Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-12-14
Authorship as a Profession.

A New York letter-writer thus gossips
about authorship and authors
In and about Boston, few authors
seem to live by their pen; but this is
rather in seeming than in fact. Long.
fellow has long been in comfortable cir
cums.ances apart from his labors !;
Lowell is almost wealthy by inherit
ance; Whittier has little farm, and
subsists in Spartan simplicity; Emerson
lives plainly and frugally Holmes has
private means; Whipple is the literary
reviewer Of newspaper; and 80 with
the rest.
In London, many persons of both
sexes depend on literature, though not
few have Government positions, or hold
the editorial chairs of magazines.
In Paris, where the newspaper. in any
true sense, does not exist, nearly all the
literary men are connected with the
press as story.writers, reviewers, or
critics. They are not journalists, they
are simply literary men employed on
newspapers which have no news.
In Vienna, Berlin, and other leading
capitals, literature has followers, but
few devotees, for the reason that she
starves her devotees, and would her fol-
lowers if they came too near. The Ger
man authors usually have places in uni
versities, professions in law, medicine,
or some speciality, to aid them in keep
ing the wolf from the door. In fact, all
by other agencies than authorship, is
financially a poor devil, and is forced to
help himself, if not to bread, at least o
cake, through other sources.
So New York is not materially differ.
ent from other cities in this regard J;
and yet it is singular fact that litera-
ture is not self susta n ng in city where
are SO many rewards and 80 many op-
portunities for every sort of activity.
Who among our literary men Is en-
tirely such? William Cullen Bryant
writes poems and translates "Iliads'
because, having been for neatly two
generations the principal owner of the
Evening Post, he acquired the means to
insure leisure. Parke Goodwin made
his pecuniary independence also by his
int crest in the Post. The competency
gained by BAyard Taylor comes largely
from his stockholdership in the r. ibune.
DR.. }. G. Holland, now editor and part
in life by his interest in the Springfe Id
(Mass.) Rtppdaican.
Hardly any author ever accumulates
any money. and who earns a livelihood
must look for it to journalism or some
thing else. William Allen Butler, au.
thor of " Nothing to Wear" and other
poems, is lawyer; SO is Richard B.
kimball, author of "St. Leger."
Richard Grant White, Herman Mel
vile, and Louis Gay lord Clark are occu-
pants of desks in the Custom House.
Richard Henry Stoddard has a clerk
ship in the Department of Public
Docks. Edmund Clarence Stedman is
a stock-broker; E. G. Squier, the
archn ologist, is the editor of Frank Les
Ne's Illustrated News; George William
Curtis is the leader.writer of Harper S
Weekly. the Easy Chair" of the Monthly,
and the cold Bachelor" of the Bazaar.
So | might continue to show that every
man of literary reputation in the city
owes his subs stence neither to his repu
tation nor his writing talent.
Western Patents.
The following Western patents were
issued from the United States Patent
Office for the week ending October -,
1872, as reported by Gridley & Warner,
Patent Attorneys, No. l35 South Clark
street, Chicago. H.:
Printing pressm-Chnrles +. BatcheIder and
Washin: maehine-W arren Church, La Harpe
Cultiyator-Reuben Elwood and Richard L.
Pitcher. Sycamore.
Folding be 1stead-H. Harrison Hill. Pontiac.
Corn-stalk chopper james Hollngsworth.
Chicago.
Alton II. Fancher. Chicago.
Wind wheel James A. Risdon. Genoa.
Post hole digger Edward h. Sumner. Free
port.
Tent-William W. Wells. Chicago.
Paddle who el-Geo: W. Dickinson. Charleston.
Planning machine-C. L. and l.. p. Hoyt. Au-
rOra.
Grain cleaner, Andrew Hunter: Rockford.
Clay mixer-Abraham J. knisely, Chicago.
Oyershoe John l.. Mellon. Pana.
Chicago.
Horse collar cap-Rchard j. AlgeO. kala-
Cider mills and press-Monroe JONES' East
Saginaw.
>. Saw mill.,IIenry D. Edward N. and Charles
P.gging jack-John q. Zegler. Salt River.
Clothes wringer James 4. Park; Lansing.
Lifting Jack-amOS ;. Skinner, WlndSor.
Basket-R 'scoe b. Wheeler. Dowagiac.
INDIANA.
Car couplng-TiraS A. Banta. bloomington.
Kitchen safe Adam S. Brown, Delphi.
MISSOURI.
Swinging gate-Levi llatchitt, Jr, Louisiana
Saving machine-William c. Daniel, Point
Pleasant.
Blind Stat adjuster-Oliver L. Houghton,
Holden.
Earth auger-Joseph Wilson. Cameron.
KANSAS.
Portable feace-ti.orge II. Hume. Paola.
Grain scparator-John l.. la Rose, Leaven-
worth.
Elevated wire way-George killam. Fort
Dodge.
Switch locking observation-disclosures l.. Pat
ton, Hamburg.
Shuttle fistener-John C. Hanna, Rossville.
INTOXICATING NosTRUMs.-The persons
who have scruples of con science against
perpendicular drinking" at tavern
bars, can become blind drunk on almost
any of the advertised "tonics" or in
MIGRANTS in half an hour. There is,
however, one exception to this rule. No
body can get over the bay' on VINE,
GAR BIrrERs, for the simple reason that
this famous renovating and regulating
medicine contains no diffusive st mu-
lo,ts Of anu BIND Vat ;tc otroprth h ro