The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-12
America Will Probably Never Have
the Pleasure OF Welcom-
ing Gladstone
A Very Astonishing List Of Great
Literary Men Mentioned
by Him
Haunted BY Helsn's Bsblss-A Clerical
Locking Theatrical Nanager-Thrifty
Billy Crane, Actor.

NEW YoBK, Oct. 81 learn from an
American literary man just returned from
Europe and who had the pleasure Of visit
Ing Mr.. Gladstone at Hawarden, that he
has abandoned all hope Of ever visiting
America.
II am too DID," he said to this friend, ITO
mink of crossing the sea now, and besides
here is too much work here for me to do.
recognize the fact very clearly that in the
nature of things the end of my life is not
or off. dare not risk the dangers of an
atlantic trip. Yet would not have my
God friends in America believe that take
10 interest in them. On the contrary,
hink without eRotism that may say that
am more deeply solicitous for their vel
are than any other Englishman, and 1
bhould love dearly to pay visit to your
question. have made mp my mind to that
md put it out Of my life forever"
The same gentleman in the course of the
Conversation with Mr.. Gladstone asked him
Il he would name half dozen great liter
ary men Of the day. To which the peoples
William replied: II could not do this, for
there are not half dozen great literary men
that know of. We can count four and
yQAt IL anu Gu0u tu0 0x-p prime mluIUt0E
named the following four men as the only
terary geniuses of the day: Tennyson,
ebert Louis Stevenson, Kipling and Mere
18th, very astonishing list to be sure and
ne that only very few people would endorse.
Here is man who you would say at first
glance had spent half his life on tho sea.
His face is bronzed, his hair triae shaggy,
and his loose. flowing shirt collar give him
the appearance of sailor man. His entire
bearing is nautical. You would almost get
Whit Of sea-weed from his clothing, and
yet he has nothing to do with the sea. Far
from it. He is one of the most successful
newspaper writer's and authors of the day.
It is John Habberton. the author of Helen's
Babies, and he has lust returned from a
cruise in little sailboat that, for the mo-
ment, is the idol of his life.
Whatever else You do" he says, do not
talk to me about Helen's Babies. O, how
they haunt me! Never day that some one
the globe asking questions about To-day
or Bulge. Isuppose in the course of year
receive bushel of letters about Helen's
Babies. OF course. do not pretend to an
swer them all, but now and then some
woman or some child writes to me in
Then sit down calmly in my study. and
repeat my answers into the phonograph.
The next day my typewriter transcribes
them, and away go the letters. No, I sell
dom write with my hand; it is too hard
graph learned to write with my left hand
az we'll as my right. Like Charles Reed,
am ambidexterous-. Nynew novel, do you
say9 @! yes, it will be out soon." And
with this he hurries into the Herald Office,
where he finds remunerative compensation
for such work as he cares to do. II will in
terest you, perhaps, to know that Mr.. Hab-
berton recently dictated an entire novel
into the phonoRraph. something like three
hundred thousand words, and he never saw
it again until it was all laid before him in
clean sheets of typewriter copy. He is
one of the few men who have learned to use
Edison's ingenious machine with pleasure
and profit.
Here comes man whose entire appear
anoe suggests well-fed Church Of Eng
land clergyman. He is of stalky form, a
clean shaven upper lip, sternly set, high
forehead. and curly hair. in fact, the face
of student. book worm, an ascetic. All
these he has, and yet he is neither minis
ter, lawyer nor editor. but one of the most
successful theatrical managers Of the
world. It is A. NJ. Palmer, Of the Madison
Square and Palmer's theatre. He has re-
GENTLY returned from Europe, where he
was mlst4Ken 1or Mons1eur Eloquet, the
tamous french statesman. he 10 worth
e Eyer nan 4. million dollars; manages two OF
IN Madison avenue and in the summer at
his home in Connections or in house boat
on the Thames river. For his leisure and
Broadway, but when he is tired OF rambling
DO retires to one of the prettiest libraries to
be found in the city, where he has . mag
diana. Yeas 400 Ia "a. ors ~ H. w r VIZ
successful Librarians in this city. Getting
into the theatrical business was an acci-
oens' Out q lucky one Tor him.