Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-03-12

"ork-WorlSing at His Trade Also.
Broad street, Aberdeen, has several
claims to distinction. Lord Byron when a
boy had his home in Broad street, and
There, too, for number of years has lived
John MackintoSh, news agent and author
OF the History of Civilization in Scot
land, !" in four big volumes; Scotland" in
the STORY of the Nations series, "The
valley of the Deveron" and other works
one OF the most notable personalities that
the north country has of recent times pro-
duced. Macintosh was born in humble
circumstances; he is in humble circum-
stances still He has had a hard struggle
many time to earn living in a very
humble way, but, surrounding the diff
cuities of an imperfect education, and dis
playing an industry which no circum-
stances could weary, has produced what
has been described as one of the most com
piete histories of Scotland ever written. A
representative recently visited Aberdeen
and had the privilege of chat with the
shoemaker historian.
Il found Mr.. Macintosh" he writes,
busy at work in his little shop. Round
the shelves were ranged copies of his fa-
nous book, while the counter was covered
with the daily and weekly newspapers.
We were soon engaged in an interesting
conversation, and between the visits of
customers he confded to me many partfc-
ulars of his life and his methods of work.
HIS dialect is n broad and pronounced
Aberdeenshire
John Macintosh is now 81, but he
bears his age we'll He is a native Of the
parish of Botriphnie, in Banffshire. Scot
land has always been fortunate in its par
lsh schools, and what education Mackin-
tosh received was obtained mt one of them.
But only very documentary knowledge
OF the three RS must have sufIiced in his
case for at the age of 10 he had to turn
TO farm work TO obtain a living The con-
ditions of agricultural labor are still very
hard in these northern counties, with
their uncongenial climate; they were hard
er when Macintosh was a boy, but they
aided in the development of those stern
and hardy qualities of character which he
has since displayed.
Anxious to better his condition, the fu-
ture historian, after a few years was ap-
prenticed to shoemaker, and, as he grew
to manhood, worked in the various dis
tricts in the counties Of Aberdeen, Banff
and Kincardine. He was always a great
reader, and perused whatever books he
could procure, He had an idea that he
might write history Of his country some
day, and as opportunities presented them
selves he extended the range of his study
and was constant in his efforts for~the ac-
Quirement of knowledge.
ABOUT NR. Macintosh
Mr.. Macintosh settled in Aberdeen in
1854 and opened a small news agents shop,
first in the Gallowgate and subsequently
In Broad street. He was now within reach
of more books than ever before. The sDlen-
did library of the university was easy of
access, and be spent many hours among
Its treasures. The idea Of his lifos work
gradually took definite form, and he was
finally able to carry it to successful ter
minatloR under conditions which would
have daunted most men, but which only
made him strive and work the harder. on
my shop counter be recently wrote.
amid the noise and hustle of these stirring
streets, the four volumes of my history
were written and the proof sheets corrected /
and revised, all being done while custom I
ers were coming in and going ont and con
stantly interrupting me-
4 had intended he said. to write a
history Of my country for a long time be- !
first would begin with the Reformation /
period, and thirty years ago / read def .
nitely with that object in view | began
materials for my great work as
long ago as 1860. The form my book event I
ually took was decided twenty-four or
twenty-five years ago. The history begins /
with the earliest traces Of man in Scotland. /
and treats of the development and history I
Of civilization down to the present time /
How long were you engaged on the .
arst volumeP "A long time; in fact, about
tive years in all 1t was published in 1873. .
The second volume was produced very
much more rapidly. 1t treats mainly of .
the Sixteenth century, and much Of the I
Information it contains was drawn from
original records. Some eighteen months .
were occupied in writing it and seeing it /
through the press 1t appeared at the end .
Of 1879
now HE WORKED.
The Seventeenth century down to the
extinction of the Jacobite rebellion is dealt
with in the third volume 1 had not pre-
yionsIy studied this period so carefully,
and | was engaged on the volume alto
gether some three years. 1t contains an
outline OF European philosophy, which
took more out Of me than all else besides.
The fourth and last volume was in some
respects the easiest of all to write. It deals
with the Eighteenth and Nineteenth cent
1ries and contains history of Scottish
a subject on which ] was well
versed. In fact, for this portion Of my
book was specially complimented by Pro
lessor Neitch, Of Glasgow university--no
mean authority, as you will readily admit
Your work altogether, then, must have
occupied you many years2
"'From the time / began to write the
irst volume till the last one was published
vas about nineteen years. But Of course
was engaged studying the general sub
ect much longer than that
During what portion Of the day was
most of your work doneP In the early
| always preferred the morning
sunlight to the midnight oil. Twas usually
up at o'clock, and at once commenced
work on my manuscript in the shop here
For several hours at that time Of day there
we're few customers, and in the light morn
ngs especially made good progress From
March on to October got through n lot of
work. / generally devoted five days
week to literary labor-of course / had al
ways to attend to my shop-and was able
% complete about eight or nine pages per
lay
"'You have written another historyf
Yes; I am the author of Scotland" in the
Story of the Nations" series, but that
vas Of course a very much less laborious
ask than my other book. 1t occupied me
or a little over twelve months. But was
veil up on the subject, and no special re-