The Portland daily press., 1885-01-29
Mr.. Blaine's workshop
The Second vOIume of his History i'm
Preparation.


Washington Corr. N. Y. Tribunel
Mr.. Blaine is industriously at work on the
second volume Of his history. He devotes
to it certain number of hours every day.
His workshop as be calls 1t, in the Win
dom house, on Scott circle, occupied by bis
family this season, is in every respect supe-
rlor to the room in which a large part of the
first volume of his work was written. The
house n Lafayette square was o,d-fashioned
and dingy, and Mr.. Blaine's study was i'm
provised in front bedroom in the second
story. roughly constructed deal table
stood in front of the windows, and on this
Mr. Blaine did most of his writing. The
floor, the bed, the chairs, were always COW
cred with papers, books, documents and
maps. OF order, there seemed none.
In his new quarters it is otherwise. The
workshop" is one of the pleasantest rooms
in the house. 1t overlooks the circle, and
commands the least Objectionable view
of the Scott statue. Across the way is the
Louise, founded by the venerable philan-
thropist CorcoraD, whilom shrewd manipu-
lator Of government securities. Mr.. BIaine's
Pendleton, ex- Secretary Robson, Prof. Ora
ham Bell of telephone fame, Stilson Hutch
ms, editor of the Washington Post, and Pay
master Gutter of the navy. A large window
with eastern exposure, and still larger bay
window opening toward the south, furnish
the most desirable light possible, and an
open fireplace adds to the cheerful look of
the study. The work table placed diagon-
ally across the room, is Uttered with manu-
scripts and books.
When writing, Mr.. Blaine sits with his
back to the window. Newspaper files and
books of reference are within easy reach.
but | imagine that, while actually engaged
In writing, they are rarely consulted. Mr..
Blaine's memory for dates and events is as
tonishiDg. He is rarely at fault regarding
them. II is by reason of this chiefly that he
is able to dismiss from his mind ali detail.
aud deal with the topic he presents in the
broad and comprehensive manner which dis
tinguishes his writing. His copy, while It
probably would not be called ''cleann by
printer, is singularly free from corrections.
He is apt to begin a page with good inten-
tons, that is to say, the lines at the top are
generous distance apart from each other,
and the copy can be easily read But
toward the bottom OF the page the thoughts
seem to crowd upon the author, and, in his
anxiety to get them all on the one page, the
white space between the lines becomes
smaller and smaller, until it is difficult to
make out the characters. Mr.. Blaine's dis
like of detail extends 10 almost everything.
but to proot-reading especially. That puts
him in bad humor, if anything does.
just now Mr. Blaine is sitting for his por-
trait to Mr.. Archer, Scotch artist, who
has recently come over and taken a studio
in New York The portrait promises well,
though in the state saw it in the other day
1t is perhaps too early to say what it ulti-
mately will be. Mr.. Blaine is poor sitter,
Mr.. Archer tells me, and difficult to paint.
He is too restless. His energies must al.
ways find vent in some action. He often
rises and perplexes the artist at the most
critical moment