Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-21
THE WORLD is ONE,
Says Novelist Howells, Speaking Of
Modern Literature.
HIS HIGH REGARD FOR T0LST0I.
Our War Governor and Other Old Men Who
Are Still Writing.
BIG CHECKS DRAWN By RICH MEN
rconREsroxpENcE OF THE DISPATCH.

w
D. Howells, the novelist, at Saratoga the
other day. He has been spending the sum-
mer there and at Lake George. He is one
of the hard-working writers OF the day. and,
like Anthony Trollope, he carries his work
with him. Every morning he sets aside SO
much time Tor writing, and he turns out
certain amount of work daily. He says he
finds novel writing hard work, and he does
not think it pays him to spend more than
three or four hours day in actual compost
ton. He used to write much more than
this, and he has at times worked 16 hours
out of the "a. He is now engaged on short
serial novel, and this with his editorial
labors constitutes his present work. During
our conversation asked him for his opin-
ion of the Kreutzer Sonata. He replied:
IT think it is great work. 1t is the Off
spring of master mind. and I do not think
that the critics are right in their opinion
oil its evil tendencies. The novel is true to
life, and you can expect no other ending for
such a man and such woman than that
laid out in it for Posdnichef and his wife"
THE YOUNG DON'T READ IT.
"But, Mr.. Howells, do you not think that
book Of this kind is harmful to young
readers?"
'It is not the kind of book, replied Mr.
Howells, shat would, think, attract the
young. 1t is more book for men and
women of mature years and experience.
do not know that it would be fit reading for
young girls, but it seems to me that the
young men who read it will get from it
lesson in the direction of purity and good
living"
"What do you think of Mr.. Tolstoi, Mr..
Howells?" asked.
"He undoubtedly is great man." was
the reply. "And he is all the greater for
his simple bravery and truth. I believe the
world would oe better if we could be as
brave as Tolstoi is, and I think many of his
ideas, at which the conventional world
laughs, are the right ones. I believe, for
instance, in his principle of working with
his hands part of each day, and would
that could do it myself I believe that il
we could all do this-if we could bring our
selves closer to a common level OF humanity
if, in short, we could realize in its full
the brotherhood Of man, we would be better
workmen and better men,"
A WORLD LITERATURE.
The conversation turned to American lit
erature, and / asked Mr.. Howells whether
he thought we were forming a distinct
national school Of writers. He replied: ST
think not. I believe the tendency of the
times is toward the formation Of world
school in literature. The writers of all the
world have more Of uniformity of
thought and expression to-day than they
have ever had before. We are finding out
that the unity OF the human mind is by no
q nf
communication Of thought are such that
the brains of all the world work more to-
gether than they have ever done before.
"You find this in the similarity of the
literary productions of the present all over
the world. A novel written by one of the
realistic school of writers Of America to-day
has, perhaps, its counterpart in a realistic
story written 5000 miles away in Spain or
Germany. The German develops and
creates the same ideas as the American at
the same time. The Spaniard tickles his
fellows sides with the same humorous
thought as the Yankee, and, like the Yam
KEGS, his fellows double themselves up and
laugh when they hear it."
OUR oCToGENARIAN WRITER'S,
Some of the oldest men Of the country are
doing their share of literary work. Cover
nor Andrew G. Curtin is writing his
"reminiscences of the War" at his home
In Bellefonte, Pa, and he tells me he has q
pile of mrnuscript as big as dictionary.
He dictates his stories to a very rapid type
writer, young lady whose critical literary
judgment he says is good, and who can take
down the matter almost as fast as he can
talk. Cassius M. Clay is. am told, writ
ing away at the age of 80 in his Kentucky
home upon some additional memoirs OF his
career, and L met not Iong ago the Hon.
John II. Latrobe, of Baltimore, who, not
withstanding that be is nearly 30. is still
writing.
This man is one of the most remarkable
characters in the United States. He was
born during Jefferson's administration, was
a cadet at the United States Military Acad-
envy when Monroe was President was ad-
mitted to the bar during the administration
of John Quincy Adams, and when jackson
was first elected he became counsel for the |
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and secured |
its right of way over the mountains. He |
was the inventor of the Latrobe stove or
Baltimore heater, and he has published |
about dozen works, including law books, !
infantry tactics, hints for travel in Europe, |
children's books and novels.
A LAWYERS $4,000 CHECK.
counsel for the Winans Brothers in their |
railroads contracts with the Russian Gov |
ernment, and l heard the other day the |
story of how he was engaged by them. He |
was in Europe at the time for his health |
when he met one of the Winans Brothers |
and was asked by him to go to Russia. 'I |
can't 90 and you can't afford to pay me |
what it is worth"
"But you must 60" said Winans "We |
have got to make big contract and we need |
a man we can trust. We will pay you any
price YOU want and what will you charger"
81 don't want to go" answered Mr.. La |
trobe, ''but If do go will have to have |
$50, 600.
"All right" said Mr.. Winans, and, as |
Governor Curtin tells the story, he there |
upon took out his check book and wrote |
him out a check for the amount TIE |
result was Latrobe drew up the contract |
with the Government and by this secured |
the control of the road for % years. 1t |
was an expensive piece of business but |
they made millions out of it.
THE czAR's RAILROAD.
ssThe Winans Brothers," said Governor |
Curtin. "were among the first railroad build |
ers OF Russia, and the story OF their fortune |
making there reads like romance. They |
first came to the notice of the Gar: from a |
contract which they took TO nulld bridge |
across the River Neva. They lost about |
100, 900 roubles on the Job. The Gar was |
told that the American contractors had lost. |
He offered to reimburse them, but they re-
fused, aud said that in their country men
stood by their contracts. This pleased the
Gear very much. He then told them that
he wanted road built and survey was
made Tor the purpose. The surveyors laid
out the road in sort of zigzag line, taking |