Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-06-16

DONN PiATT AND HIS H0nE AT AAC-O-CHEEk-
Leaving The Commercial, he started The
Washington Capital, and, it is superfuous to
say, edited it on the same principle It's sue
cess was unprecedented. 1t is said that he
realized $50 900 in two years from it. And
what q journal It was! Spirited, saucy and
madly interesting. Excellent literature
graced its columns, and its editorial COM
ment was joy to read TO all whose names
were not therein held up to ridicule as was
that of many q luckless wight Of high degree.
Everybody wondered why Dom Piatt left
The Capital when it was so famous and pros
porous. While engaged upon it he was writ
ing literally for dear life, in other words, for
livelihood By the death Of his wifs's
father he came into possession Of an tndepeu-
dence and retired to Msc-o-cheek, O., where
he was born, and where he has built e75, ,000
house, as elegant as baronial castle and far
more comfortable, and in which he enjoys q
luxurious leisure such as seldom blesses the
slaves of the pen
Sometimes from his retreat he has sent
forth a few thunderbolts, blazing with the
old time fire, or occasionally charming
story or exquisite poem; but for the most
part he has cut the newspaper world entirely.
About a year ago he published book entitled
MEN Who Saved the Union" which was as
interesting as a novel, and called forth no end
of blame and admiration from the critics, as
anything he writes is sure to do. His pub
fishers, Belford, Clarke & Co., consider him
one of their best selling authors, and are now
getting out volume of his short stories,
which bears the name of the longest story,
"The Lone Grave Of the Shenandoah a
touching and beautiful story of the war
Col Piatt is a versatile genius. He is
forceful and finished editorialist, delight
full correspondent, one Of the most charming
of story writers, extremely clever in bio
graphical and other sketches, and O poet
whose songs, though not many, are passing
sweet One of them whose first verse is,
"The bloom was on the elder and the tassel
on the corn.f1has been endlessly copied, ad-
mired and initiated It deserves a place in
the classic poetry Of America, if We may be
said to hayo such q thing.
Some of the people who know Donn Piatt
only through his journalistic work, wherein
he has catered to the tastes Of the many as
journalists are obliged to do, imagine that
he Is a cynical creature, full of bitterness and
ugliness. All that is really foreign to his
nature. Instead OF being q hard crusted
cynic, with his hand against every man, he
is at least one of the most sensitive Of men,
loyal as the sun to his friends, in short, a real
good fellow, much more ready to do kind
ness than infiict an injury.
As is the way Of writers peculiarly strong
in the critical faculty and ability to ridicule,
Dom Piatt has douhtlessly laid it on thick
without being entirely aware of the weight
of his own words As critic of literature
he is among the first. None is quicker to see
the strong and weak points of work or
better instructed in the rules which govern
literary art His own writing distinctively
possesses the quality we call style.
In conversation he is always entertaining
without seeming to realize that he is He
spxaoks in f.aliharafa Aravvl kaorinov h,c
auditors in a roar, while be maintains a per-
fectly calm countenance For instance, he
told In the most matter-of-fact way that
when last in Washington he saw "a woman
with head like O pumpkin, " and then calmly
added, (which is no uncommon thing about
Washington, except ON q woman" He has
been known to charm his enemies by means
of his conversational gift >in a single inter
view and make them his friends for life
In manner Don Piatt is essentially high
bred His attitude towards ladies savors Of
southern gallantry, without the affectation
which sometimes accompanies that adorable
quality. 1t has in it shade OF homage and
Difference which wins the good opinion of the
fair and down trodden sex, peculiarly re
freshing TO them after they have suffered
from the brutal manners Of men in public
places, as have the ladies of New York So
unused are they TO kindly and courteous
tredtinent tnat Dlt OF true pOuIfnesS from
one Of the alleged chivalrous sex almost
moves them 20 tears. Col. Piatt is not the
man to sit in a horse car while a woman
stands, or to elbow her of the platform, at
the risk Of her life, in order to get aboard
ahead Of her. For male human beings of that
braad be has invented an appropriate name
He calls them ''car hogs"
Neither is he in any sense a coward The
white feather never adorns his hat in either
war or peace He says and does what he
pleases without fear or favor.
By way OF a joke some of his friends had
him appointed postmaster, on munificent
salary OF S4S year. He rather enjoyed the
He prnnpsiv Ha y s,most fbs 70 es ms maj, bn
gets letters through the Office, though many
send mail through it.
.'Come for letters to the officel Indeed they
don't, !" he says. MY dogs are too savage"
GERTRUDE GARRISON