Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-18
EASTERN MAGAZINES.
WRITING FOR TIE MoNTHLIEs TIE
WORST OF EMPLoYMENTs.
Oakley Halls Eccentricities- Henry j. Ray
mond as Editor of Periodical
Pigeon Holes crammed with
Manuscripts.
NV YoRK, September 9, 1850.

In the index to the volumes of Harper $
Monthly one finds among the contributors
the name of A. Oakley Hall, late Mayor OF
New York, who has had, within few
years, any number of vicissitudes. He has
always had journalistic and literary tastes,
and has had considerable experience, first
and last, on the press. He was for some
time editor of the Leader NOW dead), a
weekly, which attracted no little attention
and exercised a certain influence before the
overthrow of the Tweed dynasty. He has
lately returned to the newspaper ranks,
having accepted position on the staff of
the World.
Oakley HALLS RECENT COURSE
Has been singular, even mysterious, and
many of his intimate acquaintance are
unable to understand it or him. When he
was Mayor, and Tweed, Sweeney Co.
were in power, his political prospects were
very bright. He was extremely popular,
and he expected, doubtless, to be in due
time Governor of the State, United States
Senator and Attorney G eneral of the Uni
ted States. Probably he would have been
but for the exposure of the ring by the
Times newspaper, and the consequent total
defeat of Halls hopes. He was, you re-
member, suspected and tried for completely
with Tweed, Connolly and others in rob-
bing the municipal treasury, though moth.
ing could be proved against him. The
general impression is that Hall, while in
office, may have winked at the regular
populations going on, but did not steal or
want to steal anything himself. He is not
In the least mercenary; he has no fond
ness for vulgar display. He courted
the populace to great and I'M
pleasant extent for the sake of its votes ::
but his tastes and inclinations were and
are with and to gentlemen and persons of
culture. He might have made himself
very rich in the days of the ring had he so
minded. But he cared not for money be-
yond it's use. He is very generous, very
open handed, and has given great deal
away. The legalfirm with which he had been
connected, Vanderpool, Brown & Hall, had
profitable practice but when it expired,
Hall knew that, after all his ring associa-
tons, it could not carry him, whatever his
Innocence. So he set up an Office OF his
own, and might have done well, being
competent lawyer, particularly in criminal
cases, had he not temporarily lost his bal
ance and gone off incomprehensibly to
Europe. The cause must be sought in his
worry and annoyance at the prospect of
new trial for Tweed. He is, and has ever
been, jealous of his good name, and he
stood in perpetual fear lest it should be
eO,laI 4rn,,b1ao bod
him much more than had been supposed,
and the continued thought of their revival
rendered him morbid, and finally upset his
reason for the time.
When he returned to his native land, af-
ter passing out of his intellectual eclipse,
he found, it is said, that most of his prac-
tice had left him, owing probably to the
current notion that he was of unsound
mind. He had before this, as you are
aware, attempted the stage, having gone
upon the boards of the Park Theater in Il
play of his own-"W What Shall the Yer
diet Be ?"-and made an unequivocal fail.
ure. This helped to deepen the impression
of his unsoundness, and his late relinquish-
ment of the law for journalism has In
duced the public to believe him a very IN
settled person. He has certainly acted
queerly, though there is no reason to think
that he is not ROW as sane as he has ever
been. He is bright and pleasant in con-
versation makes as clever an argument or
after dinner speech as ever, and is the
same kind hearted, well-mannered, entirely
courteous fellow that he was ere diversity
had fallen upon him. His motive for 60
ing to the World is reported to have been
partially prediction and partially want Of
employment. His friends say he is poor
that his legal practice had so declined as to
be incapable of supporting him and his
family, and that he accepted the journal
istic position from sheer necessity. The
fact OF his poverty is enough to show that
he did not share in the plumber of the ring
while Mayor. He was worth, probably,
$500, 600 to $3.50, 600; but he has spent
this, as he might readily do, with his easy,
careless way Of living, and his disposition
20 assist anybody who should ask for as
sistance. This Is sufficient to explain most
of what is regarded as Oakley Halls &C.
eentricities.
NOTABLE CONTRIBUTORS.
Another contributor IN the past to Har-
per's, who might be ranked as eccentric is, or
was, John Bonner, who distinguished him
self not along ago by running away from
Wall street after perpetrating many frauds
upon his creditors. He appears in the
index as tho author OF forty different
papers. A. one time he was financial edi-
tor OF the Herald and also editor of Har-
per'S Weekly. In the former position he
is presumed to have made considerable
btr lev. ,f h,y
In the street-enough to induce him to
reputation in the banking quarter, until he
showed the cloven foot. He was thought,
Zoo, to have been prosperous. He made
lofty pretensions to financial honor, and
was very severe upon any shortcomings OF
his fellow operators. He has once more
demonstrated how much easier it is to
preach than to practice. Bonner native
OF Canada, is probably living under an as
sumed name somewhere in Europe on the
proceeds CT his rascality. 1t IS pitiabIe
to think thai even journalists cannot
always be trusted. The fugitive broker is
not likely to return here, albeit some persons
had thought that he might, when the
storm had blown over, and when he could
compromise TO advantage with the men he
has swindlsd. Still another contributor,
as unlike Hall and Bonner as we'll may be,
and yet remarkable from the fact that,
having been a journalist, he has already
retired from journalism with handsome
competence, IS VIM. c. Prime, formerly
one of the editors and proprietors Of the
Journal Of Commerce. He is tie author of
some forty odd papers in Hdrper's, includ.
ing stories, sketches of travel, articles on
wines, coinage, pottery, engravings, etc,
and ne still contributes to the magazine.
He made his money out of the Journal
and not being in very robust health, so d
his valuable interest, and now devotes him
self to literature, coins, engravings, pot
terry and bric-a- brac, of which his fine
house in Twenty third street is full He
is an authority on such things, and is very
busy with his collections, with committees.
and seeing people interested in art and
divers specialties. Seeming so felicitously
situated possessed of means, talent, cul-
ture, home full of objects of art and
abundant leisure, he might be envied by
many hard working journalists, who have no
hope OF freedom from their daily grind.
But Prime, like everybody else. is not, in
all probability, as happy as he affects. He
has lost his wife, TO whom he was devoted,
and he has no chi dfen SO that his means
are not the source Of comfort to him that
they might be. Perhaps ne would ex.
change some of the goods he owns for the
goods that others own, and do not appre-
80 ..NAa.