The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-09-14
WASHINGTON IRVING.
Historian and Biographer.

One of the brightest names il
the annals of American literature
and the one dearest to American
readers, is that of the author whit
forms the subject of our sketch thi
week. While his reputation as :
historian is hardly up to the grad
universally accorded him as write
of fiction, yet the position he occu
pies as a narrator of facts, is suffi
cient to excite the envy Of any one
whose ambition leads in that direc
ton. His faults as historian ART
open to any one who has read, "Ril
Van Wrinkle" and observed the dif
fuse treatment the ''hero" received
from the one whose fertile imagina
tion brought him into being. Sucl
prolific Imagination could never
confine itself to bare statement o.
mere facts without adorning it with
the beauty of finish so easily reach
ed by one of Irving's ability.
Washington Irving was born in
New York City,and it was there that
his boyhood days were spent. He
came from a family in which the
liking for literature was early deyel-
oped, and one which has given to the
world several authors of note. OF
his fathers family, which consisted
of four boys, they were all, more or
less, engaged in literary pursuits,
Washington, however, made it a life
time profession, and consequently is
| the best known of the brothers.
Some interesting facts might be men-
toned concerning his brothers, and
we will so far digress from the main
| thread of the sketch, as to give a
| limited number. His eldest brother,
William, contributed the poetry,
hints and sketches for number of
the essays in Solamdgmdi. and the
book owes much Of its success to the
valuable aid given by him. His next
oldest brother, Peter, was for num-
Der of years the able editor of the
Morning Chronicle, published in the
city. He was one of the authors of
/ the series of sketches which Wash
|ington afterwards expanded into the
Famous Knickerbocker History. He
also wrote Gioroani Sbogdrro, a pop
|ular novel. John I. Irving was a
liberal contributor to the Morning
Chronicle, and was noted for the
biting satire of his political attacks
|upon his opponents. He was, for a
thine, Judge of the Court of Common
SPleas of New Yosk.
Washington Irving first studied
.law, and was admitted to the bar.
hut soon conceived a dislike for the
profession and abandoned it to enter
commercial business with his
brothers. At about this time he
commenced contributing to Salama-
bundi, semi-monthly, which owed
Its existence to himself and his
brother William. In 1909 he brought
but the Kaickerbocker History Of
Ner York. The pleasant mode of
handling facts as given in this work,
Boon made it the most popular one
ever issued.
tits acurious fact, but nevertheless
b true one, that authors rarely ever
succeed in commercial business.
why this is SO, has never been ex-
blamed, but is left open to conjec-
lure. The Irving brothers proved
no exception to this rule, for in 1919
Ehey failed and were forced to close
heir business. At that time Wash
[ngton was in England, whittier he
bad gone on business for the firm.
|rhe failure of the brothers in busi-
hess, was blessing in disguise, for
It forced Washington Irving to take
Pp his pen and battle for a living;
Ind forced a brilliant genius to
greater exertions than would other
|yise have been the case. The stim-
Illus of necessity was the impetus
|eeded to develop the resources of a
last mind. His whole future hing
IA on this little occurrence, and the
|crtile imagination that created
Sleepy Hollow was rescued from
The fate Of pondering over vexatious
Problems in Profit and Loss, and di-
|erted into channels more suitable.
|'hat Shakespeare was right when he
rote the words:
There Is n tide in the affairs OF men,
7hich taken ut the flood leads on TO fortune"
as been exemplified in the life Of
wing. Immediately after receiving
ews of the failure of the firm, he
ecided to make literature his pro-
ssion, and at once set about it.
he result was the appearance Of
NE Sketch Book, followed in short
me by Bracebridge Hall and Tales
r a 1rareller.
In 1926 he was pressed by num-
er of his friends to visit Spain, and
the express solicitation Of Alex
nder H. Everett, then United States
finister to that Nation, he went.
le remained three years in the land
the Moor, returning in 1929. This
lip, as was intended by his friends,
eyeloped more fully the natural
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