Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-09
NOAH WEBSTER.
Bill Nye Compares Noah webster'r
Books With His Own.
THE courier-Journal.l


best command of language ofany
American author prior to our day.
Those who have read his ponderous
but rather disconnected romance
known as "Webster's Unabridged
Dictionary, or How One Word Led
on to Another" will agree with mo
that he was smart. Noah never
liked for word by which to express
himself lie was a brainy man and
good speller.
II would become me at this late
day to criticize Mr.. Websters great
work-a work that is in almost every
library, school room and counting
house IN tho land. 1t is great
hook. l only hope that had Mr..
Webster lived he would have been
equal by fair In his criticism Of my
books.
hate 10 compare my own works
with those of Mr.. Webster, because
II may seem egOtistical in INC to
point out the good points in my lit.
erary labors; but have often heard
1t said, and so do not state 1t solely
on my own responsibility, that Mr..
Webster's book does not retain the
interest of the reader all The way
through.
lie has tried to introduce too many
characters, and so we cannot follow
them all the way through. 1t is a
good book to pick up and while
away an idle hour with, perhaps, but
no one would cling to 1t at night un-
Ill the fire went out, chained to the
thrilling plot and the glowing career
of its hero.
Therein consists the great differ
ence between Mr.. Webster aud my
self. A friend of mine at Sing Sing
once wrote me that from the moment
he got hold of my book he never
left his room until he finished it. lie
seemed chained TO the spot, he said,
| and il you can't believe convict,
who Is entirely out of politics, who
in the name of George Washington
can you believe? $50
Mr.. Webster was most assuredly a
brilliant writer, and have discover
ed in his latter editions llS,000 words
no two, of which are alike. This
shows great fuency and versatility,
1t is true, but we need something else.
The reader waits in vain to be thrill
cd by the authors wonderful word
painting. THERE'S not thrill in the
whole tune. had heard SO much OF
Mr.. Webster that when read his
book confess | was disappointed
1t is cold, methodical and dispassion.
ate in the extreme.
AS said, however, it is a good
book to pick up for the purpose ol
Willing away an idle moment, and
. no one should start out on long
Tourney without Mr.. Webster's tale
in his pocket. 1t has broken the
D monotony OF many a trip for me,
Mr.. Webster's "Speller" was I
work of less pretentions, perhaps
and yet it had an immense sale
Eight years ago this book had reach
a sale of40,0O0,000, and yet il had tht
same grave defect. 1t was discon
nected, cold. prosy and dull. L reat
it for years, and atlast became clos,
student of Mr. Webster's style, yet
never found but one thing in hi
book, FIR which there seems TO hav,
been such a stampede, that wa
g even ordinarily interesting and tha
was little gem. 1t was so thrilling
In it details, and so Numerically dill
ferent from Mr.. Webster's style, tha
I have often wondered who he got t,
write it for him. 1t related 10 tn
= discovery ofa boy by an elderly yen
. teman in the crotch of an ancestra
apple tree, and the feeling of bitter
ness and animosity that sprang up a
the time between the boy and tn
$, elderly gentleman.
Though have been close studen
of Mr.. Webster for years, lam frc'
es to say, and l do not wish to do an in
justice to great man in doing 81
that his ideas of literature and NJ
own are entirely dissimilar. Poss
bly, his book has made lit
larger sale than mine, but that make
no difference. When write boo
IL must engage the interest of ii
+" reader, and show some plot to it.
must not be jerky in its style all
scattering in its statements. e'ay
IN knowlitiisa great temptation
write q book that win sell, but "