The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-10
Three American Writers.

usual qualities OF mind, have had rarc OK
pericnccs in life, and possess remarkable
power To please. We mean the Hon. ELI
PERKINS, GEORGE the Count JoASHEs, and
Citizen GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN.
To point out the merits OF these three re-
markablc writer's, to seize and display the
talents with which each OF them is endowed,
to draw clearly and fully their outlines and
pcculiaritics, to color them up neatly and
appropriately, to compare and contrast
them with one another, would 10 no idle
tack: yet, at the very beginning, there would
bc difficulties.
1t ia hard to say which one OF the three
il the most handsome the most graceful or
the most impressive. Each of them has his
own peculiar attractions, each his special
host OF bcwitched admirers. NAPOLEON
BoNArARrE thought well Of men who were
strong in the nose, and every one Of the
three writer's has "a marked and interesting
development Of that organ. All of them
have eyes upon which poet might
expatiatc; and the complexion Of each
gives proof that the blood pulsatcs from
the centre TO the surface. Two Of them
are bearded like pards. and the crowns
OF hair that adorn all their heads show their
superiority IN this respect to G.. WAsHINdrOS
CHILDs, A. NJ, who wears "A wig. GEORGE
the Count JOANSES is the eldest OF the
three writer's, being apparently about
forty-three years of age; the Hon. ELI
PERKINS Ia the youngest, being about
thirty; and Citizen GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN
Is probably somewhere about forty. They
are all about OF n size, IA the saying
goes GEORGE the Count Is rather the more
slender; Citizen GEORGE is rather the more
robust, and the Hon. ELI must have swcled
since he made his visit 10 the dominion of
BRIGHAM You've. Some years ago Citizen
GEORGE had tendency to undue fat,
but diet Of peanuts and hard tack with the
perpetual dilution of Turkish baths and out
How Of oratory, has had the effect Of bring
ing back the shapelincss in which he re-
joiccs. We are dwelling too long, however,
upon the mere appearance Of the three
writer's.
For mental qualities and potcntialtics, to
which Of the three shall we give the palm
| If there were but one palm leaf we should
| be at u loss to tell whose brow IL ought to
| adorn; but we have enough leaves to go
around, and each OF the three writers shall
have his proper award, for all have shown
| themselves victors in the struggle Of writing.
| In his way, the Hon. ELI PERKINS sur
| passes all competition. His mind is OF the
inventive order. and his inventions are not
Of the kind which fill the Patent Ofllce at
| Washington. He secs what other men are
blind to. knows what no one else has found
ont, tells what some men would never be-
able to tell, and does not cry when he IL
contradictcd. Ii we must admit that he
sometimes fails TO perceive the relation
between words and things we must add that
he has some of the qualities OF poet, and
can always present Il familiar subject in a
manner TO make it lively and novel. 1t Is
only when he jokes that no is sometimes
dull. His recent letter TO our esteemed CON
temporary the Times, on the subject OF the
Mormons, partook. in this respect, Of the ma
turc Of joke. His celebrated letter to THE
| Sun from Dcadwood, describing the gold dis
cOvercs in the Black Hills, was no Joke.
GEORGE the Count JoANNEs is II writer Of
Unsurpassed style in dealing with those
studies which properly belong TO him. Among
his tavorte themes are ancient and modern
chivalry, the duello, love, architecture,
| beauty, virtue, the aristocracy OF Europe
etiquette, the drama, fencing, oratory, juris-
prudence, pre-Coumbian history, GEORGE
WAsHISGTON, the Duke OF WELLINGTON
DANIEL WEBSTER, and last, but not least
himself. His method Of handling such
themes as these is well understood by this
time in what he would call the mental
world; and though we cannot say that
he has the romantic talent Of the Hon.
ELI PERKINS,, neither can we say that
the latter Yields the chivalrous pen of
GEoRGr the Count JoANNEs. Az lawyer,
the finest cXploit of the Count was his mem
orahlc passage Of forensic arms with the
aged and yNacous CHARLES O'CoNoR Then
the younger advocate was rather too much
for the Older one.
To Citizen GLoRGE FRAvcIs TRAIN, for
merly q Boston, the inventor of the
Credit Mobilior we must award an
other palm the palm of genius For
originality fertility, variety audacity,
and funnincss in writing, he is unsur-
passed When we think Of the produc-
tons OF his pen, the rush Of his
orutory, and the evolutions Of his
life, we are not surprised that after being II
citizen of several countries, he has become
ii confirmed resident of this city. Here he
can shine enjoying his Turkish baths and
1 strange food, playing in Madison Park with
ideas through the newspapers, predicting
the approach Of universal ruin, refusing t.
speak TO his fellow men except under tho
two-mnutc rule, lecturing tocmpty benches
and trying TO buy goobcrs for five cents a
quart or 10 get his boots made shiny ut Il
price which would starVo the blackers
His successive ovolutons have bocom,
matters of public interest, and his ac
counts Of them give the city as mucl
pleasure rs he himself derives from thos'
b0uioiRnrts which he desires to purchase
for nest to II thing. His sketch of his latcs
evolution in last Mondays Sun was II gen
of its kind, though we were not particularly
pleased to learn of his adding the lux
[ ury of baked beans to the banqucts Of pea
, nuts, raisins and hard tack, which he ha'
= previously enjoyed in the open air, one mca
n day, at the cost Of "A dollar II week II
( short, Citizen GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN is nj
+, unsurpassed writer in his way, and n maj
1 of genius all through his head. 1t is onl
;, his heart that Is at fault. Think OF MAJ