The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-11-03

Bayard Tayler lcctured on Literature
as an Art" in New York, last week.
He began by deprecating the low
state into which literature in the United
States had fallen since the late war. The
number of persons who brought and
read our best authors was greater in 1860
than at the present time. This was due
principally to the. civil strife, which took
the young men OF the country 10 tho
battle field. After the war had ceased,
the national excitement incident 10 it
still continued. The time had arrived,
however, when our literature was about
to improve. The lecturer reverted 80
the humorous writings Of Bret Harte a.
of the character which had taken hold
on the popular mind Of the present day,
and to those Of Mark Twain which pro-
voked laughter, but never touched
pathos. lie was particularly severe on
that class of humorous newspaper writers
who turned suffering and death 70
ghastly derision. The injury such
writers caused was in exact proportion
to their popularity. What loafng
around a barroom was 10 the body such
literature was to the mind The speaker
during his travels from New Hampshire
to Nebraska. covering a period Of six
months, found, by statistics, that the
author most read in this country was
Mrs Southworth lie was, however,
. L,t . INF IN
decentralization Of our literature lad been
reached and passed Mr. Taylor con-
irasted the peculiaritios Of the average
American and English orator. The for
mer repeated, the latter stammered and
hesitated. In his experience as a re-
porter the only public man with whom
be came in contact who spoke with
precision was Daniel Webster. APP
plause. The American public were too
lenient with the short comings Of their
public speakers. In ancient Athens a
mispronunciation by an orator would
cause his audience TO rise. Language
was the body of the thought. Super
fluffy was a too prevalent fault in our
literature. The fIst law Of literature as
an art was intelligent, coherent, logical
thought. Literature is distinct and
positive art Two most essential things
in a composition were proper beginning
and proper end. With those the writer
or speaker might ramble between with
out detriment. Careful preparation was
of vital importance. The eloquent
speeches Of Demosthenes, Cicero, and in
our own time of Webster, Calhoun, Clay
and others, were the productions of years
there is less depth upon the shoal than
there was last June and July, a fact
which the enemies of Mr.. Eads are
using to create the impression that the
ietties are a failure. Vessels of sixteen
feet draft can pass over the shoal even
at the present low stage of the water
During June and July vessels of seven
teen and one-half feet draft passed 1t
without difficulty. Extensive works
have been constructed there TO concen-
trate the flow OF water over the shoal'
and although not yet completed. they
have already produced favorable results
To hasten their operation, contracts nave
been made with experienced persons 70
dredge twenty-five feet channei
tbroueh this shoal, one dredge-boat be-
ing already at work, and two Others on
their way to the spot. The report con-
tains n comparative statement from Hon.
G. p. Patterson, superintendent OF the
United States coast survey, accompan-
led with charts from that Office, from
which it appears that between the dates
of surveys made in May, 1875, and May
s76 there have been excavated out OF
a spaee seven hundred yards square, inn
mediately in front of the jetties, sixty
eioht thousand four kGndred cubit yards
of earth in excess Of all deposits maze
upon it. ThiaaRls clearly to sno"
that the fears OF reformation OF ene
bar within brief period of years are
without adequate foundation. our own
citizens while experiencing the gratih-
cation which has followed the success
ful removal Of a serious obstruction az
one Of The entrances to our harbor, VIII
comprehend the interest with which me
people of the Mississippi valley watch
the progress of works intended - or,r
the only natural outlet to thai 'n''',,a .',,oa
region containing about tw'ns
inhabitants,