15. "a. 5,sy-s,-.
''The value of Mr.. Cooper's character has
been judicially ascertained. 1t is worth ex-
| actly four hundred dollars. "ctl
Mr.. Greeley defended the suit in
person, and made very spirited and
able defence, of which he published a
ludicrous account afterwards in the
Tribune. Nevertheless he was obliged
t. conclude his amusing narrative with
the following paragraph; ga z.3sG
'The jury retired about half past
two, and the rest of us went todinper.
The jury were hungry too, and did,
not stay out long. On comparing.
notes, there were seven of them for a.
verdict of $100, two for $780,, and
three for $500. They added these
sums up-total divided by
twelve, and the dividend was little
over $500; so they called it $500 dam
ages, and 6 cents costs, which of course
carries full costs against us. We went,
back from dinner, took the verdict in
all meekness, took a sleigh. and struck
bce-line for New York" ''i 2
Mr. Cooper rather prided himself
on these suits, and used to boast that
he had won his case every time he had.
gone into court. / have no doubt, no
thought he was rendering service TO
the public iu curbing what he consid~
cred the Hcentiousness of the press. 4
He died at his ancestral seat, upon
the banks of Lake Otsego, in 1851,
aged sixty-two years. His eldest
daughter still lives, and has won con-
siderable distinction by a series Of
pleasant and sympathetic works upon
the charms of country life. Mr.. Coop,
er was strikingly handsome nstn, OF
mag ifcent proportions and most win
ping, agreeable presence, In the boz
som of his own family he is said to
have been the kindest and most enter
tanning of men. ..
The Presidential father Is charac-
l toni znl as asdisnIl,tirttr oil SolorEl