Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-28
BOGY'S NEW BOOK.
rcontinuca From First Page

congregation partly composed, accord
inc 10 the author, OF wicked huS0anOS
and careless wives. Mr.. BOgy calls THIS
minister ''The Rev. DR.. Parteli, ana
because there is in Washington Rev.
Dr BARTLETT presiding over a rich and
Influential church, and because the
names oPartell" and Bartlett" have
manv pOints of similarly, people are
forced to think that the daring noVeiist
had DR.. Bartlett ia mind. commission
or Raum apparently thought so. MI
Bogy denies that such was the case.
These instances illustrate we'll the
cause of Washington's agitation. Here
is a writer who sees what he concelVeS
n be an immoral influence at work In
Denartment life &c the National capital.
re observes closely; he knows that
MANY believe with him that scores OF
virtuous women in Washington fall De
meath the weight Of temptation thrust
uDon them by superior officers; ne de-
cides to write a book and open the way
FOR q great moral reform. .
WHAT DICKENS WOULD HAVE DONE.
Dickens turned the artillery OF
his analysis and description at
evils prevalent In England.
One of many wrongs he attacked was
that class OF schools which his DOthe-
bows Hall exemplifed, but that great
novelist committed no error In giving
the name "SQueers" 20 the master OF
DothebOys Hall. Probably not one OF
the men he criticised had name at sll
like "SQueerS." Hence no one single,
particular individual was felt 10 be the
object at which Dickens aimed.
Many Westinghouse agree with
Commissioner RGum in thinking 1t a
pity that Mr. Bogy was not more judi
Cious in this regard. Grant, they say,
that the low condition that he pictures
does actually eXiSt-hOw much more
potent would have been his story had
he avoided reference TO real persons.
The evil in itself, if IL be as great as
pictured, afforded ample material for
his purpose.
MISS 0nLLER's LETTER.
Commissioner Raum wrote to Secre-
tary Noble that Miss VI. ID. Miller fir st
called his attention TO In Office" and
asked him 70 make special note of page
l45, where one OF the characters tells of |
q man shooting himself in the bedroom |
Of Miss Smiley, a young woman clerk. |
Commissioner Raum says this OF the /
matter:
I have read the book in question, and |
nave before me the passage to which |
Miss Miller invites attention, at page !
AS, where Illusion is made 10 tragedy 1
which occurred some years ago, OF a /
young man shooting himself at private
residence, where he was calling, through /
careleSSness. The young lady referred
TO was not responsible for il in anyway.
There can be no doubt Mr.. Bogy had
this case in mind when he wrote this
paragraph. The change Of names does
not obscure his allusion.
The innuendO that that the honor Of
the young lady was compromised by
the visit ana death of the young man,
that the damaging facts were hushed
up by an influential Congressman, and
that the young lady is not kept in
Office because Of her merit, but because
of her figure, is, in my opinion libel
upon all the parties concerned.
Little need be said Of this, for MIR.
BOgy replied to Gen. Raum as follows:
have not seen the letter written by
Miss Maggie ID. Miller, to which the
Commissioner refers, and 1 will only
say that my book, from cover TO cover,
does not contain a reference to her,
and 1 regret exceedingly that she
should have fancied herself portrayed
in the character Of Miss Smiley.
ABOUT ''DoLLIE DANGERNEss."
Conspicuous among the persons in
''In Office" is "AIisS Dollie Dsngerness."
The part she plays is noble and heroic,
and all, so far as the novelist shows,
ends we'll for her. But, as admits her
self, there is stain upon her. Is it
any wonder, then, that certain young
woman, a clerk named Dangerheld,
feels hurt and diSlikes Mr.. BOgy?
'Dangerness" and "Dangerfe,d" are
names quite alike, and it was blunder
for him to use the name he did.
If he wished TO depict
Magdelene aud his vocabulary Of titles
was so scaDty, why didn't he just call
whomever he had In mind by the name
of "MiSs Magdalen?" No one could
have been offended at that. But ID
make the name "MiSs DangernesS" must, |
of course, make Miss Dangerdeld, Of the /
Census Office, very indignant and I'M
comfortable. Exactly similar is his /
coming the name 'Aulbee" from ''Taul-
bee" the Congressman who was shot |
by Kncaid. Even more open is the |
name Bradley Leonard" He may deny /
that be referred to Bradley Leonard; he /
may give Mr.. Leonard testimonial after /
testimonial, but will Mr.. Leonard be /
satisfied with that? People talk, and |
talk, and insinuations run faster than |
retractOns.
The character Of Letcher Thomp-
son is much talked Of. He |
Is known 70 most politicians /
at the cnpltaL His conduct was |
so scaudalOus that he was removed from /
Office, aud in portraying him Mr., BOgY |
probably did what almost any other !
writer upon the subject would have |
done.
HOW THE DESCRIPTIONS FIT.
Whatever may be said of the literary !
merit of "In Office, il is questionable I
say those who see q good purpose in the |
book, that many of the characters |
whom Mr.. Bogy introduces, and many |
elements of the conditions he de- |
scribes, do exist and are to be found |
without trouble in the Department
life Of the National Government. The
clothes of description which the author
has fashioned s. EN- 20 fit many clerks
and men is public life. On this point
Mr.. Bogy says:
have been surprised, not to say as
tonished, to find that there is not
single opprobrious fictitious character
in the book that has not been in6ig-
nantlY recognized as an accurate per-
Sonal portrait by at least half q dozen
v,orcope