The Republican journal., 1881-04-14
Our George Has an Ofer-and Declines 1t.


Recently Our George received a letter from per.
son who introduced himself a writer of some
notoriety, and who thought that his style and that
OF Our George similar, and who then made
the proposition that they should gather up their
sketches and have them published in book form,
andthereby make for themselves fortune, more or
less. We give below Our Georges reply, with his
idea of the feasibility of the scheme
BELFAST, April 4, 1881.
Mr.. Dear Sir Your letter of March 2sth
came duly to hand, and have let several days pass
before answering it, so that it could soak into my
system, and permeate my entire corporation. am
not particularly quick, unless l accidentally sit
down pin, when can rise to point of order
as speedily any gentleman, which must be my
excuse for not replying before.
If get at your meaning correctly, it is this That
you consider that you and are sort of literary
Siamese twins, and that what you know, fused with
what know, would make book. That in our style
of writing we are as much alike couple Of dried
apple pies, only you modestly give credit for be
ing trihe the wttier of the two, and you conclude
by yenturng the opinion that if we could get some
"feller' to take sketches and "bunch them" like
Bermuda onions, and publish them, that we might
derive some benefit therefrom in pecuniary point
of view. have not given your language exactly,
but have expressed your idea in a rough way.
Now have often heard 1t nsinuated, that what
"didnt knoac would make large book, +" but you
the first man that has ever had nerve enough to
sert that what do know would make half book,
and then throw himself into the breach with the
statement that he had the requisite amount of ma
teral to complete the voume.
1t seems by your letter, that you have read some
of my sketches, and through them have become ac-
Quainted with me. In this you have the advantage
of me, as have never had the COED fortune to see
one of your articles but as read but little ac-
count of scarcity of early education, this is not to
be wondered at. | would like, however, to read
some of your pen work, and sec if can trace the
family resemblance Of style that you notice. have
always had a fear myself, of claiming relationship
of style with amy writer, however humble, feeling
that would he treated somewhat as an egitimatc
child, trying to establish disputed parcntage and
| you must, know, be brave man, to dare try it.,
| even such waif as am.
But regarding the book. | don't think that it
would be right, for two such fellows as you and /,
to ban ourselves together and shove book ap
| unsuspectins and guicless pubic. There some
crimes you know, that the law cannot reach, and
that is one of them: but our fellow citizens might
rise in their indignation, and if they did, fear
there would be vacant seat in our family circles
No. sir will not be accessory to such an act. If
l am going to commit the crime, I'll be the princi-
pal, and do the murder all alone. I've got stun
enough to make two books big the public
would care to wade through pay for; but as long
as CLAIMS plenty flats, and our ctys poor
is we'll cared for at present, shall let some
else write the books, and I'll get somebody to
read them to me 1t will be less work and less eN-
| penslve.
I'll tell you what I'll do though. If you will write
and publish book, I'll buy copy price not to eX-
ceed $2.O0,) which will your first edition Of
not being failure. This is better offer than
! ever had for | swear don't know who would buy
| one copy of book of mine.
| They tell me that am not Il very visionary man.
and that l don't enthuse very easily, and don't
| know but what they right. Yours, &C.,
GEO. A. QrIMBl.