Savannah morning news., 1885-01-25
WHAT BLAINE Is DOING.
Seeking Consolation and Relief In His
Literary Work


Literary Work.
Mr.. Blaine will not be here to see the
Inauguration, says Washington special
of Jan. 10. He will leave the city during
the latter part of February and will prob
ably spend some time in New York on his
way to Augusta. He now lives in Secre-
tarv Windom's house, tor which he pays
an annual rental of 81, 800 furnished.
From a close personal friend of his your
correspondent cleaned some points as to
how the defeated candidate spends his
time. He apparently leads an active life
Judging from the amount of work he has
set out to accomplish. He is now en-
gagged in finishing the second volume of
his book, which he expects to put in the
hands OF the publishers in March or
April. He was so we'll satisfied with the
returns from the first volume that he will
probably devote himself in future to
similar literary work. 1t is understood
that he made over 100000 from the first
volume alone. Next summer he will
begin his work on the early history of the
United States, including the war of 1912.
HIS aim is not to make it merely politi-
cal history of the events of that time, but
soc al history as we'll. He will take up
the commercial and industrial develop
ment of the country and the growth of
wealth among the people. In this cor
nection he will probably find occasion to
illustrate the operation of the different
tariff laws and bow they affected our in
dustrial system.
Mr.. Blaine finds writing books the most
congenial occupation he was ever en-
gagged in. He keeps a well-stocked library
of historical and biographical works to
which he constantly refers, and frequently
bOrroWs others from the Congressional
library. In the archives of the State De-
partment he finds much forgotten infor-
nation upon the subject of the acts of
Congress and of the Executive during the
early part of the century, and in this way
he gets together masses of facts from
which he afterwards draws what he
wants. The general outline of the unfin-
ished volume upon which he is now ems
gagged is all mapped out, and the work of
putting together the different parts will
not consume much time.
Early morning and late at night are the
times when most of Mr.. Blaine's literary
work is done. Although he EMPLOYS a
secretary, he prefers to do the writing of
his book himself instead of debating it.
He is generally very early riser. Six
O'Clock in the morning often comes and
finds him hard at work. He keeps at work
till s, when the family are all up and
breakfast is ready. After breakfast he
retires to his library and opens his mail.
which is yet quite large, and starts his
secretary at work answering letters and
doing odd bits of other semi literary work
and taking considerable matter from die
tation. The newspapers then claim MIR.
Bla1ne's attention. OF these he takes
quite number and carefully scans the
news. So the morning is spent. In the
afternoon he is frequently seen driving
about the city or taking a walk,
10 IL.
Mr.. Blaine long time say that within
the past year he has aged wonderfully.
His hair and beard are now quite white.
and his face has taken on an unhealthy
DallOr never seen before. Mrs. Blaine |
too shows the effects of time and the fiery
heat of the election IN her whitened hair |
and haggard look. Her husbands health !
is not very good, and it is doubtful if he
will ever be as well again as he was this
time last year. He made his will recent
ly and found himself to be worth cOnsid-
erably over half a million.
AS to politics, he is probably out of it
for good. He recently expressed himself
to friend to this effect, and added that
he was almost sorry he ever entered |
public life. He thinks that If he had de- |
voted himself to a business career he |
would have made large fortune and es-
capped the injuries that are inseparably !
connected with political life.
One determination he has come to is |
that none of his sons shall ever abandon |
commerce or a profession to become a |
public servant. He often refers to the |
fact that Secretary Of State is the highest |
position he ever attained, and that he held |
only few months. Within the past four |
years there have been more changes in |
his life than in all the previous tune, and !
now he finds himself on the shelf of pri- |
yate life, probably forever.