Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-09-12
MEMOIRS
Famous Characters who Are Engaged in
BOOk-WFiting.

4AAlOul C4zEae6eFB Who Are Engaged in
BOOk-WFiting.
And so, writes a Washington cor
respondent to Tie CgeUsJGBd Leader,
Justice Field is to write his memories
Of politics and politicians. 1 venture
the work will be a most interesting
one, and it viii probably describe,
among its California "reminiscences,
the duel which he came so near having
while he was a member Of the CalifOr-
MIA legislature. 1t IS wonderful how
much valuable historical material is
being gotten together by distinguish
ed men. I know of a dozen leading
statesmen who are intending to write
up their reCOlIectIOnS before they die
Representative W d. Kelley, the noted
pig-irOn prOtectiOnist and one of the
most interesting writer's in public life,
intended to write a book OF reminis-
cences in connection with his daughter
Florence, who so recently married the
Russian nObleman with the unDrO-
nOuncable name Florence Kelley has
a style much like that Of Dickens, and
she would have made a valuable as
sistaut. Whether her father will carry
out his idea alone / do not know.
Senator Sherman could write one of
the most interesting books of this
kind, and he has fund of material
which IS inestimable in value. HIS
letters from his brother, Gen. William
Z. Sherman, running back for almost
two score years, are a history in them
selves. These letters are, I under
stand, very full, and they have been
penned under all imaginable circum-
stances. Many OF them were written
during the rebellion, and some de-
scribe battles almost immediately
after they took place. In reply to
these, Senator Sherman wrote almost
as fully in regard to what was going
on here at Washington. and if the gen
eral has preserved his letters, the two
sets would make up the most interest
ing book of the kind ever published in
this country. 1 don't know that the
senator contemplares writing such
book, but his health is almost perfect,
and should he retire from the senate
he could find nothing more interest
ing and profitable.
Sunset COX's book goes braYeIy on,
and it will be alive with interest. He
Is taking great pains with it, and some
Of the advance sheets which 1 have
seen give a great deal of UnWritten
history. told with the ViVacity of an in
terested eyewitness. Gov. Knott, of
kentucky, intends at some future time
to write his reminiSce Dces of public
life. He is a fine writer, and his work
will read we'll.
1t is natural for a man who has led
ah active public life 10 wish to tell his
story before he drops into the grave,
and many the greatest men the world
has ever known have written their
remini scenses. Ben Franklin penned
his autobiography, Caesar wrote the
story of his campaigns in Gaul, Goethe
told the story of his life in Wilhelm
Me .st5r, Charles Dickens. pictured his
souls history III David COpperieId,
and Luther gave the world much of
his life in his Table Talk" johnson
had a Boswell to chronicle his times
and himself, but Poppy, the associate
Of great men Of the times before him.
becomes great man TO the future
merely because he kept a dairy. All
great men should preserve their let
tiers and notes. We are indebted to
Madison $ notes for the history of the
constitutional convention which found
ed our government, and the letters of
the Adamses are literally worth their
weight in gold Think of the value in
anshistOrical point Of view of the let
ters Of Thomas Jefferson, and rec
OlIect that their are still unpublished
important historical papers belonging
to Andrew jackson which he set aside
for his biography. and which are now
the subjects Of lItio ation in the courts
here. President Polk kept his papers
carefully and q book will be written
from them in the future. John Tyler's
son. or nephew. l am not sure which.
is now writing a biography Of the ex-
president, and Representative Dor
sheimer is engaged upon life of
Martin Van Buren,. Down at Chilli
cOthe they have the letters of old Bill
Allen awaiting an editor. Alexander
Stephens letters are the most interes-
ting history of a great life, and the
late biography of Buchanan is so
largely made up of letters that the
work seems almost like an autibiOgra-
ply. Grant promises now to live to
complete his memoirs, and with
Blaine, Cox, and the thousand and
one stOrie: of "Reminiscences which are
now filling the daily papers, the Amer
lean historian OF the future will be
able to Gull more of the truth of
the times than has ever been done in
the past