The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-28
THE FOOLS ERRAND.
How It Came to Be written-what It Was
Sold for, and Something About It's Author.

Cath writes to the Cincinnati Enquirer
as follows: Today had few words with
Tom Keogh, of North Carolina, late Secre-
tary of the Republican National Commit
tee. Said /: Were you not townsman
and fellow defender with Judge Tourgee27
a Eyes" said he, II knew him well. He
lived four miles from Greensboro on a
farm he bought, and practiced law in our
town. The manuscript Of the Fools Err
rand, his celebrated book, was given to
me to sell for him and his family. His
wife thought it was good book, and
sent to Tom Plat, now Senator from New
York State, to see if he could not sell 1t to
the New Y ork Tribune 1t was returned
to Tom Plat with the statement that they
could not publish long continued story
like THAI in the Tribune. He afteward sold
it, / understand, for $4,000, receiving that
money on account OF the success
and prominence of some of the
books he had published. But his next
hook. called Bricks Without Straw
which think to be his best, he owns him.
self, and it has made him a great deal of
money"
How much money!" / asked.
about $40, 900. | understand that he
has got that amount of money from his
book, and is buying himself farm on
Lake Chautauqua. He is also investing
some money in mining enterprises in Col
orado, and is now attending to money
making chiefly"
How did the Fools Errand affect you
personally, Mr.. KeoghY
well, was amused at it, because it
read to me like history. | know every
body he had sketched in it, but I never
| thought the book would ever have any
such success as it has. Tourgee, however,
was one of the most remarkable men | ev-
er knew. lie was always in hot water
| never happy unless aggressive, and, per
haps, it was his boldness that saved his
life He is of French extraction, I think,
which accounts for some of his tempera-
ment He was born in Ohio, or came
from there, and brought money with him
to North Carolina, and he was al
ways in advance of everybody with
ideas. In 1866 he began to work
the reconstruction, talking loud wher
none of US dared to do it, in favor Of i'm
mediate negro suffrage. 1t was poison tt
the people there, but he kept it up, and i
turned out to be the result. Then he wen
into the constitutional convention or Nortl
Carolina, and has impressed himself for
ever on the laws and institutions of tina
State previously the common law hat
been the guide of all the lawyers and thu
law practiced there Tourgee insistet
that the code of the State of New Yorl
should become the guide for our practic
in North Carolina. Other lawyers, old il
the State, bounced the proposition, but h
stood up for it and carried it through. Fo
some time the old fellows fought desperate
" against it, but as the new generation
came TO the bar it was found that the cod
served a better purpose than the commo
law, and the rebels have never altered il
There it remains; and it is Tourgee
monument. For fifty years there has bee
no man in North Carolina Of anything Xix
his constructive spirit. He was then PIT
ON the superior Bench, and served thel
six or eight years. 1t was while ridin
over the State holding Circuit Court that h
saw so much which he has put into h
books of the scenery, botany, life an
character"