Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23

all topics from cooking to theology. He
is q man of many literary friendships and
there is scarcely an author in the country
who does not know him. He hob-nobs with
the Senators and when entered the library
old Father Jerome Edmunds was chatting
soberly with him on the limitations of the
infinite. Edmunds' bald pate was shining
like the head of boys new drum and his
severe eyes were jumping with enthusiasm
as he argued with the librarian.
THE GREAT AMERICAN BRAIN.
He left moment after entered, and
went with Mr.. Spoford into one of the mar
row alcoves and talked with him as to our
intellectual progress Eyes" said he, 'the
great American brain steadily grows. We
have more applications for copyrights every
year, and there is a wonderful intellectual
activity just now in the making of art, dra-
matte and musical works. A great deal of
poetry is being written, and during the past
year a, 900 literary inventions were entered
into this intellectual patent office. A great
part of our copyright now comes from syn
dicate newspaper letters, and 1 sometimes
receive as many as 20 applications day for
such copyrights The library is steadily
growing, and we now have more than 625,-
900 volumes"
asked as to the new library building.
L
opens" replied Mr.. Spofford, land the peo-
pie will be surprised at how fast we can
build when we again get to work. We are
now waiting for granite, but in one day last
fall we laid 81, 900 bricks, and on another
day SO, 900. The building is an imperative
necessity and it will be pushed along as last
as possible"
A FEW LITERARY PROJECTS.
Speaking OF literary matters understand
that Henry Adams is still at work upon his
history of the United States during Jeffer-
sons administration. He has had four vol
umes of this work already published and
Bancroft looked over the proofs and gave
him his literary advice. The work as COM
pleted will be a very valuable one and Mr..
Adams has the advantage of the valuable
papers of John Quincy Adams and John
Adams in the preparation of it.
The biography of Lincoln by Nicolay
and Hay IS being prepared for book form.
John G. Nicolayis editing the matter and
reading the proofs and there is no doubt
that he and Mr.. Hay will make consider
ably more than the $50, 900 which they re-
ceiVed for the manuscript from the Century
Company out of the sale OF the book.
L see that George Kennan, the Siberian
explorer, offers his valuable lots on Six
teenth street ior sale. These are in the most
advancing part of the Capital and they cost
Kennan, am told, $40, 900. He will un-
doubtedly make something out of it.
Mr.. Kennan Is making cords of money
out of his lectures. I chatted with Adee,
the Assistant Secretary of State, about him
the other day. He said:
KEENAN's PRISON GARB.
"Kennan's suit of prison clothes and the
iron chain which he brought with him from
Eiharia N A have already hrou oht
him $50, 900, and they are adding to his bank
account every night. At the close of every
lecture he appears upon the stage in this
prison garb, and he finds it successful
feature"
Major Pond, the lecture manager of New
York, told me that Kennan was his best
card. Said he; 81 have booked more than
$780, 900 worth Of contracts for him this sea-
son, and he is the best paying lecturer in
the field. One of his secrets OF success lies
in the fact that he prepared himself well
before going on the stage, and another is
the splendid advertisement which the Cen
tury magazine has given him."
Doctor Burnett, the dark-eyed husband of
Frances Hodgson Burnett, tells me that she
Is growing better in London and that she will
return as soon as she is able to travel. She was
preparing TO come to America when she was
thrown from the carriage, and she has been
able TO DO no literary work to speak Of since
then. She has some plans mapped out for
future work, but nothing in manuscript or
in well-advanced preparation. DR.. Burnett
says that Little Lord Fauntleroy" paid
very well as book and as a play. Eighty
thousand copies of the book were sold and
it is still selling widely. The original
Little Lord Fauntleroy" is now in WASH
ington going to school. 1t is or rather he is
the son of DR.. and Mrs. Burnett.
A EEGRo's THUMB.
The cartridge which Senator Ingalls, re-
ceived by mail from Mississippi a week ago
brings to me curious reminiscence of Sec
.retary Stanton. It was during the stOrmiest