The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-12
FRANK r. STOCKTON.
The Authors Charming Home
Amid Jersey Pines.
HIS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.
Interview With the Writer of ssRudder
Grange"-His Love for the Negro
War Literature Not Popular.

Attractively is Mr.. F. r. Stockton's
house situated in New Jersey; pine woods
stand around il in thick profusion and the
country that stretches out beyond these
woods curiously reminded me of my own
lovely hills and dales in England.
Mr.. Stockton knew / was coming to see
him and he sent his dainty little
brougham, the tiniest I ever drove in. to
meet me at the convent station, near TO
which his house is situated. He himself
came to me in his drawing room. At the
moment of his entry l was looking at
dainty sketch by the authoress of THE
Quick or the Dead ?" Amelie Rives Chan
Ter, who, Mr.. Stockton told me, was hard
at work painting in Paris, where now
she chiefly lives
have naturally met many celebrities in
my time-I think I know almost all of
them-but still felt an interest in meet
ing with and talking for the first time to
the droil, clever author of "Rudder
Grange" and THE Lady or the Tiger?"
His, also, Is winning personality, little,
dark, military-looking man, looking years
and years younger than he really is. l
think he told me he was 81, though
could hardly believe it.
We soon fell to chatting over his books,
and he told me that the one he himself
liked best was "Rudder Grange" although,
he continued, 81 like Ards Claverden' be-
cause it reflects that which / have myself
seen of life in Virginia, and it tells of peo-
pie l know. All those young Englishmen
are from life 1t is quite curious how
those countrymen of yours in Virginia
cling to their own nation. They will not
become naturalized here. They are quite
a race apart, always registering their chill
dren as English"
"And yet," objected, Il do not think
that your young Engllshmen in 'Ardis
Claverden are we'll drawn. No English
man would ever speak as young Plummer
constantly does.''
"Ab, but you must remember" Mr.. Stock
ton urged, ''that those young English fell
lows become in time almost unconsciously
modified and altered by our life. They are
very popular there, which they would not
be if they entirely set themselves up as
race apart They are fond of horse rae
ing and whisky drinking, though, which
/ must acknowledge is not considered
quite reputable down there. They go there
chiefly to learn American farming, buying
up many of the old estates which had been
practically ruined by the war. Much of
the romance of the old Southern life has
died out since then, and the discovery of
coal has quite altered both the social and
physical aspects of the country"
''RUDDER GRANGE" AND THE HOUSE BOAT.
/ referred to a conversation l once had
in England with the artist E. A. Abbey, on
American literature, when he had told me
that, while Max Adeler's books caricatured
American village life, at the same time
"Rudder Grange" was a perfect picture of
q typical American village and its life
"Oh, yes, replied Mr.. Stockton, ~ lived
near house boat which gave me the idea
of .Rudder Grange An FISHERMAN on the
Harlem river had fitted up stranded
canal boat as a house, and used to go and
chat with him and eat oysters. So got
the idea, so got into the lives of that sort
of people. Pomona was our servant she
really existed, and e queer, droll girl she
was. too. She came to US from a charitable
institution. Nearly everything say about
Pomona, up to her marriage is true Now
/ have taken the 'Rudder Grange to
Europe and Pomona, wishing to see a real
live nobleman, writes to an earl and takes
the letter herself, handing it in to the
butler, when the earl has her brought in
and she admires his clothes.
almost all the characters in 'Rudder
Grange are from real life. Indeed, a few
people who fancy they are the originals
have taken umbrage and written to me
about it. notably the boarder who Joined
them on the house boat, he was not at all
pleased AS a rule, however, / do not
sketch from life. What might have been
expected depicted the negro in Virginia,
and what might not have been expected
was that when some one read the book to
them they were delighted with it,"
remarked that the old farmhouse story
of American life is dying out, and Mr..
Stockton agreeing said that at the same
time he always endeayored to describe
country life, and his novels were, as rule,
always of the Southern and Middle states.
HIS AFFECTION FOR THE NEGRO.
Il love the negro, " he went on. "Since
his emancipation the negro is merging
into the condition of the poor white They
go now from country to town and the old
plantation negro Is dying out. l think.
therefore, that it is my duty to catch the
traits of the old time negroes before they
die out altogether. The Late Mrs. Null
shows this strongly. A peculiar form of
peasant life Is that of Virginia and of Ten
nessee. Further South they are more like
the Russian serfs. The Virginia blacks. as
/ daresav you know, often took the names
Of the families with whom they lived
The 'mammies' as n rule think more of
the white babies they nurse than they do
OF their own. If two babies were drown
ing in a river at different parts, the black
baby would have to CO. But these grand
old families have disappeared: the blacks
themselves have dispersed and are utterly
changed.
Down in what is termed the black belt
of Virginia the old tobacco range, there
are ten blacks to one white man. Many
of the blacks have continued to live with
what of the old families are left at small
wages The blacks have their old tradi-
tons and habits of marriage etc, which
are quite different 10 those of the whites"
! interrupted Mr.. Stockton TO ask him
If there was any of that Obeahism with
which | used 10 be so familiar in Trinidad,
and he replied that it was not known ex-
cent with new importations from Africa
itself, and that was in the far South.
Their religion is very queer. They inter-
pref the Bible quite according to their
own ideas. Many of the preachers cannot
even read. One old black preacher came
TO the university to see the professor of
Greek. II want to know" said he, IF the
ancient Greeks were colored people, and
when the professor told him they were
not he was much distressed, as he had
been told they were, and he had In conse-
quence thought so much more highly of
his race.