The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-04-25
NOAH WEBSTER
Bill Nye Compares Noah Webster,s Bool.<
With His Own,

BIZ Nye Compares Noah Webstcr,s Bool,
With His Own.
Mr.. Webe-er, no doubt, had the hes
command of language of any American
author prior to our day. Those whit
have read his ponderous but rather dis
connected romance known as '.Web
ster's Unabridged Dictionary, or How
One Word Led on to Another" vii
agree with me that he was smart
Noah never lacked for word by which
to express himself He was a brainy
man and a good speller.
1t would i'll become me at this late
day to criticize Mr. Webster's oreat
wOrk-a work that is now in almost
every library, school-room and count
ing-house in the land. 1t is a GREAT
book. | only hope that had Mr.. Web
ster lived he would have been equally
fair in his criticism of my books.
l hate to compare my own works with
those of Mr. Webster, because it may
seem egotistical in me to point out the
good points in my literary labors; but l
have often heard it said, and so do not
state it solely upon my own response
bility, that Mr.. Webster's book does not
retain the interest of the reader all the
way through.
He has tried to introduce too MANY
characters, and so we can not follow
them all the way through. II is GOOD
book to pick up and while away an idle
hour with, perhaps, but no one would
cling to it al night till the fire went out,
chained to the thrilling plot and the
glowing career of its hero.
Therein consists the great difference
between Mr.. Webster and myself. A
friend of mine at Sing Sing once wrote
me that from the moment he got hold
of my book he never left his room until
he finished it. He seemed chained to
the spot, he said, and if you can't be-
lieve n convict, who is entirely out of
politics, who in the name of George
Washington can you believe?
Mr.. Webster was most assuredly a
brilliant writer, and | have discovered
in his later editions $4,000 words. no
two of which are alike. This shows
great fluency and versatility, it is true,
but we need something else. The read
er waits in vain to be thrilled by the
authors wonderful word painting.
There is not a thrill in the whole tome.
had heard so much of Mr. Webster
that when l read his book | confess l |
was disappointed. 1t is cold, method |
ical and dispassionate in the extreme.
As l said, however, it is a good book |
to pick up for the purpose of willing
away an idle moment, and no one |
should start out on long journey with
out Mr. Webster's tale in his pocket. 1t
has broken the monotony of many a
tedious trip for me.
Mr. Webster's ''Speller'' was work
Of less pretensions, perhaps, and vet it
had an immense sale. Eight years ago
this book had reached a sale of 40, GOO
600, and yet it had the same grave de-
feet. 1t was disconnected, cold, prosv
and dull. read it for years, and at
last became a close student of Mr.. Web
ster's style, yet never found but one L
thing IL ihis book, for which there seems
.c5have been such a perfect stampede,
.hat was even ordinarily Interesting and
LhatseSas a little gem It was so thrill 4
ing in IT'S details, and so Numerically
different from Air. WebsteF's style, that
[ have often wondJfed who he got to
write it for him. 1t related to the dis
;overy of boy by an elderly gentleman
n the crotch OF an ancestral apple tree,
md the feeling of bitterness and ami ;
mostly that sprang up at that time be-
ween the boy and the elderly gentle
man.. II
Though 1 have been a close student Of
Mr. Webster for years, am free to say, l
md do not wish to do an injustice to I
great man in doing so, that his ideas
If literature and my own are entirely {
iissimilar. Possibly his book has mad a (
title larger sale than mine, but that I
makes no difference. When l write a
book it must engage the interest Of the
'eader. and show some plot to it. 1t
must not be jerky in its style and scat
ering in its statements.
l know it is great temptation to I
write a book that will sell, but we
hould have a higher object than that. {
do not wish to do an injustice to a {
nan who has done so much for the
world, and one who could spell the {
ongest word without hesitation, but |
peak Of these things just as | would
expect people to criticize my work. If
We aspire to monkey with the itterati I
# our day we must expect to be crit
eized. That's the way | look at it (
3W Nye.
P. ST might also state that Noah
Webster was a member of the Legislature
# Massachusetts at one time, and,
hough ought not to throw it up to :
i'm at this date, | think it nothing more
han right that the public should know {
he truth.-BW Nye, IN Louisville Cou-
'ier-JoUTHal,