The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-16
Nye's Farorite Pastime.

Nye's F1rorite Pastine.
manuscripts, with many of which I am
somewhat familiar. do so, also, as a sort
of addenda, rs one might say, to the series
of letters entitled Eminent Men / Have
Saw"
Margaret j. Preston dictates, and has for
the past six years. because her eyes have
not relied upon her own vision, therefore,
fearing that this over-taxation would result
in the loss of sight, which would amount to
o~ver-taxation without representation.
Will Carleton learned photography while
in college. He still uses it in writing out
some of his poems, but in making out the
bill for same is generally more deliberate
and careful. doing this in longhand only.
John g. Whittier writes out his matter
with a Joseph Gillot steel pen, dipped in
bluing. He SAYS he does little now aside
from answering short letters.
Harry Stillwell Edwards uses the type
writer in preparing his copy for the editor,
and is widely enthnsiastlc over Il, although
graph hand, as plain as the clear-cut feat
ures of the hippopotamus. He has a beau
tiful home in Macon, Ca, where the author
of "Ole Miss" and The Two Runaways"
and does enough on the other day to easily
keep the wolf off his door-mat.
William s. Walsh uses a fountain pen In
mailing his thoughts to the virgin page.
lie mates 10 nave Ills UICuCu6ub pcu luu IL
whilst just in the act of shaking hands
with q newborn thought.
James Whitcomb Riley uses q steel pen,
though in the original draft he writes with
alead pencil on a pad. He gets up and
the printer will not get the run of his re-
marks, that he easily makes fifteen or
twenty copies of the same MS. He also
holds the pad on his lap whilst writing,
and so one may read his thoughts on the
poets knee for days afterwards. Mr.. Riley
writes very easily, indeed, and q few weeks
at the hospital after he has written a poem
easily coax back the smile to his clean-cut
features. He starts in with a brain-wave
and keeps on at it, never stopping for feed
or water until the completed poem is
mailed to the publisher, together with a
prepaid and addressed envelope for the re-
turn of check. 1t is but the work of a mo-
ment for him to think of a thought.
Mary Hartwen C~atherwoOd, the author
ess of the Romance of Dollard," uses a pen,
and is very painstaking indeed. She is q
quiet. modest little woman, whose manners
ought to shame the disagreeable literary
person who goes through life filled with Q
nameless Joy because he has succeeded
alone in winning his WI approval
Julian Ralph is a self-made stenographer-
of shutting up his notes like q concertina
while doing rapid work, and then he pulls
out several joints of this even, IT necessary.
but he dictates to q stenographer when he
WTlteS UP u STodt JOD llko q page vi tWO VI
New York paper, which. he frequently
does when feeling well. Mr.. Ralph does
not make memorada on his cuff. Young re-
porters and detectives who desire to attract
attention do this.
Mr.. +. e. Spinner. during his early
literary career. while doing paragraph
work for the United States Treasury. at
Washington, used a three-legged quill pen
and a teacupful of Potomac mud. He
made appropriate gestures by gently wav-
inQ a hriQht red tongue through the
astonlshed atmosphere.
nor Used a typewriter. He does mis- own
writing and thinks his own thoughts as
they occur from time to time. He does not
object, however, to the use Of a typewriter
or stenographer If not taken in inordinate
quantities. He believes that in q literary
work inspiration passes through the two
fingers and thumb. He Is glad to notice
also that the antique fnger-nail trimmed
with edgipg Of moss-agate Is no longer q
proof of great literary excellence.
George Makepiece Tow1c uses o steel pen,
even in composing, he but hopes to
zee the typewriter, or q qualification of
that instrument come into general use for
literary purposes. He is sorry. however. to
see the MSS. of various authors robbed of
their individuality in that way.
Richard Watson Glider feels very much
the Same way. He resents the "put-up-
jobn appearance. of, type-written manu-
scripts, and yet he likes 1t because of its
clearness. Mr.. Glider is the editor of the
Century Magazine, on Seventeenth street.
near Fourth avenue a good and fiourishing
publication, terms s. q year. His paper is