The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-24
Death of Ned Buntline.

yesterday afternoon, in the sixty
fourth year of his age. Ned Bunt-
lines career was remarkable. His
father was a Philadelphia lawyer.
who insisted upon putting Ned
through a course of Latin and Black
stone at an early age. The hoy re.
beIled, and one day after a severe
flogging ran away to sea as cabin
boy to ship that sailed round the
Horn. The embryo celebrity was
then but eleven years old. The next
year he entered the government SER
vice as an apprentice on board man
of-war. A wear later. when thirteen
years old, President Van Buren, sent
him a commission as midshipman
for meritorious condnct in rescuing
the crew of boat run down by
Fulton ferry-hOat on East river.
Young Judson was assigned to the
Levant. Other midshipmen refused
to mess with him, because he had
been a common sailor before the
mast, and while on his way to join
the Gulf Squadron he challenged
thirteen of them to fight. Some
withdrew their refusal and associated
with him, hut he fought seven of
them, one after another, in Florida,
New Orleans and Havana, escaping
without scratch himself, but mark
ing four of his antagonists for life.
From that time on his reputation as
one of the hest shots in the United
States was established. Ned Bunt-
line probably carried more wounds
in his body than any other living
American. He had in his right knee
bullet received in Virginia, and had
twelve other wounds inflicted by
sword. shell and gun, seven of which
were got in battle. He fought in
wars. He was not educated for the
army and navy. The title of colonel
came to him as chief of scouts in the
rebellion of 1861 5.
His first story, 1.-THE Captains
Pig" was published in the Knicker-
booker Magazine, under the pseu
donym OF Ned Buntline, in 1888,
when in his fifteenth year. This
sketch brought nOtoriety to the young
writer and fighter, who subsequently
received as high as 100000 n year for
the produce of his brain and pen.
For many years his income as story
writer brought him in $4,000 annu.
ally. He once earned $4,000 in six
weeks, and at another time, under
pressure, wrote a book of 610 pages
in sixty-two hours, scarcely sleeping
or eating during that time. He usu-
ally received $1,000 for story run
ming through twelve weeks in the
Ledger and other story papers for
which he wrote.
Ned Buntline was not the wild
man of the woods he was generally
supposed to be. He was temperance
man in theory and practice, using
| neither tobacco nor profanity. He
was a good talker, and much esteem
ed as neighbor and citizen. He was
quite wealthy and lived well. In an
interview several months ago he said {:
"How many of my novels have in
f1icted on my beloved land? Well, l
don't know exactly, but it is between
three and four hundred, and each
would make good-sized book.
What is my method? Well, / never
lay out plot in advance. l shouldn't
know how to do it, for how can l
know what my people may take it
into their heads to do? First, in
vent title, and when hit on good
one, consider the story about half
finished. 1T is the thing of prime inn
p0rtance. Then l take one of these
bound books of blank paper, set my
title at the head of it, and begin to
write about the fictitious character
who is to be the center of it. / push
ahead as fast as L can write, never
blotting out word that have once
written, and never making correc-
ton or modification. Here is book
have just finished for the Weekly
Flip the leaves of manuscript, and
you will see that the pages are clean ::
there are no erasures, no interlinea-
tions. If a book doesn't suit me when
have finished it, or at any stage Of
its progress, l simply throw it in the
fire and begin again, without any
reference TO the discarded text. When
speak, as generally do on Dec0ra-
ton Day and during the political
campaigns, talk straight on, as l
write, without notes or previous
preparations"