Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-10-07
NM. ERCKMANN.CHATRIAN.


Results Of the Latest French Scan
dali AN Insight ln'O the LsteFa-
IFurs' Private 1tves-N PAtr Of
JOIIy FellOWs.-.TheIr Methods OF
Work,
A correspondent Of the New
York Times, writing from the city
of Paris under date Of September
goth, says:
Two of the most modest and re-
firing men in all France, asking
nothing but the privilege of work
ing and living in quiet, have been
forced to come before the public as
chief actors in public scandal. The
excitement about II Ami Fritz con-
tinues, and if it was not a chef. d
eu9re in every respect, | am sure
the director of the Francais would
hesitate to bring the drama out.
But even the actors are charmed
with it. "C'est ravissant; je ne
yous dis que caw said Got to me
the other day, and even the re-
hearsals are attended with an emo
ton that is rarely reused among
actors.
So much has been said about
these authors Of late that | fee
bound to give my readers some idea
of their habits and mode of life
The big Erckmann is one of the
best men in the world, looking like
a fat, comfortable farmer, and the
mountaineers Of the Vosges take
off their hats with "Bonjour, NJ,
Erckmannw whenever he goes out
just as the people of Ornano to dc
the painter Courbet. They are very
like in the manner of form. Wher
boys, Erckmann and Chatriar
were at school together, and ther,
formed az enduring friendship.
The latter is the sap Of a glassware
dealer, and in 1915 was sept *
Brussels to study the manufacture
Of glass, in order to succeed to tn,
paternai business. Two years late
Chatrian came to P9ris, where
Erckmapn was studying Law, @nC
the two friends met at the house 0
their ancient professor. 1t wa
then they resolved to embfaee lit
erature as a career. They wrot
several small stories for provincial
journals, and finally got drains
accepted by the Strasburg Theatel
| entitled AIsace in 1914. This sue
cess was small, but it made Chat
rian give up glassware, Rpa b
obtained 0 small position With th
Eastern Railway Company j
order to be near his friend Erck
mann Ohatrian occupies this pc
sition still, though, of course, b
| has become a chef de bureau, wit
Il salary of $4,000 year. He bega
with $500 a yeag QRlY The tale
of Poe had a strong hold upop th
imagination of Erckmann, as we
as those of Hoffman,, aud he pre-
pared several fantastic stories, ge'
ting tolerably we'll paid for then
But something else had 70 be don'
rand Chatrian one day offered fc
sale Il Le Bourguemestre en- Boz
teille "-"The Bottled Burgomai
ter "a stale translated from th
works of the illpstpops 4eYm3
romancer, Z. Erckmann." As tn
literary trick succeeded, Chatria
disposed of other g tganslations
in the same style. But wien u
two friends had a little none
ahead they became more ambitiop
and Chatrian, contrary to ii
wishes of the modest Erckman
proposed that they should write
move pretentious volume. Tho
then brought opt Hughes le Lou
which appeared in the gonstlt
tionel, and attracted attentio
Thus encouraged they wrote =" ~
= Illustyious DR.. Matthews" for Il
Revue de Paris, which failed befo
the end Of the story, bRt this W
the first real success Of the two a
J ,thors. Erckmann was in Alsace
the time Of the war, and the tV
writers were separated by the sic
. of Paris. One day M. Buloz,
the Revue des Deux Mondes, we
to see Chatrian to ask for son
, thing, and learned that the lat
r had been engaged in the absence
his colahOPer. in Duttlnp tOpetle'