Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-16
Special corrsspondsnce of Tia Examine ss.,


Special Corrsspondsnce Of The Eyenins Star
NKw York, May II, 1891.
The meetings Of the New York presbyterv
this week have been Of very great importance
and perhaps marked an epoch in the history of
that church. The scene was worthy Of an
artist Every one understood that the issue
would be Joined on DR.. Briggs orthodoxy. and
this fact brought together so large q crowd
that the presbytery adjourned from the large
lecture room of the church where they gener-
ally meet 10 the main auditorium. This soon
looked more like q general assembly
than local meeting. Hundreds Of
ciergymen and elders were in attendance, and
the galleries were well filed with ladies and with
many theological students who were attracted
from the various seminaries to get an object
lesson in theological disputation. DIR. Briggs
occupied front seat, ashen pale from the ef-
fects OF severe attack of the grip and also
from the great excitement under which he
labors He has been nearly worried 70 death
by the notoriety which has followed his
recent utterances, and last Sunday in
particular was anything but q day Of
rest for him, as his house was fairly besieged
suddenly finds himself pitchforked into the
midst of a sensation-loving world, and lie paying
the penalty Of fame by all sorts Of absurd mis-
representations by horse race and base ball re-
porters, who are assigned to report on subtle
metaphysical distinctions often accompanied
by cuts which would justify any presbytery in
expelling the one so represented as not only .
hereto, but murderer and the original Jack
the Ripper.
GOOD Y1aHrER-
Behind very genial and calm manner Or.
Briggs Is most aggressive and daring con-
troversalist and, in fact, raises against him
self gratuitous obstacles by lack Of diplo-
matte tact. His whole attitude on Monday was
OF the most defiant kind, and this reached q
climax when he thundeeed forth: Il want to be
tried for heresy and want to be tried as soon
as possible" Then, with belligerent gesture,
ne went on to say: 81 begin to feel
like the patriarch Job when he said: ooh,
that had the Indictment! Surely would
take 1t upon my shoulders and bind il
crown to me, as q prince would advance ="
10 speak after the manner of men, this was
'shying his castor into the ring" and only the
strict rules of the gathering prevented the
whole audience from bursting into applause
1t was evident that the doctor fairly yearned
for the martyrs crown. but by no means in
tended to take it by any Quaker methods Of
non-resistance.
THE PROBABLE OUTCOME.
Just what will be the outcome of this contro-
| versy no one as yet presumes to say, but many
feel that the differences which are being de-
veloped are radical and permanent, and il
would not be surprising if we had another
schism like that over the orthodoxy of DIR. Al
bert Barnes a generation ago leading to the
''Old School, and the New School, Presby-
terians. The trouble has been brewing for years
and there is a very rooted antagonism
between the opposing wings. The local dis
| turbance will, of course, find expression on a
| wider scale again in the June assembly, and if
the Union Theological Seminary retires from
the assembly, as now seems to be its plan In
| on DR.. Briggs appointment, it is al
| most inevitable that there should be a
| formal split in the sect. Evidently
DR.. Briggs contemplates such a contingency,
| because in his challenge for the trial he de-
| clared that after this had been finished in an
orderly way he and his friends would then be
able to tell whether they could longer remain
| in the Presbyterian church.
HOW A wELL-KNowN WRITER WORKS.
Yesterday met DR.. Edward Eggleston on
Broadway. He has just returned from pro-
longed trip in Ireland and Paris, partly in
search of rest and health and partly to study
| certain phases of the Irish problem. He comes
| back very much refreshed, looking very well
| and full of ideas for the future. In the course
| of conversation DIR. Eggleston told me one
| fact of literary experience which goes far
to show why today he is such q popular
noveliss- He said that by the time one
of his novels appears-when. that is, he
has written and revised the text and read and
reread the proofs-hs has gone over the work
probably forty times. Here is q suggestive fact
| For the slipshod writer's Of today, who dash of
| their clever crudities rapidly as a more or
| less greedy public may require. If the bright
| stars that fash upon the literary world every
fortnight or SO should emulate the honest,
painstaking care Of a writer like DR.. Eggleston
fbav nd Dr. 4
| abrupt descent back into oblivion.
NEW YoRK's WHOLESALE HOMES.
1t may be that in the fullness of time the man
who owns and runs his own private house may
be regarded as quite as luxuriant and extrava-
CANT person as he who now owns and uses q
private car or private steamship. Certainly
in this city the tendency is very marked toward
a modified and rational type of So
cialism in dwellings. To that extent
Bethany is justified by the practical
common sense of the age. 1 am prompted to
these speculations by the fact that during this
week the announcement is made that another
81 900 600 hotel is Immediately to be erected on
the west side Of the park. The new hotel is to
be les feet high, or fourteen stories, is to
be q full block front, to contain 600
rooms, and to be provided with every modern
improvement and elegance. This makes the
fourth, and ] am not sure but the fifth,
81. 100000 hotel that is now going up in this
| city. Where the movement will stop no one
can tell, but there seems to be no end to the
erection of these monster wholesale homes
and they seem to be successful in the ratio of
their magniicence and expense.
FORTUNES IN DARKEST AFRICA"
Now that Stanley has returned to Europe the
sale Of his book may be said to have practi-
cally ended. Most of the subscription agents
have finished up their work and q survey can
be made of the results. learn that il has
been one of the most successful ventures ever
| undertaken It was thought that the book was
not making much Of q hit, but this only
shows how quietly success was achieved.
Some particulars Of this sale will be interesting
heScribners paid Stanley $50 900 in cash before
Q line was written They recently settled the
| account to date by paying him another &50, 900,
representing Q sale Of 100, 900 copies, as their
contract required them to pay him SO cents on
each copy sold, in addition to the first ESQ 900.
The book sold for various prices from e7.50 to
els, but it has been averaged ct $3.50.
SO that the house receive, in gross, esq, 900
from the enterprise. After paying Stanley his
800 900 and the large commissions TO canvas
sers, averaging about SO per cent on the retail
price, there remains q net profit to the firm Of
at least e150, 900. Altogether the book has been
q striking example Of business courage and sa-
gacity, and the Scribners are to be congratu-
lated on their brilliant success.
OUTLAWS THAT BRING INCOMES.
An advertising agent gave me some interest
ING items TODAY about the amounts Maid nv