The Red Cloud chief., 1890-05-02
PETER WILKINS"


An 0ld-Tims Novel with Wen.
Known Features
Aaoas the frying voiks-nsviees which
have 1seea freely Used ~ Writers
81 che Hsssssd school Of
Fiction.
How many Of the novel readers Of
to-day know any thing about "Peter
Wilkins?" Yet II In in ell probability
, fact that ninety pcr cent. Of these
same novel readers has enjoyed many
Of tho very devices Of fiction which
were original in Peter wilkins" and
which have been used by Rider Hag.
gard, Edgar Alton Poo, the anonymous
authors Of "Under the Auroras' and
1.-THE Strange Manuscript Found In Q
Copper Cylinder" and some half dozen
other less known writer's and books.
'Pctcr wilkins was written some.
whore about the year 1850, says tho San
Francisco Chronicle, and was published
almost anonymously, the only clcw &c
tho identity Of tho writer being the
signature "R. T." To the dedication.
This dedication. by tho way, Was h
Elizabeth, Countess Of Northumber.
land, that same patron 10 whom Percy
dedicated his "Reliqucs' and Gold.
smith the first printed copy Of his I'D.
win and Angelina"
Tho titlc-pago Of the book set forth
that IL contained tho life and adventures
Of Peter wilkins. q COrnishman, ''Rc.
lating particularly His Shipwrcck neal
tho South Pole, his wonderful Passage
thrO' . subtcrraneous Cavern into Q
kind Of New World; his there meeting
with o Gawry or flying woman, whose
Life he preserved and afterwards mar.
ried her; his extraordinary conveyance
u tho country Of Glums and Gawrys o,
Men and Women that ny. Likewise o
Description Of this strange Country.
with tho Laws, Customs and Manners Of
Its Inhabitants, and tho Authors no.
markable Transactions among them"
Tho book was published In two small
volumes and VAS illustrated with several
quaint 'Cuts. clearly and distinctly
representing the structure and Mcchan.
'ism Of tho Wings OF tho Glums and
Gawrys, and the Manner In which thoy
use thcm. either To swim or n.y."
IL was o until 1885 that tho name
Of the author was found out, and then
II was by accident and not ~ the result
Of any inquiry. In the ear men.
TONED y London printer named NiUDl
aold q number Of books and manuscripts
In his possession which had once be-.
longcd to Dodsley, tho publisher, and
when these were being c~atalogucd the
original agreement for the sale Of the
manuscript was brought to light.
{ From this document II appeared that
tho author was called Robert Paltock,
or Pollock, and that he received for the
copyright twonty pounds sterling,
twelve copies Of tho book and proof i'm.
pressions Of tho illustrations. This, the
probability from his namc) that the
writer, like his hero. was Of Cornish
origin, and the superstition that the
Robert Paltock buried ut Rhyme Church.
Dorsctshire, In 1897, was the same man
II absolutely all that IL known Of the
author Of this ingenious
With the literary mon Of his day he
seems to have had no Intercourse. and
not . single mention Of him IL To he
found among his contemporaries. A.
the result Of u diligcnt inquiry, A. II.
Hullcn statCs that, sO far ~ he could
find, the Monthly Review was the only
Journal In which the book was noticed,
and In that 1t was dismissed ~ - very
strange performance indeed" That
raltock should have chosen Clements
Inn ~ q place Of residence.
says Mr.. Bullen. II not sur.
prising. II still keeps some.
thing Of Its pristine rcpose; tho sun
dial Ia still supported by the negro
spoken of by Charles Lamb; the grass
has not lost Its verdurc, and on August
evenings the plsnc-trccs' leaves CLINT
golden In tho sun ~ they did 1t the
time Of Coleridge.
Ono may still hear the chimes ut mid.
night ~ FalstaR and Justice Shallow
heard them Of old. Here. whore only .
muficd murmur comes from tho work-a.
day world, . man In tho last century
might have dream med away his life.
lonely ~ Peter wilkins himself. One
ran Imagine the amiable reclusc com.
posing his hOmely amid such
surroundings. Perhaps II was tho one
labor Of his life. He may have como 10
the inn originally with the aspiration Of
making fame and money; and then the
spirit of cloistcrcd calm turned him
from such vulgar paths, and instead Of
losing his fine feelings and swelling the
ranks Vt tho plutOcrSts. he gave ~ q
charming u for our Preside.
Slighted though tho book Wan st the
time Vt its appearance II found lovers
here and there and was not forgotten.
A new edition appeared In i'ss and
again In the following year. II WAS In
cluded In the edition Of Popular Ro-
mAnccs' In isia and published sepa-
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