Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-02-17
GEORGE, THE AUTHOR.

The upspringing of the English people
from reading Mr.. Georges celebrated
Progress and Poverty is a sign of the times
OF a very important character, as showing
the near approach of the time when the
people in more han one or two European
countries will insist upon a change in ex,
listing laws affecting property, with a view
so to change the present ways of distrib-
uting wealth as to stop the tendency by
which the rich get richer and the pool
poorer. That a book written by an Amer.
lean should produce so striking a result on
the other side of the ocean should have
aroused the popuiace; provoked discus
sion from statesmen, eminent professors
and the highest class Of magazines and
newspapers; that the book should have
been translated into two languages, and
have been pronounced to be "one OF those
books which mark a new era"-is awaking
attention TO the author, and the question
is asked, "Who is Mr.. GEORGE" Henry
George was born in Philadelphia on Sep
tember >, 1889. He was the oldest son OF
a large family. His school education was
limited. At thirteen he was a merchants
clerk at fifteen a tailor, then a painter,
then worked his way as a sailor to Califor-
mia; became q miner in British Columbia
next a printer in San Francisco, where he
fist married, and afterward came Of age.
In 1867 he became reporter for a daily pa
per, and aitcrward managing editor. In
1868 he visited New York on telegraph
business, and there, he relates, his atten-
ton was first directed to the extremes OF
wealth and poverty. On his return to
California he continued to think upon the
subject, and, in 1871, published a small
work upon Our Land and Land Policy,
He was for a while editor of a San Fran
cisco paper. This paper he had TO leave
because he opposed railway monopoly,
and, in 1878, he started the Post, bnt finan-
cial embarrassment caused him to accepts
small government office. He then set to
work in his spare time and, in 1879,
placed the pages OF Progress and Por.
erty before the world, with Appleton &
W. VI NCN iNihi IOi puollSutIs. MI
George took a strong interest in the suffer
ings of Ireland, and wrote upon the sub,
ject. While travelling in Ireland, in 1882,
he was arrested by the English, but
was released, and on his return to
New York he received an appreciative
public reception. As a speaker Mr..
George is fluent and forcible as a writer,
his English is remarkable for its lucid, in
%cisive, vigorous yet plain, simple and pure
style. Progress and Porery was successful
from the start readers could not help but
notice it, were they diReidnic or clodhop-
pers. All classes OF thinkers became inter
ested in its audacious, and not unirequently
successful assaults, upon the highest class
OF writers upon political economy. In Great
Britain over 100000 copies have been sold,
still more on this continent, and it has
beer translated into German and French.
The work is an important one, and spite
OF one especially Objectionable tenet
taking land from its owners without COM
p~ensation-it viii become a standard.
Once more the United States has an author
the country can he proud Of.