The New York herald., 1879-12-09

costs Of the application for mandamus are esu
mated at s2a50 1t is calculated that the proceed
ings will foot up ut least $4,000 BY the time ver-
diet or disagreement of jury is reached.
The Atlanta (ia.) Constitution frankly says:-"Ow
poets are all Southern poets. and our novests-
such as we have--are all Southern noveists. Does
publisher fll paper full of trash from compost
ton books of romantic school girls: must all
applaud and buy for the benefit of Southern itera-
ture. Does Miss sweetie Wildwood get together
lot of sickening doggarel the newspapers must
gush the gush not only for the purpose OF
building up Southern literature. but because Miss
Sweetie is a daughter OF Colonel Wildwood. What
is the result? Why simply this. that the stuff we
in the habit of calling Southern literature is not
only burlesque upon true literary art. but hu-
initiation and disgrace to the people whose culture
it is supposed to represent"
Mr.. Proctor writes that the amusing account given
by Mr.. Clemens Mark Twanl Of his unconscious
plagiarism in the dedication of the "Innocents
Abroad" recalls an experience of Mr. Proctor's
which curiously illustrates the manner in which the
mind stores up old Impressions and brings them out
after longer shorter time as If they were new.
II amusing myself in 1862" Mr.. Proctor writes
'by preparing number of little works for the future
use my eldest (since dcad) then not quite tive
years old Among other matters. so far ahead did
look, l prepared series of mathematical papers,
which still possess. and very singular, by tho way.
the effect which tho contemplation Of these results
of wasted effort produces now upon me. Well in
dealing with coordinate geometry worked out
result which seemed to to make an excellent
problem altogether and original Iput the result
in rather quaint and striking form. and there it still
romans among the various problems. original and
select, which prepared in that idle part OF my
life About six months later bought copy Of
'Salmon's Comic Sections work which had not
seen since was at Cambridge, and turning It's
pages lighted in few moments on the very prob
lem which had thus US thought. invented, and
not only was the problem there but 1t was pre-
sented in precisely the form which had thought so
quaint and original. Actually the only difference
between my statement and that in Salmon IS book
was that in the final equation (Which. closely writ
ten. stretched across sheet of quarto scribbiins
paper). 1 had set all the terms, positive
and negative on side, whereas in
Salmon the negative terms of my equation were
brought over positive terms to the other side.
This. of course in reality difference at all.
Now. had certainly gone through that part of SAL
mons Comics aud solved that very problem-lazy
had been at Cainbridge-yet in arriving at Il
afresh had not the slightest recollection of ever
having gone through the work before. Certainly II
had published my sets of problems should have
been accused Of appropriating other mems work. and
probably few would have believed that was inno-
cent of that offcnce narrowly escaped exposing
myself to such q charge when published my Co
onetry Of Cycloids. for the geometrca proof there
that the common right cycloid is the curve Of
quickest descent was in the first place advanced a.
original. aud it was only the work going
through the press that learned how James Ber-
nouilli had given what was practically the Same
demonstration. However. in this case there no
plagiarism. conscious unconscious. should NOE
be surprised IL among the problems given ct the end
Of that work several should have others
before me. though original SO for as am con-
cerned."